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Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

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    #31
    Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

    I am a seasonal resident of Vermont, and I was declined by a doctor there who would consider using baclofen, but was cool to the idea (he called it a "third line treatment" after campral, naltrexone, topa, the usual suspects failed). Anyway, I think the advice he gave me was the best. Don't just go to any old psychiatrist, find one that is board certified specifically in addiction medicine, and printed me out a list of doctors with that qualification in Florida. I am making an appointment with one from that list. According to her website, she treats alcoholism with naltrexone, but I am going in there with Ameisen's book and the prescribing guide and hopes that she has an open mind. I don't know why, but the fact that she is also an anesthesiologist as well makes me hopeful that she will be more open-minded.

    I talked to Dr. L. about two weeks ago and he was very enthusiastic about starting me, but I'm starting a cross-country road trip and waited to get back to him because of the possible SE. Driving is one of the first things that is cautioned against, so I thought I'd wait until I was back in sunny Florida to start treatment. It's too late now, but maybe it's better this way than having the rug pulled out from under me so quickly after starting.

    I haven't been around here for a while and hadn't seen this thread, so I called him tonight. He was professional but curt and couldn't get me off the phone fast enough. IMO, there is no reason to call him anymore and he should be left alone at this point.
    In the middle of my life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood, as I had lost the straight path. It is a difficult thing to speak about, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood is. Just thinking about it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death, but in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there. --Dante, paraphrased

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      #32
      Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

      River is confusing. If you click on Baclofen (Beclfen), or just Baclofen it has 25mg for $.55 per pill. If you click on Baclofen (Lioresal) it's $1.15 per pill. Anyone know the difference?

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        #33
        Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

        It probably has something to do with lioresal being the name brand before it was available as a generic.
        In the middle of my life's journey, I found myself in a dark wood, as I had lost the straight path. It is a difficult thing to speak about, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood is. Just thinking about it recreates the fear. It is scarcely less bitter than death, but in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there. --Dante, paraphrased

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          #34
          Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

          chigg;1544703 wrote: River is confusing. If you click on Baclofen (Beclfen), or just Baclofen it has 25mg for $.55 per pill. If you click on Baclofen (Lioresal) it's $1.15 per pill. Anyone know the difference?
          I saw this and wanted to say that I've been scanning the bac posts for the past few months and did notice posts on recommended 'kind' of baclofen. I'm not sure what that means. Unfortunately, my computer with my notes is completely dead, and I've been in too much baclofen stupor to retrace my steps. I recall Pacifen and one other kind that was highly recommended by some of the veterans here. I think that I did not trust River. I had read posts that the stuff out of India had quite a few SEs, and everything there seemed to be stuff that people were having difficulty with. Inhouse seemed to have a good price for the pacifen. Ah! I recall the other kind that was praised: ratiopharm at goldpharma.

          Before, you jump on this though, I'm sharing based on what I dug up around here. I am by no means an expert. This is my first post although I've been a long-time member. Never quite made it with the Kudzu, Topamax, and meditations when I joined in 2007. I've been checking out baclofen and just started from a prescription that I actually let build up without taking because, although I have a script for it, it was given to me for 30 mg at most. He is an addiction specialist and "cutting edge." But 30mg is it, and it sounds like that won't get anyone to the switch. He's retiring too, so I have been searching for other options in my master plan to work.

          Moreover, I have had terrible SEs and have wondered if it is due to the type of bac I get from Osco.

          SEs: Swollen eyes :wow: with rash that turns into dry flaking eyelids, rash on throat only, constant stupor. The dr doesn't seem to know what to say other than "Good thing you don't go higher than 30ms." Hmmm... Now, I'm reading about the liquid bac, but I am so inefficient at reading anything. Common tasks are daunting with the stupor. They already were (have ADHD). Can't figure anything out, inefficient, hyperfocused on the wrong things, or interrupting negative thoughts that really bring me down and wish I were drunk. Generally feeling dumb.

          I'm identifying with some of Redhead's thread, so I'll have to get back to reading that. I'll move this to the liquid bac & SE thread. Rambling in the wrong hyperfocus mode. Hope the rest helped. I'd normally be proactive and put in the links and retrace my steps to get you to the posts, but brain fog. Actually, if you search in google for "best baclofen online my way out" you could probably find the posts in here. I think I did that for some reason was more successful than searching in here. I'm not versatile with message boards. People seem a little scary in the faceless e-world. Guess I've seen the troll/flame stuff too much.

          Why is this asking me for a title? Doesn't the thread already have a title?
          Shiney!

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            #35
            Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

            I'm no expert on the overseas meds. I've only ordered twice and that was 3 years ago.

            In general the big names are reliable/safe/easy. At one point River was very expensive but I think they finally dropped the prices a couple of years ago. I think some of them ask for a diagnosis and maybe even a doctor's name/number. I suggest something a little less obvious than Dr. Seuss. I would also point out that baclofen is used for muscle spasms. So... develop a sudden case of restless leg syndrome...

            I'm pretty sure that the vast majority of the pills are made in/near India (Vanuatu) regardless of where you order them from. I'm really hoping someone can correct this information, btw!

            I can't begin to guess why Lioresal is more expensive. Generic is generic is generic. Maybe there was a run on it? Or maybe it's a reflection of some of the politics happening around pharmaceuticals made in India? Just guesses.

            Bottom line? The overseas option is a viable one. It's what MWOers have been using since the beginning.

            Order a lot. Order it way in advance. Plan ahead so as not to run out.

            As an aside, I (personally) am not going to hope that Dr. L will be able to prescribe again. And I'm also not going to expect to get more than 80mg/day from a doctor in the US. (Any doctor, specialist or not.) And when I do find a doctor, I will tell them whatever they need to hear so I can continue to stay healthy.

            Cheers.

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              #36
              Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

              So no one who's ordered from goldpharma recently has any solid recommendation from the long list of 25 mg generics? The lioresal is out of my price range for 100 pills. I read in this thread that the ratiopharm was probably effective, but can anyone else chime in with their personal experience? I wanna make sure before I make my first big purchase overseas, and I don't wanna order in small proportions because I don't wanna run out before the next purchase arrives. Thanks.

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                #37
                Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                Ratiopharm worked fine for me.
                Even when on 15 mg I could feel that something was going on.

                Now my pharmacy changed to Sandoz. It also works fine, but somehow I preferred the Ratiopharm.
                Today is the first day of the rest of my life.

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                  #38
                  Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                  Thanks xadrian. I'm brand new to this board and I appreciate the response.

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                    #39
                    Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                    How about his XANAX prescriptions...scheduled, highly addictive...over the phone...

                    You think nobody reported that, wasn't me

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                      #40
                      Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                      inocent;1545043 wrote: How about his XANAX prescriptions...scheduled, highly addictive...over the phone...

                      You think nobody reported that, wasn't me
                      desperados;1363258 wrote:
                      fuck I'm hammered and yet so nothing to be proud of
                      5,4,3,2,...
                      TerryK celebrates 6 years of sobriety and indifference to alcohol thanks to baclofen

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                        #41
                        Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                        "Wherever you are is the entry point." --Kabir

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                          #42
                          Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                          After reading these posts I was pretty much aware that Dr L wouldn't prescribe to me in Salt Lake City, but since I've never called him before I decided to call him last night to see if any kind of positive conversation could take place. His voice was very kind and sounded very apologetic, and he nicely told me: "I'm sorry but that's illegal in this country." ... I'm very new to MWO, but I'm quite intuitive and I could tell from a brief few minutes on the phone that he was genuinely sorry he couldn't help me. It really sucks that he's been put in the position he's in after (from what I've read here) he's helped a lot of folks over the years. I wish I had found MWO sooner.

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                            #43
                            Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                            Corleone, I'm sorry also that he wasn't able to help you. He really is a good man is completely heartbroken about this. Court is the end of the month, I'm sure it will be long and dragged out but hopefully something good transpires out of it.

                            Have you looked in other means of obtaining the medication?? As much as people want to be under the supervision of a doctor, in reality the most knowledgeable people of the drug are here on MWO. Most doctors probably never heard of the Bac for alcoholism. There are many studies currently underway which will hopefully bring light of it all and in years from now, perhaps it will be FDA approved to beat our evil disease. There's a list around here with doctors in other locations that are known to willingly prescribe Bac.

                            Also, WELCOME!!! Stay close, there's lots of good advice, tons of amazing support, and many brilliant and caring people here with you and for you.

                            Keep fighting the good fight, my friend.
                            ?If you get the inside right, the outside will fall into place. Primary reality is within; secondary reality without.? - Eckhart Tolle

                            To contact me, please msg me here:
                            mandiekinz@baclofenforalcoholism.com
                            Baclofen for Alcoholism

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                              #44
                              Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                              Court? I didn't realize there were actually formal charges. Anyone know what they are?

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                                #45
                                Urgent: Dr. Levin can no longer prescribe baclofen

                                I've been on baclofen for 16 months under the supervision of an addiction specialist and later a psychiatrist. At no point did I get any better information than I could find in OA's book and pubmed; I started on baclofen before finding MWO.

                                I was passing useful information to my doctors rather than the other way round.

                                There are now two very useful papers to guide self-administration or a "supervising" doctor.

                                Suppression of Alcohol Dependence Using Baclofen: A 2-Year Observational Study of 100 Patients
                                https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/59463672/Prescribing-Guide-for-Baclofen-in-the-Treatment-of-Alcoholism-Don.pdf

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