advice tapering baclofen

[Peralik]

Hi everybody
I have been taking baclofen for about two years. It helped me against anxiety mainly. It also boosted self confidence, and libido. However, since a while, it started to severly affect my sleep. I felt like a puppet that is forced to run and run... even at night. I only got 4 h of sleep each night on average. At the same time, the lack of sleep started to harm my performance at work.
The dosage was 160mg per day. I started to taper. Within three weeks, I am down to 60 mg. Using mindfulness, I was able to keep the anxiety, depression, and suicidal feelings in check. But now, I need a break, really. What is the best strategy now? It is really tricky as adjustments in dosage usually have a delay of about three days. I thought about going up to 90?
Does that make sense?
Thanks a lot for your sensible advice.

[StuckinLA]

advice tapering baclofen

10mg/week in either direction seems to be pretty OK. I sometimes went 10mg +/- every 4 days or so. Anxiety/depression/suicidal ideattion are the big ones to worry about, so try not to go too quick.

[Peralik]

advice tapering baclofen

too fast

Thank you. So it appears I was going too fast: 100mg in three weeks. Will now go up from 60 to 80 or 90mg/day. Will also check whether Picamilon (Niacin bonded to GABA, which enters the brain and will there be cleaved into the two components) can take off the edges off anxiety.
My doc gave me Trittico retard (50mg before sleep) for the sleep, but this did not help much and caused overhangs. Melatonin seems to help a little, as does Kava Kava and 5HTP, but: the real dealbreaker against good sleep is baclofen. And I experimented quite a bit with the timing of the doses.

[StuckinLA]

advice tapering baclofen

Try some Benadryl. 50mgs.

[flyer]

advice tapering baclofen

I've been to hell and back with Bac mate. At 300mg at one time. I titrated right down and got to 120 with control over my booze to the point where I'd stop at 2-3 beer. I've had to titrate down to 60 as I'm having some mental issues.

Fuck me I though Bac would be a walk in the park after reading the book and being able to tolerate most drugs. How wrong I was.

[JDizzle]

advice tapering baclofen

I went from 150 to 20 in a little over a week. I had problems titrating up (mainly insomnia). I think people in here are very cautious about going too fast up or down because of war stories about suicidal thoughts. You r either that kind of person or not in my opinion. Medical doctors don't seem to have a problem with titration being rapid.... Just don't stop completely overnight.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

advice tapering baclofen

JDizzle;1557992 wrote: I went from 150 to 20 in a little over a week. I had problems titrating up (mainly insomnia). ...Medical doctors don't seem to have a problem with titration being rapid.... Just don't stop completely overnight.

Um. What medical doctors? You mean all of the medical doctors and the vast majority of old-timers who know that it isn't safe (or smart, or in any way beneficial) to titrate up or down quickly?

OH, right! THOSE doctors and old-timers.

Hope everyone is staying sane and focused on the goal, and very wary of advice from anonymous internet strangers...

just sayin'

[Ne/Neva Eva]

advice tapering baclofen

JDizzle;1557992 wrote: I went from 150 to 20 in a little over a week. I had problems titrating up (mainly insomnia). I think people in here are very cautious about going too fast up or down because of war stories about suicidal thoughts. You r either that kind of person or not in my opinion. Medical doctors don't seem to have a problem with titration being rapid.... Just don't stop completely overnight.

Hmmmm. Isn't it both common wisdom and specifically stated by physicians that baclofen should be titrated slowly because the results of taking either too much or too little can be dramatic if not catastrophic. Please see 7 out of the last 10 baclofen related threads for more information. (I might be understating. Maybe 9/10?)

I hope everyone is sane and safe and focused on the goal...And very wary of advice from anonymous internet strangers. just sayin'

[drb120]

advice tapering baclofen

For me, my doc put me on neurontin for anxiety and seroquel for sleep. Told me to reduce 10% every 4-5 days. I do 5% every 3. He said that's fine. I've gone from 300 down to 150 before seeing a doc and had panic, suicidal ideation, insomnia and depression. Now on the supporting meds it's pretty easy. I'm down to 60mg and feeling great. I feel like I could go faster but I'm resisting the temptation to do so. My advice is see a doc. Neurontin or Lyrica really really helps. At least it did for me.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

advice tapering baclofen

You could also just not take too much or too little...

just sayin' again. And again. And again.

Glad you're doing better.

[drb120]

advice tapering baclofen

With 4990 posts and counting, you will tend to repeat yourself one would imagine...just sayin. I'm not here for you to prove any points on. If anyone is truly struggling after having an initial awesome experience on baclofen, pm me. I'll listen, and give my details. And if anyone is seriously a "true believer" in baclofen with no ulterior motive, relax, I'm backing off, right now.

[Peralik]

advice tapering baclofen

JDizzle;1557992 wrote: You r either that kind of person or not in my opinion.

That might well be. Unfortunately, I am "that" kind of person who is very sensitive to the Baclofen levels in my body. I wish there would be an extended release version of it.
But anyway, I need to come off this medication - it messes with my psyche and personality, I hate that.

[Peralik]

advice tapering baclofen

StuckinLA;1556925 wrote: Try some Benadryl. 50mgs.

I tried. It helps. Thanks.
The pharmacist also recommended Avena sativa, which helps too.

[Peralik]

advice tapering baclofen

drb120;1558115 wrote: My advice is see a doc.

I did. My doc sucks. He said he is not aware that Baclofen reduction can result in anxiety. Rather he suggested to stay on it or increase it, as he thought that anxiety and insomnia is due to my personality, not the meds. He suspected that I would abuse uppers, just because I was riding fast there on my bike, and was a little exhausted when I arrived.

[StuckinLA]

advice tapering baclofen

Maybe I just never gave coke a fair chance, but who has anxiety and abuses uppers?

Anyway, gabapentin can help too--did you already say that? A p-doc wanted to prescribe me 2800mg/day, which is super super high and I never ended up taking it (I did buy some online and do take 3-600mg every so often, don't feel much effect one way or the other). Point being if it helps, you can take a lot of it, especially as it only lasts 4-5 hours (not medical advice, etc.).

The other thing, with respect to drb: I don't think anyone's trying to divide camps into True Believers and not, or anything like that. We're just coming to terms with some real issues when it comes to bac titration, and hopefully people are being careful out there. We don't want anyone to harm themselves or to lose anyone needlessly. Because it would be needless.

If you're in the middle of bac-panic or just feel like you absolutely MUST get off bac RIGHT NOW, and I've had those feelings too, just take a couple deep breathes. Bac is very safe, you haven't messed up your psyche or fried up your brains or anything like that. It's going to be OK but it's just going to take a little while. And once you know that, it's a lot easier to titrate off at a slow, steady, reasonable pace.