My way out, do I want to leave ???

[Clipped Wings]

Hey all Baclofen users,

Does the pill provide miracles or do we provide the miracle? I know that I'm new to this treatment but here goes.

This is my third week on this drug and i'm currently taking 80mg daily in four doses of 20mg. My hope is to stay on this dosing for as long as it takes to experience an indifference to alcohol completely. From everything I've read this is the goal, and 80mg will eventually get me there. Well, 50 years of drinking with 15 of those years being out of control is enough. If exercising will power is part of this prescription then i'm in trouble !!!

Maybe I can battle the habitual situations that trigger alcohol cravings, i:e football, soccer, tennis and any sports event on the flat screen, but accomplishing this task with 666 alcohol cravings seems to be impossible XXX10. My reluctance to abandon Baclofen, stems from the fact that I have tried everything else with total failure. Praying, would be my only last resort and i practice that daily. You know the drill, God helps those who help themselves, well all of my eggs are in one basket...Baclofen, Baclofen, Baclofen !!!

Please tell me what your experience with Baclofen has been! This lost soul could certainly use the education and support on this journey for a life without alcohol, except by choice of course Thank you for listening and look forward to an ongoing dialog to battle this debilitating disease.

Drinking for me is not a choice, but an unwelcome need !!! Clipped Wings

[JDizzle]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

My experience was that it was an absolute miracle that lasted 2 weeks and then stopped. I wish it would have lasted forever. I'm pretty much off it now. I take small doses because it helps with my restless leg syndrome so I can sleep.

[Cassander]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

hello Clipped

There are a fair number who get to where you are...try baclofen...and it just doesn't work for them. For lots of reasons. Including pretty understandable reasons. Probably the most common is being unwilling or unable to fight through the side effects. Which can be numerous and quite discomforting. Interrupted sleep and daytime somnolence seem to be the most prevalent. Sometimes they are even more annoying...or serious.

However...

many many have succeeded with baclofen. Some at a relatively low dose, others at doses up into the hundreds. A fair number have reached indifference and remained indifferent. Some...quite a few who still come here from time to time...swear by baclofen. It works.

FWIW, it seems to help quite a bit with the side effects if you can quit or reduce while you are titrating up.

There are plenty of stories of success and not so much on this board. Set aside some time...grab a bottle of water...and start reading.

Plus I'm sure others who have found indifference with baclofen will be here to tell you their stories.

Best,

Cassander

[StuckinLA]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

I found that at around 240mg even when I thought I wanted to drink--a lot--I didn't. I quite simply forgot to drink, even sitting in a bar with a drink in front of me, I wouldn't remember to pick up the glass and drink from it.

Yes, the side effects suck. Yes, some people decide, for whatever reason, to stop taking bac or to drop their dose or whatever. I'm one of those--I haven't taken bac at all since around May.

I am also overall glad I had the experience that I did, even the bad parts of it (though thankfully they weren't as bad as they could have been). 80mg did/does almost nothing for me. It's not until around 200 I even slow down drinking. It's up to you. There's a lot of information and personal stories here on MWO, if you want to read (a lot) and find what's here. But I'd say with almost certainty that the switch isn't going to "find you" if you stay at 80mg. But who knows, maybe at 90 or 100? It's nearly impossible to tell what the switch dose will be until you're there. Again, up to you.

[bleep]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

It is a miracle, no doubt about it.

I'm not sure if sitting at 80mg's will necessarily result in indifference, you may have to consider going higher. See how you go.

[COSGringo]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

What everyone said above.

I had to get to 240 but that was painful. I am at 160 now. Yes I do drink some but little. I am really into wine and cooking so I chose control over abstinence. That's fine with me. I never ever drink a lot. I can't recall my last hangover.

Believe me when I was full blown alchy, well you know the saying, but no way I would have EVER stopped at 2 drinks. I can pass on it too and it just doesn't matter anymore.

If you want complete disassociation from booze you may need to go much higher. I was concerned when I went down it's still working where I need it to.

Now if I could get Doc Levin back on refilling on a normal schedule.

Good luck, it's worth it.

[kronkcarr]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

For me the baclofen has definitely changed my drinking. I drank alone most nights and I drank before parties and too much at parties. I hit my switch early (at 80 mgs) but I also had to change my habits. I didn't over drink and i didn't drink frequently once I started baclofen. It's been an amazing change in so many ways beyond my drinking. I'm not anxious like I had been, I'm not unsure of myself and I'm having a pretty fine time.

Did I miss why you're not titrating up higher? Also, my apology. I haven't been on here lately and I saw you had a post with no responses for a bit. I'm glad you kept posting.

[spacebebe01]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

Hi Clipped Wings are you still around, I see you haven't posted back.

[Clipped Wings]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

Many thanks Baclofen users !!!

Hey guys, i have read all your post and thanks for your perspective. Still taking 80mg daily and am:thanks: having some moderate success. Considering, maybe increasing to 120mg soon, but will probably stay put for a while. Sounds like all of us are happy that we have used Baclofen to help battle this war alcohol, it's nice to have another weapon in our arsenol.

Still a drunk, unless lying on the floor without holding on is SOBER.........James Dean.

[spiritwolf333]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

Hi Clipped - sounds like we had the same drinking experience-time and are about the same age. Baclofen has and remains a miracle for me. I am at 200mg/day and maybe one day will go down. I am not concerned how long I will stay at any dosage of baclofen. Compared to where I was when I first started baclofen and stopped drinking -well, baclofen and I will remain life partners -if that is what it takes.

[neophyte]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

Im now day 14 AF. So perhaps im too early in the game to comment but i can definitely say something about tritating up. from about 50mg and up i noticed that each time i had an increase my cravings dialed down a notch but i was still drinking, infact i drank more because baclofen took away the euphoria from drinking; it also takes away the euphoria from benzos and opiates. I theorise this because baclofen reduces anxiety so the reduction of anxiety which is in itself a relief is a kind of euphoria in itself, but i digress.

The side effects from drinking going up was getting worse and worse, the fear the next day after drinking was intollerable. so rather than keep going up, when i was at 150mg, i decided to go AF to see how bac would do its job. im 2 weeks AF and i dont really think about drinking at all. i do still get some cravings, i usually drink when i get home from work so on the way home i think about drinking a tall class of vodka in 30 seconds to get that warm hug of euphoria, but its a passing thought, and i know even if i did do that, the effect just wasnt like it was pre bac, so why bother.

I've been a drinker about 5 years, each time i quit the cravings were intollerable, so this two weeks is nothing to scoff at in my experience. I would crave so bad that i would hang my head over a toilet and i would salivate over drinking so much that saliva would pour like a faucet out of my mouth. i just NEEDED that euphoria that anxiety reduction, that break from the day where i could relax.

I think Baclofen has saved my ass, i know for sure theres no way in hell i was going to quit without it.

but like i said, im still new, so take waht i say with a grain of salt, see how i am in 2 months, 2 years. if im still AF then well im cured finally.

[Clipped Wings]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

Hey all, thank you for all your responses on Baclofen and how it helped you. Last night i was a total drunk but tonight i consumed only six ounces of, oh so good Single Malt Scotch, compared to twelve ounces last night. The cravings appear to be subsiding somewhat and i think drinking before bedtime probably is just a nasty habit i have developed over many years. A short time ago 12 ounces would have been a rare victory, 6 ounces just a morning starter.

Thanks for your insights Warriors, hopefully we've found a much needed friend. For those of you who suffer from anxiety does Baclofen seem to help in that regard? Myself being Type A & border line OCD, using disgusting labels, I do seem more calm throughout the day. Maybe another label could explain that " Psycho Somatic ", wrong spelling ???

Looking forward to tomorrow, Clipped Wings

[spacebebe01]

My way out, do I want to leave ???

Hi clipped good that you've decided to stay. Although I no longer take bac and wasn't successful with it myself due to not being able to handle toe se's I have seem many success stories here. One thing you said though that I want to ask you is your titration may be too quick, you say your on 80mg now and thinking of going to 120mg. Why go so high whats the rush your not in a race. I think from reading many others experiences and my own that its usually best to go slower as you should get less severe se's. Can you just go up by 10mg, or at the very most 20mg but I do think 40mg is way too much to add and I have seen too many people fail with this because they have tried to rush it and get to the switch too fast, it doesn't always work like that.

Glad your doing so well though and the fact that you've managed to cut down on drinking by so much will help you a lot while going up.