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**Jazi's Mum** · February 16, 2014, 12:57 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

Hi freedom4me and :welcome:

So good to see you here and that you are taking solid action in your life. I also found great relief when I found out I have ADD, and when I reviewed the traits of Adult Children of Alcoholic/Dysfunctional Families. Whew, to know my 'normal' is pretty screwed up! Knowing what's wrong is half the battle

I can heartily recommend you watch youtube videos of Dr. Gabor Mate who works with hard-core addicts in Vancouver, and read The Heart of Addiction by Dr. Lance Dodes. Both these doctors have done extensive research into addiction and why we do what we do. This made all the difference to me.

I'm so interested to hear how you do when you get your baclofen! Please post lots!!

Best of luck
JMum

**freedom4me** · February 16, 2014, 01:31 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

Hi Jazi's Mum!! Thanks so much for your reply and encouragement. I will get that book and look at those U-tube videos... When that doctor recognized GAD in me, it was a devastating relief...I cried all the way home and some that night, but it was a relief to know and finally have a direct avenue to focus on instead of always wondering what is wrong with me. I told my husband about it and he was relieved too since he has wondered what was wrong with me quietly to himself too. Praise God, I'm NOT normal and I can stop trying to be what others view as normal!! Its hard to be what others think of as normal. I'm done trying, I'm just gonna be the best me I can be by pursuing solutions to my issues (and smiling along the way).

I will post much, we are on on this journey together finding our way...

**spiritwolf333** · February 16, 2014, 02:05 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

Hi Freedom -I am glad you find the excitement in quitting drinking. It is an awesome gift -just to have the courage to want to quit. If quitting alcohol were easy, I would get drunk every night (lol). Take it easy and good luck with the baclofen; it was my miracle.

**Yourfriend6116** · February 16, 2014, 11:16 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

:welcome:
Hi there
So excited you have found the answers you are looking for! Look forward to following your journey.

**chelsea98** · February 17, 2014, 08:34 AM

Waiting on Baclofen

hi freedom,

check out the doctors thread. if you're in the uk, Dr Chick is based in edinburgh and also does clinics by appointment on Harley Street in London on occasions. He will prescribe for you. Dr Phillip Thomas, from what I know, will milk your money from you. Dr Chick will prescribe for you and will send repeat prescriptions as and when required. he will then forward details on to your doctor so you can maintain via nhs prescriptions.

**freedom4me** · February 17, 2014, 01:59 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

Thank you all for your words of encouragement and advice. I am actually in the US, South Carolina. I will keep in mind what Chelsea said about Dr. Thomas. I certainly do not want someone milking my money (I'm no where near rich!). I have a couple of leads in finding a doc locally, working on that this week and waiting on Bac to come in the mail. I have sooo far to go to fix my brain! I never realized how messed up I was until recently! By the grace of God I will overcome these hurdles, one moment (hurdle) at a time. God Speed, and have a wonderful day!

**spiritwolf333** · February 17, 2014, 02:31 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

freedom4me;1627790 wrote: Well, I'm new to the forums on mywayout. I have been searching for a long time for a way out of this drinking addiction.

I have no doctor at this time willing to treat me and the more I try to search for one locally without knowing for sure if they know about baclofen prior to my visit, the more embarrassed and humiliated I am to have to tell my story of addiction so many times over and get rejected for the help I need. Plus I have worked in the medical field for 16 years and some of them know me professionally... So, I ordered Baclofen 10mg (400tabs) from In House Pharmacy online on Friday Feb 7th, today is Sunday Feb 15th and I'm hoping it will come in very, very soon. The tracking info just updated today showing it processed through sort facility in New York (Yea!!!).

My most recent attempt to see a doctor was last Friday, Feb 14th. I thought for sure, since he is a PHD and a therapist, he would help me. So, I took all the baclofen documentation I had with me and gave it to him, explained my story (yet again), only to find out he will not order baclofen, has never heard of the medication, and only treats with cognitive-behavior therapy... very disappointing to say the least. But, I did learn something from him...He told me I have GAD with obsessive components. I thought my anxiety was normal and never realized until after he made that statement that I have a high level of anxiety. I thought it was normal behavior from a very stressful job, but fact is, I cannot handle stress very well and get over anxious. I tend to take on too much too, then find my self in an all-out-panic. Plus, I do obsess over details. Many times in my life I've asked myself "whats wrong with me?" When the doctor saw right off it was GAD, I began to review the life for the past 20 or so yrs and realized, he is right! OMG, an awakening! So, that's what is underlying my drinking!

Great post and thanks for the info.

Many alcoholics -if not most, suffer from:
(1) High levels of anxiety
(2) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD)

Your story certainly seems to mimic my own. Anxiety, OCD, can't find a knowledgeable doctor, etc. You see, this is the trademark of most people here on MWO. Each of us -for the most part- try to help each other find answers to the most desperate of questions.

I try to remember this for myself; "You can not repair a brain disorder with talk therapy". Talking certainly does help but it does not restore brain function -as medication does.

There are a few doctors out there that understand -but only a few for now. I wish you the very best.

**StuckinLA** · February 17, 2014, 04:17 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

spiritwolf333;1628154 wrote: Each of us -for the most part- try to help each other find answers to the most desperate of questions.
I totes only help answer easy questions.

spiritwolf333;1628154 wrote: "You can not repair a brain disorder with talk therapy".

Sh*t.

:welcome: btw

**freedom4me** · February 17, 2014, 07:53 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

I'm learning and learning and learning, absorbing it all. If it's not on the forums or books, its on the internet (u-tube, searches, etc...). What would we do without the internet (remember when there was no internet)??? Praise God for all of our abilities to communicate with each other, it definitely helps! God Speed and have a wonderful evening!

**Alky** · February 19, 2014, 04:29 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

freedom4me;1627790 wrote: My most recent attempt to see a doctor was last Friday, Feb 14th. I thought for sure, since he is a PHD and a therapist, he would help me. So, I took all the baclofen documentation I had with me and gave it to him, explained my story (yet again), only to find out he will not order baclofen, has never heard of the medication, and only treats with cognitive-behavior therapy...
Ph.D.'s can't prescribe medication. Only someone with a M. D. or D. O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) degree can do that.

freedom4me wrote: So, I ordered Baclofen 10mg (400tabs)

Depending on how high you end up to hit your switch dose, you can burn through 4000mg of baclofen quite fast. Plan ahead. Since you don't have a prescription, place your next order well in advance. There are numerous threads started by people who failed to plan ahead and ran out of baclofen. It's not something you can stop cold turkey. And don't wing it - use a titration schedule. There are plenty floating around here.

**freedom4me** · February 20, 2014, 02:29 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

Now my journey begins

My Baclofen supply came in mail today! Yea! My plan is to start on it on Saturday, but I may start on it tomorrow (Friday) since my daughter wants me to take her hiking near the river on Saturday. I don't want to be feeling sleepy for hiking. Plus Friday I will be alone at home doing chores and can take a nap if I need to. Any suggestions from the more experienced in first day of Baclofen?

**freedom4me** · February 20, 2014, 02:35 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

Alky;1628919 wrote: Ph.D.'s can't prescribe medication. Only someone with a M. D. or D. O. (Doctor of Osteopathy) degree can do that.

Depending on how high you end up to hit your switch dose, you can burn through 4000mg of baclofen quite fast. Plan ahead. Since you don't have a prescription, place your next order well in advance. There are numerous threads started by people who failed to plan ahead and ran out of baclofen. It's not something you can stop cold turkey. And don't wing it - use a titration schedule. There are plenty floating around here.

Thank you, Alky. I will def reorder today. It took 2 weeks for this order to get to me and I do not want to be without.

**neophyte** · February 20, 2014, 04:27 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

have a read of TerryK's thread about how much baclofen to keep on hand if you have a problem with supply. you generally need a buffer so that you can taper without risks of wd. its something like 25mg a week, so you need to be vigilent. i would even double that amount. it's not so bad when you start baclofen but when youre in 200mg plus, it can get scary, and medical profesionals may not know how to treat the wd symptoms, they may try to alleviate them with benzos which won't work.

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...fen-88526.html

**freedom4me** · February 20, 2014, 07:50 PM

Waiting on Baclofen

Yep, I ordered another 400 tabs (4000mgs) today and will order every 2 weeks to be sure I have lots of stock pile and in case there is delay in the shipping of it since it takes so long. You guys are great and so helpful! If there is anything I can help you with please let me know.

I start Baclofen tomorrow (yea!). I plan to start at 5mg, 3x/day for 3-5 days depending on how I feel. Then up it based on what I'm feeling, but very, very slowly. I'm not really a heavy drinker, but I suffer from the addiction/cravings like everyone else. I keep the drinking active only in the evenings (due to day time driving responsibilities but the cravings come much earlier ), and drink 6-7 beers each evening. But on the weekends and if I know I have nothing to drive to, I start drinking earlier, although the amounts are usually the same. After 7 I kind of get tired and sleepy, sometimes I cave an 8th beer, but not regularly. Hard liquor & wine made me mean when I drank it and feel really bad the next day.

The anxiety is daily, all day long and even as I sleep through out the night (yes, I worry even then). I wake up in the morning fearful of my health, family, drinking habit, issues coming for the day etc... It gets worse with any pressure or with too much to do in a day. Now that I recognize it as an anxiety problem, it is easier to deal with. Today, I was riding in the car with my family and they started talking about where to get some dinner and did not agree, and I got irritated and anxious over the whole issue and was so ready to just go home and spread out to our separate locations. I totally lost any concentration on driving due to the arguing of where to eat, I gritted my teeth so not to say anything that would hurt anyone, and my attitude was very irritable. But since I knew it was the issue with anxiety, it was easier to recognize and let go of. But I did notice the same reaction/attitude in my daughter--14yrs old (apple doesn't fall far from the tree). I noticed recently that I get this way when my daughter becomes really chatty about things going on in her life and she just wants to talk and talk and talk. Anxiety... Root of anxiety is FEAR.

Well, I will update along this lovely journey that I am on. I am so glad to have all of you for support and have baclofen for cravings and anxiety. Again, please let me know if there is ANYTHING I can help you with.

Freedom (its in the air)

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