Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

[Fred_The_Cat]

Bee a while since I posted, but I found this worth mentioning.

I've tittered down from 75 mg to 50 mg over the past two weeks and have remained indifferent as ever to alcohol. I don't even drink on weekends and save it for two occasions: Tuesday night after music lessons (one beer with a small pizza) and Thursday night after cat volunteering (two margaritas). This past Thursday night excursion really kicked my ass after the fact. I felt terrible all Friday, but attempted to socialize that evening by gong to a happy hour hosted by a meetup.com group.

I only had two drinks and left the place on the verge of an anxiety attack. The rest of the night was spent shivering and writhing in bed with racing, nonsensical thoughts that made me question whether or not I was actually asleep.

I took 75 mg at 6 and crashed hard, then spent a woozy afternoon coming back down to earth.

What gets me is that the Tuesday/Thursday thing has been going on for the past month, and this is the first time it's just gotten absolutely unbearable. I suspect that with reduced drinking my tolerance has gotten dramatically lower- all of this happened over what amounted to 7 drinks in 2 days.

Kick me if I touch margaritas again. What's good about this, I just realized, is that my drinking is now taking place in an extremely controlled manner rather than at a whim. There are 5 beers in my fridge that have been there for 3 weeks because I haven't found the time or motivation to drink them.

[Jennifire]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

Hi Fred-the-Cat,
I haven't been here in a very long time myself. Have restarted on Topa a couple of weeks ago with plans to try AF next week end. May I ask what you are up to 75 mg of???
TIA,
J

[Samandkatharine]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

Fred,

I'm on the same dose as you. I get the same reaction after having one glass of wine. The anxiety is the worst.

What is your take, other than our tolerance being lower? I'm curious too.

Sam

[Fred_The_Cat]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

@ Jenn, I'm up to 75 mg of baclofen as a 1 time dose to stabilize, then back to 50.

@ Sam, I think there must be some integrative effect that takes hold over time that intensifies when you do not drink. The past 3 months is the first time I've been serious about not drinking haphazardly, even in small amounts on a regular basis. Once the regular drinking stopped, the side effects started escalating- leading me to believe that alcohol and bac are in direct opposition and negate each other's effects.

Something else to take from this that those who avoid alcohol while titrating up are on the money- you will switch lower, faster and with fewer side effects than if you tried driving with one foot on the brake and one on the gas.

Plus, let's not kid ourselves. This shit's expensive. Why take more unnecessarily so you can defeat the purpose of your taking it?

[Samandkatharine]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

"@ Jenn, I'm up to 75 mg of baclofen as a 1 time dose to stabilize, then back to 50.

@ Sam, I think there must be some integrative effect that takes hold over time that intensifies when you do not drink. The past 3 months is the first time I've been serious about not drinking haphazardly, even in small amounts on a regular basis. Once the regular drinking stopped, the side effects started escalating- leading me to believe that alcohol and bac are in direct opposition and negate each other's effects."

Fred, I switched at 80mg. I was sick with the stomach flu and after 4 AF days had an aha moment in the wine aisle. Being AF helps with a lower switch. I'd love to see a survey. Yes, the haphazard sipping is no fun anymore.

Sam

[Fred_The_Cat]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

How bad is your anxiety when you dabble in alcohol? I was actually puking bile at 3 am in a state of complete terror. Very, very unpleasant.

[Samandkatharine]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

My anxiety is such that my heart pounds I wonder how I ever liked to drink in the first place. I can only equate my feeling with how I felt at a sleep away camp when I was a child. Pure terror.

Sam

[bleep]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

Fred_The_Cat;1638391 wrote: Something else to take from this that those who avoid alcohol while titrating up are on the money- you will switch lower, faster and with fewer side effects than if you tried driving with one foot on the brake and one on the gas.

While there are definite benefits to not drinking whilst titrating, I don't think you will switch at a lower dose. Your switch dose is your switch dose, IMO.

I have often had periods where a lower dose seems to work just as well for a long period. And then it doesn't, which can suddenly take you by surprise and lead to embarrassing situations.

[neophyte]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

for me, i think it would have been a better idea if i had waited until i hit my switch while drinking. when i tried going AF at a dose that ended up being near 1/2 my switch dose, i ended up abusing benzos, opiates and anything i could get my hands on mushrooms and dmt at one. now im on 300. but my cravings are pretty up there, i NEEDED to be on something, anything.

so in my case and poly drug addicts, perhaps waiting for the switch is better. theres no way i could go DF and AF at the same time. physical dependence to too many things and all.

now at 300mg, im sitting good, the only thing remaining is opiates which i plan to taper down off, but its a 9 year addiction now, so its going to be mentally tough.

[Yourfriend6116]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

@Fred I drank a handful of times going up. Two of those times I had the worst anxiety ever!!! If I'd have been alone I'd have probably called 911. I just kept reminding myself it was the Bac and AL. It was the worst.

[Wildjaq]

Dwindling alcohol tolerance @ 50 mg

I'm now on 20mg(!) Baclofen and not too bothered about alcohol. If I have a glass or two of wine I feel dreadful.

I've upped my dose on occasions where I've felt a real craving for booze but this has knocked me for six the next day.

Ultimately the baclofen has done the job I wanted it too - the rest is up to me.

Good luck all!