PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

[Samandkatharine]

Hi,
I am experiencing what I think is paws. After switching in January I am now having raging anxiety attacks, horrible dreams and my memory is worse now than ever. I looked up paws and I think it's rearing it's ugly head.:upset:

I will search the whole website for this ugly little reminder of my addiction but wanted a baclofenists point of view. Thanks, and no I don't want to drink at all.

I went back on my ADs and hope this will help.

Sam

[StuckinLA]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

Yup.

[spiritwolf333]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

Samandkatharine;1652079 wrote: Hi,
I am experiencing what I think is paws. After switching in January I am now having raging anxiety attacks, horrible dreams and my memory is worse now than ever. I looked up paws and I think it's rearing it's ugly head.:upset:

I will search the whole website for this ugly little reminder of my addiction but wanted a baclofenists point of view. Thanks, and no I don't want to drink at all.

I went back on my ADs and hope this will help.

Sam

Sam -you bring up a really great point: Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome.

Symptoms Per (web):
•Mood swings
•Anxiety
•Irritability
•Tiredness
•Variable energy
•Low enthusiasm
•Variable concentration
•Disturbed sleep

Baclofen or no baclofen, I think that many of us experience at least some of these symptoms after we stop drinking. I further believe that these same symptoms give cause to drink to those who "choose to continue to drink" while finding "indifference"

These symptoms are very real and very likely to give relapse a greater a chance. I think that if one is able to abstain long enough and take baclofen for a long enough period of time, these symptoms do evaporate -at for me the symptoms minimized. If you are not an alcoholic "yet", many of these symptoms may not apply to you. And some of these symptoms are "just a part of life", and I have to learn to address these items in a sober state of mind.

[Samandkatharine]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

StuckinLA;1652117 wrote: Yup.

Elaborate Stuck..

Spirit, I'm wondering if this is just me without alcohol, but the acute anxiety is worrisome. Maybe I just don't remember it thru 20ish active AL behavior. I do know that I'm experiencing all of the symptoms you mentioned. I just can't imagine anyone becoming indifferent through Bac or any med mentioned on this board not going through some sort of PTSD. This sounds just like something a kin to that.

Sam

[StuckinLA]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

Remember how a while back everyone was really really super excited about bac treating withdrawal almost as well as valium? And remember then how that turned out not to be the case basically at all?

Yeah, it's like that. You can go from raging drunk one day to switched indifferent the next and not be able to be bothered with drinking even enough to stave off physical withdrawal (see JoannaD's thread). So hey, guess what, sh*t happens and it takes months for alcohol to work out of your system - both physically and mentally (chemically). So there will be periods of anxiety and sleeping problems.

Also, there's a reason AA hands out chips when they do: 30 days, 60, 90, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year. That's when you should be on your toes and remember that it's just PAWS bullsh*t probably. It'll last maybe a few days, maybe a week, and most likely be right around that timeline. So don't get nervous that "this is just you" or whatever - it passes. And don't let Spirit freak you out with talk of "relapse," just keep taking your bac and keep on keepin' on.

[Samandkatharine]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

Relapse? :H anything is possible I guess. I'm not planning to though. My plan is to beat this funk into submission. I also think a technology break is in order. I'm self diagnosing myself into oblivion and it has to stop.

Thanks.

Sam

[Fred_The_Cat]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

Samandkatharine;1652079 wrote: Hi,


I went back on my ADs and hope this will help.

Sam

How long were you off them?

[Samandkatharine]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

Fred_The_Cat;1652352 wrote: How long were you off them?

I've been off of them for years. Maybe five? I was going through menopause (TMI) and having a rough time. I haven't needed them at all since then. I just don't want this bump in the road to turn into a boulder.

Sam

[neophyte]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

spiritwolf333;1652123 wrote: Sam -you bring up a really great point: Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome.

Symptoms Per (web):
?Mood swings
?Anxiety
?Irritability
?Tiredness
?Variable energy
?Low enthusiasm
?Variable concentration
?Disturbed sleep

well sh1t, i experieneced every single one of those. its nice to know it has a name :P 5 months later and im much better. i always had crippling anxiety though, which was worse after drinking, it got better but still was pretty bad.

I recently added Mirtazapine (15mg) to my zoloft (50mg). and its night and day, the voice that tells me everyone is judging me and is constantly slicing and dicing the same issues over and over and over again has just gone away, and im sleeping properly again. 8 hours instead of waking up at 4am with anxiety.

[Samandkatharine]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

neophyte;1653231 wrote: well sh1t, i experieneced every single one of those. its nice to know it has a name :P 5 months later and im much better. i always had crippling anxiety though, which was worse after drinking, it got better but still was pretty bad.

I recently added Mirtazapine (15mg) to my zoloft (50mg). and its night and day, the voice that tells me everyone is judging me and is constantly slicing and dicing the same issues over and over and over again has just gone away, and im sleeping properly again. 8 hours instead of waking up at 4am with anxiety.

Neo,

Thanks. I'm adding in my prozac, and I'm already feeling the cloud lift. I'm sleeping thru the night (10:30-6:00) and I'm not mentally obsessing on my faults as much. I have a family history of depression so I need to take care of that as well. Other than alcohol and depression I'm a nice person!!

I still think Paws is a real phenomenon.
Sam

[spiritwolf333]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

StuckinLA;1652199 wrote: . And don't let Spirit freak you out with talk of "relapse," just keep taking your bac and keep on keepin' on.

Sam -I will not apologize to an admitted active alcoholic who continuously portrays himself to be the god of recovery -Stuck(who continues to give out advice -go figure -how many years now Stuck?).

The subject matter you bring up is vitally important to alcoholics trying to reverse their deadly disease. Both newcomers and long-timers need to know about Post Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. PAWs is real and it is exactly why Baclofen and other medications are needed to help us in our transformations.

Now is the time to stand up for the alcoholics who have suffered for so long under the life taking disease of alcoholism. And no, we don't need nor want advice from active alcoholics who are just trying to get another notch in their belt by offering what appears to be "solid" advice. This is ridiculous !!! If you have been given the chance to recover from this deadly disease, stand up and help others.

Truly, none of us have anything to lose by providing factual-experienced based information that might help others. This foolishness of being proud of how many posts we get on a thread (Stuck reminded me of his thread) is pitiful.

If we are not here to really help the next alcoholic or to get more information for ourselves, then it is a waste of time (unless we need an ego boost).

Let us each carry on and use common sense.

SW -2014

[StuckinLA]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

spiritwolf333;1653514 wrote: Sam -I will not apologize to an admitted active alcoholic who continuously portrays himself to be the god of recovery -Stuck(who continues to give out advice -go figure -how many years now Stuck?).

Both newcomers and long-timers need to know about Post Alcohol Withdrawal Syndrome. PAWs is real and it is exactly why Baclofen and other medications are needed to help us in our transformations.

This foolishness of being proud of how many posts we get on a thread (Stuck reminded me of his thread) is pitiful.


Chill the f**k out, Spirit. Personal attacks on me? Really? You're just going to jump right out there and confirm that you've only been asking about my drinking or not drinking so you can defame my character and "discredit" me?

I almost expect better trolling from you. Almost.

So, to your post:

What did I say to Sam? Don't worry about "relapse" triggers because she is taking baclofen.

Why did I point you toward my thread - something that I almost never do? Because you explicitly said you wanted me to share my experience on and off baclofen and gabapentin. To refresh your memory:

spiritwolf333;1643110 wrote:

And Stuck -are you still drinking? Just curios. No offense intended. But Stuck, your drinking experience while taking Baclofen would be helpful for others to readif you are willing to do so

.
StuckinLA;1643470 wrote:

It's all right here, Spirit:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...bac-63480.html

It's not a thousand and some posts long for nothing. There's the bac, drinking, switch, not drinking, going down on bac, drinking again, then not drinking, etc, etc. And I'm AF 7 days today - though you know it seems like you're asking so you can point to me as evidence that bac "doesn't work." Which is false - bac does one thing very, very well, and that's remove the desire to drink. I don't take it anymore, and you'll see from the very first post on my thread that I have an uncommon but painful SE regarding skin sensitivity in my legs. I choose to fight my battles against alcohol rather than live in continuous pain.

So, now that we've got that out of the way, I guess we'll leave your other snarky comments alone and put it in the past? Well, maybe after just one more.

spiritwolf333;1653517 wrote: Stuck - your comments lead me to believe that you are a perfect candidate to "purchase" a degree. Ease up little man.

You have a problem with me, Spirit? That's fine. You think you're here to "help" by posting contradictory nonsense and pointing people in 8 different directions with baclofen and gabapentin and a higher power or whatever else, go ahead and keep thinking that. You think you're not here for your ego, with your ****ALL CAPS AND ASTERISKS**** thread titles? Whatever gets you through the day, Spirit, just keep believing whatever gets you through the day.

[spiritwolf333]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

StuckinLA;1652199 wrote:
Also, there's a reason AA hands out chips when they do: 30 days, 60, 90, 6 months, 9 months, 1 year. That's when you should be on your toes and remember that it's just PAWS bullsh*t probably. It'll last maybe a few days, maybe a week, and most likely be right around that timeline. So don't get nervous that "this is just you" or whatever - it passes. And don't let Spirit freak you out with talk of "relapse," just keep taking your bac and keep on keepin' on.

Stuck -I am suggesting that you are doing a huge injustice to those trying to recover from alcoholism by your comments. As you said, you carry a lot of weight with your thread popularity, etc.

Did you really mean to call Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome bullshit? Do you realize that most alcoholics relapse relative to the symptoms described in PAWS? Do you realize that Baclofen and other newer medications work to address some of the symptoms of PAWS?

Stuck, you may be pedaling advice that could be harmful to an alcoholic trying to recover. And Stuck, if you are not sober yourself, why are giving out advice about sobriety?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

Sam,

I had a period of euphoria when I quit drinking alcoholically. Then malaise and maybe anxiety. But I changed my baclofen dose so drastically that first year (up and down and repeat) that I have no idea what's normal-ish and what's related to abstinence. Life was also pretty dramatic for my first 6 months of sobriety. Add to it all that it feels like it was a looooong time ago and I've really got no idea what to think now. (I could reread my thread, but I find that excruciating.)

I'm curious about how much baclofen you're taking. (I have no idea if it's relevant!) How high did you go and when did you stop drinking? I still wonder if baclofen is an effective anxiolytic or antidepressant for some of us. (I doubt it, but again, I don't know.)

I do know it was an emotional roller coaster for a long time, and that it was very similar to periods of time that I got sober in AA or after rehab(s). So maybe it was PAWS or maybe it was just that I'd spent 96.73% of my adult life in the throes of addiction and change is hard. Either way, the shitty stuff passes and the goodness lasts. Hang in there. :l

[NotHappyHourHappyLife]

PAWS. Has anyone on baclofen had this?

I have no experience with any of these drugs- their power scares me, truthfully.
Like a mom, I will caution you to be careful and to listen to your bodyl! :hug:

Today is here; you have lived another day and hopefully the fogginess stays in the past.
:groupluv: Patty