Recovery on baclofen

[Otter]

I just thought it might be encouraging if you heard about a long time user of baclofen. My wife has been on it since early 2009. She has lost her craving for alcohol and just doesn't drink anymore, even if it is offered on a plane or Sunday lunch. We don't keep any booze in the house. A couple of weeks ago she stopped taking it and still doesn't crave and hasn't relapsed. If she did, we have a good supply of it and we can get it over the counter here without a prescription anyway.

She took some liquid baclofen the other day and it knocked her out.

I think the explanation for this is something which has been researched by a Dr. Susan Mosher-Ruiz at Boston University Medical School. Dr. Ruiz has been conducting research into the effect of alcohol on the brain and has found that the brain does actually recover from alcoholism, faster in women than men. She won an award for this research a couple of years ago: BUSM/VA Researchers Uncover Gender Differences in the Effects of Long-Term Alcoholism ? Boston University Medical Campus | Blog Archive | Boston University

I think this is promising news in that it shows that if one sticks to baclofen for a long time and gets the benefit of abstinence, or maybe even just reduced drinking (?), then the brain should recover so that one has an even better chance of full recovery.

[Samandkatharine]

Recovery on baclofen

Otter that is so wonderful for your family! I know you've been through hell.

Did your wife taper off gradually and at what rate? I'm not there yet but wold looked to not be on baclofen forever. She was on it for 5 years?

:goodjob:

Sam

[Fred_The_Cat]

Recovery on baclofen

I've suspected this with both caffeine and alcohol. I can only do 2 caffeinated beverages or 2 alcoholic drinks anymore in a given day. Anything over will send me straight to hell. It seems that once you're off it long enough you become sensitized to it.

[hopefulinOz]

Recovery on baclofen

Wow that is encouraging.

[Samandkatharine]

Recovery on baclofen

Fred_The_Cat;1662408 wrote: I've suspected this with both caffeine and alcohol. I can only do 2 caffeinated beverages or 2 alcoholic drinks anymore in a given day. Anything over will send me straight to hell. It seems that once you're off it long enough you become sensitized to it.

I can only drink one cup of coffee now as well. I used to drink 6. :cupajoe:

[redhead77]

Recovery on baclofen

I have to make time for one more post this morning. Otter, what wonderful news about your wife! I'm glad your life is finally coming together. It's time and you deserve it. It gives me hope for my life. :-) Really, I think my life might be slowly coming together too. It's just so busy and chaotic that it's hard to tell. Lol

I will always respect you a great deal for something. Your loyalty to your wife, for better or worse, is truly admirable. It's special nowadays. You stood by her, and helped her get well. When you could have taken your child, and left her to die-alone.

Congratulations and much love to you too!

[Otter]

Recovery on baclofen

redhead77;1662954 wrote: I have to make time for one more post this morning. Otter, what wonderful news about your wife! I'm glad your life is finally coming together. It's time and you deserve it. It gives me hope for my life. :-) Really, I think my life might be slowly coming together too. It's just so busy and chaotic that it's hard to tell. Lol

I will always respect you a great deal for something. Your loyalty to your wife, for better or worse, is truly admirable. It's special nowadays. You stood by her, and helped her get well. When you could have taken your child, and left her to die-alone.

Congratulations and much love to you too!

Thanks RH and Sam, and everyone.

We are under a lot less stress. Just moved into a new house, third in six months but hopefully we'll be here for a while. In-laws are here...all is peace. It's like night and day, the difference between here and the UK with its Nazi style persecution of alcoholics and their "enablers".

My wife had a gastric band so was finding it difficult to keep food or medicine down. She hadn't taken any bac for a few days and then took some of Lo0p's LB which made her fall asleep so she then just stopped a couple of weeks ago and says she feels fine. Maybe the gastric band had the effect of reducing the amount she was digesting but the lack of stress here is certainly helping.

I have to think about working again at some point... Also, at the same time, I am trying to set up my websites as the front pages of a charity dedicated to Olivier Ameisen in order to further patients' rights. It's slow going. All ideas are gratefully received. I want to continue doing something about this and can't say much more on this type of forum so it makes sense to try to turn what I have done into an instrument for positive change. I figure calling it a charity and giving it a name might get a bit more attention than just being the husband of Otter's wife, if you get my drift.

[spiritwolf333]

Recovery on baclofen

Otter;1664260 wrote: Thanks RH and Sam, and everyone.

We are under a lot less stress. Just moved into a new house, third in six months but hopefully we'll be here for a while. In-laws are here...all is peace. It's like night and day, the difference between here and the UK with its Nazi style persecution of alcoholics and their "enablers".

My wife had a gastric band so was finding it difficult to keep food or medicine down. She hadn't taken any bac for a few days and then took some of Lo0p's LB which made her fall asleep so she then just stopped a couple of weeks ago and says she feels fine. Maybe the gastric band had the effect of reducing the amount she was digesting but the lack of stress here is certainly helping.

I have to think about working again at some point... Also, at the same time, I am trying to set up my websites as the front pages of a charity dedicated to Olivier Ameisen in order to further patients' rights. It's slow going. All ideas are gratefully received. I want to continue doing something about this and can't say much more on this type of forum so it makes sense to try to turn what I have done into an instrument for positive change. I figure calling it a charity and giving it a name might get a bit more attention than just being the husband of Otter's wife, if you get my drift.

Hi Otter -This really is a very enlightening and encouraging story. And also working towards a charitable foundation dedicated to Olivier Ameisen -the person I believe started the revolution in treating alcoholism using medications -that actually reverse the brain damage from alcoholism and help minimize the chances of relapse.

[Xadrian]

Recovery on baclofen

spiritwolf333;1664328 wrote: that actually reverse the brain damage

Unfortunately brain damage can not be reversed, since damaged neurons will not be replaced.
However, healthy neurons can form new outgrowths and other brain cells can take over the function of damaged brain cells.
But that will happen anyway, regardless of baclofen.

What baclofen will do is restore a part of the imbalanced brain chemistry.

[Molly78]

Recovery on baclofen

Xandrian is right. Physical brain damage in adults is not reversible, but brain chemistry can be rebalanced.

Otter, where are you if not the UK? Where would your charity be based? I can't find any support groups/websites in the UK.

[spiritwolf333]

Recovery on baclofen

Xadrian;1664434 wrote: Unfortunately brain damage can not be reversed, since damaged neurons will not be replaced.
However, healthy neurons can form new outgrowths and other brain cells can take over the function of damaged brain cells.
But that will happen anyway, regardless of baclofen.

What baclofen will do is restore a part of the imbalanced brain chemistry.

Hi X -Thanks for the update. Perhaps I was trying to share a bit of hope to someone still addicted to alcohol and is extremely concerned about his or her brain damage to alcohol.
All the new medical research and otherwise indicate that brain damage can be reversed -at least to a significant degree (and all of cognitive function -with abstinence)

X -I hope that you are as excited about all the new research and promising outcomes for alcoholism extinction as I am. I hope that we all, including our kids and others down the road, can experience the results of all the current advancements in treating the brain disease of alcoholism.

Here are just a couple of articles regarding your post:

Seizure Drug Reverses Cellular Effects In Brain Related To Alcohol Addiction
Seizure Drug Reverses Cellular Effects In Brain Related To Alcohol Addiction -- ScienceDaily
And The Scripps Institute

In the new research the scientists found that gabapentin normalizes the action of certain brain cells altered by chronic alcohol abuse in an area of the brain known as the central amygdala, which plays an important role in fear- and stress-related behaviors, as well as in regulating alcohol drinking. In the study, alcohol-dependent rodents receiving gabapentin drank less alcohol.


Manifestations of early brain recovery associated with abstinence from alcoholism
Manifestations of early brain recovery associated with abstinence from alcoholism


Brain Damage Caused by Drinking Alcohol Could Be Reversed by Aerobic Exercise
Brain Damage Caused by Drinking Alcohol Could Be Reversed by Aerobic Exercise | Dr. Douglas Fields


Otter, thanks for the post space. If I understand correctly, your websites will not only address the miracles of Baclofen and the profound influence of Dr. Ameisen, but also other areas including the latest research on new medications and alcohol recovery information?

[StuckinLA]

Recovery on baclofen

The hard-on for gabapentin continues!

From the Scripps website you linked:

"the clinical uses of gabapentin led us to hypothesize that gabapentin may act to restore homeostatic dysregulation of the GABAergic system," said George Koob, Ph.D., chair of the Scripps Research Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders and co-director of the Pearson Center for Alcoholism and Addiction Research at Scripps Research. "Cellular and behavioral studies converged to suggest that indeed gabapentin could normalize GABAergic tone in a specific brain region known to be dysregulated in dependent animals"

"he new study sheds light on this question by detailing the action of gabapentin (known commercially as Neurontin)--a structural analogue of the inhibitory synaptic transmitter gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)--on neural signaling in the brain."

"Interestingly, these effects of gabapentin disappeared in the presence of a specific inhibitor of so-called GABAB receptors, indicating that gabapentin's cellular mechanisms likely involve changes in release of the transmitter GABA at the inhibitory synapses. The scientists also found that the sensitivity of GABAB receptors decreased with alcohol dependence, suggesting a biological mechanism for the development of alcohol dependence in general and for gabapentin's contrasting effects before and after long-term alcohol exposure in particular."

Nothing here suggests that brain damage (cellular death, memory loss, motor function, etc.) is "reversed".

Also, as every schoolchild knows, it's baclofen that works at GABA-b, not gabapentin.

Also also, one possibility for the interest in gabapentin as a preferred treatment for addiction: Court upholds $142 million verdict against Pfizer over Neurontin | Reuters

EDIT to respond to Ne's post below: No one is saying don't exercise, but let's not give ourselves false hope - or the 'if I just jog everyday I can drink' excuse - either ya' know?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Recovery on baclofen

spiritwolf333;1664611 wrote:
Brain Damage Caused by Drinking Alcohol Could Be Reversed by Aerobic Exercise
Brain Damage Caused by Drinking Alcohol Could Be Reversed by Aerobic Exercise | Dr. Douglas Fields

"The design of this experiment can only provide correlative data. The associations revealed here must be tested in further experiments to show that there is a causal link between exercise and protection against white matter damage caused by drinking alcohol, and to uncover the biological mechanisms for the protection."