2 weeks in

[tee111]

Well I'm 2 weeks in and things are going better than I could have hoped.

I'm sitting at 100... 25mg split at 7am/11am/3pm/7pm. I've upped from a starting dose of 25mg for 4 days and upped 25mg every 4 days since. I've felt my cravings at this point have more or less subsided. Before Bac I would think of drink from the moment I woke to the moment I went to bed. I was consumed and when I got caught up in the stupid battle of of reasoning with them I usually lost out. My consumption had gotten to the point were I found it hard to go a day without, only when my insides couldn't take any more and my body started to cry out. I was drinking 6lt of 5% beer if starting at 4-5pm or more if drinking all day.

My health is felling the effects. Even after 3 days of hard drinking my liver area is in serious pain. I have bad bad IBS with terrible cramps and unreal sweats with bad anxiety. My Doc is an old skool doc. He gives me Librium to help me when I want to take a break but he's not a new age liberal doc. Which I find strange. I come from a working class area in the north of Ireland and I'd guess a fair amount of his patients are registered alcoholics. He's never pushed AA on thankfully. Bac brings up a red light with him as I have previous with drug abuse.

If the thought of drink comes into my head the Bac seems to automatically just block them out and they disappear as quickly as they came. I can walk past old haunts and off sales without getting all anxious. Being the summer every were you look every one is drinking. This hasn't even got me thinking.

I'm experiencing some SEs. Including...

Heightened anxiety. A felling of edginess. Diazepam helps a lot

IBS (but this I've had for a while)

Intrusive thoughts. This is a strange one. Addiction is for most parts OCD related. I figure that now that the intrusive constant thoughts I used to have where mostly taken up by thinking about drink. Now that I no longer do, my mind has started to move onto other thing. I've been getting caught up in the most random thoughts. Playing out scenarios in my head.. Mostly negative. I just try and snap out of them.

Weird dreams which I loooovvveeee

My sleep is strange. At around 9pm I can't keep my eyes open and drift off like a log. but I awake around 4 hours later. Thankfully I have no trouble getting back to sleep and get another 4-5 hours which is great. Its not like insomnia where your lying there cursing yourself.

I feel like I'm on ADs and Cocaine all rolled into one. I've caught my self with a big grin and am walking about singing and generally in fine form.

All in all things are going great guns. Its only 2 weeks in and I truly thing I hopefully won't have to much higher.

I tried Bac twice last year and went about it all the wrong way titrating up way to fast and ended up the first time going to 300mg in under a month. Survive to say it didn't end well. Its a marathon not a sprint and now that I'm more or less not drinking (a beer or 2 here and there) I see no need to rush things.

Anyway that was longer than I had hoped for but I think you get the gist

[kronkcarr]

2 weeks in

tee111,

Your experience shares some commonalities with mine. I had the sleep issues for a few months and initially I went with my strange patterns. Then I was tired and irritated with the odd hours. Eventually my sleep straightened out.

Intrusive thoughts!! No kidding. I played out scenarios even before baclofen. Initially this seemed to go away. When I titrated down I knew I'd gone too far when my head talk started again.

I had the same happy feeling initially--what a wonderful world I hadn't seen because I drank too much, was continually crabby and didn't take a moment to look at the world.

You sound good. Good luck.

[beckty]

2 weeks in

This is a great report! I am still struggling to stay off AL totally, but I am drinking about half what I was and haven't had a hangover in weeks. I have the same euphoric feelings and the sleep issues. They don't bother me at all. The only thing I DON'T like about Bac at this point is the insane afternoon sleepiness. My work is suffering and I am really trying hard not to let it.

Congratulations!

[tee111]

2 weeks in

Thanks guys, appreciate the kind words. Just nodded off there lol. Think it might have been the diazepam which I started to day for the anxiety. Its funny as I've heard a lot of folks say that there anxiety got better with bac. Mine isn't bad but I get a bit paranoid when out and about.

[tee111]

2 weeks in

beckty;1681075 wrote: This is a great report! I am still struggling to stay off AL totally, but I am drinking about half what I was and haven't had a hangover in weeks. I have the same euphoric feelings and the sleep issues. They don't bother me at all. The only thing I DON'T like about Bac at this point is the insane afternoon sleepiness. My work is suffering and I am really trying hard not to let it.

Congratulations!

I had 6 beer on Saturday Becky and 6 on Sunday and they were hard enough to get down but I wouldn't say I didn't enjoy them. Yesterday I bought 4 and it was a different story. They tasted rank as fuk and I couldn't even manage 2. I feel like without being able to enjoy the effects I find it absolutely pointless to have a beer. I was never a moderate drinker I never seen the point. I'd much rather have a can of coke than just one pint. It seems pointless to me.

[tee111]

2 weeks in

kronkcarr;1681070 wrote: tee111,

Your experience shares some commonalities with mine. I had the sleep issues for a few months and initially I went with my strange patterns. Then I was tired and irritated with the odd hours. Eventually my sleep straightened out.

Intrusive thoughts!! No kidding. I played out scenarios even before baclofen. Initially this seemed to go away. When I titrated down I knew I'd gone too far when my head talk started again.

I had the same happy feeling initially--what a wonderful world I hadn't seen because I drank too much, was continually crabby and didn't take a moment to look at the world.

You sound good. Good luck.

I've always had odd and intrusive thoughts even as a child kronk. More so the physical kind like doing stuff a certain amount of times but when I got older it turned to the mental kind. Most who experience this probably end up with addiction. It got really bad when I abused benzos. It was like mental torture. Example being. I'd think about if someone hurt one of my family and I took revenge.. Ended up doing a few years inside but got into more agro and ended up inside for life. You get the idea lol... Torture ffs. I literally would walk about thinking this shit all day and become consumed by it.

With my drinking it totally took over my thought process to the point where if it creep in I'd have chance. Fighting with it would be the worse thing to do as you'd end up losing out.

I read before about the more clever you are (not saying I am) that its even harder to beat than inner voice because your basically taking on your self and you've no hope if your some sort of genius. Sort of makes sense when you see the amount of artists who have benn ravished by addiction.

[Lostinspace]

2 weeks in

Hey tee! So glad the cravings are subsiding for you! I'm in a similar place. I used to drink all morning, day and night (even throughout the night - I barely ever slept). After tapering down to nothing, then going 5 days AF, I feel that my cravings are under control (even though I'm currently drinking small amounts out of habit).

As for the intrusive thoughts, well I've always had them, so I wouldn't worry. I've been fighting imaginary people in my head for as long as I can remember (I probably shouldn't admit that!). I've also always had OCD tendencies. Or as my husband would say "I have CDO. It's like OCD, only the letters are in alphabetical order, the way they should be dammit!" Anyway, yeah, I do get the strange, vivid dream thing. I forgot that was a side effect. I just see it as viewing each night like you get to go to the movies, only you're the star. Try to have fun with it

Good to see you're taking it slower this time. Up to 300 mg in under a month! I can't imagine what that felt like. I hope to see you keep posting here. Keep doing the great things you're doing!

[tee111]

2 weeks in

Lula at the CDO Lost, that's proper OCD! The dream are a lovely SE. I absolutely love to dream. Dreams have always amazed me. Yours units are a shit load down from what you'd said you were drinking big time. You only have to read numerous other threads from way back... Most people didn't go AF on the way up it does help but if it was that easy then you wouldn' t be in the mess your in. I'm on the camp where if your drinking is within non hazardous limits then your going great guns as long as you keep progressing. My doc used to say to.. If your gonna keep drinking try to keep it under 3lt of 5% beer. Sounds like shit advise but it was just damage limitation advice as he knew there was no point in giving me the whole... You have to stop speech as I'd heard it all before.

The 300 last time out was a trip alright slow and a steady wins the race for sure, or what even way that saying goes

[Ne/Neva Eva]

2 weeks in

Tee, rock on with your big ol' badass self. Glad it's working out.

LIS, :H to the CDO.

Man, those thoughts...I didn't even know they were an issue until they were gone. I think that's when I identified that baclofen *really* did something amazingly different than anything else I'd ever done to get sober. I realized I had all these irrational fears and they were really messing with my mind. It still happens, especially when I'm really stressed, but I can now mostly identify what they are and take steps to get rid of 'em.

[tee111]

2 weeks in

Thanks Ne. I'm only 2 weeks in. I can't moan too much about SEs as any med takes 3-4 weeks at least for you body to become accustomed to it. Sticking at 100.. Don't see the rush. Might just hold out till nest week. I can't believe how much I don't even thing about booze any more. This is coming from someone who from the moment he woke was consumed by thoughts of drinking

[tee111]

2 weeks in

Not sure what happened last night/this morning but I upped to 125 and something worked me out of my sleep just now (5 am) with the Terrible sickness and really bad vomiting. I think the rise in that extra 25 pushed me over the limit 125 might have been a step to far. I'm thinking 100 might be it for me for the foreseeable future I don't know why I pushed it on up. Maybe the thought of thinking that surely 100 surely couldn't be the dose needed for a 180 found male with a heavy drinking problem and a tolerance like an elephant to drugs. I'll stick here and see how I go. I'm not sure if I've posted already but i'm not really drinking anymore. I had terrible health issues and apart from a fe beers last weekend (world cup being on) that was my lot since starring nearly going back 3 weeks back.

I'm not complaining believe me paying for this myself and doing it with a doctor/script in thank god if I've found help at this low dose.w

[Xadrian]

2 weeks in

25 up at once is a big step. You could cut the pills in half and go to 12.5

If you have problems cutting the things in half, try a nail clipper. That worked fine for me.

By the way, I found my switch at 90 mg (1st time) and 120 mg (2nd time)
Before baclofen I weighed 250 pounds.

[tee111]

2 weeks in

Thanks xandian I'm sticking here for a while. Terrible day today with sickness but my the thoughtz of drinking are no more. This is like a dream come true. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined being here a t 100mg.

[tee111]

2 weeks in

Still at 100mg and absolutely no thoughts of booze whatsoever. I've felt sort of nauseous the last couple of days especially in the morning as I wake but that in no way way would stop me from drinking if not for the effects of the Bac.

I'd be over the moon if I thought 100mg would be my sweet spot but I really see no reason to go up any further at this point. Right from the of I was shit scared that I might be one of the unlucky few who have to go up towards 300mg. That would seriously put a hole in my bank balance. I know folks say that booze is just as expensive. Maybe in the states. It sure as hell isn't here in the UK, especially when I can't buy in bulk as I can't keep booze in the house or I go through it all.

Its not like the Bac is helping me withstand the cravings with a touch of willpower.. I'm just not even thinking about drink atm. I haven't really felt the need to go up another 12.5mg or even 25mg. I'll see how things pan out.

What I have noticed is that when I had a beer last Tuesday(?). It tasted absolutely rank. I never was one for a beer or 2 here and there for refreshment purposes or even to be sociable but that did surprise me as I've heard of some folks still enjoying a beer or a nice glass of wine.

[kronkcarr]

2 weeks in

It sounds like baclofen is doing its job. I wouldn't go up either.

I had that low level nausea too. At one point nothing appealed to me. It's recently returned and I've gone up 10 mgs to see if that helps.

At one point wine held no taste appeal for me. What I believe has happened for me is that I don't goofy on alcohol when I take bac. I've asked a few people what's happening brain chemistry wise and we don't know.

I'm so happy for you tee111.