Baclofen dosage increase-- does it have to be SO SLOW!!!

[Mom21961]

Hello all,

Just wanted to touch base and thank you all for your input and support. I have taken your advice to heart. It was totally the anxiety that threw me back into the drinking spiral, but as I've started titrating up again, that level of control is now regained. Yay! Speaking of titrating up, I was so excited about regaining the ability to drastically cut the drinking, that I started going up the 10 mg every 3 days which is too fast for me. I had one of those nights where I woke up gasping for air and couldn't sleep the rest of the night. Duh. So I've backed off and I'm just going to have to go very SLOWLY.

Thank you again everyone. I so appreciate the support I've received on this forum.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Glad you're hanging in there, JT. (By the way, that makes me think of Justin Timberlake. Whom I am not ashamed--sort of--to adore and want to sleep with despite my age...)

And glad you spoke up on the other thread. Rock on, sister.

EDIT: Not really, people. I mean, I don't really adore him and want to sleep with him. I am highly entertained by him. And no one can deny that he's brought sexy back. Except maybe Terryk, who doesn't count since the stuff he listens to makes my ears bleed. That's all I'm saying, people. Nothing more.

[Fast twitch]

I second Neo's comment - it is MUCH easier to not drink, the longer you don't drink.

Baclofen didn't really work for me when I took it while drinking, though I know others have done it this way. I had to stop drinking, that way you can increase the baclofen faster with fewer SE. 180mg + 2 bottles of wine.........now that would definitely give me SE! I am on 100 - 120mg daily, I drink 3-4 units (half a bottle of wine) 2 or 3 times a week, & don't have any SE.

Hi Molly78,
Do you get any affect from drinking the 1/2 bottle of wine. or does it do nothing for u, its just habit? ( i would love to drink like this but find the alcohol has no Affect , and i get frustrated and want to go back down , so i can get an affect again, but then im back to square one)
thanks

[Molly78]

The effect I get is almost completely psychological I think - the "placebo" effect. Alcohol has delivered for me for decades, so I am still in the mindset that it will make me feel good. If I decide I am going to have a drink in the evening, then I anticipate it with pleasure all day, so when I finally sit down with that glass, my psyche is set to enjoyment mode. In this mood, anything will give you a small buzz. But that initial high, that you keep drinking to replicate, has gone. So after a couple of glasses you think "OK, job done. Alcohol tick. Lets move on to do something useful."

I hope that makes some sort of sense. You are going to be chasing that high whatever treatment you're taking, until you reset your life to living without it. That's what I, & others, have tried to tell you about addressing other things in your life - not necessarily "underlying issues" which you seem to dismiss as a possibility, but just lifestyle generally. You have posted (I think) elsewhere that you go to the gym , then don't know what to do with the rest of the evening. I suppose "get a life" is too facile a comment, but you do have to replace alcohol, not just eliminate it.

Good luck with your journey. For some of us, especially those with a long history of alcoholic drinking, this sort of thing is still a work in progress!

[Fast twitch]

Ive done alot of work on my issues- i did years of therapy. and group therapy I also stayed sober in AA for 6 yrs. so yes ive addressed other issues. but now im struggling to get a sober life back, after wrk and gym , there is not alot more to do, i need to be at home after that cant stay out all nite. so yeh i was just wondering if u can enjoy a couple drinks. and it seems it still is just the routine for you. thank you so much for your reply i appreciate getting others experience.

[Mom21961]

Update.

Just today I was reading an old Baclofen thread, and started wondering, as I always do, what happened to these posters? Did they reach indifference? So here is an update on 'my' thread.

I reached indifference on high dose Baclofen (HDB) in December. The mental step I needed to take to go AF took another week or two. I did experience intense SEs while titrating up, some of which are outlined in this thread. It helped to break the Bac up into five separate doses, and I crawled up VERY slowly at the higher levels. Since I've been at the same dose for awhile and not drinking, my side effects have almost all resolved. I still use a CPAP and have some somnolence, but that's it.

My goal wasn't moderation, but there have been a few social engagements when not drinking would have drawn the 3rd degree. I had a glass or two of chardonnay, didn't want more, and the next day had no rebound urge to drink. It's still hard for me to believe. I couldn't go one day AF when I started Baclofen.

I value the advice and support I've received on this forum. I could not have made it otherwise. If you need support, start a thread and ask your questions. There are wonderful people here that will reach out to help you.

It's so freeing to not have to plan my day and my life around drinking. It truly is miraculous. Good luck to those of you starting out. :thumbsup:

Mom2JTx3

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Thanks so much for the update, Mom2.

I remember how frustrating it was when I would read old posts or threads and not know what happened. I've been on here long enough, and kept in touch with lots of people, so if you come across a particular thread/post and want to know more, you can just ask. If it doesn't infringe on personal info that's been shared offline, and I know anything, I'll share what I know.

So, so, so glad to hear you're doing so well.