New Baclofen Presribing Unit in Glasgow, Scotland

[Otter]

I found out a while ago that our own gastroenterologist is now offering services privately so now, in addition to Dr. Chick, you can get Dr. Heydtmann to prescribe baclofen. He is a big supporter of baclofen and uses it to treat terminally ill, or near, cases of liver failure and disease so this is serious medicine. He will prescribe at the necessary dosage, and he will speak to your own GP who can take over the prescription on the NHS so you will get it for free and you can still use him as backup or privately if you want to avoid this going on your medical record

Here is his page in case anyone needs help in the UK: Private Medical Consultants | BMIHealthcare UK

He also introduced me to Logotherapy. He is one of the best if not the best in this field in the world. And also a truly remarkable and kind man as well as a great doctor.

[nicnak68]

Good news,sounds like a step in the right direction for Baclofen for the treatment of alcoholism

[Ne/Neva Eva]

That's so great, Otter. Thank you for sharing. I hope it won't be long before I can post the name and information of my own provider here in Virginia. She's not quite ready, yet.

However, if someone is in or around Hampton Roads, PM me and I will give her contact information. Her prices are VERY reasonable, and she accepts most insurance.

[Mentium]

Great news! How would that work if one is already getting a prescription from Prof Chick I wonder? I have taken steps to order baclofen on-line to top up his 100 mg limit. (though it isn't 100% certain that IS his limit..but just in case.

Did 100 mg yesterday for the first time. Feeling fine too!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

I don't know why you can't just switch doctors, Mentium. Or is that a thing particular to the NHS?

Congrats on bumping up and feeling fine!

[nicnak68]

NE

Gps in this country WONT prescribe it for alcoholism,in any mg's whatsoever .Our doctor is one of the only ones that will.My gp had never even heard of it for alcohole addiction

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Well, Dr. Chick is a pdoc (psychiatrist) and it sounds like this gastroenterologist has taken a particular interest, in no small part (I would guess) because of Otter...

Who knows, really, why some docs decide to take the "risk" and some absolutely refuse?

I do think, in general, that you are much more likely to find a psychiatrist receptive than a GP.

[Mentium]

We agreed at my consultation with Prof Chick that he would write to my GP to try to hand over 'care' to him after three months. Prof Chick said if the GP wasn't willing to take over he would be willing to continue with the prescriptions. He didn't mention a fee come to think of it either. His baclofen patient list must be getting long too!

[Otter]

I think so. I am sure he is busy but maybe when we saw him, it was still early days and he hadn't figured out how to deal with the patients ongoing needs.

We just could not possibly have continued to travel to Edinburgh to see him. It was too difficult because of the chaotic life we were leading, my job, the anxiety of just leaving the house and the cost.

Anyway, I see you are in the "far, far north of England". That would be Scotland? (That's a joke by the way. I used to live in the Scottish part of England and loved winding them up) lol

[Otter]

Well, Dr. Chick is a pdoc (psychiatrist) and it sounds like this gastroenterologist has taken a particular interest, in no small part (I would guess) because of Otter...

Who knows, really, why some docs decide to take the "risk" and some absolutely refuse?

I do think, in general, that you are much more likely to find a psychiatrist receptive than a GP.

I'm not so sure. Dr. Chick is also trained as a neurologist, which is the specialism which addiction falls under. Dr. Heydtmann has to deal with alcoholism because it is what causes the liver disease he has to work with so he needs to help prevent alcoholism getting worse. Both understand their professional limitations and rely on other professionals to provide support where it is outside their area. We were referred to a psychiatrist by our GP but she couldn't come to terms with the baclofen treatment, went off work sick for months and then because we had gone to Dr. Chick, she refused to have anything to do with us, although she was around the corner from our house and was free under the NHS.

Dr. Heydtmann was intending to set up privately when I first met him so this has nothing to do with me.

Also, he has been following MWO forum from before I knew him. When I was posting my experiences with my wife, he was reading it and he told me that I was giving the impression that I had medical experience. I was told off!

Most of what I have tried to post here about taking baclofen in small, divided doses etc has come from Dr. Heydtmann and the advice he was giving my wife. I have never mentioned his name because he did not want to be involved with this forum, for reasons which are now apparent, that there are some real nutjobs here. (apart from me, that is. lol)

[Mentium]

Near if not actually in Carlisle!

I think so. I am sure he is busy but maybe when we saw him, it was still early days and he hadn't figured out how to deal with the patients ongoing needs.

We just could not possibly have continued to travel to Edinburgh to see him. It was too difficult because of the chaotic life we were leading, my job, the anxiety of just leaving the house and the cost.

Anyway, I see you are in the "far, far north of England". That would be Scotland? (That's a joke by the way. I used to live in the Scottish part of England and loved winding them up) lol

[Otter]

Near if not actually in Carlisle!

Lovely area. I thought about moving to Carlisle so I didn't have to requalify in Scotland. We would stop in Teebay and stay overnight when we were visiting relatives for the weekend.

First time I went to Scotland with my wife, before we got married, we stopped at Gretna. I phoned my parents and my office and told everyone where we were. They all went into a panic, thinking we had eloped... lol

[Otter]

bump

[Molly78]

Otter, I think most addiction specialists in the UK are psychiatrists, not neurologists, although I dare say there are exceptions.

[Otter]

Baclofen would be a neurological treatment. I don't think there are any psychiatrists in the UK who treat alcoholism using baclofen. Dr. Chick is both a psychiatrist and a neurologist. That is the point, Dr. Heydtmann refers to a "paradigm" shift which is taking place where neurology is taking over from psychiatry although it is hasn't progressed far. "Most" alcohol specialists are probably psychiatrists but all the ones I have met are useless because they take the view that a person should stop drinking so that they can then diagnose the "underlying condition". In fact, if you get into the system as we did, there aren't, in fact, any addiction specialists in a typical city general hospital. The psychiatric ward won't have anyone who specializes in alcoholism either. The local drugs and alcohol service is typically only able to deal with drug addiction. I conducted exhaustive searches of the services in the cities I lived in in the UK and there were no alcohol specialists other than Chick and Heydtmann. The psychiatrist we say wasn't interested in baclofen nor was the entire psychiatric service in our area. I am not saying there are any neurologists dealing with this issue either but when it comes to the fore as a recognized treatment I think it is going to be dealt with by doctors with some training in the effects of brain drugs rather than Freudian psychoanalysis.