What dose of baclofen are you on now, Mentium?
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80 MG at the moment Molly. Decided to stay at this level for a while - maybe a couple of weeks? If I feel the desire to drink at any serious level I might up the dose and if not I might lower it.
I feel done in by the booze frankly. Worn out and done in. It certainly doesn't feel like a friend I am having to reject, but rather more like an enemy I need to get out of my life - all a la Allen Carr.
Originally posted by Molly78 View PostComment
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Off to join a local gym this afternoon! Just try and stop me!Comment
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damn- now I've got it in my head that I'M going to have to go to the gym, too!Originally posted by Mentium View PostComment
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I thought I would throw this in while thinking about craving and the desire to 'fill that hole'. When I have quit drinking in the past I have more or less immediately started to consume large amounts of sugar, usually delivered in the form of delicious Cadburys chocolate in its many and wonderful forms. I have always assumed this was my body trying to replace the carbohydrates which alcohol is of course loaded with and a misplaced attempt to get that high somehow. This normally kicks in pretty quickly - within three or four days max. My partner, an expert on all things dietary has even suggested that I might find it easier to quit drinking if I also cut out sugar, but that has always felt like a step too far.
On this occasion this craving for sugar hasn't kicked in. I have eaten chocolate a few times but not in the compulsive way I have in the past and certainly not as if I am chasing something elusive - something like an alcohol high perhaps, though not consciously.
Anyway this is just an observation and I find myself wondering if this might be an anti-craving effect of the baclofen.Comment
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"chasing something elusive" is a good term for what most of us are doing with alcohol.
I do have that sugar thing a bit - my sugar addiction of choice is Haribos. Fortunately they come in little treat packs now, as I used to get through a whole bag during an afternoon at work!
I think there's no doubt many of us have "addictive personalities", the sort that make us chase something to its final conclusion. Not a good thing when you're chasing the alcohol/sugar high, but can make someone a successful person in certain lines of work.Comment
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There is definitely something in my theory. I tested it today. Went to the cinema (to see Bridge of Spies - excellent too!) and bought a very large bar of chocolate to eat while in there. I watched out for the subtle high that I used to get when chomping on high sugar candy in times past. It simply didn't happen and I felt no compulsion to eat more than a reasonable portion, whereas in the past I have crammed the stuff in, perhaps unconsciously trying to replace something the alcohol provides. It is something to do with craving too - or its absence. It would seem, to me anyway, that even at the relatively low level of baclofen consumption (80 mg) there is something about the actual process of craving that is being curbed. It is certainly making not drinking a lot easier and actually no real effort. I can't say I don't miss it - the evenings are quite long sometimes, even though I am trying to do other stuff, but I don't have to fight the desire to drink at all.
I think I should stop sitting on the fence, as I have been doing to some extent regarding the impact of baclofen on my drinking, and give it a goodly portion of the credit.Comment
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RESULT! I really hoped you would see the benefits eventually!
Missing alcohol because the evenings are long without it - that I can identify with. But craving it is a different feeling, is it not?
I wanted to direct you, out of interest, to Don Qixote's thread - I forget what he called it, something like "Prescribers Guide to baclofen". His last post is a set of graphs showing blood levels relative to timing of dosage. The bottom graph shows how to distribute your dosage if your cravings/drinking only happen in the evening. For you, it would make sense to use the bac this way, you would probably need a lower total dose. Anyway, have a look at it.Comment
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Ment.. I have definitely seen the same thing. I had a minor outpatient procedure last Friday, and they sent me home with a boatload of Percoset. Although I've never abused prescription drugs, I was kind of glad because my prior experiance with percoset was that it made me happy, and all was right with the world. This time? Yes, it worked for my pain, but none of that happy feeling. I took them for one day, then switched to Advil, because, why not? Definitely different, and it goes to the whole craving thing. Had to have been the Bac.Originally posted by Mentium View PostComment
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Thanks Molly. I found the link - it is here: https://www.mywayout.org/community/me...version-5.html
And it makes sense. I currently take the bac 4*20 a day evenly spaced. I think I will try it 10 - 20 - 30 - 20 and see how we get on. That will give it a spike in the early evening. If that doesn't do the trick I might even just add 10 mg to the early evening dose, though ideally I would like to wean myself off them altogether in due course. No hurry though.
Originally posted by Molly78 View PostComment
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I'm currently doing:
2pm - 20
4pm - 50
6pm - 50
8pm - 50
This is a slight reduction on the 4x50mg I was taking throughout the day at 8,12,4,8. It has the advantage of covering the evening better, avoiding the after lunch somnolence which is a killer at work, & it is also giving me the best night's sleep I've had in ages!
I plan to reduce further to 20/40/40/40, as I need to get my total dose down because my back became really painful on the 4x50 regime - I'm sure the scoliosis was worsening as the tone in my trunk muscles reduced.
Anyway - another example of how incredibly helpful this forum can be if you can work through & ignore the nastiness & spats!Comment
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Molly - That's interesting. I assumed that I needed to have the stuff swilling around my system all the time, thus my first dose is at 9.00 am or so and the rest spaced evenly. Given my drinking was only ever in the evening though perhaps I should take a leaf out of your book and bunch the times I take the tablets more towards the second half of the day.
On the other hand if it ain't broke etc. and I am managing fine with my current regime. Thoughts?Comment
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For me, it's mainly about targeting the drinking time more accurately, thereby lowering the total dose of bac I need to take. You (Mentium) are on a much lower dose anyway & not getting any SE at the moment, so there's less need for you to change anything. I just thought you would be interested in the "evening drinkers" regime, as that was always your pattern!Comment
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