Did You Get a Baclofen Rx in the US?

[oneidagirl]

Hi. I have found this forum via several different websites and forums while searching for info on baclofen. While I do see that there is a lot of discussion about it, I'm having trouble finding anything concise, and frankly don't have the time to search 1000's of posts before the Dr. appt on Friday! I'd love to hear from anyone out there who has done their research, approached their GP (or psychiatrist, or addiction specialist, or whoever) and was able to get a prescription for baclofen. For some reason, although it seems like there are plenty of folks using it in the US, I can't seem to find any direct info about people's experiences of getting on it in the 1st place. I am concerned that even armed with all the latest research, it might be a fairly hopeless cause to try to get a Dr. to prescribe it. Thanks in advance!

[terryk]

Hi Oneidagirl, make sure you have these to bring with you:



The Prescribing Guide for Baclofen in the Treatment of Alcoholism - For Use by Physicians



High-dose baclofen for the treatment of alcohol dependence (BACLAD study): a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.



Suppression of alcohol dependence using baclofen: a 2-year observational study of 100 patients.



High-dose oral baclofen: Experience in patients with Multiple Sclerosis. and highlight this passage on the second page that starts with: "There are several references to long-term, high-dose baclofen treatment for spasticity. Jones and Lance summarised their experience with 113 patients with spasticity treated with baclofen for up to 6 years. Baclofen dosage ranged from 30 to 200mg daily with the mean varying from 60 to 110mg depending on the cause of spasticity. Treatment was abandoned in only four patients because of intolerable side effects, and another 20% required a reduction in dosage. [...] Pinto et al identified patients who had taken up to 225mg daily for up to 30 months and emphasized that many patients need more than 100 mg daily and that side effects are only infrequently a persisting problem."





And you can find the rest of the essential research on baclofen here



Good Luck!

-tk

[Wilson1]

Hi oneidagirl. TK has provided some very good information -especially the last link which leads to site/forum that he helps with/is part.... Do not worry, they are not trying to scam you out of money or anything else.

If you will have your doctor call Terry (owner) of Assisted Recovery Center of Georgia, I am quite certain she will speak to your doctor or have one of her medical doctors speak with yours.

Assisted Recovery: Baclofen - Assisted Recovery Center of Georgia

Experts now acknowledge Dr Ameisen's hypothesis that alcoholism is linked to a deficiency in GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), which is described as the brain's natural valium. This natural tranquilliser helps us to relax and a deficiency leads to anxiety, muscular tension, insomnia and depression.


To deal with this, people who are deficient in GHB self-medicate with drugs and alcohol and progressively become dependent.

GABA works through two receptors, GABA A and GABA B. When a person drinks alcohol it will occupy the GABA A receptor, mimicking the GABA's relaxant effect. When they stop drinking, they will feel anxious again.

When you take baclofen it stimulates the GABA B receptor, something only GHB does. Other medications will act only on the GABA A system but it seems the way to stop alcohol dependency lies with the receptor B.

[Wilson1]

Hi oneidagirl -

You may want to contact Terry Bruce with ARC of Georgia before your doctor's appointment just to let her know that your doctor might be interested in speaking with the doctor she employs. I, possibly similar to yourself, did not want to begin a prescription medication without the oversight of a medical doctor/psychiatrist.

As you can read on their website, Baclofen is listed as one their medicine treatment options. She (her recovery center) was the very first recovery center in Georgia (probably the southeast USA) to offer Baclofen as a treatment option. Terry Bruce was also the first person (treatment center) to offer Naltrexone when it first became available (in Georgia/Southeast USA).

She will not try to sell you anything (much) and she will try to help you anyway that she can.

Her phone number is: (912) 352-2425

I wish you wellness and peace in your recovery journey.

[oneidagirl]

Wonderful, thank you. I was planning to put together a data packet of sorts over the weekend, and I really appreciate you streamlining the most pertinent info for me. We are fairly certain that his GP is not going to bite on this (she is a young resident, newly assigned to him), but there is an addictions specialist my boyfriend is aware of in the office and she may be able to involve him (although considering the culture of addiction treatment, maybe he is the last person who will be helpful, we shall see!).

I have started to reach out to psychiatrists and people who specialize in medically-assisted addicition, and I am still curious how other folks found their way. I've read so much in the past month, I can't keep it straight! I remember one woman saying she got it through a neurologist. I'm just trying to figure out who the most receptiove professional might be, if there is such a thing. Thanks again, I'm really hopeful but obviously pretty daunted by this 1st step.

[Mom21961]

Good luck oneidagirl.

I was able to get a prescription from my GP. You just never know. There is some anecdotal evidence that psychiatrists may be more open to prescribing Baclofen. Not sure what part of the country you are in, but there are some doctors listed here: The End Of My Addiction Doctor Information

Mom2

[Wilson1]

Hi oneidagirl - How did your doctor's appointment go re Baclofen?

There are many threads here at MWO that reference doctors who prescribe Baclofen for AUD. In my opinion, having doctors speak with each other (where one has/does) prescribe HD Baclofen is the best option when ever possible.

https://www.mywayout.org/community/medication-research-and-support/43247-doctors-prescribe-baclofen-addiction-15.html

[Otter]

Hi oneidagirl -

You may want to contact Terry Bruce with ARC of Georgia before your doctor's appointment just to let her know that your doctor might be interested in speaking with the doctor she employs. I, possibly similar to yourself, did not want to begin a prescription medication without the oversight of a medical doctor/psychiatrist.

As you can read on their website, Baclofen is listed as one their medicine treatment options. She (her recovery center) was the very first recovery center in Georgia (probably the southeast USA) to offer Baclofen as a treatment option. Terry Bruce was also the first person (treatment center) to offer Naltrexone when it first became available (in Georgia/Southeast USA).

She will not try to sell you anything (much) and she will try to help you anyway that she can.

Her phone number is: (912) 352-2425

I wish you wellness and peace in your recovery journey.

This poster is banned. He is Spiritwolf/free. He came to this site after rehab at ARC in Atlanta and I said he was trying to destroy this site in order to promote a chain of rehabs which uses various drugs including baclofen but also more expensive drugs.

Now we find he has finally come out and demonstrated that, yes, indeed, he is in cahoots with ARC and has completely driven out the supporters of cheap and effective Baclofen and is recommending people to Terry Bruce at ARC. They charge $10k for a two week rehab and Terry Bruce has been critical of baclofen and is pushing Vivitrol which is very expensive. All the while, SF/Wilson gets his baclofen, one supposes, free for this pumping of ARC.

Someone get this guy shut out of here once and for all.

I was right!!!

[Otter]

It's interesting that he has done this. He knew all along that he was on to a win/win situation. He wanted to make a name for himself and since he only regurgitates what other people tell him or he reads on the internet, he has nothing to add about baclofen or any other useful drug. He could afford to play the long game and see this forum degenerate into a mudslinging match because what he wanted was to hand this meds thread over to a commercial rehab chain who had supplied him with baclofen.

It's such a shame that this forum went this way but, equally, who really cares? It's impossible now to get real help here for those wanting to understand how these meds work. When LoOp was here it was great because he knew so much about the pharmacology of all drugs and particularly baclofen.

Now the buzz is gone and it won't come back, ever. This guy has got his way and will continue to drag this forum down. Hey, after all, he only needs to convince one person to go to ARC for $10000 for a two week rehab and that justifies him getting free treatment for years on baclofen.

Just sort of makes me feel sick that I ever trusted him and gave him my email and Skype numbers.

He's just as happy having driven everyone away because he can now start his sales campaign for ARC with no one bothering him. If he had been someone with some brains and something worth saying, he could have been a good spokesperson for ARC so..for him...he wins either way. Sad that he hasn't been banned...again...yet...

[Otter]

Hi oneidagirl -

You may want to contact Terry Bruce with ARC of Georgia before your doctor's appointment just to let her know that your doctor might be interested in speaking with the doctor she employs. I, possibly similar to yourself, did not want to begin a prescription medication without the oversight of a medical doctor/psychiatrist.

As you can read on their website, Baclofen is listed as one their medicine treatment options. She (her recovery center) was the very first recovery center in Georgia (probably the southeast USA) to offer Baclofen as a treatment option. Terry Bruce was also the first person (treatment center) to offer Naltrexone when it first became available (in Georgia/Southeast USA).

She will not try to sell you anything (much) and she will try to help you anyway that she can.

Her phone number is: (912) 352-2425

I wish you wellness and peace in your recovery journey.

This is advertising and isn 't allowed. I have reported this to the moderator and asked that Carl be banned again under his new name. ARC charge over $10K for a two week detox and prefer expensive drugs like Vivitrol. You can do better for less money just by going to the new forum some of us have set up.