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    #1

    Baclofen advice?

    Hello everyone,
    This is my first ever post as I only joined a couple of days ago. I'm on day 3 of Baclofen, so today is 5mgs/three times daily. My drinking habit is to start on the wine at about 5pm, drinking steadily to about 11.30, about 2 bottles, sometimes a bit more. Been doing this for many years, I'm so motivated to either cut down drastically or stop altogether.
    My question is how to space the dose out to fit with the timing of my drinking, it seems pointless to have a tablet in the morning or even lunchtime, on the other hand I'm concerned that if I have the 3 doses too close together it may cause bad side effects. At the moment I have none at all. Today I did have 5mgs at about 11am, and I've just taken another 5mgs (it's 4.45pm), and I was planning on taking the last 5mgs at about 7pm?
    Tomorrow is another day on this dose, any ideas on how better to make it work for me?
    I'd be so grateful for any help.
    I have been reading the stories on this site avidly, I'm full of admiration for all of you and the honesty and support you show each other.
    I have been researching Baclofen for several weeks now and I am very excited that this will be the solution for me.
    Tags: 5mgs, baclofen, day, dose, drinking
    #2
    Re: Baclofen advice?

    Hi Mrs. M,

    The advised way to take it is spaced evenly throughout the day. To my knowledge there is no clinical information on whether "targeted" or spread-out dosing makes any difference. You are right that, as your dosage increases and the potential for side-effects become greater, taking too much of your total daily amount at once will exacerbate things.

    I personally took 2 daily doses (noon and mid-night) while increasing my dose, and continue to do so in sobriety.

    You said that your habit has been to drink about 2 bottles of wine per day and that you have done it for many years. Have you progressed over "many years" to the point of drinking 2 bottles of wine per evening? Or has it been just the 2 bottles since many years until present, with little or no progression in drinking?

    Glad to have you here, and I wish you health, wellness, and, of course, sobriety!
    Last edited by guardian; February 7, 2021, 01:27 AM.
    -Ian

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      #3
      Re: Baclofen advice?

      Hi [MENTION=24629]mrsm[/MENTION], and welcome to the forum!

      I agree with Guardian. The reason to take it several times a day, spaced out evenly, is to keep a steady supply of baclofen in your system. Baclofen has a short half-life. As you go up in dosage, you will likely experience some side effects, which could be worse if you take it all at once. I would suggest keeping your titration slow and steady. I've been on baclofen for over a decade and have watched a lot of people come and go on this forum. A lot of people titrate up too fast and then become floored by side effects, and then quit taking it. You want to give your body time to adjust to a dosage before going up. Good luck, and keep posting your progress.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Baclofen advice?

        Thank you so much for your replies Guardian and Serenity.
        I'll definitely follow your advice, given the success you have achieved. I'm now on day 6 and so far have stayed on 5mgs twice daily as I'm nervous to go up too quickly. I've done well with little/no side effects other than a dry mouth about an hour after the dose. I'm definitely already cutting down without trying, last two nights I've had 1 bottle of wine instead of the usual 2, I didn't realise this until bedtime when I saw the other bottle in the fridge. My husband commented that I look better already, so I'm really encouraged.
        Today I plan to add another 5mgs.
        To answer your question Guardian, my habit has pretty much been 2 bottles for many years, occasionally more on holidays etc.
        thank you once again for your valuable advice.
        kind regards

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Baclofen advice?

          Hello there, [MENTION=24629]mrsm[/MENTION],

          Fellow Brit here.

          I can only agree with [MENTION=9868]guardian[/MENTION] and [MENTION=14524]_serenity_[/MENTION].

          Baclofen isn't like naltrexone or other drugs that act in the moment of drinking. It works away in the background, in a systemic way. It's important to take it all day, as it has a short half life, though plenty of people take a higher dose as they leave work - which, for so many of us, is the witching hour.

          You will have to build up slowly to the dose of your 'switch' - and you certainly couldn't take all that dosage in one go! You will have to go much higher than your current dose in the long run, I think. In an unscientific survey (scientists won't properly investigate this drug) on the French forum, the range of about 90% of switches was 130-250g. So think about how you're going to get there.

          You want the sweet spot between taking so little of the stuff that you might as well take smarties, and taking so much that you fall asleep mid-sentence. You can build it up gradually, adding another 10g a day every 3 or 4 days. If you get the side effects (none for many users, overwhelming moments of tiredness for most, constipation for @_baclofenman_ , shits for me), you can stick at that dose a little longer, and they wear off.

          You have to build up the dosage gradually. It took me about 4 weeks to get up to 150 a day, which was my 'switch'.

          I take 25g in the morning (the size of my preferred pills, but if you're using the 10g ones, they're a lot bigger and you can play around with them); 50g at lunch (I have an alarm on my phone); and 75g as I walk out of work. I have also experimented with 50g for each dose, and it did not make much difference. But maybe psychologically the larger dose has an effect, at the point when I want to flip everyone the finger and drink.

          Stay strong. Build up a big 'cushion' of a supply before you do it, so you don't get stuck. I have had positive experiences with Extrapharmacy Online Store and Welcome to United Pharmacies (UK). Keep reading about it, because baclofen is not an easy tool to use, and you need to be very systematic. I put some links on my thread about my journey. I'm six months ahead of you!
          Last edited by georgesmiley; February 27, 2021, 02:51 PM.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Baclofen advice?

            Thank you for your reply George Smiley, I thought I had posted a reply, not sure what happened there! very gratefully received and I've now reached 90mg on the 23rd of March, week 7, (won't forget that date!), and literally could not swallow more than 2 sips of wine and haven't had a drink since. Early days I know, but it feels like a lottery win to me.
            So now I guess I have to stick at this dose for a while and slowly titrate down, monitoring closely if the desire to drink returns?
            Once again, thank you so much for your kind and supportive words.
            J.

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Baclofen advice?

              That is GREAT news, [MENTION=24629]mrsm[/MENTION]! You hit your switch! And at a reasonably low dose to boot. Congratulations!

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Baclofen advice?

                Originally posted by mrsm View Post
                Thank you for your reply George Smiley, I thought I had posted a reply, not sure what happened there! very gratefully received and I've now reached 90mg on the 23rd of March, week 7, (won't forget that date!), and literally could not swallow more than 2 sips of wine and haven't had a drink since. Early days I know, but it feels like a lottery win to me.
                So now I guess I have to stick at this dose for a while and slowly titrate down, monitoring closely if the desire to drink returns?
                Once again, thank you so much for your kind and supportive words.
                J.

                Hey,

                Fab,

                Dont get complacent, keep with your dosage, DO NOT titrate down yet is my advice. Your work is NOT done.

                Email me @ baclofenmanuk@gmail.com if you want to chat.

                Regards,



                Bacman
                Last edited by Baclofenman; April 2, 2021, 12:38 PM.
                I am not a Doctor - I am an alcoholic.
                Thoughts expressed here are my own, often poorly put together and littered with atrocious grammar and spelling.

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Baclofen advice?

                  I agree with [MENTION=22732]Baclofenman[/MENTION] 's assessment above. Now that you have reached indifference, it is very important that you guard it. I would suggest staying at 90 mgs for a good long while. People who titrate down too soon after reaching indifference have a strong tendency to relapse, and it can be hard to find indifference again.

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Baclofen advice?

                    This is such wonderful news! Keep it up.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Baclofen advice?

                      Hey [MENTION=24629]mrsm[/MENTION],

                      How has it been maintaining your 90mg baclofen? Has it continued to help with the cravings since you stopped drinking?

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