Hi -
Just stumbled across this forum as I'm considering baclofen. I've spent hours reading already - here and elsewhere - and figured the last step was to distill my story into a couple paragraphs and see if anyone happens to reply with relevant advice!
I've been fighting generalized anxiety my whole life. I was buying Kava Kava supplements before I ever got drunk. Started drinking in HS... drinking made me fun, and no anxiety, fyeah! And while I'm a lightweight at every drug at first - I build up a tolerance quicker than anyone I know. Which meant the amount needed to fight social anxiety in a hip college bar got way too high. I became a blackout drinker. Throughout my 20s, I typically drank only 2 nights per week (although sometimes it was just a 48 hour bender), but an absurd amount... with absurd behavior. Hangover Sunday.. eventually I learned a Xanax really helps with withdrawal symptoms.. and back to normal Monday. I thought it was "normalish" and under control. That fantasy came to an end during a very difficult divorce. I found the Sinclair Method and started taking Naltrexone. I sadly don't have the brand, dosage, etc. information but I don't recall a significant step-up period. I just took 1 pill, every day, around 5pm.
At first Naltrexone was a game changer. I still drank every weekend but in lesser amounts and with far fewer blackouts (and no hangovers). I don't remember a lot of side effects, but honestly I was pretty much in full-on-mental-breakdown from the divorce so it's hard to say what's what back then. I do remember that it worked very well... until it didn't. As the months wore on, I started drinking to my previous levels. I also remember that I started taking it when I woke up instead of 5pm - it still prevented the hangovers, but not the blackouts - so that may be partially my fault.
I eventually quit taking Naltrexone and have been riding the self-moderation train since... and by moderation I mean spacing it out. Instead of drinking a gallon of vodka in one or two nights each week, I generally drink just enough to be a little hungover every night. But it's still not the life I want to live. I went back to Naltrexone and wasn't able to tolerate the side effects - I don't know if it is the supplier (I've moved abroad) or the dosage or a physiological change but I was a zombie for about two months and just gave it up. A few ups and downs on that self-moderation train since and here I am asking about baclofen. From what I've read, it seems both better suited to anxiety-alcoholism comorbidity and for moderate daily drinkers anyway. Thoughts?
Just stumbled across this forum as I'm considering baclofen. I've spent hours reading already - here and elsewhere - and figured the last step was to distill my story into a couple paragraphs and see if anyone happens to reply with relevant advice!
I've been fighting generalized anxiety my whole life. I was buying Kava Kava supplements before I ever got drunk. Started drinking in HS... drinking made me fun, and no anxiety, fyeah! And while I'm a lightweight at every drug at first - I build up a tolerance quicker than anyone I know. Which meant the amount needed to fight social anxiety in a hip college bar got way too high. I became a blackout drinker. Throughout my 20s, I typically drank only 2 nights per week (although sometimes it was just a 48 hour bender), but an absurd amount... with absurd behavior. Hangover Sunday.. eventually I learned a Xanax really helps with withdrawal symptoms.. and back to normal Monday. I thought it was "normalish" and under control. That fantasy came to an end during a very difficult divorce. I found the Sinclair Method and started taking Naltrexone. I sadly don't have the brand, dosage, etc. information but I don't recall a significant step-up period. I just took 1 pill, every day, around 5pm.
At first Naltrexone was a game changer. I still drank every weekend but in lesser amounts and with far fewer blackouts (and no hangovers). I don't remember a lot of side effects, but honestly I was pretty much in full-on-mental-breakdown from the divorce so it's hard to say what's what back then. I do remember that it worked very well... until it didn't. As the months wore on, I started drinking to my previous levels. I also remember that I started taking it when I woke up instead of 5pm - it still prevented the hangovers, but not the blackouts - so that may be partially my fault.
I eventually quit taking Naltrexone and have been riding the self-moderation train since... and by moderation I mean spacing it out. Instead of drinking a gallon of vodka in one or two nights each week, I generally drink just enough to be a little hungover every night. But it's still not the life I want to live. I went back to Naltrexone and wasn't able to tolerate the side effects - I don't know if it is the supplier (I've moved abroad) or the dosage or a physiological change but I was a zombie for about two months and just gave it up. A few ups and downs on that self-moderation train since and here I am asking about baclofen. From what I've read, it seems both better suited to anxiety-alcoholism comorbidity and for moderate daily drinkers anyway. Thoughts?
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