I'm new here. In serious need of advice on Baclofen usage for alcohol addiction.
I'm 32. 71 kg. For years I have been drinking daily. It started as one or two on the weekday evenings and several on the weekends. In the last year or so, it escalated to 10-20 drinks spread evenly throughout the day. What started as a fun way to relieve anxiety and social awkwardness has become simply a way to stop the withdrawal symptoms. If I stop for more than a few hours I get shakes, sweats, confusion, and more than anything, anxiety. Drinking is rarely fun any more. It's just a necessity.
In January, I tried going cold turkey a few times. The aforementioned withdrawal symptoms made each a short-lived experiment. This despite having a very very helpful and supportive spouse and family.
AA (which is likely the only support group in this town) is not a option for a multitude of reasons. Some of my clients go there. My reputation as a professional would be damaged. I'm on the board of directors for a related organization. And the meetings are held at my spouse's workplace, which would be horribly embarrassing for her. Plus, I'm an atheist, an anarchist (to some degree), and not into the cult-like nature of the AA mentality.
I found May Way Out and forums and regained hope for the first time ever - mainly in pharmaceutical solutions.
It is almost impossible to see a doctor here (Ontario) unless you already have one. I am living in a new town (a small town) so I do not have one. I have been on a waiting list for almost a year. In desperation, I broke down and asked a family member (who is a family doctor) for help. He prescribed me a small batch of diazepam (at his insistence) and 60 mg of Baclofen daily (at my insistence).
I started taking the 60 mg of Baclofen daily, which immediately reduced my withdrawal symptoms. I have gone alcohol free several days in the last few months, up to about 5 days at a time. This has not happened in about 10 years. It felt great at first. The feeling of freedom was overwhelmingly awesome. But whenever I feel good, I start drinking again. To add insult to injury, the Baclofen seems to dull my emotions, leaving me feeling "flat" at best or depressed at worst.
I immediately ordered more Baclofen from an online source to see if taking more would rid me of my addiction.
I have started taking large amounts of multi-vitamins, milk thistle, and B complex, all of which have helped my overall health noticeably. Also taking l-glutamine, l-theanine, melatonin, and 5-htp, none of which seem to do as expected.
Unlike many of its proponents, the Baclofen has not really reduced my anxiety in general. I still feel nervous and uncomfortable on a daily basis, without good reason, and suffer from restless legs constantly.
I have not been taking the diazepam, for several reasons. I know that some days I will have to function without the booze, and the diazepam can (and has) allowed me to do so. Also, I know that I could survive very happily on a smaller amount of booze coupled with some diazepam. I do not want that to become my new addiction. Finally, it is hard to get a prescriptions for benzodiazepines here (especially without a family doctor), so having half a bottle of diazepam on hand is very comforting and I do not want to be without it.
I have had two appointments with the most reputable counselling agency in town. The counsellor I saw was very disappointing. Despite claiming to have 30+ years of experience in addiction counselling, this "psychotherapist" seemed to have very little to offer me.
At this point, I am trying to take as much Baclofen per day as I can handle. So far, that is 100 mg. More than that and I cannot sleep at night and I fall asleep all day (as odd as that seems). As a professional with an office job, that is obviously unworkable. I can take up to 150 mg/day on the weekends, but that gives me incessant twitches, confusion, and unending fatigue.
I am still drinking. Some days less that original. Some days none, which is awesome and gives me so much hope. But once I ramp up to daily drinking, I cannot stop again, mainly due to the physical withdrawal rather than cravings or emotional/psychological reasons.
Can anyone help me get above 100 mg of Baclofen per day without twitching like crazy, falling asleep at work, and being unable to sleep at night? I have tried increases as small as 20 mg/day, without success. Drinking coffee, oddly, seems to make me more tired and prone to falling asleep mid-morning.
Also, I have now ordered some naltrexone to see if that is an effective alternative. I know some regulars here have had success taking both Baclofen and naltrexone (under the Sinclair method). Under such a scheme, the naltrexone dosage is obvious but the Baclofen dosage is not. Can anyone suggest a good Baclofen dosage?
Thank you all for your help and support.
Terry Oh.
I'm 32. 71 kg. For years I have been drinking daily. It started as one or two on the weekday evenings and several on the weekends. In the last year or so, it escalated to 10-20 drinks spread evenly throughout the day. What started as a fun way to relieve anxiety and social awkwardness has become simply a way to stop the withdrawal symptoms. If I stop for more than a few hours I get shakes, sweats, confusion, and more than anything, anxiety. Drinking is rarely fun any more. It's just a necessity.
In January, I tried going cold turkey a few times. The aforementioned withdrawal symptoms made each a short-lived experiment. This despite having a very very helpful and supportive spouse and family.
AA (which is likely the only support group in this town) is not a option for a multitude of reasons. Some of my clients go there. My reputation as a professional would be damaged. I'm on the board of directors for a related organization. And the meetings are held at my spouse's workplace, which would be horribly embarrassing for her. Plus, I'm an atheist, an anarchist (to some degree), and not into the cult-like nature of the AA mentality.
I found May Way Out and forums and regained hope for the first time ever - mainly in pharmaceutical solutions.
It is almost impossible to see a doctor here (Ontario) unless you already have one. I am living in a new town (a small town) so I do not have one. I have been on a waiting list for almost a year. In desperation, I broke down and asked a family member (who is a family doctor) for help. He prescribed me a small batch of diazepam (at his insistence) and 60 mg of Baclofen daily (at my insistence).
I started taking the 60 mg of Baclofen daily, which immediately reduced my withdrawal symptoms. I have gone alcohol free several days in the last few months, up to about 5 days at a time. This has not happened in about 10 years. It felt great at first. The feeling of freedom was overwhelmingly awesome. But whenever I feel good, I start drinking again. To add insult to injury, the Baclofen seems to dull my emotions, leaving me feeling "flat" at best or depressed at worst.
I immediately ordered more Baclofen from an online source to see if taking more would rid me of my addiction.
I have started taking large amounts of multi-vitamins, milk thistle, and B complex, all of which have helped my overall health noticeably. Also taking l-glutamine, l-theanine, melatonin, and 5-htp, none of which seem to do as expected.
Unlike many of its proponents, the Baclofen has not really reduced my anxiety in general. I still feel nervous and uncomfortable on a daily basis, without good reason, and suffer from restless legs constantly.
I have not been taking the diazepam, for several reasons. I know that some days I will have to function without the booze, and the diazepam can (and has) allowed me to do so. Also, I know that I could survive very happily on a smaller amount of booze coupled with some diazepam. I do not want that to become my new addiction. Finally, it is hard to get a prescriptions for benzodiazepines here (especially without a family doctor), so having half a bottle of diazepam on hand is very comforting and I do not want to be without it.
I have had two appointments with the most reputable counselling agency in town. The counsellor I saw was very disappointing. Despite claiming to have 30+ years of experience in addiction counselling, this "psychotherapist" seemed to have very little to offer me.
At this point, I am trying to take as much Baclofen per day as I can handle. So far, that is 100 mg. More than that and I cannot sleep at night and I fall asleep all day (as odd as that seems). As a professional with an office job, that is obviously unworkable. I can take up to 150 mg/day on the weekends, but that gives me incessant twitches, confusion, and unending fatigue.
I am still drinking. Some days less that original. Some days none, which is awesome and gives me so much hope. But once I ramp up to daily drinking, I cannot stop again, mainly due to the physical withdrawal rather than cravings or emotional/psychological reasons.
Can anyone help me get above 100 mg of Baclofen per day without twitching like crazy, falling asleep at work, and being unable to sleep at night? I have tried increases as small as 20 mg/day, without success. Drinking coffee, oddly, seems to make me more tired and prone to falling asleep mid-morning.
Also, I have now ordered some naltrexone to see if that is an effective alternative. I know some regulars here have had success taking both Baclofen and naltrexone (under the Sinclair method). Under such a scheme, the naltrexone dosage is obvious but the Baclofen dosage is not. Can anyone suggest a good Baclofen dosage?
Thank you all for your help and support.
Terry Oh.
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