Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

[Zman]

Ok so heres the question.

Did those of you who have hit the switch experience a gradual lessening of cravings before you hit the switch off point, or were your cravings basically the same until suddenly you hit the switch off dose?

Many thanks,

Zman

[Siwan]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

withdrawn

[billyb]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

At the beginning it didn't really do anything, but if I remember correctly it was probably around 80mg or so that I started to feel the effect. From there on it was a steady decrease for the most part, with a sudden jump at the end when I hit that magic dose.

I started out with 6-12 drinks every night, got down to about 3 drinks a night at 125mg, and then suddenly jumped to 1 or even half a beer a night at my "magic dose" of 150mg. That last bit of daily drink was purely habitual and not from physical craving. After a week or two, it was a simple matter to eliminate that last bit.

I am now down to 100mg a day. I was experimenting with reducing the dose a bit more down to 70mg, but now I feel most comfortable at 100mg (I've had added stress recently, so the 100mg is better right now).

I was one of the ones that could drink through the whole titration. I felt the effects of alcohol a little bit more when I was on baclofen, but the combination was never a problem for me.

[veritas]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

Zen, I can relate to your lessening of anxiety.

My reaction to bac was very quick, so quick that I did not trust it. It took a good 8 days AF before I decided to "test" it with disasterous consequences. I did think about alcohol a lot, but it was very much a kind of curiosity rather than craving.

One thing that I will say is that on bac I feel many of the feelings I have on alcohol, but without the drop in IQ. I can feel it enter my muscles, much like the relaxation of the first sip. I also felt moments of euphoria, a complete sense of well being, much as one has sipping sundowners against an African sunset.

Then, unfortunately, the buggeration of the nausea.

[veritas]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

I have had nausea as an on and off side effect. I was initially taking it without food and I think that it was being absorbed too quickly.

I remember the first time I managed a full draught of beer (aged 20years). I spent the night in the hotel grounds vomiting my insides out. It took great persistence, dedication and focus to get to this level of "muckedupness".

[Zman]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

Bill B.,

Thanks so much for your post. It makes me feel better. Im at 75mg (just one day) and dont feel much. I was at 60 for the last 6 days and i went AF on sunday (which is like a saturday in countries that have a sat-sun weekend) and was AF until yesterday. The AF days are getting easier. But those are days when i know i shouldnt be drinking (like in the middle of the week), but then the weekend comes along (today, as we have a fri-sat weekend here in Dubai) and all resistance breaks down. Still cant imagine a thursday night without drinking.

Hopefully as i titrate up, that will cease also?

[Zman]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

Thanks Zen,

I plan on titrating up. Ive been on it for 2.5 weeks. As i said, im at 75mg (for 1 day)

But with all due respect, i dont understand why being AF would accelerate the effect of the Bac. If, as Amiesen says, it is a physiological effect that the Bac has, then it logically shouldnt matter whether you are drinking or not. The effect on your dopamine receptors would be the same.

[billyb]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

zman, I would suggest that you go with whichever method makes it easier for you, since it works either way. I don't know whether there's a difference in going AF or not. Perhaps there is, or perhaps there is for some people but not for others (like those who noticed really bad AL-bac interactions), or maybe it doesn't make a difference either way. All we have is anecdotal evidence and reasonable-sounding hypotheses.

It's like the slow vs. fast titration debate. To me it makes sense that slow titration might be more beneficial, and for that reason it's what I would generally recommend. But if you will have a better time of it titrating really fast, then as long as you're careful to manage the side effects that's the way you should do it.

The last thing you want to do is give up on baclofen because it isn't working yet. If you can manage to go AF, and if that helps give you a boost of self-confidence and motivation to keep going with bac, then that's definitely the way to go. On the other hand, if continuing to drink will help ease your anxiety and buy you more time to let the baclofen go to work, then I'd say that's the way to do it.

[me1455]

Question for those who have hit the Bac off switch

zman, do what i do and buy the small mini wines or a small amount of liquor for that night and once the store closes what else is there to do? i dont know, but thats how im attempng it and have done for the pst few days.. lol white knuckled my first af day. that was tough. im at 70mg