Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #61
    Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

    LaBear,

    I was taking Xanax and Baclofen simultaneously, which in and of itself was no problem. The success of the Baclofen at reducing anxiety, however, made the Xanax seem unnecessary, and mixing Xanax and AL, as most know, was almost always a disaster. I had tried to quit taking Xanax altogether in my pre Baclofen days and simply could not; the withdrawal symptoms were just to severe. After doing a lot of studying online, including perusing the hundreds and hundreds of posts here at MWO, I was fairly confident that Baclofen would satisfy my GABA receptors' "need" for the Xanax and that I could just quit cold turkey. So, when my prescription ran out, I told my doctor not to refill it, that I no longer needed it. It was a bit of a gamble, but it worked, I never took another Xanax and never noticed the slightest withdrawal symptom. Note, however, that I was taking 80mg of Baclofen daily at that time, thus, I can't say if it would have been quite so easy at a minimal beginning dosage.

    Best of luck, and certainly try Baclofen -- what have you got to lose -- it is perfectly safe and has no dangerous interactions with either Benzos or Naltexone, or any other drug that I know of for that matter. Naltexone alone, in my judgement, just will not eliminate the cravings for AL, you will never hit the "switch" of indifference, and it will certainly never cure you. I think it's main effect comes from the fact that the user knows that by being on the drug, the pleasurable effects of alcohol will be blunted, thus it acts as a deterrant to AL abuse, but not a cure. Also, from my past experience, you can drink through the effects of the Naltrexone and still get plenty drunk, it just takes a greater amount of alcohol to get there -- not a very appealing prospect.

    Comment


      #62
      Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

      Wow!!

      Can't believe he emailed you back!!!! And I can't believe I left ALL my "lunchtime" meds at home!!!!! I am sooooo pissed!!! That means I won't get bac until God knows when, probably not til 8 tonight!!? I am always I'm such a rush to get out the door to this hell hole!?!!?

      Hope I am ok, only thing that kept me from drinking yesterday since it was so shitty was the bac, gotta rush back in now, I really despise my job, it is taking such a toll....

      MA
      :rays:My happiness is my greatest gift to others:rays:eace:

      Comment


        #63
        Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

        Sleep aids

        I read here many cases of people taking Ambien, Ativan, or other medications for sleep, all of which carry their own risks and can exacerbate addiction. Far and away the safest and most effective sleep aid that I know of is Trazadone, it is a generic form of an old anti-depressant that was originally marketed under the brand name Deseryl. Deseryl was useless as an anti-depressant, but it is remarkably useful as an aid for sleep -- it will almost guarantee you a minimum of 4 to 6 hours uninterupted sleep with ZERO side effects, and it only takes about 15 minutes to take effect.

        The drug is very cheap as it qualifies for the $4.00 for a 30 day supply and $10.00 for a 90 day supply program offered by most every pharmacy here in the States. Because it is so cheap, no one "pushes" this drug and you will likely never hear of it and will almost always have to ask for it yourself, nevertheless, it is widely prescribed for sleep by GPs and psychiatrists so getting an Rx should not be a problem. The beginning dose is 50mg at bedtime with most people increasing to 100 mg. Being highly resistant to any sedatives, I myself take 200mg and have been for 3 years now, and it has never failed me yet.

        On a pleasant side note for the men in the audience, at one time the drug was thought to have potential as a precursor to Viagra, but its effect in that respect proved too unpredictable, and unfortunately it wears off after sustained use. Nevertheless, you may notice this potential effect when you first begin to take it.

        Comment


          #64
          Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

          Eak,
          I have taken trazadone for sleeping for 4 years. It was prescribed to me by my oncologist when the drug (tamoxifen) that I take for breast cancer caused me to have insomnia. I agree that it has no side effects whatsoever, but I did discontinue it when I started the bac just because I was afraid to take both drugs. I have been sleeping very fitfully ever since. Are you saying that you take both and it is not a problem? How long have you been taking the bac and was is prescribed by a doctor or are you doing your own self-treatment?

          Comment


            #65
            Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

            Prancy,

            I've been taking Trazadone and Baclofen together for several months now with no ill effects whatsoever. Both are now prescribed by an MD, though I originally had to order Baclofen online beacuse I was too chicken to ask for it from my Psychiatrist. But now I have actually had multiple MDs, in and out of the hospital, that have had no qualms prescribing them simultaneously.

            Interestingly, here in Dallas I have run into no resistance in getting an Rx for Baclofen for either anxiety or withdrawal/cravings from the psychiatric community. Even though no one had yet read Dr. Ameisen's book, most were either familiar with it or were aware of Baclofen's efficacy in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal and general anxiety. At Dallas Presbyterian Hospital, Baclofen is actually a drug of choice in the de-tox unit for both withdrawal/cravings and anxiety, though they will not prescribe over the 80 mg per day label limit. While in the de-tox unit for 4 days I was "pushing" Baclofen to anyone that seemed like they might benefit and each was able to immediately get an Rx from their MD at 10 mg x 3 daily.

            My personal doctor was unaware of Baclofen therapy, but when I told him about the book, and the results I had received from it previously, he happily wrote out an Rx. I lied and said the hospital discharged me at 120 mg daily, so he wrote out an Rx for that with refills, along with refills for my Trazadone. :H

            Comment


              #66
              Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

              Very interesting info, eak. Your description of Trazadone fits exactly my experience with Ambien (zolpidem). It works very quickly and wears off very quickly. I know Ambien can be habit-forming, so I have always been careful not to use it too much, but it has been a great friend to me -- before Bac. I don't need Ambien now, or any other sleep medication, at all-- not since the first day I started Bac with a 5mg dose.

              I'm surprised (pleasantly surprised) that you have found such an openness to Baclofen in Dallas. Although I live in Northern Europe (just a hop skip and a jump from Dr. A's birthplace), nobody here seems to have an inkling about it.

              While on holiday in the U.S., I made an appt. with a psychiatrist specializing in anxiety issues. I brought the Dr. A book and told him about it. He had never heard of it and expressed very little interest, and said he'd never prescribe a drug he didn't know about. That's my experience. I had to pay USD 150 for that.
              Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life... And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

              Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Adress, 2005

              Comment


                #67
                Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                Eak. thanks for the info about trazadone. Good to know as I do have a prescription for that. I have a low tolerance for the bac so I am titrating up slowly and definitely can feel it. I am glad you have a prescription for the bac. That sure makes it easier than worrying about the online prescription not getting to you on time and having to withdraw from it. I would much rather take this with ok from a doctor but don't want to ask for it as I have Kaiser and it would go into the system and then it is on your public record.

                Comment


                  #68
                  Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                  I just wanted to echo eakarno's experience w/ benzos and bac. I used to take klonipin and/or valium and/or xanax almost on a daily basis (usually 3-4 times/week). When I tried to stop taking them, I found I couldn't deal effectively with normal work situations. Since starting on bac, I have almost completely stopped taking benzos! My anxiety is almost nil. This stuff is like a miracle in that regard.

                  --Anna

                  Comment


                    #69
                    Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                    Anna,
                    If I may ask, how many mgs. are you up to on the bac. I'm looking forward to the day that my anxiety decreases as well. I had to take an adivan to sleep last night even though I've been on 15 mgs. of bac. Today I started on 30.
                    Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.

                    Comment


                      #70
                      Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                      Hi j-vo,

                      I got up to 60mg which generally took care of my cravings for alcohol. I didn't think I could go any higher b/c I was SOOO tired all of the time and couldn't think clearly. As a person who previously couldn't consume caffeine, I was nervous about drinking coffee, etc to get rid of the bac-induced somnolence problem. But once I started back on coffee, diet coke, etc, I found I could continue to up my bac intake. I'm now at up to 120mg a day largely just b/c it helps so much w/ my anxiety. (I'm also still don't have any cravings for alcohol). Not sure if that's a recommendable amount or not, but it's what's working for me right now.

                      My anxiety was pretty bad. Just as an example, I used to do things like wake up in the middle of the night worrying about really stupid stuff: that I had said something wrong to someone (I hadn't) or worrying that I would not wake up on time (hilarious given that I was waking up worrying about not waking up). I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Now I almost never wake up in the middle of the night but when I do, I feel relaxed and happy. That happened to me last night. I woke up in the middle of the night and, after going to the bathroom, my first thought was about how grateful I was to have a good job, husband, home, etc. I fell back asleep peacefully. For me, that's a first.

                      --Anna

                      Comment


                        #71
                        Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                        Anna,
                        Thanks for sharing that. I'm just starting 30mg and was hoping that I'd be relieved of some anxiety soon. I know I need to be paitent. As a matter of fact, I just had to lay down for a nap. What scares me is that while I'm upping the bac. I've got to return to work next week and no naps will be possible! So your cravings decreased at 60 and anxiety at a higher dose. I know everyone is different, and that I'll have to listen to my own body for what's right, I just wanted to get an understanding of what was relieved first. BTW, I'm really happy for you that you've got that peacefulness. I'm so looking for that in my life. I could go on for hours, days with anxiety-ridden stories that would blow your mind! Thanks again.
                        Sometimes what you're most afraid of doing is the very thing that will set you free.

                        Comment


                          #72
                          Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                          Medical Records

                          There seems to be some confusion about the public availability of medical records taking place on these boards -- I'm speaking of those in the U.S. only. As an attorney specializing in employee benefits I can assure all of you that your medical records, pharmaceutical included, are PRIVATE and protected under a Federal law known as HIPAA. Even if you have insurance through your employer, any health information associated with your insurance is 100% protected and no one from your employer can or ever will find out about it. Insurance companies and medical professionals take this VERY seriously and will go to extreme lengths to protect the privacy of all information related to your medical care.

                          The only extent to which the information may have to be divulged is if you apply for privately obtained health, life, or disability insurance, in which case you may be asked to submit an attending physician's statement and agree to release information from the Medical Information Bureau (MIB), which is a database of everyone's medical records -- again kept private unless you authorize release of the information. Also, please note that, depending upon applicable state insurance laws, failure to divulge medical treatment (just because you sought it through an online pharmacy and overseas medical staff :H) may render any privately obtained insurance void with respect to the hidden condition.

                          Except in the rarest of circumstances, insurance obtained through your employer will not be based upon any individual underwriting or pre-existing conditions and there will not be any inquiry into your medical history. The same will be true of any public option insurance, if and when such comes to pass.

                          Bottom line, if any of you in the States are reluctant to seek medical assistance because of worries that "it will go on your permanent record," rest assured that while there will be a record of it, your medical history will be private and kept that way unless you authorize its release.

                          Comment


                            #73
                            Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                            I really want to be a part of this thread. I am a 25 year old man living in the heart of chicago and I am deeply depressed and on the verge of despair. I have a gorgeous girlfriend that I love and a wonderful family but alcohol has made my life one that is lived on the edge. My life is in no way normal. I am very unhealthy and addicted to alcohol. I very much want to try baclofen. For all that have posted your experiences mean so much to us, even if we don't join the community. Thank you and i would be very interested in talking more with you about baclofen. I really need some help!

                            Comment


                              #74
                              Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                              I really want to be a part of this thread. I am a 25 year old man living in the heart of chicago and I am deeply depressed and on the verge of despair. I have a gorgeous girlfriend that I love and a wonderful family but alcohol has made my life one that is lived on the edge. My life is in no way normal. I am very unhealthy and addicted to alcohol. I very much want to try baclofen. For all that have posted your experiences mean so much to us, even if we don't join the community. Thank you and i would be very interested in talking more with you about baclofen. I really need some help!

                              Comment


                                #75
                                Consolidated Baclofen Success Thread

                                just sent you a pm ryan :welcome:
                                :nutso: I take pride in my humility :nutso:
                                :what?:
                                sigpic
                                Graph of My Drinking From July '09 to January '10

                                Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread




                                Baclofen for Alcoholism and Other Addictions
                                A Forum
                                Trolls need not apply

                                Comment

                                Working...
                                X