New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

[johaven1024]

I'm 52. Yep, alcoholic. Once did 2 years sober in my early 40's. I went back to drinking and pretty much isolated myself. I live in Northern California. Hold a good job I've had for the last 30 years (I know, shocking). I have zero social life and cant date because who would put up with this behavior?

I've read through tons of pages here, but why did it die? Just seems dead here......


I drink about 10 beers plus shots of vodka about 5 nights a week. Been lurking here for about a month. Read the book about the dude. Tried Camp, Nal (had 5 beers and had a hangover x100 and went to the emergency room for the first time in my life, just a HELL experience). Therapy. Outpatient groups, a couple years of AA. Done plenty of other things too.....

Anyways, bought Bac online. Should be here in a couple of days. I think this might be my last try because I cant think of anything else to try.

I know about the dosage, heard about all the side effects, read all the positive stories (and some negatives) but I feel I need to give this a shot.

I will start slow but here are my questions........

1. This forum started out so positive and so successful. But the posts I read are back from like 2016. If this is such a great treatment, it sure does not to be catching on?

2. I had such a terrible experience when I had a few drinks on Nal, is this going to happen to me if I have drinks (starting off) with Bac? I'm going to try it anyways btw....

3. I only drink after 5pm. No morning drinker, no day drinker. Does this put my chances of succeeding in a better spot? or worse spot? (I ask this because I see a lot of people were drinking 24/7). I ask this because every morning and throughout the day I tell myself I'm not going to drink tonight. Then around 2pm I start freaking out and I cant resist when 5pm hits. Last week I got off work and sat in my car infront of the liquor store for about 20 minutes telling myself, just go get a burger and go home. My mind was going back and forth until I finally gave into alcohol. I couldnt stop myself and felt I was going insane.

This is the point that I told myself. Lets try this Bac thing because I'm losing my mind to craving. CRAZY AFTER WORK CRAVINGS!

My last question.......knowing the kind of alcoholic I am now, do you think this is a good medication for me to try?

Thanks, I will keep checking in as I wait for my Bac

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

Hi, Johaven. I'm 53. I started here, and on baclofen, about 14 years ago. I was here for the heyday of MWO and baclofen research. I was contentedly sober for about 4 years and stopped taking baclofen. At the same time life happened... I had gone back to school, and was in an intense program. Grandma died, dog died... Life. I have no coping skills. But at the same time, I was titrating OFF of baclofen. It was a really bad decision. Look back into 2010-2012.

1. This forum started out so positive and so successful. But the posts I read are back from like 2016. If this is such a great treatment, it sure does not to be catching on?

A lot of factors. Money dried up. There was a terrible, horrific troll. I can't believe, even now, how much damage he did to this forum. But at that time, the owner and admin were absent. There was one troll, who was horrible and regular, but there were other just assholes. It was the wild, wild west back then.

But I'm still asking myself the same question. Baclofen is not a panacea. And like many meds, it sucks to take. But it worked for me, for my husband, and for several good friends. Some of them still sober. My husband and I stopped taking it and life happened again. There was a time when we had liquor in the house. That makes me laugh, now. But we really were indifferent to it, then.

2. I had such a terrible experience when I had a few drinks on Nal, is this going to happen to me if I have drinks (starting off) with Bac? I'm going to try it anyways btw....

I can't speak to Nal, really. I took it. Didn't like it or trust it (which is now laughable) but I don't think it's made for people with AUD like I have it... Which is to say lifelong and without hope of moderating. That's a whole 'nother discussion. But if you're not prepared or side effects from not drinking, and/or taking a medication that makes drinking unpleasant, you're in for a long haul. I don't care what, or even if you take, meds. getting sober is an unpleasant ride. The closest I've gotten to contented sobriety, and I was actually happy most of my days, was when I was taking baclofen. Which is why I'm doing it again and why I'm responding to you.

3. I only drink after 5pm. No morning drinker, no day drinker. Does this put my chances of succeeding in a better spot? or worse spot? (I ask this because I see a lot of people were drinking 24/7). I ask this because every morning and throughout the day I tell myself I'm not going to drink tonight. Then around 2pm I start freaking out and I cant resist when 5pm hits. Last week I got off work and sat in my car infront of the liquor store for about 20 minutes telling myself, just go get a burger and go home. My mind was going back and forth until I finally gave into alcohol. I couldnt stop myself and felt I was going insane.

I don't know the answer to this. I used to just drink in the evenings. Then it became earlier and earlier. When I started baclofen, 13/14 years ago, I definitely didn't identify with people who drank all day and were totally despondent.

This is the point that I told myself. Lets try this Bac thing because I'm losing my mind to craving. CRAZY AFTER WORK CRAVINGS!
My last question.......knowing the kind of alcoholic I am now, do you think this is a good medication for me to try?

I tend to over share, and for my posts to be long winded. But I want to share with you the night I forgot to get booze.

I hated when I had to work late. I mean, really resented my boss and anything else that got in my way of my first drink, which was around 6pm. I can't remember how long I'd been taking baclofen, or what dose I was at. But it was a couple of months, not my first try, and a lot of pills. Every night I stopped to pick up booze, I think it was still beer at that point. And that night, I forgot. I got home, changed into comfies, and realized I didn't really have enough to drink. I FORGOT about alcohol. For long enough that I disrupted my whole routine.

Fast forward, I couldn't drink beer anymore. I got home, realized I didn't have any wine, and didn't care. I literally didn't care. Can you imagine? I can't. Not now. I obsess about it every day. And every day I think, NOT TODAY, DAMMIT. And then I drink again.

Here's the beauty of it. I was planning on divorcing my alcoholic husband. Not because he needed booze or because he was an asshole (and back then, he did and he was) but because I couldn't stand the smell. And he made me feel hopeless. One night, shortly after I reached indifference, he said he was willing to try baclofen because I seemed so happy. Three months later we were both sober and our lives changed dramatically. So did the sex.

So I knew it wasn't just me, or my online friends. I watched it happen to my husband.

I'm not proofreading this, which goes against everything I believe in. But I'll either make it longer, and it's long enough, or delete the whole damn thing. It's hard to write for the world to see. I do it for me. I hope it helps you. And I hope baclofen will help you, too.

[johaven1024]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

I will respond tomorrow. Oddly I've read a lot of your posts and didnt realize you were a girl. There are a lot more women on here than I thought. Anyways, thank you for your response and I'll be checking back in soon (probably tomorrow). I appreciate it!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

I will respond tomorrow. Oddly I've read a lot of your posts and didnt realize you were a girl. There are a lot more women on here than I thought. Anyways, thank you for your response and I'll be checking back in soon (probably tomorrow). I appreciate it!

lol
If it makes you feel any better, there are plenty of people who think that baclofen is easier for boys. Some early inspirations for me were Lo0p and Terryk. Actually, almost all men. Guardian. Who else? It’ll come back to me if you need more inspiration. Lowcountryman! He’s Dutch, and that’s a thing there….

ETA: I write a lot. And I’ve been around a while.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

My username, originally Neva Eva, was because I was neva eva going to drink again and I thought it was sort of clever. I’d love it to be NE1! Meaning anyone. But that didn’t catch on.

When I got here I was terrified. And desperate. I spent eons lurking. There weren’t any women regularly posting. But I’d read Dr. Amsisen’s book and it all seemed to be legit. So I finally joined and eventually got sober.

[johaven1024]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

Thank you (girl) See i said, girl....I'm going to try. Next week. Doing it. But seriously. I have to give this a shot. I get it next week. Thanks for your help

[Stevo]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

The meds section has been excruciatingly slow for the last couple of years, in the last week or so there seems to be new life being breathed into it. Hang around for a bit, it's not like it used to be but who is here can be here for each other.

For me bac is the only answer, and well worth all of the SE's if they can be ridden through. It's true some find it too hard but others find it bearable and continue to push on. I've been through a myriad of them and I would say the nausea was the worst, followed closely by the insomnia. I am on 360 at the moment and indifference is kicking back in, it's a wonderful revelation that Dr. Ameisen has given to the sufferers of AUD who can access and tolerate it.

My drinking has gone from at least 15 beers a day down to 4-5 tops, most SE's are gone and even though I don't understand how as an academic would it is changing my life again in a way never conceived prior to reading The End of my Addiction for a second time.

Looking forward to interacting and reading more of your posts.

Cheers,

Steve.

[Stevo]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

Apologies for the this post, I saw a typo and wanted to correct it but was too late to edit and it posted the original with the correction. I deleted it all and have now written this.

I also have no experience with any other pharmaceutical for AUD, I have had them offered to me by doctors but wouldn't waste my time. It's bac or it's drunken debauchery for this excessive drinker, sorry to hear about your experience with Naltrexone.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

Apologies for the this post, I saw a typo and wanted to correct it but was too late to edit and it posted the original with the correction. I deleted it all and have now written this.

oh man, the time limit for editing was put in place when the troll and his buddies were in full swing, way back in the day. But it’s driving me nuts. Not as nuts as the lack of capitalization, but apparently that’s a function of the web$hosting site and not a MWO thing. I’ve stopped being a grammar nazi, because who has time or energy for that judginess. Mostly. Ha. But still.

look forward to hearing how it goes, johaven.

We have a couple of sayings around here. One is, “slow and steady.” Or, “slowly, slowly catchee monkey.” Though I can’t for the life of me remember who started that, or why, or what the hell it actually means.

It’s tempting to start gobbling pills, I still struggle with it. Fortunately I’ve got some friends from here that remind me to chill and let the magic happen. But I want ALL the things RIGHT NOW dammit. Ha.

[Stevo]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

[MENTION=12976]Ne/Neva Eva[/MENTION]

Slowly, slowly catching something, you can do it and I know you can.

:hahaha:

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

[MENTION=22203]Stevo[/MENTION], why is that so funny? I STILL don't get it after all these years. Monkeys are terrifying. Why would you want to catch one? Please for the love of all good things, tell me it's not some imperialist British thing. xo

[Stevo]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

[MENTION=12976]Ne/Neva Eva[/MENTION] I had to go back to see why I thought it was funny. I think it was because in the previous post you had said something like 'I want to gobble pills and need it now'?

I think everything has a funny element these days, the world we live in is in decline and those who have had the power to stop it didn't do anything as it would affect their massive profits... etc, etc ad infinitum (insert any topic wanted here). I saw your response to bacman about the gun problems in the US, this is just another of the entitled worlds enigma's to me, and there are so many others. If I didn't laugh I'd cry.

Monkeys can be terrifying, yet they are fascinating and cute as f#&k at the same time. I saw some amazing ones in South East Asia when I was over there, I saw some brutally aggressive ones too. They are wiley and catching one would be worse than playing a game of chess for a brain like mine, unless I had a jar with a piece of fruit in it I guess? Those monkey traps appear to make sense to me whether they are effective or not though, I do not know. Do you know the ones I mean? The monkey grabs the fruit and as it's hand is now a fist with something in it, it can no longer get its hand out of the jar, it's too big to get back through the opening and the said monkey doesn't want to let go of its bounty, and is therefore trapped until it lets go. Something like that?

Definitely not some Imperial British throwback here, I'm ashamed of what was done in the name of expanding the Commonwealth...especially to the indigenous nations of Australia. Just a morbid sense of humour to cope with the world we have around us these days, I guess? :hangingmonkey::hugesmile:

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

[MENTION=22203]Stevo[/MENTION], I don't want to hijack [MENTION=24738]johaven1024[/MENTION] thread. He's actually new here. The two of us are just muddling our way through doing this AGAIN. Which, for the record, johaven, I don't recommend.

Life sucks, having alcohism sucks, but it all sucks less with contented sobriety. Love the monkey and the smiley, and can't wait to wrap my hands around all the things I used to be able to do here. Including type, ffs.

So whatever questions you have, and whenever you decide to ask them, please feel free. We're all on the same journey, but miles apart and with different experiences. I'm switching back over to the thread I most recently started now.

[Stevo]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

I agree Ne,

Apologies [MENTION=24738]johaven1024[/MENTION] Post more of whatever you feel you need to or want to say. I am looking forward to interacting further with this thread in a more constructive capacity.

[johaven1024]

Re: New here. Is this place dead? "baclofen"

Hi Stevo and NE, I did get my Bac. The problem is I am still drinking and when I tried to take Bac and drink the hangover was SOOO much worse. I'm not sure I can do both at the same time. I think I would have to take a break and stop drinking and try Bac sober. This is going to be hard to do. Any experience on this?

NE, I read a lot of your posts. But if it was working before, why did you stop and are starting over?

As I've keep reading the SE seem pretty extreme and it's starting to scare me away. I still want to try, but I only see a handful that succeed and they are common posters. I'm not seeing thousands of people here praising it and being successful.

These are the thoughts that I just got cold feet. But I still want to try