Have you tried Baclofen? What was your experience?

[Don Chance]

Not interested in second hand opinions, misinformation etc.

 

Let us know your actual experiences with Baclofen?

[seasia]

Hi

 

I have used it.

 

Very low dose for 1 week then an increase for 2nd week.

 

As I felt that control and willpower  was more important, I then stopped taking it.

 

Unsure whether taking it helped or not.

 

I had no side affects when taking it nor on stopping.

 

I still drink some beer and still enjoy wine with certain meals.

[Don Chance]

On 4/22/2019 at 5:54 PM, seasia said:

Hi

 

I have used it.

 

Very low dose for 1 week then an increase for 2nd week.

 

As I felt that control and willpower  was more important, I then stopped taking it.

 

Unsure whether taking it helped or not.

 

I had no side affects when taking it nor on stopping.

 

I still drink some beer and still enjoy wine with certain meals.

You are suppose to take around 80mg per day, 10 mg every hour.

[TingTongGuy]

On 4/24/2019 at 9:07 AM, Don Chance said:

You are suppose to take around 80mg per day, 10 mg every hour.

 

"suppose to"? I'm not sure where you are getting your information. I have taken baclofen on and off for years. I have found it very useful, but it isn't a magic bullet.

 

If you drink heavily, and you find you are getting physical cravings for alcohol when you don't drink, baclofen can help. A dose of 20-30 mg of baclofen is enough to stop any cravings I might have for the next 5-6 hours.

 

But it only provides help for that particular issue. Most alcoholics have a strong psychological craving for alcohol when they stop drinking. Boredom is one of the most deadly temptations for an alcoholic, and baclofen won't help with that.

 

I am not a doctor - you should see a doctor before taking any prescription medication.

[Don Chance]

14 hours ago, TingTongGuy said:

 

"suppose to"? I'm not sure where you are getting your information. I have taken baclofen on and off for years. I have found it very useful, but it isn't a magic bullet.

 

If you drink heavily, and you find you are getting physical cravings for alcohol when you don't drink, baclofen can help. A dose of 20-30 mg of baclofen is enough to stop any cravings I might have for the next 5-6 hours.

 

But it only provides help for that particular issue. Most alcoholics have a strong psychological craving for alcohol when they stop drinking. Boredom is one of the most deadly temptations for an alcoholic, and baclofen won't help with that.

 

I am not a doctor - you should see a doctor before taking any prescription medication.

You need to take the right dose to get the full effect. Around 80mg per day.  20-30mg won't work.

You can read the site linked above, baclofentreatment.com it is written by a dr. in Australia. I don't know if you will find a doctor in Thailand experience with baclofen and alcohol.

I think most people self prescribe.  The site above recommends starting with 20mg then increase 10 mg a day until you get the full effects. Or you can start in with 60-80mg the first day as cure for withdrawals if you are stopping cold turkey.

I've heard that (rarely) some people can have a bad reaction to baclofen, so probably best to start off slow.

You can try 10-20mg and that will be enough for someone to decided if they think it will work for them or not. It is that good.

You will probably have to be on baclofen for 3-4 years to full detox from alcohol.

Some people take even higher does of baclofen 200-300mg, if they are severe alcoholic. It is thought to be safe.

Overall baclofen is well documented drug, because it has been used extensively for back injuries for over 50 years.

 

[TingTongGuy]

Have you tried baclofen yourself Don Chance?

 

One thing that I didn't mention is that baclofen can impair your judgement in a similar way to alcohol. Don't take baclofen and drive.

 

From my experience it takes around 5 or 6 hours for baclofen to clear your system, so if you were to take 10mg/hour as suggested above, the effects of the baclofen would feel very strong after 3-4 hours.

 

Common dosage sizes are 10mg (pacifen) and 10mg/25mg (liofen). If you take it regularly, you will build up a tolerance to its effects. I have not personally experienced baclofen withdrawal symptoms, but some people have. Taking it regularly increases the risk of you experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop - in this instance, gradually reducing your dose over time (tapering) might help you to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

 

As I said in my previous post, I am not a doctor, and I would strongly advise you to seek medical advice before taking any prescription medications.

[Don Chance]

10 hours ago, TingTongGuy said:

Have you tried baclofen yourself Don Chance?

 

One thing that I didn't mention is that baclofen can impair your judgement in a similar way to alcohol. Don't take baclofen and drive.

 

From my experience it takes around 5 or 6 hours for baclofen to clear your system, so if you were to take 10mg/hour as suggested above, the effects of the baclofen would feel very strong after 3-4 hours.

 

Common dosage sizes are 10mg (pacifen) and 10mg/25mg (liofen). If you take it regularly, you will build up a tolerance to its effects. I have not personally experienced baclofen withdrawal symptoms, but some people have. Taking it regularly increases the risk of you experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop - in this instance, gradually reducing your dose over time (tapering) might help you to avoid withdrawal symptoms.

 

As I said in my previous post, I am not a doctor, and I would strongly advise you to seek medical advice before taking any prescription medications.

Yes  i have taken baclofen for years. It is a cure to alcoholism. You have to compare baclofen side effect to alcohol which are minor in comparison. Alcohol has many serious side effect as i am sure you are aware.

It was worked for millions of people in Europe and as far as i know it works for most people who put the effort in.

When you first start taking baclofen there are annoying side effects. The first  day i took 70mg over 5 hours, while i was withdrawing from about 8 beers per day. There is dizziness and the feeling of passing out. But you can take a quick nap and be back, wide awake. So it works right away.

Then, after about 6-8 weeks, the side effect dissipate. To the point after a few months there are hardly any side effects. There is also enhanced/ vivid dreaming which is a positive side effect.

If alcohol were discovered today it would be illegal and not even possible with a prescription because it has no medical value.

An amazing thing about baclofen is that it leaves your system completely and you wake up clear as a bell. Also the regular dose of 80mg works the same - day after day after day. So you are wrong about tolerance.

Yes if you stop suddenly there is withdrawal symptoms. You need to go off it slowly. Keep in mind this drug has/can be used safely for decades. Many people have used it long term without ill effects.