Day Two

DOSE: 15 mg Baclofen (5/5/5).

OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).

SIDE EFFECTS: Mild nausea; mild muscle weakness; decreased alcohol cravings.

It's only the second day of my baclofen schedule, but I noticed some positive changes in my mood and alcohol cravings. I slept great last night, apart from some pretty bizarre dreams. After experiencing some uncomfortable side effects from such a low dose (10 mg) yesterday, I was wary about my future with baclofen. However, today went much better. I took my first 5 mg at 9 a.m. with breakfast, and did not notice any tiredness like the day before. I noticed a lack in motivation for a short period, but was still able to take care of a lot of errands and household chores. After eating lunch around 1:30 p.m. I took my second 5 mg dose, and noticed that I was in a good mood and had not been experiencing hardly any alcohol cravings. A few hours after that I went to the gym, and noticed some slight muscle fatigue, a side effect commonly attributed to baclofen use. I took my third 5 mg dose around 7 p.m., and was able to relax and watch some T.V. after a busy day of running around and taking care of small tasks. Due to my recent relapse, I was forced to take a medical leave of absence from the university I attend, so I have a lot of free time on my hands. I have been spreading out my doses based on other clinical trials and the fact that baclofen only stays active in the body for approximately four hours after ingestion.

I'm going to stay on my 15 mg dose for three more days, and then I will begin increasing the amount by 10 mg every five days. I have read about many unpleasant side effects of baclofen as a result of moving up too quickly, which is why I'm choosing to go slowly. Overall, today has left me feeling far more optimistic about my journey using baclofen therapy to treat my alcoholism. I'm still debating whether or not I should return to Alcoholic's Anonymous to supplement my recovery process, but I've been in-and-out of the rooms for so long now that the thought of going back to meetings is almost repulsive. I did notice that I've been smoking more cigarettes than usual, but that could be more from boredom than anything else. It's only the second day, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I will most likely skip a few days of posting updates so as to avoid tiresome repetition, but will definitely continue to share my progress often.