Day 49

DOSE: 100 mg Baclofen (25/10/20/20/25); 1,800 mg Gabapentin (600/600/600); 300 mg Bupropion SR (150/150).

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

SIDE EFFECTS: Short-term memory lapses; mild anxiety; slightly decreased alcohol cravings.

Well now I'm on quite a cocktail of medications. After meeting with my psychiatrist a few days ago, we decided to add Wellbutrin (generic Bupropion) to the mix to combat tiredness and memory problems. He was reluctant to prescribe a stimulant (for good reason), and so far bupropion has most definitely helped with tiredness. I've been researching gabapentin, and memory problems is not a listed side effect. Perhaps it's just a lack of focus and motivation that is causing me to have trouble retaining information. The reason I took an extra 10 mg today is because I was feeling really anxious and having some cravings. It's kind of frightening that my cravings are returning, and I'm not sure what's causing it. The past couple days it's been pretty bad, but I am able to recall how terrible my life was when drinking and could easily say no. For about the first month out of treatment my cravings were practically nonexistent, so I'm thinking that gabapentin may actually be making things worse. For now I'm just going to continue doing what I'm doing and hope that things get better as my body continues to adjust to these medications.

I finally stopped procrastinating on an assignment that I had to complete in order to finish one of my makeup classes, and that has helped to alleviate some pressure at least. However I still have the big exam to take, and that continues to cause a lot of stress. I'm still sober which is obviously the most important part, and I plan to stay that way. The side effects have pretty much all abated, except for the ones I've listed above. Regardless of anything, I'm extremely happy about the fact that medications for alcoholism are being researched and tested. I'll post more later!