DOSE: 80 mg Baclofen (20/20/20/20); 1,500 mg Gabapentin (600/300/600).
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet).
SIDE EFFECTS: Headache in the morning; short-term memory lapses; somnolence; decreased alcohol cravings.
I haven't posted in a little while, and that's because I've taken a slight detour on my baclofen journey. I met with a psychiatrist about a week ago hoping to get an increased prescription for my baclofen use so I don't have to supplement my dose through other means. However, after meeting with the psychiatrist, he insisted that I try gabapentin, another off-label alcoholism drug. So I've been titrating up on gabapentin, but because it makes me drowsy too I had to reduce my baclofen intake so I could tolerate both. In the past few days I've noticed a frightening return of cravings, and I'm unable to determine whether it's from taking gabapentin or from reducing the amount of baclofen I'm taking. I was up to 110 mg/day of baclofen when I began gabapentin, and I quickly dropped the amount of baclofen to 80 mg, which could well be the cause of my recent drinking urges. Regardless, I'm still sober! I drove home for Thanksgiving yesterday, and I became very tired near the end of my drive, to the point that I almost thought I couldn't continue! However, I bought some coffee and snapped out of it. So I'm a little nervous about changing my game plan to include gabapentin, but I want to give it a fair chance and see if it helps me reach a point of indifference towards alcohol. The few studies that I've read about the efficacy of gabapentin in reducing cravings seem promising, and if it doesn't work out I will simply return to my original baclofen titration schedule. Anyways, getting ready for a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with my family, so I should probably get going. Also, today I haven't had any cravings whatsoever, so hopefully that will continue as my body adjusts to this new medication. Happy holidays!
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
Day 30
DOSE: 100 mg Baclofen (Brand name Fexobac) (25/25/25/25).
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight headache in the morning; somnolence; decreased alcohol cravings.
I'm finally in triple digits on my high-dose baclofen experience, and so far I have not experienced practically any of the negative side effects that I had heard so much about. It's my third day at 100mg, and I am still feeling tired at certain points throughout the day. Normally the somnolence wears off after the second day of a dose increase, but so far I'm still wanting to take an occasional nap. But it's definitely worth it, because so far today I haven't had a single craving for alcohol! Or if I have it's been so minor that I can't even remember it. Regardless, I'm feeling good about where I'm at. When I'm working out at the gym, I notice some slight muscle weakness, but it hasn't been too much of a hindrance so far. I'm still sober, and since I'm not counting individual days but rather the 20th of each month, I'll have two months sober in just three days! This will not be the first, or second time I've been sober for two months, but it will be the longest amount of time I've been sober without attending Alcoholic's Anonymous meetings. It just feels good to be choosing my own path, and attempting to use a medical treatment for a medical problem, as opposed to a dogmatic, theological approach to the treatment of alcoholism. However I am participating in an outpatient program and attending therapy sessions. I'm still noticing that it's hard to get myself motivated to do things that I really need to get done, but I really need to just buckle down and do it. I'm also playing on an intramural soccer team, and I'm still experiencing muscle cramping when I sprint or exert a lot of energy. Now that tiredness is becoming more common, I might start titrating up more slowly, perhaps every five days as the dosage gets higher. I've also started taking the larger dose (if there is one) in the morning and before bed so as to avoid sleepiness. Anyways, not much more to report on that front. Life is slowly starting to come back together, and I'm optimistic about baclofen. I'm also extremely grateful that I'm not experiencing crazy symptoms like insomnia, or itching, or anything else like that. Goodnight.
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight headache in the morning; somnolence; decreased alcohol cravings.
I'm finally in triple digits on my high-dose baclofen experience, and so far I have not experienced practically any of the negative side effects that I had heard so much about. It's my third day at 100mg, and I am still feeling tired at certain points throughout the day. Normally the somnolence wears off after the second day of a dose increase, but so far I'm still wanting to take an occasional nap. But it's definitely worth it, because so far today I haven't had a single craving for alcohol! Or if I have it's been so minor that I can't even remember it. Regardless, I'm feeling good about where I'm at. When I'm working out at the gym, I notice some slight muscle weakness, but it hasn't been too much of a hindrance so far. I'm still sober, and since I'm not counting individual days but rather the 20th of each month, I'll have two months sober in just three days! This will not be the first, or second time I've been sober for two months, but it will be the longest amount of time I've been sober without attending Alcoholic's Anonymous meetings. It just feels good to be choosing my own path, and attempting to use a medical treatment for a medical problem, as opposed to a dogmatic, theological approach to the treatment of alcoholism. However I am participating in an outpatient program and attending therapy sessions. I'm still noticing that it's hard to get myself motivated to do things that I really need to get done, but I really need to just buckle down and do it. I'm also playing on an intramural soccer team, and I'm still experiencing muscle cramping when I sprint or exert a lot of energy. Now that tiredness is becoming more common, I might start titrating up more slowly, perhaps every five days as the dosage gets higher. I've also started taking the larger dose (if there is one) in the morning and before bed so as to avoid sleepiness. Anyways, not much more to report on that front. Life is slowly starting to come back together, and I'm optimistic about baclofen. I'm also extremely grateful that I'm not experiencing crazy symptoms like insomnia, or itching, or anything else like that. Goodnight.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Day 23
DOSE: 80 mg Baclofen (Brand name Fexobac) (20/20/20/20).
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Mood changes; somnolence; slightly decreased alcohol cravings.
Haven't posted in a little while. I've noticed a slight decrease in my motivation to get things done. Also, this morning and afternoon I was in a terrible mood, and found myself extremely stressed out over seemingly minor situations. A few days ago I bought a new car, which was a hellish process but I absolutely love my new vehicle! However I think the baclofen has made me hyper-sensitive to stressful situations, and over the weekend I noticed a strong desire to drink. The feeling came back again this morning, so I'm a bit frightened because that's usually how I feel before I relapse. I'm still sober though, and I'll have two months sober on the 20th! Also, I play on an intramural soccer team, and my leg muscles started cramping continuously to the point that I couldn't even play the game. I have to assume this is also a side effect of baclofen. My sleep is still good other than the fact that I wake up early in the morning (not early to most people, around 6 a.m.), and I'm unable to fall back asleep once I wake up. My kitty is doing well. She runs around constantly now and bugs the hell out of me. All in all I'm still optimistic about reaching a state of indifference toward alcohol through high-dose baclofen. Tomorrow I'll be increasing my dose to 90 mg. I've slowed my titration to an increase of 10 mg every four days, and if I continue to feel tired during the day I will slow it even more. The side effects are not nearly as bad as several other users have reported, so I'm happy about that. Anyways, just wanted to post an update. Alcohol cravings are most definitely not gone, but I only experience them in situations of high stress. During usual day-to-day activities, I have noticed that I'm hardly ever thinking about alcohol. I'll post more in the days to come!
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Mood changes; somnolence; slightly decreased alcohol cravings.
Haven't posted in a little while. I've noticed a slight decrease in my motivation to get things done. Also, this morning and afternoon I was in a terrible mood, and found myself extremely stressed out over seemingly minor situations. A few days ago I bought a new car, which was a hellish process but I absolutely love my new vehicle! However I think the baclofen has made me hyper-sensitive to stressful situations, and over the weekend I noticed a strong desire to drink. The feeling came back again this morning, so I'm a bit frightened because that's usually how I feel before I relapse. I'm still sober though, and I'll have two months sober on the 20th! Also, I play on an intramural soccer team, and my leg muscles started cramping continuously to the point that I couldn't even play the game. I have to assume this is also a side effect of baclofen. My sleep is still good other than the fact that I wake up early in the morning (not early to most people, around 6 a.m.), and I'm unable to fall back asleep once I wake up. My kitty is doing well. She runs around constantly now and bugs the hell out of me. All in all I'm still optimistic about reaching a state of indifference toward alcohol through high-dose baclofen. Tomorrow I'll be increasing my dose to 90 mg. I've slowed my titration to an increase of 10 mg every four days, and if I continue to feel tired during the day I will slow it even more. The side effects are not nearly as bad as several other users have reported, so I'm happy about that. Anyways, just wanted to post an update. Alcohol cravings are most definitely not gone, but I only experience them in situations of high stress. During usual day-to-day activities, I have noticed that I'm hardly ever thinking about alcohol. I'll post more in the days to come!
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Day 17
DOSE: 70 mg Baclofen (Brand name Fexobac) (20/15/20/15).
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; headache; somnolence; slightly decreased alcohol cravings.
Today I increased my dose another 10 mg, reaching the 70 mg mark and going strong! Many people claim that around this dosage and higher are when problems and debilitating side effects can occur, so I'm a little nervous about that. This morning when I took the 20 mg dose I felt pretty tired, but I think that's also because my new kitten has been keeping me awake with her crying at night. Anyways, I know that very few people read this blog, but it's helpful for me to be able to look back on my progress and experiences. I noticed increased tiredness and markedly reduced alcohol cravings. However just about an hour ago I had what seemed like a wave of anxiety brush over me, and the effects of that have persisted for a while. Overall the side effects have not been too negative at all, and I'm still sleeping great aside from strange dreams. I've also noticed that I'm waking up slightly earlier than usual. Not a big deal though. I'm getting a little nervous thinking about how high I should go with baclofen, and whether or not "indifference" is attainable. Still hopeful and happy and healthy. I'm sure I could write a lot more about a bunch of random stuff, but now I'm just going to kick back, watch The Walking Dead and cuddle with my new kitty! Goodnight.
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; headache; somnolence; slightly decreased alcohol cravings.
Today I increased my dose another 10 mg, reaching the 70 mg mark and going strong! Many people claim that around this dosage and higher are when problems and debilitating side effects can occur, so I'm a little nervous about that. This morning when I took the 20 mg dose I felt pretty tired, but I think that's also because my new kitten has been keeping me awake with her crying at night. Anyways, I know that very few people read this blog, but it's helpful for me to be able to look back on my progress and experiences. I noticed increased tiredness and markedly reduced alcohol cravings. However just about an hour ago I had what seemed like a wave of anxiety brush over me, and the effects of that have persisted for a while. Overall the side effects have not been too negative at all, and I'm still sleeping great aside from strange dreams. I've also noticed that I'm waking up slightly earlier than usual. Not a big deal though. I'm getting a little nervous thinking about how high I should go with baclofen, and whether or not "indifference" is attainable. Still hopeful and happy and healthy. I'm sure I could write a lot more about a bunch of random stuff, but now I'm just going to kick back, watch The Walking Dead and cuddle with my new kitty! Goodnight.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Day 14
DOSE: 60 mg Baclofen (15/15/15/15).
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; headache; slightly decreased alcohol cravings.
These past few days have been quite an emotional roller-coaster. On Wednesday night my car broke down as I was driving home to watch Game 7 of the World Series (I'm a huge San Francisco Giants fan), and I would later come to find out that my transmission is busted and it's a $1700 repair. So needless to say I've been pretty stressed out about that. I was forced to miss my IOP appointment on Thursday due to my lack of transportation, and began to experience some increased cravings and anxiety. Many people have experienced a "honeymoon" effect with baclofen, where their cravings completely disappear at the beginning but begin to return after a little while. That has been my experience to some extent. I'm still sober, which is all that matters, but I have noticed some increased anxiety and an increased desire to drink. However these feelings have been in no way overwhelming. I felt pretty jealous last night as I watched everyone celebrate Halloween while I sat at home, sober, feeling incapable of participating. I just chalked this holiday up as a loss and figure that I'll have a bunch more Halloweens once I've maintained sobriety for a considerable period of time. Anyways, I'm up to 60 mg and not experiencing hardly any negative side effects from baclofen. The only things I've noticed are that my bruxism (jaw clenching) may actually be getting worse due to baclofen, and I find myself unable to go back to sleep when I wake up, and I'm typically waking up around 7 a.m. All that's important to me is my sobriety, and for now I have successfully maintained that. Oh, on a completely random note, I adopted a kitten today in an impulsive act of foolishness, but I think she will have quite a bit of therapeutic value once I get used to having a little critter running around. I'm still optimistic about the future, and looking forward to my continued journey with baclofen.
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; headache; slightly decreased alcohol cravings.
These past few days have been quite an emotional roller-coaster. On Wednesday night my car broke down as I was driving home to watch Game 7 of the World Series (I'm a huge San Francisco Giants fan), and I would later come to find out that my transmission is busted and it's a $1700 repair. So needless to say I've been pretty stressed out about that. I was forced to miss my IOP appointment on Thursday due to my lack of transportation, and began to experience some increased cravings and anxiety. Many people have experienced a "honeymoon" effect with baclofen, where their cravings completely disappear at the beginning but begin to return after a little while. That has been my experience to some extent. I'm still sober, which is all that matters, but I have noticed some increased anxiety and an increased desire to drink. However these feelings have been in no way overwhelming. I felt pretty jealous last night as I watched everyone celebrate Halloween while I sat at home, sober, feeling incapable of participating. I just chalked this holiday up as a loss and figure that I'll have a bunch more Halloweens once I've maintained sobriety for a considerable period of time. Anyways, I'm up to 60 mg and not experiencing hardly any negative side effects from baclofen. The only things I've noticed are that my bruxism (jaw clenching) may actually be getting worse due to baclofen, and I find myself unable to go back to sleep when I wake up, and I'm typically waking up around 7 a.m. All that's important to me is my sobriety, and for now I have successfully maintained that. Oh, on a completely random note, I adopted a kitten today in an impulsive act of foolishness, but I think she will have quite a bit of therapeutic value once I get used to having a little critter running around. I'm still optimistic about the future, and looking forward to my continued journey with baclofen.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Day Ten
DOSE: 40 mg Baclofen (10/10/10/10).
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; decreased alcohol cravings.
Tomorrow I will be increasing my dose to 50 mg, and I've decided to go up every three days due to the fact that I haven't had any limiting side effects. Yesterday I was having some strange mood swings and occasional cravings for alcohol, which frustrated me because prior to that I hadn't been experiencing hardly any cravings. I've also been getting anxious about a job interview that I have tomorrow morning. I've been noticing that in stressful situations I think baclofen actually makes me more anxious, not less like some people have experienced. However that feeling usually subsides after about 20 minutes. Overall I'd still take any of this over intolerable alcohol cravings and that lurking sensation of feeling "trapped" into sobriety. I started my intensive outpatient program yesterday, and I'm looking forward to continuing to attend those groups as well as beginning individual therapy sessions. Baclofen is doing about as much as a pill can do so far, but I still need to address underlying issues in order to have meaningful, lasting sobriety. Or is that the AA talking? Occasionally I'll notice myself drifting into feelings of regret about foolish past behaviors while drunk. I've done some incredibly ridiculous things while intoxicated, but it really serves no purpose to dwell on any of it. Anyways, I'm 38 days sober and feeling great! The only thing on my mind is this stupid interview tomorrow, and for some reason I just can't help but thinking I'm going to fail miserably. All I can do is show up and be myself and hope for the best. I'm sorry for these boring, monotonous blog entries, I'll try to spice things up as I get used to this whole process.
And just to repeat for anyone who is curious about my dosing schedule:
1st dose: 7 - 8:30 a.m. (depending on when I wake up)
2nd dose: 1 - 1:30 p.m.
3rd dose: 6 - 6:30 p.m.
4th dose: 10 - 11:30 p.m. (depending on when I go to sleep)
This schedule is working great for me so far, and when I increase I take the larger dose in the morning and in the evening because the afternoons are the only times I occasionally experience tiredness from baclofen. I'll post again soon!
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; decreased alcohol cravings.
Tomorrow I will be increasing my dose to 50 mg, and I've decided to go up every three days due to the fact that I haven't had any limiting side effects. Yesterday I was having some strange mood swings and occasional cravings for alcohol, which frustrated me because prior to that I hadn't been experiencing hardly any cravings. I've also been getting anxious about a job interview that I have tomorrow morning. I've been noticing that in stressful situations I think baclofen actually makes me more anxious, not less like some people have experienced. However that feeling usually subsides after about 20 minutes. Overall I'd still take any of this over intolerable alcohol cravings and that lurking sensation of feeling "trapped" into sobriety. I started my intensive outpatient program yesterday, and I'm looking forward to continuing to attend those groups as well as beginning individual therapy sessions. Baclofen is doing about as much as a pill can do so far, but I still need to address underlying issues in order to have meaningful, lasting sobriety. Or is that the AA talking? Occasionally I'll notice myself drifting into feelings of regret about foolish past behaviors while drunk. I've done some incredibly ridiculous things while intoxicated, but it really serves no purpose to dwell on any of it. Anyways, I'm 38 days sober and feeling great! The only thing on my mind is this stupid interview tomorrow, and for some reason I just can't help but thinking I'm going to fail miserably. All I can do is show up and be myself and hope for the best. I'm sorry for these boring, monotonous blog entries, I'll try to spice things up as I get used to this whole process.
And just to repeat for anyone who is curious about my dosing schedule:
1st dose: 7 - 8:30 a.m. (depending on when I wake up)
2nd dose: 1 - 1:30 p.m.
3rd dose: 6 - 6:30 p.m.
4th dose: 10 - 11:30 p.m. (depending on when I go to sleep)
This schedule is working great for me so far, and when I increase I take the larger dose in the morning and in the evening because the afternoons are the only times I occasionally experience tiredness from baclofen. I'll post again soon!
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Day Eight
DOSE: 40 mg Baclofen (10/10/10/10).
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; decreased alcohol cravings.
Another positive day today. I have been increasing the dosage slightly more quickly than I had originally planned, but as of yet I haven't noticed any tough negative side effects. The somnolence has completely gone away, and I've only noticed occasional mood swings and some infrequent headaches. It's well worth it because even at such a relatively low dose, I am not having many alcohol cravings. I really do need to get involved in some volunteer work or something, because I need to fill my days a bit more. Tomorrow I'll be starting my outpatient program, and I'm hoping to make some sober friends through those meetings. I still haven't attended an AA meeting, but it hasn't been an issue yet. I've just been to so many meetings, for so long now, that I am almost repulsed by the idea of returning. Realistically, though, shame and embarrassment is definitely playing a role in my reluctance to return. Ultimately, I just need to join in on some sober leisure activities like sports teams or hiking, etc. The 40 mg dose will have to carry out for at least four days, because I need to have enough to last until my next refill. Oh, one other thing I've noticed in terms of side effects is that I've been finding myself waking up with a slight headache around 7 a.m. and finding it difficult to fall back asleep. I usually take my last dose around 10:30 p.m., so perhaps my body is reacting to the fact that it doesn't have any baclofen coursing through its system. However the positive effects far outweigh any negative consequences to this point, and I'm very pleased with the results. In terms of past anti-craving medications, I've taken Wellbutrin, Campral, Naltrexone and Antabuse, none of which had any real noticeable impact. Wellbutrin helped some, at least with my depression, but other than that not really.
All in all, I'm really optimistic about baclofen. I'm a little nervous that I may be developing a tolerance too quickly, and that the generic form of the drug may be less powerful than the brand name version. However, I think I'm just reading too much into little details. I'm still happily sober, and that's all that matters! Goodnight.
OTHER MEDICATION(S): Multivitamin (1 tablet). Omega 3 Fish Oil (1 capsule).
SIDE EFFECTS: Slight mood changes; decreased alcohol cravings.
Another positive day today. I have been increasing the dosage slightly more quickly than I had originally planned, but as of yet I haven't noticed any tough negative side effects. The somnolence has completely gone away, and I've only noticed occasional mood swings and some infrequent headaches. It's well worth it because even at such a relatively low dose, I am not having many alcohol cravings. I really do need to get involved in some volunteer work or something, because I need to fill my days a bit more. Tomorrow I'll be starting my outpatient program, and I'm hoping to make some sober friends through those meetings. I still haven't attended an AA meeting, but it hasn't been an issue yet. I've just been to so many meetings, for so long now, that I am almost repulsed by the idea of returning. Realistically, though, shame and embarrassment is definitely playing a role in my reluctance to return. Ultimately, I just need to join in on some sober leisure activities like sports teams or hiking, etc. The 40 mg dose will have to carry out for at least four days, because I need to have enough to last until my next refill. Oh, one other thing I've noticed in terms of side effects is that I've been finding myself waking up with a slight headache around 7 a.m. and finding it difficult to fall back asleep. I usually take my last dose around 10:30 p.m., so perhaps my body is reacting to the fact that it doesn't have any baclofen coursing through its system. However the positive effects far outweigh any negative consequences to this point, and I'm very pleased with the results. In terms of past anti-craving medications, I've taken Wellbutrin, Campral, Naltrexone and Antabuse, none of which had any real noticeable impact. Wellbutrin helped some, at least with my depression, but other than that not really.
All in all, I'm really optimistic about baclofen. I'm a little nervous that I may be developing a tolerance too quickly, and that the generic form of the drug may be less powerful than the brand name version. However, I think I'm just reading too much into little details. I'm still happily sober, and that's all that matters! Goodnight.
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