Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Seven Months on Baclofen

DOSE: Baclofen 45 mg (10/10/10/15); Bupropion 300 mg (150/150).

Wow, I had completely forgotten about this blog! Guess I should give an update so anyone who reads this knows I'm alive and well. I have been sober for eight months, and taking baclofen for seven of those eight months. I have tapered my dose down to 45 mg per day, and I experience practically no side effects. Since I had grown accustomed to high doses of baclofen, it is still occasionally difficult to fall asleep at night. I tapered my dose down pretty slowly, and stayed at 50mg until my semester ended. Baclofen has been amazing for maintaining abstinence. My life has completely changed. I was taking 19 units at my university, and working full-time, and I received As in all of my classes. I have already been offered full-time employment at two different companies, and things are just going great. I don't attend Alcoholic's Anonymous or any other support group. I do see a therapist once every two or three weeks, and that has helped me quite a bit. My mind is clear, and I'm really glad I lowered my dose to a manageable level because it would have been pretty rough to get off of it had my body grown accustomed to extremely high doses. I do have "cravings" every now and then, but that's life I guess. They are by no means overwhelming, and I can quickly brush them off and get on with my day. I also quit smoking cigarettes. It's been over four months since I've smoked, and I'm extremely grateful for that.

I know that many people are attempting to use baclofen to try and drink normally. Trust me, I get it. Initially, that was my plan as well. But alcohol has caused so much damage and pain in my life that I have just accepted the fact that I can't drink it. The very fact that I want to drink something that has ruined my life tells me that my brain responds differently than others to alcohol. I have heard a couple amazing stories about high dose baclofen completely changing a person's life and allowing that person to "drink normally." But for every one of those stories, there are 10 stories of people who have had a nightmarish ride with baclofen, and they continue to drink alcoholically. Baclofen has truly changed my life, and allowed me to maintain my sobriety my own way. I finally have the ability to choose my own path instead of being force-fed something I don't believe in. I am not saying alcoholics should avoid baclofen, but I do think we should be safe about what we put into our bodies. Buying baclofen on the internet and taking 300mg every day is not a safe solution, no matter what one reads on an online study. I will try to keep people updated. I hope that everyone finds a way out of the alcoholic pit, because it's truly a horrible way to live. I hope that I can continue on the way I have been, but I never assume I am "cured."