The great baclofen debate

[truenamebrand]

So anyway, the first time I'd heard of baclofen was when I was trying to shake my phenibut habit. Didn't read a whole lot about it, and my doctor prescribed gabapentin to help me get off the phenibut instead of baclofen. Didn't give it much thought thereafter.

Anyhow, I was in a minor car accident a few days ago and the ER doctor tried to give me robaxin. I've had this before and it was absolutely worthless for its intended purpose. So I suggested baclofen instead and she agreed. Now after much reading I've observed people's opinions on it vary from one extreme to the other. Some absolutely love it, even going as far as to say it's euphoric. Others claim it's garbage.

Upon filling my script I took 40mg. About 4-5 hours earlier I'd taken 4mg of clonazepam, and about 2 hours prior about 10 grams of kratom. Within 30 minutes I could barely speak; my body was totally relaxed and all I wanna do is sit down. I don't feel euphoric by any means, but definitely extreme relaxation and almost a "dumb" feeling.

Now I realize the combo is the major factor here, especially the benzo. But with all the conflicting information and opinions, and the results I experienced from the combo spread hours apart, what do you guys think I should expect from taking, say, 20mg baclofen alone tomorrow? Would 20mg even do anything? Would 40mg be better?

What are your guys' opinions on the recreational value? And are there any other good combinations? The ER I went to is part of the same healthcare system as my GP and I can easily get more if I want.

All experiences and advice appreciated.

 

[aspiringchemist]

I recently started baclofen 10mg qid. I was on robaxin (methocarbamol) 750mg tid for about a year.

I've found baclofen to work much better for it's intended purpose.
I too take a benzodiazepine daily, along with high dose kratom for pain because I cannot find a pain doctor that will work with me for various reasons.

I'm sure you know it's a gaba b agonist with a fairly high affinity. I like it better than phenibut. Phenibut leaves me feeling kinda achy and really just sedated feeling. I don't find it euphoric.

The most baofen I've taken is 20mg at once, but always in combo with diazepam, kratom, and sometimes phenibut or gabapentin.

anecdote, but I like it. does leave me with a headache sometimes.

 

[truenamebrand]

I recently started baclofen 10mg qid. I was on robaxin (methocarbamol) 750mg tid for about a year.

I've found baclofen to work much better for it's intended purpose.
I too take a benzodiazepine daily, along with high dose kratom for pain because I cannot find a pain doctor that will work with me for various reasons.

I'm sure you know it's a gaba b agonist with a fairly high affinity. I like it better than phenibut. Phenibut leaves me feeling kinda achy and really just sedated feeling. I don't find it euphoric.

The most baofen I've taken is 20mg at once, but always in combo with diazepam, kratom, and sometimes phenibut or gabapentin.

anecdote, but I like it. does leave me with a headache sometimes.

Well this morning was rough. My alarm is set for 5:15, and at 5:35 my gf was like "what are you doing? Get up!" I told her my alarm didn't even go off, though obviously it did and I didn't remember turning it off. I felt almost drunk and struggled to even keep my arm raised to shave my head, as I normally do in the morning.

After about an hour I started to feel normal again, then promptly took 10mg more along with 1mg clonazepam. Lol. I feel a little dizzy; about to take my morning kratom dose so we'll see how that affects things. I think any benefit from baclofen is to be had as lower doses. The GABA a and GABA b tag team basically made me a vegetable.

 

[Keif' Richards]

To call this a great debate is an insult to some of histor's truly great debates my friend. Is America's imperial will coming from an essentially altruistic disposition? Do women deserve the right to terminate pregnancy at will? Is Coke superior to Pepsi?

I will say this regarding Baclofen. Coming from the perspective of an individual who really does enjoy Gabapentinoids (Pregabalin, Gabapentin, Phenibut), I always found Baclofen to be utter garbage. The most it ever did for me was make me severely intoxicated without any of the accompanying euphoria that you might desire. Pretty much along the lines of what you are describing, I just got a very "fucked up" effect from Baclofen. I was prescribed them once and didn't finish the bottle and never desired to repeat the experience.

 

[aspiringchemist]

^^That is interesting. I find phenibut to get me "fucked up" and baclofen the enjoyable one. Though I have gone above 2 grams with phenibut and only 20mg baclofen.

 

[truenamebrand]

To call this a great debate is an insult to some of histor's truly great debates my friend. Is America's imperial will coming from an essentially altruistic disposition? Do women deserve the right to terminate pregnancy at will? Is Coke superior to Pepsi?

LOL. Well played, sir

I find phenibut to get me "fucked up" and baclofen the enjoyable one. Though I have gone above 2 grams with phenibut and only 20mg baclofen.

Phenibut never got me fucked up unless I took in excess of 5+ grams, or continued dosing throughout the day. It was actually the opposite; phenibut gave me a cognitive enhancement similar to prescription amphetamines.

 

[Keif' Richards]

^I feel you. It's by no means a rule, what I said. It just seems to be a general concensus among users. Your comment regarding Phenibut, I'll end up taking several grams of Gabapentin, staggered throughout the day even without tolerance. The drug doesn't really effect me in a meaningful way at "therapeutic levels".

 

[DementiaSavantPlus]

Baclofen seems like a less complex version of gabapentin or phenibut in its effects range. Gabapentin was psychedeilic and better-than-MDMA the first time I took it (I have read that a small % of people experience this). With baclofen, I only felt the threshold of this effect without the full spectrum. Phenibut is lesser than gabapentin in that eventually it makes one simply feel ill with continued use, at the addiction entry-point I suppose. I never got this dirty feeling with gabapentin, although its withdrawal is intense.

 

[opiatekrzy]

Lol to me, gabapentin and MDMA is like apples to oranges. A friend had once told me years ago that he dosed a bunch of.phenibut, and described the effects siniliar to MDMA. If this makes any sense, gabapentin is one of them drugs that are enjoyable even though they are not euphoric .i always make sure I have a bottle id neurontin sitting in the medicine cabinet, it's good for potentiating, come downs, anxiety, etc. Can someone clear up a myth or rumor for me? I want to see my family doctor last week for my refills on my medications and as she was writing my scripts she had told me that they had just added Gabapentin as a drug of abuse and is now on drug tests? (I understand lyrica and neurontin are like cousin drugs and that lyr. Is controlled ) but neurontin? ?

 

[truenamebrand]

Can someone clear up a myth or rumor for me? I want to see my family doctor last week for my refills on my medications and as she was writing my scripts she had told me that they had just added Gabapentin as a drug of abuse and is now on drug tests? (I understand lyrica and neurontin are like cousin drugs and that lyr. Is controlled ) but neurontin?

My brother's ex-wife works in the pharmaceutical industry and still works one day a week at a pharmacy. She told me recently that at her pharmacy they now treat gabapentin and cyclobenzaprine as schedule IV because abuse of both is widespread now. No refills more than 2 days early, and everything else that goes along with CIV drugs.

 

[DementiaSavantPlus]

Yes, gabapentin had that effect on me. It was only slightly similar to MDMA, and a better, more enjoyable experience: a euphoric 180 degree turn from my "sober" state. It is well-known to have this effect on a small precentage of people who take it. This is undeniably due to the differences in the body chemistry of individuals.

And yes, I can confirm that gabapentin is not likely on most drug screens now, but it is going to be (a probation officer told me). It has been working its way up the ladder towards the scheduled drugs for a while now. Perhaps it has taken time to achieve such status because its abuse has not been widespread enough. It is seductive and abuse-conducive to only a select population. This slowed down the full fruition of awareness of the authorities.

In the past, when I was still involved, gabapentin and pregabalin were consistently sold very cheaply alongside your common street-available pharmaceutical favorites such as oxycodone or the benzo class.

 

[DementiaSavantPlus]

truenamebrand, I have experienced these new policies firsthand at my local pharmacies.

 

[truenamebrand]

truenamebrand, I have experienced these new policies firsthand at my local pharmacies.

I find it outrageous, personally. Not just because both gabapentin and cyclobenzaprine give me no desirable effects whatsoever, but because unless the pharmacist has the DEA breathing down their neck, it's not their job to police a person's prescription drug use. And with those particular drugs, which are NOT included in the controlled substances act, the pharmacies are just overstepping their boundaries.

In fact, schedule IV substances don't even have laws regulating early refills, it just so happens most pharmacies won't fill them more than 2 days early. My doctor has called in benzo refills for me as much as ten days early, and the pharmacy obviously refused to fill it. If it's not against the law, and my doctor is fine with it, mind your business and fill my prescription.

I'm constantly given attitude when I get my clonazepam filled, even if it's ONE day early, which really pisses me off. What if a person is physically dependent on benzodiazepines and can't get it refilled because it's *GASP* three days early? Are these pharmacists that ignorant that they're willing to send someone into potentially deadly withdrawals?

I actually switched my pharmacy to avoid the attitude I get every time I get my clonazepam filled, and even this new one tried to tell me he "had to call my doctor to authorize it," even thought there were two refills on it. I said knock yourself out, because I knew that was straight bullshit. He immediately said, "give us 15 minutes and it'll be ready." That's what I thought, dickhead.

Anyway, sorry for the rant...

 

[aspiringchemist]

ya my pharmacy started putting red "sealed" tape on all controlled Rx meds

I had a PA argue with me the other day that gabapentin did not have abuse potential or the ability to induce withdrawal.