Ok well let me give you the basics so you can help your friend out. Just to give you some background, at the end of my opiate use, I was smoking the gel from one 100mcg fentanyl patch per day (then chewing the plastic to squeeze whatever bit of that foul drug out that I possibly could). I say this just to emphasize that my tolerance was considerably high. I had been trying to quit for at least 5 years. I had made it through the acute withdrawals numerous times but always went back. I was at the point now where the withdrawal was so bad, I just could not deal with it. I'd make it maybe 24 before i broke down and scored some fent. It was a shitty cycle that I desperately needed to get out of.
So, I happened to read several peoples experiences using baclofen (a muscle relaxer that unlike others, acts on GABA receptors) to not only help with withdrawal, but also with cravings. A friend of mine has a script so I figured id give it a shot. I got a bottle of about 60 baclofen pill (20mgs). I had a few percs left over and I took them with my first dose of baclofen (1 20mg pill). I took the percs as I was already feeling some fierce withdrawal and I wanted to just get rid of any opiates I had available to me. Anyway with my habit, those percs would have barely made me feel normal for a couple hours but as time went on, my withdrawal didn't return. I took a total of 3 20mg baclofen the first day and just waited for the withdrawal that never came. Over the next 4 days I took a total of 4 20mg baclofen each day. And I swear I am not bullshitting you when I say it took away AT LEAST 95% OF MY WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS!! And I'm talking the worst symptoms - RLS, Insomnia, restlessness, depression, lethargy etc. I'm telling you on my second day in "withdrawal" I worked a 9 hour day and spent 3 hours in class and opiates or the pain of withdrawal didn't cross my mind even once!
Anyway, its been two weeks now and I've been off of the baclofen for 7 days now. Baclofen has been a godsend and has truly saved my life! I have kept some baclofen on hand and I've noticed when I'm really craving that opiate high, just one baclofen takes away my desire to seeks out painkillers.
I should also mention that the baclofen has not given me any type of high whatsoever. Its just calms my mind and gives me this odd mental clarity that I haven't experienced since before I started ruining my life with fentanyl.
I urge anyone who is trying to get off opiates to give baclofen a try. Please report back and let me know if you've had success with it as well.
P.S. I'm typing this on my phone and I just worked a 13 hour day so I apologize for any spelling/grammar/stream of consciousness errors.
