Misc (Baclofen) for Anxiety?

[Mighty-oak]

I have been prescribed Baclofen for anxiety, collected my script this evening.

Its being prescribed along with Diazepam and Citalopram which I have been on both for 18 years.

Has anyone got any experiences with Baclofen, does it help with anxiety/agoraphobia?

 

[Jabberwocky]

Definitely it can help. Be careful combining it with benzos though.

What dose of baclofen are you prescribed?

Baclofen can take a little while to come on, so try and wait for at least 90 minutes before redosing. Its effects are similar to gabapentin (without a tolerance), so if you're familiar with that you will have an idea what its like.

I find baclofen works pretty well for agoraphobia and anxiety. It also helps with cravings (for whatever, drugs, food, etc).

Avoid combining alcohol with baclofen (especially alcohol with baclofen and diazepam!). Blackout/non-responsive city... 8)

 

[Mighty-oak]

Thanks toothpastedog.

He has prescribed me 10mg tabs. I am to take 1 tablet in the morning, 1 tab at lunch and 1 tab evening.

I am on 10mg Diazepam daily, take it when I wake up and 40mg Citalopram daily, I take this at lunch time.

May sound strange but I always worry about taking a new medicine just incase it makes my anxiety even worse. So this med will make me feel calm? I am also on a micro amount of klonopin, hopefully it may ease the last step to me coming off Klonopin.

I dont take any other drugs and dont drink, not had any alcohol since 2010. I was never a heavy drinker, maybe a few beers a month but my Dr told me not to drink on Klonopin so I didn't touch any alcohol when prescribed Klon in 2010.

 

[Jabberwocky]

The baclofen should help a little getting off clonazepam, but I’d imagine increasing you diazepam dose a tidbit would be more effective.

Anyways, yes, baclofen is more likely to relax you than anything else (like benzos it is also gabaergic). With the dose you’ll be on you will barely notice anything at al though. I had to take more like 30mg at once to feel much.

 

[Trogdor85]

I took high dose baclofen for a few years to help with alcohol cravings. I was taking 80mg twice a day...there was a period when I first started taking baclofen in high doses that I was extremely euphoric for about 3 weeks but it eventually subsided (unfortunately). I found that it did help with physical anxiety in my body- it helped take the edge off,but didn't help me a whole lot with my social anxiety issues.

 

[aihfl]

I was scripted 80mg as well. It was supposed to be a miracle cure for alcoholism. An alcoholic French physician experimented on himself. He took an insane amount of it daily - well over 200mg and he said it cured his alcoholism. Personally I found it pretty ineffective at 80mg (I still drank on it) the dizziness and disorientation were some of the most unpleasant sensations I've felt. At least with a benzo you just black out. With baclofen you're not blacked out but you sure wish you were. I quit taking it when the copay went up to $30. Me personally, I don't understand the fascination around here with this drug. It not for anxiety.

 

[andyturbo]

It didnt do much for me, you wont have any problems. Most likely you will either not notice anything or on the good side notice a slight improvement.

 

[Runningfox]

Is Baclofen the same stuff they used to call ant-abuse? And gave to drinkers to curb cravings/ supposedly induce vomiting upon drinking?

 

[andyturbo]

I know its prescribed for alch withdraw.. i think its to stop seizures and help withdraw. I honestly am not sure about the vomit part

 

[aihfl]

The chemical name for Antabuse is disulfiram. It's something completely different and is considered an outdated therapy. Baclofen is not suited for treating alcohol withdrawal since it doesn't do anything about the danger of seizures. Really the only suitable drugs to treat withdrawal are benzodiazepines. Usually in detox they give you Zofran for nausea/vomiting.

 

[flyer1210mk2]

I used it for alcohol abuse a few years back. It’s big in France. A doctor called Oliver Ameisen really got it into the headlines. Most people need a really high dose a lot more that the usually prescribed 80mg. I got up to nearly 270mg. In hindsight I went up to quick and was also drinking way to heavily. Tbh I didn’t know whether I was blew up or stuffed up. I was a fucking zombie. It can Be dangerous coming off it to fast just like any other gaba drugs.

It was touted as the drug that was gonna save all us problem drinkers at one point. I don’t really follow the news on it much anymore but not too sure how it all went. It’s off patent so no real money To be made sadly.

it really works thought there’s lots of info online.

 

[aihfl]

Yeah, I read Ameisen's book and know he got up to 270mg/day but US prescribing guidelines will not allow doctors to go above 80. However, I know people that buy the drug under the table and take 300+mg of it a day and are still drinking hoping to hit that elusive switch. I told them if it hasn't happened I don't think it's going to. I quit taking it after the cost of more than doubled. Ameisen said he felt relaxed and slept well but others who have taken it in high doses had your reaction.