Baclofen questions ?? - Got a script from my doctor today but not sure about it.

[[Le...]]

Hello Buddies! I hope everyone had a great holiday! Can anyone share their stories or experiences with Baclofen?

 

I had my regular Dr. appointment today and figured I'd mention the problems I am having with my feet and ankles (throbbing pain, painful toe twitches, muscles lock up in my ankles/toes making it difficult to walk) because it is getting so bad that I'm staying in bed more often and have difficulty sleeping through the pain. I stretch, bend and move my ankles and feet every day but they just go right back to stiffening up. He suggested Baclofen and I would love to hear if anyone has tried this with success during taper or if anyone has tried it and had a bad experience or tough time stopping after their benzo taper was finished?

 

A little information about my situation... my doctor doesn't know I've been tapering Ativan for the past year as I was sure he would not understand and possibly cut off my prescription. When he asked me today what might have changed in the past few months, I told him that I'm cutting back on the Ativan, could that be causing symptoms? (It is). His response was, "Oh that wouldn't do anything to cause this." He then said he could give me Valium (LOL) to help relax my feet, Gabapentin, Zanaflex, or Baclofen. I do not want to take anything that will require another long and painful taper, I obviously do not want another benzo and I have read Zanaflex can cause liver problems. He told me that Baclofen is not addictive and can be used on an as needed basis to calm my muscles when they are extremely bothersome and jerking. The dose is 10mg every 8 hours, as needed. I researched as much as I could when I got home and found a lot of mixed information. I'm don't want to add another medication to my brain but some days the pain is very hard to bear and not beng able to walk very well is brutal for me emotionally and physically. So, to any fellow buddies that have used this here are my questions:

 

Did Baclofen help you with coming off benzos or did it make it worse?

Is it possible to take this on an as needed basis to help with my symptoms during my taper?

Can I cut the pills in half and just try 5mg? (many sites say to start slowly)

How long did it take you to cut out Baclofen and was there a bad withdrawal?

Anything else you want to share about this medication? Please do!

 

I'm down to a low dose of Ativan (.3875) per day and pretty feel like there will be no healing until I jump. I'm functional but seems like I get a little worse with every small cut. I was hoping to find something that could help my muscles through the last few months but I also don't want to mess up everything I've accomplished in the past year. Thanks for the input! I'll be more than happy to answer any questions.

 

-Lemonpez

[[no...]]

It's pretty safe and that's a fairly low dose, baclofen saved my life (from protracted w/d), I take 90-100mg+ for anxiety and panic and haven't experienced any side effects.