Baclofen

[[St...]]

Im desparate. Having muscle issues from benzo.,want to try baclofen 5mg or less. Can i do it? 

[[Fa...]]

Hi, @[St...],

Baclofen may help your muscle issues temporarily.  If you do take it, I would not recommend taking it very often or for very long. 

My experience is that I was prescribed baclofen for muscle issues and it worked immediately.  It then stopped working.  I now know that is because I reached tolerance fairly quickly and am now physically dependent on the medication as well.  As a result, I plan to taper off the medication at some point down the road.

[[Ca...]]

11 hours ago, [[S...] said:

Im desparate. Having muscle issues from benzo.,want to try baclofen 5mg or less. Can i do it? 

5mg ain't much. But Baclofen is a weird drug. Gotta really watch it, if you're taking too much. I was taking it for sleep. But seems I took a bit too much and I lost track of what I was doing, next thing I find myself sweating and trembling, handcuffed and can't answer reality check questions, got taken to the MH facility, think it was for 4 days. Anyway, I don't take it or Seroquel anymore. Off the pain meds too. This month comes 7 yrs off K. But it's still so hard to deal with.

[[Ma...]]

On 7/31/2023 at 9:48 PM, [[F...] said:

Hi, @[St...],

Baclofen may help your muscle issues temporarily.  If you do take it, I would not recommend taking it very often or for very long. 

My experience is that I was prescribed baclofen for muscle issues and it worked immediately.  It then stopped working.  I now know that is because I reached tolerance fairly quickly and am now physically dependent on the medication as well.  As a result, I plan to taper off the medication at some point down the road.

My muscle issues are severe severe. I also consider baclofen 

may I ask what dose u ended up with?

a friend of mine uses baclofen 475 mg for dystonia 

my muscle issues keep me bedridden almost. 
Did it have any mental side effect . ? 
thank you in advance 

[[Fa...]]

Hi, @[Ma...],

I’m sorry you too struggle with muscle issues.  My doctor tried tizanidine with no success, then hit me with 20mg baclofen 3x per day (60mg total) out of desperation I guess (most people are prescribed 5mg doses and titrated up from there).  He did not know what he was doing, and I took the first 20mg tablet and it about knocked me out.  I then did work my way up to 60mg per day within a week or 2.  It worked for a bit, then stopped working.  
 

475mg is a whole lot.  I’d say you can keep going up and up and get tolerant each time (just like most RX’s).  I’d be careful with it and only take it very occasionally if you take it at all. 

[[Je...]]

I would stay clear of it.  I’m on it right now as I took it because my benzo WD were so bad and now I’m tapering off Baclofen and stopped my Valium taper.  
 

the WD from baclofen are almost worse than benzos.  And I was only on it a month.  

[[Zi...]]

I was prescribed Baclofen and Clonazepam 27 years ago for my cervical dystonia. The doctor said it would help with my muscle spasms and pain from the dystonia. I was taking clonazepam 0.5mg three times per day and Baclofen 20mg three times per day for the last 26 years! 
I finally had enough with the brain fog, memory loss and other issues I decided to try and taper of the clonazepam starting in January of this year. I had no idea what plan to use but I found the Ashton manual and decided to go with it.

My family doctor said she can help with my taper plan. She was worried about me being on two different benzos at once so her idea was to switch me directly to diazepam. I started my taper at 10mg diazepam three times a day. (30mg/day) 
Anyway I am 8 months in the taper and now hitting a wall. I have to hold my taper. Too many symptoms hitting me all at once. 

Back to the Baclofen. I am still taking 20mg three times per day and I think I will try and get off it eventually after I can successfully get off the diazepam. 

I wish I knew 26 years ago how bad all these drugs are for us!! I might have been way better treating my dystonia in other ways and I might have better mobility! I feel like I am 100 years old and I am only 47!! It gets very depressing at times.