Dr. Eskapa & Benzo's

LaBear · **Joined:** Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:09 am **Posts:** 437

Well, from what Dr. Eskapa has said on this matter I am greatly concerned now that tsm will not work for me unless I get off of the small amount of benz's that I take daily. I don't know what to do. I have anxiety disorder and am most likely addicted to the small amount that I take. I would also have very severe anxiety and panic if I did not take the meds. as I have given that a valliant try
and my life was not a quality life. I wish he could have said that it would work but those were not his words. Very discouraged to say the very least. I have not found a difference since I have started this method in any way shape or form. Very sad! No sense in posting a question again, I am not sure we will get a direct answer which upsets me greatly. I did not want to write on his post for fear others might just miss what he wrote. Please others chime in on this topic if it affects you.
Thanks

Virgil · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 6:00 am

LaBear wrote:

Please others chime in on this topic if it affects you.

LaBear,

I feel for you. As I have just stated in 'Virgil's Progress', I am in the process of slowly withdrawing from clonazepam and I sincerely hope that it goes to plan. But I won't know until I get there. It's a pain in the proverbial. I started taking clonazepam because of my anxiety disorder. Now, I find that it might be interfering with TSM - a bitter pill to swallow (pun intended).

V.

Goin4More · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 7:32 am

I think Dr. Eskapa is not able to answer you definititively, as everyone responds differently to medication(s). What may simply be a hindrance for one person, may be a deal breaker for another - and how can you determine which is the case for you, unless you stick with the process?

I know that some people are having great success at using moderate doses of baclofen for their anxiety disorder. Not only does this not interfere with naltrexone/TSM, but this medication, taken in much larger doses, has been known to eliminate cravings by itself. If you're concerned about the benzos, why not work with your doctor to try switching over to baclofen? It's been proven safe and effective for many, many years. (It's also a cheap generic drug, which is probably one reason why it isn't prescribed often!)

LaBear · **Joined:** Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:09 am **Posts:** 437

Going4More, I doubt that my doctor will know how to change over from Klonipin to the Baclofin and at what dosage. I am terrified of getting caught in the middle of that without anything for the anxiety! Once I go off of the Klonipin I doubt I will get another script and I would never want to go back to the life I was living with severe anxiety either. If you have any ideas on dosages or tapering let me know. The therapist who originally perscribed the Klonipin was a master at medications, most doctors are not. I am thinking of doing a taper myself on the Klonipin and trying to reduce from the .50mg. I take daily to .25mg. and see how that works for a week or two and then quit if I can. If you have any advice it would be appreciated.
Thanks

P.S. really feeling quite depressed over all of this. This is my second AF day and wondering if that might just be part of it too!

Goin4More · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 9:45 am

Two AF's in a row? Great news! I'm going for one today. . .and hoping I can string two together. Jake golfs tonight and tomorrow, so it will be easy to veg out here at home with a good book or movie.

This from Wikipedia:

Baclofen therapy is usually started with an initial low dose of about 10 mg daily in divided doses and gradually titrated up in a stepwise fashion until symptomatic relief occurs. The usual maximum dose is 80 mg per day.[12]

I believe ART began her baclofen regime at 5 mg., 3Xdaily. I would be very interested to see how folks on here now doing benzos would do if they switched over. I have a gut feeling they will enjoy some fast results, based on Dr. Ameisen's experience with baclofen alone. I don't know where ashl is, but several weeks ago he (she?) reported a dramatic reduction in alcohol intake immediately after starting baclofen. Clinical trials are now ongoing.

Good luck, and please do keep us posted. Can you by any chance confer with the doctor who was so good at adjusting medications? Professional guidance would be invaluable, and I know some doctors just have a 'touch' for this sort of thing.

LaBear · **Joined:** Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:09 am **Posts:** 437

Hey thanks for this info. As you know I have been very stubborn about this out of fear. I have been so played with by the medical profession that I am lucky to be alive. I am ready to bite the bullet on this one. I will try the taper first because we are going on vacation shortly and I don't want to get into some type of emergency situation while gone. It does sound good. I will have to make an appointment with my primary for this one. As far as the therapist goes unfortunately as good as he was with med management he ended up loosing his license for other reasons. I miss him dearly and actually started drinking heavily when I stopped seeing him weekly, hum!!!???? I was his patient for 10 years and the man saved my life in many ways, really too bad he is unreachable now.

Goin4More · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 10:38 am

LaBear wrote:

Hey thanks for this info. As you know I have been very stubborn about this out of fear. I have been so played with by the medical profession that I am lucky to be alive. I am ready to bite the bullet on this one. I will try the taper first because we are going on vacation shortly and I don't want to get into some type of emergency situation while gone. It does sound good. I will have to make an appointment with my primary for this one. As far as the therapist goes unfortunately as good as he was with med management he ended up loosing his license for other reasons. I miss him dearly and actually started drinking heavily when I stopped seeing him weekly, hum!!!???? I was his patient for 10 years and the man saved my life in many ways, really too bad he is unreachable now.

Is this therapist really unreachable? If you can contact him, perhaps he would be willing to offer unofficial advice, 'as a friend.' :?:

AsRealityTurns · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 11:02 am

Hi all, Yes I did start with 5mgs 3 x a day. I then experimented with increases of doses, taking 10 mgs 2x a day.

I now have switched to 20mgs and I take it at night before bedtime. Not every night but if I do not take it, I do not sleep well, as I usually do not sleep well after falling asleep and awakening after 3 to 4 hours. So I am liking the Baclofen but not the side effects of daily use (as it makes me tired the next day).

I have been for years now using zanax as a sleep aid in very small doses. If I awoke in the middle of the night I would try everything else I had, hot milk, melatonin, calms (for sleep and nerves)

If I had no success I would take 1/2 of a .25mg tab of zanax and usually this would help me to sleep. If this did not work or I was extremely stressed out I would take the full.25mg tab. This would be 3 to 4 days a week, one dose or the other.

I now am trying to reduce, eliminate, the zanax. In the last week I have only taken 1 .25mg tab one night only, and this was because I was experiencing extreme anxiety about major life changes and situations in my emotional life.

I have upped my dose of baclofen to 20mgs (1 tab) prior to bed and I am finding I have very good sleeps, with dreams. This is very good for me. But I find the baclofen makes me sluggish physically and I am tired in the morning, but this maybe to my depression which is astute at this present time.

The good news is I am drastically reducing my reliance on the zanax. I hope the baclofen will still allow the extinction process to work with the naltrexone. I too am confused with Dr. Escapa's notes regarding baclofen. I am going on the premise he feels I can still have success although he does not seem to promote the use of baclofen in conjunction with the nal.

I was doing well at reducing the intake of wine, but recently was in the throws of another bad week and weekend so my use of AL did not decrease as much as I had hoped and now because of the continued high use, I am tired, depressed and have low energy both physically and mentally.

I still however, do not experience drunken times, and I still stop drinking around dinner time. That's progress for me as in the past I would continue to drink until bedtime and pass out. Now I have at least a few hours of no AL intake.

I hope this is helpful info. G4M the use of kava from your source sounds intriguing, thanks for sharing that again.

Goin4More · **Posted:** Wed May 27, 2009 11:11 am

Thanx, ART. I believe Dr. Ameisen found that the sleepiness decreased significantly after a couple weeks of a particular dosage schedule (he did his 3X daily). I'm sorry to hear about the life changes/depression issues - I can SO identify. But I'm not only seeing the light at the end of the tunnel now, I'm experiencing standing in broad daylight. You'll get there, GF! And tho it may be hard to believe now, things will ultimately be better than ever!

LaBear · **Joined:** Wed Apr 08, 2009 8:09 am **Posts:** 437

Re: therapist, no he has moved out of state and is in a great deal of trouble. I know that he can't afford to do anything at the moment. After reading WTE I am again confused as to what to do xanax/balclofen/alcohol, sounds like I am getting into very muddy waters. Thank God my sleeping is
better on the Naltrexone even with the horrible nightmares. I am going to try the taper.

Dr. Eskapa & Benzo's

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