After reading The End of My Addiction by Dr. Ameisen, in which he describes using high dose baclofen to treat his alcoholism by eliminating cravings and simultaneously ridding him of his life long anxiety; I'm contemplating using it as a daily anxiolytic ... but not without great apprehension!
First off, I am taking .5mg klonopin daily (many years now) which I would hope to come off using a cross taper. I was a long time GBL/GHB user, and it was my drug of choice. It has been the best drug to treat my depression and anxiety to date. Recently I tried phenibut and noted the similar feeling, although much less euphoric. I felt like complete shit after a few days of using it, and had a terrible hang over effect with severe depression. This happened twice and I dumped it in the trash. Previously I was on Nardil along with klonopin, and these two have been my regimen for anxiety/depression for several years. I couldn't handle the somnolence from the Nardil/klonopin so I dropped the Nardil a few months ago. My depression has gradually gotten worse since then and I have been on St. John's Wort for approximately one month now with minor perceived benefit, but it's just not cutting it. My depression is pretty severe, and anxiety debitating.
I'm at my whits' end and I have a bottle of baclofen on the way in the mail. I've read that it doesn't build tolerance like phenibut is notorious for, yet I fully anticipate a brutal and difficult withdrawal if I use it chronically. The Dr. and author of the book aforementioned has taken like 150mg daily for 5+ years now, with no plans of ever stopping (he's a recovering alcoholic and cardiologist- renowned one). I'm not looking for something to use PRN or a few days a week, but a permanent daily medication. There are people using it this way for alcoholism and the underlying mood disorders, but who knows what kind of trouble they are getting into long term?
Any feedback on this would be awesome. I'm honestly afraid to take it when it comes in the mail, but I feel like complete hell, and don't want to have to reinstate Nardil yet again! Also, I would love to get off this daily klonopin and read at least one advocate of using baclofen to ease klonopin withdrawal (different Gaba receptors but still). The obvious issue with using baclofen to cross taper off klonopin is the complete lack of ability to attribute any effects, good or bad, to either drug. I won't know what I'm feeling is the benzo withdrawal, and what are side effects of baclofen, etc. I'm very apprehensive, but also very desperate at this point. I'm trying to stave off a complete mental breakdown of hospitalization proportions! I just spent days sobbing uncontrollably and ruminating in self loathing after being very down and then drinking socially. Needless to say- I am hesitent to mess with my gaba-b receptors, but I respond the best to gaba-b agonsists. Thanks.
