Baclofen taper

I was put on baclofen 30mg per day about 8 months ago. What’s considered a taper schedule? All I could find was 5 mg per day at a low dose. I’m thinking 5 mg every one to two weeks

 

Anyone else tapered it already or is tapering? What plan do you have ? Thanks

Go slowly. Go every bit as slowly as benzos. Do you take it 3x/ day?  I’d start with 3/4 tab 4x a day (same mg/day) and see if you can tolerate the lower dose each time. You may have to make up a liquid to taper. My tablets are pretty small and 1/4 tab is too big a cut for me.

 

Do you get a feeling of inner vibrating when you are late on a dose? I have had that for 6 months. I also can’t sleep without it. I am down from 80 mg/day to 5-10 mg at bedtime and maybe 5 mg more mid day if the vibrating is bothering me too much.

 

I look forward to corresponding with you and supporting each other.

Thank leifleaf

I was prescribed 30mg over 6 months yesterday 3 times per day (usually did am and pm though) as would forget to take it with me.

However I’ve taken 20 most of that time, then some days 10 and some days 30.

When i jumped benzo feb 1st i took 30 for 3 weeks, i then reduced by 5mg per week over two weeks, so now taken 20 for 1.5 weeks atm, holding another week before i cut again.

Since cutting i take it at about 10am to 12 am and the second between 6 and 9pm

Oddly during those weeks since cutting Ive had vibrations when trying to sleep at night and sometimes in the day, but I thought that was benzo s and acute withdrawals as 5 weeks off now nearly 6 weeks. So being as benzo s can still fuck with me for years yet, its hard to know what is what. Though the symptoms do seem to be getting better (could also be a window )

 

Also my tablets at 10mg sizes and i have scales etc so i can dry cut. Shocking again. If i hadn’t researched !!! The mainstream sites say reduce 5mg per day lol can you believe that. My initial thoughts was 5mg every two weeks. Now i may do every 4 weeks instead

I have been researching for months, feeling like warmed-over death for 6 months dealing with poly pharmacy withdrawal. There is very little out there on baclofen withdrawal and nothing about tapering.

 

I did a taper from 80 mg/day to 40 mg/day in 2016 (probably too fast) and it was rough!! For all intents and purposes, I consider baclofen a short half life benzo. I had all the same symptoms. I toughed it out and used propranolol for the anxiety/palpitations and probably increased my other meds a bit (opiates etc). Then I tried to CT it several times starting last August, since I didn’t know any better, and I had to reinstate 3 times. The internal vibrations really bother me. Also I have CT so many meds so many times over the years, I’m sure I have some kindling too.

 

I would suggest that you dose more often. Maybe the same daily dose but take it least 3 times a day, preferably 4. Otherwise you’re in withdrawal between doses. Then taper 5% every 2 weeks. Why were you put on it? Were you tapered from your benzos too fast?

Yes and no

I tapered cut and hold so fast then I did real slow !! So slow ! But spacisity in back and psoas was why I was put on.

So for benzo WD basically one poison for another

Also looking at your signature Xanax could also cause your symptoms? You need V or K dude I wonder? As you are on 3 gaba meds

That’s crazy mate ! I was offered gabapentin and lyrica! I said no way ! Had I known baclofen was one I would have declined that also 🤦‍♂️

Yes i think so (one poison for another). And it’s short acting so that compounds the difficulty getting off. I’m having so much trouble I’m considering trying to get switched to Valium, then taper from that.

Yes do it ! I went from k to v to taper as easily to do by MT but you may actually be getting the vibration from Xanax

Being on 3 it must be hard to tell

As off 5 weeks I’m still in acute so I don’t know either lol

Yes i think so (one poison for another). And it’s short acting so that compounds the difficulty getting off. I’m having so much trouble I’m considering trying to get switched to Valium, then taper from that.

 

Edit to reply to 2nd post re: 3 gaba meds:  Yes it is crazy. I was in agony and really should have had my spine surgery years and years ago. I was too scared. They kept adding more and more gaba stuff as “safe” non-opiate pain meds (except they’re not safe and they don’t help and I took them out of desperation), but then one day woke up and couldn’t move my left arm and was having trouble walking because my spinal cord was getting crushed. At that point surgery wasn’t optional anymore.

 

The vibrating is definitely from baclofen. When I have it, baclofen relieves it but Xanax doesn’t.

Sorry to hear that man ! When I had vibration the baclofen doesn’t release it. But as I said at a cross roads of symptoms anyway which are definitely benzo. With baclofen added. Dammed either way lol

Hey man, how are you doing?

 

And btw my spine surgery was a great success. I still have a tiny bit of left arm weakness but they fixed me up.

That’s great ! Well done 👏🏻 I’m ok 🙂 had 4 good days so dropped another 2.5 today so baclofen at 17.5 for 7 days now. No idea what dose to jump at 🤣 but very hard to say if that last wave was benzo as jumped 7 weeks ago almost now or the drop of 10mg baclofen. Some people report very little from baclo other than anxiety

Time will tell ?? Do you know a baclofen jump dose target?

I would say get as low as you can. I was thinking of jumping from 2.5 mg/day. I might have to start making a liquid. I can break tabs to 2.5 mg but I end up having to dose 2-3x a day to stop the vibrating. How many times a day are you dosing?

 

I’ve never seen a benzo equivalency to baclofen. That would be useful imo.

Bloody hell I’ll speak to the doctor

 

You on benzos still ? Or off ? Can’t see now I’m replying? I dose at 12 noon and 6pm (to be honest I feel worse after dosing)

I know I have to taper off but my body doesn’t need it now perhaps never did, Fucking benzos

And agreed on some sort of chart ? Unfortunately there’s no groups for baclofen only gaba p lyrica or benzos

Baclofen there’s nothing

I’m still on benzos. I’ve been on Xanax 0.75 mg/day, got NP to change to K (totally refused to do Valium) but she reduced the dose a ton. So now I’ve got K 0.25 mg/day. I’ve got extra X if I get in bad wd.

When you say you feel worse, what is happening? Sometimes I have bad vibrating and take extra, then when it wears off I feel worse. Much worse. I’m finding I do better if I take the dose earlier (like 9p instead of 11-11:30p). Try to make sure I’m not vibrating much when I lie down, or I often have to take a second dose.

When I dropped 10mg I had vibration but that was at 3weeks off V so 🤷‍♂️

 

I mean I feel clearer and better. I believe my brain panics a little when taking it and ramps up benzo WD

 

Though I will see if the vibration comes back now I’ve dropped again.

Last night I had some back tension and minor vibration in back and hands. I managed to control it with calm breathing

I’m now beginning to think these sxs are adrenaline related. I’ve been traumatised by the benzo taper. And each time I drop I’m expecting bad things and I think I’m releasing slow adrenaline in a compromised CNS 🤔 still sucks though

So you are multi tapering? That could be your problem? I’m debating holding for a while. As literature says wait until the CNS has stabilised before doing another taper.

Why not V ? If k comes in liquid? Great if not better with V as dose size tablets are smaller dude

I've had the shaking since I tried to CT all my meds at once last August. I have only felt better the last 3 weeks or so since they changed part of my oxycodone to methadone. I still have the shaking but I don't feel generally horrible, like death warmed over anymore. So, yes, tapering multiple meds. Not by choice. My prescribers are not letting me control the rate.

 

I was trying for a crossover that seems to have turned into a forced too-rapid taper. She even talked about taking me off in just a few days with a Serax taper (which is what they use for alcoholics) but I said no to that. She stopped the Ambien too (I hadn't told her I already stopped it). I think I need a new doctor but apparently it’s difficult to find someone.

You do ! I'm being warned to hold as psych meds must be done one at a time and once stable. I started after just 3 weeks off. So I may hold we’re I’m at now for a few weeks or months as I’m doing well but stable Not enough to taper again yet, each time I drop I get adrenaline from fear and that hits my CNS that’s already compromised

 

Phone many docs ! You need one with understanding! Especially as on multi meds ! Bless you

Hello. I’d been off and on baclofen from 2015 to 2019. I was usually taking 20mgs 3x daily. 60 mgs. I  just ct it in 2019. Heard voices in my pillow for 3 days. 2 weeks ago I had 6 teeth extracted. The dentist wouldn’t give me any pain meds so I went home and suffered once all the numbness went away. I was so desperate I took 10mgs of baclofen from that day until 2 days ago. I ct again. I feel horrible, still on diazepam and scared. I have to go back and have more teeth extracted next week. I don’t know if I can do it. The last time I took Vicodin was in 2009. I really don’t like it but I think it’s safer than baclofen and gabapentin. I can only take half of a Vicodin. I wish that I wouldn’t have to take anything. But since I told the dentist about my tapering off of diazepam, she thinks I’m a drug addict. It’s funny because my stepfather takes Vicodin and Xanax 3x daily for about 30 years.

To be honest tooth pain is very much a benzo WD

Many have teeth extracted. Or want to. I’d look into that whilst CT should never be done , maybe taper ? Next time

Sorry to hear that though

Thanks but my teeth have been damaged for years. It had to be done. The pain has been here before benzos. I’ve experienced baclofen WD before but it’s way worse the 3rd time and tapering the diazepam. It’s been 6 days and my anxiety is through the roof. But the baclofen made me feel worse. I just wish there was a safe pain reliever.