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Baclofen to help wean off of Klonopin


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Greetings,

 

I am on Klonopin for Cervical Dystonia.  Needless to say I am attempting to wean off off it.  However, I went to a hospital detox that didn't work (because they brought me off too soon) and I had to go back on Klonopin.  I was just wondering if anyone has successfully used Baclofen to help wean themselves off of Klonopin?  I know that Baclofen works on the GABA receptors, albeit in a different way.  Thanks for any info.

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Please research baclofen very carefully. It may compound your problems. It, along with cipro resulted in a trip to the er and set me up for the brutal ativan taper I am currently on. It has many similarities to benzos including similar w/d symptoms. Your situation is unique but please consider your options carefully.

You might wind up with down regulated GABA a AND GABA b receptors.

 

Take care, Jeanie

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there's a story on here of a lady who went through a horrific baclofen withdrawal..she healed from it...but it can cause a w/d similar to benzos.

 

xxoo

cupcake

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Do you remember if this is Shelley? I found her when I was researching baclofen. If so, I'm glad to hear she has healed.  Fishingguy: try googling baclofen withdrawal syndrome.

 

Jeanie

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I am also taking Baclofen for cervical dystonia and muscle spasms in my neck/shoulders, etc. I take about 40 mg at night.

 

Although you asked about Baclofen to help with the Klonopin withdrawal, I wondered if you are able to get Botox treatments for your cervical dystonia at all? I am getting them for that and for migraines and they have really helped, which is in part why I'm looking to get off some of these meds I'm taking on a regular basis. My insurance covers Botox for both conditions, but I know that there is a patient assistance program from Allergan to help those without coverage get this treatment.

 

Marie

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Hi Marie,

 

I do take Botox shots every 3 months for Cervical Dystonia, but it only helps alleviate part of it.  It doesn't totally resolve the Dystonia.  The Klonopin (which has caused so many other health problems in me) was given to me for Dystonia as well (and it did work in that area).  However, the addictiveness of benzo's is something I never want to experience again.  It looks like Baclofen is similar in some respects to Klonopin (in that it can cause seizures if abruptly stopped and it also works on the GABA receptors, albeit in a different manner).  I think I will hold out as long as I can before trying Baclofen.  Have you ever weaned yourself off of Baclofen before?  If so, what were the withdrawals like?

 

Thanks!

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Thanks, Jeanie.  I will try googling on "Baclofen Withdrawal Syndrome."  The last thing I want is to go through what I'm going through now with coming off the Klonopin.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baclofen#Withdrawal_syndrome

 

Baclofen Withdrawal syndrome

"Discontinuation of baclofen can be associated with a withdrawal syndrome which resembles benzodiazepine withdrawal and alcohol withdrawal. Withdrawal symptoms are more likely if baclofen is used for long periods of time (more than a couple of months) and can occur from low or high doses. The severity of baclofen withdrawal depends on the rate at which baclofen is discontinued. Thus to minimise baclofen withdrawal symptoms the dose should be tapered down slowly when discontinuing baclofen therapy. Abrupt withdrawal is most likely to result in severe withdrawal symptoms. Acute withdrawal symptoms can be stopped by recommencing baclofen.

 

Withdrawal symptoms may include auditory hallucinations, visual hallucinations, tactile hallucinations, delusions, confusion, agitation, delirium, disorientation, fluctuation of consciousness, insomnia, dizziness, Nausea, Feeling Faint, inattention, memory impairments, perceptual disturbances, pruritus/itching, anxiety, depersonalization, hypertonia, hyperthermia, formal thought disorder, psychosis, mania, mood disturbances, restlessness, and behavioral disturbances, tachycardia, seizures, tremors, autonomic dysfunction, hyperpyrexia, extreme muscle rigidity resembling neuroleptic malignant syndrome and rebound spasticity."

 

i only took 20 mg a day for three months. unbeknownced to me at the time, i was already dealing with Cipro toxicity from taking a high dose of that only 6 weeks prior to starting the baclofen. the baclofen exacerbated my all my symptoms. by the end of the second month on it, i developed inner vibrations, insomnia and horrible, unrelenting anxiety that sent me to the ER and had to quit it cold turkey.

 

Again, your situation is unique, and your body chemistry may be quite different from mine. I am just suggesting you explore all of your options before choosing this one.

 

jeanie

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Thanks, Jeanie.  I appreciate the information.  I have printed it out for posterity.  My neuro said that most people can come off of Baclofen in about 2-3 days.  It seems like most doctors who prescribe these medicines have no idea how hard it is to come off of them.  I really wonder if they would ever go on them themselves or prescribe them for one of their family members.  It's sad there is so little knowledge among doctors about these drugs. 

 

Thanks again for the info. on Baclofen.  I am definitely planning on avoiding it unless there is absolutely no other option.

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My neuro and GP both told me the same thing as yours: benign drug, no problem just stopping it since i was on a low dose!  then when i started having worsening and more severe symptoms after my ER experience, a second neuro told me there was no possibility baclofen was still causing problems even though I had only been off of it for six weeks!  How could he not know about w/d??  i eventually figured out how to stabilize myself with a small dose of ativan (.35). and to this day i am still working on withdrawing from that. Ugh!!!
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It would be great if every doctor that told us how to get off these drugs had experienced the same symptoms that we went through for himself/herself.  We really do have to be our own health advocates.  That's for sure.
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Oh, I also found the following on another web site:

 

A baclofen withdrawal syndrome can occur with rapid cessation of usage. Withdrawal symptoms include a rebound increase in spasticity, fever, altered mental status, seizures, malignant hyperthermia, and, very rarely, death. Baclofen withdrawal is typically treated by gradual reinstitution of oral baclofen. In the case of serious withdrawal, intravenous benzodiazepines can be used. Baclofen overdose syndrome can also occur. It is characterized by sedation, depressed arousal, and respiratory suppression and is treated by temporarily stopping or tapering off baclofen. Intravenous physostigmine, flumazenil, or both may be used in severe cases. Repeated dosing may be needed, because these agents have a shorter half-life than baclofen.

 

Looks like this drug is nothing to fool around with.

 

Thanks for the warning.

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My neuro had me on Baclofen for awhile. I was taking about 80 mg a day for a few months. After experiencing some health problems unrelated to the Baclofen (I was having orthostatic hypotension caused by my antidepressant), I just cut out all the CNS depressants I could. I did not do a taper on the Baclofen and didn't find that I had problems stopping it. I started it again recently when my Botox started to wear off, but decided to stop it again. I just stopped it for the first time last night and have not noticed anything unusual, but I don't know if it does take time for symptoms to appear.

 

Since I'm still on Klonopin, that might "cancel out" problems from not taking Baclofen. I don't know that it really helped my pain and spasms, but I sort of clutched on to the idea that it did. I think the Klonopin was actually more useful for that, and I actually found that during some of my worst migraines, a 20 mg Baclofen and 0.5 Klonopin seemed to help, since I think the spasming in my neck, shoulders and head was so severe.

 

I am looking into myofascial release as an alternative, as that seems to be a good non-drug alternative for a lot of the pain I experience.

 

I'm glad you are able to get the Botox. For me too, it helps, but not to the fullest degree.

 

Marie

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Thanks for your post, Marie.  I also had massage therapy weekly, but it only helped out the Cervical Dystonia mildly and for a short time.  Klonopin, thus far, has worked the best (but caused so many other issues in me).  Hope you find what works best for you.
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The Klonopin has worked for me too, but I've found that I would have to keep upping the dose to get the benefits anymore and I don't want to go there. I'm just on a dose to stay stable right now.

 

Regarding the Baclofen. I had been taking 40mg at bedtime and then stopped on Wednesday after my neurologist got all wigged out about all the meds I'm on. Since I hadn't before experienced any troubles stopping it in the past, I didn't think anything of it. I'm also tapering of Lyrica, which is related to opioids somehow but acts on GABA. I had been having the usual opioid w/d symptoms, but they seemed quite worse than when I had to do a rapid taper off a high dose of hydrocodone. I started investigating the Baclofen a little bit more, and decided maybe not to cut myself off from that right now until I've finished with this rat poison Lyrica. I reinstated 20mg of Baclofen and that seemed to help my system quite a bit.

 

I don't know if it's a drug I want to be on regularly or not. It does seem to help with spasms, which are really bad for me, but again, it's one of those meds that isn't as benign as it appears, apparently.

 

I wish there were better options of dealing with pain than all these addictive and dangerous medicines. I know there is some aspect of learning to cope with a degree of pain, but when it affects your sleep and your daily life, you have to look further. I'm willing to compromise on some medications if I can get a benefit out of them, but it does scare me when the addictive potential is there, and when you have to keep raising the power of the medicine because of the tolerance.

 

I'm sorry the massage wasn't as beneficial as it could have been. I hope you can find some techniques that do help, and continued good luck in your process.

Marie

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Thanks for the info, Marie.  Let me know if you experience any w/d sxs when you do decide to taper off of the Baclofen.  Thanks for your advice.  Hope all turns out well.
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  • 4 months later...

Do you remember if this is Shelley? I found her when I was researching baclofen. If so, I'm glad to hear she has healed.  Fishingguy: try googling baclofen withdrawal syndrome.

 

Jeanie

 

yes it was shelley.

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  • 4 weeks later...
[51...]

Hi...this is only the 3rd  time ive posted ..but i want to talk about baclofen and some serious problems im having with it!!  First off..I am on klonipin 1.5mgs/day and have been on that for 24yrs.  also currently on 60mgs baclofen/day.

So here's the problem.... I am having some really bad SE's from the bac.  It's as if it has thrown me into what feels very similiar to benzo wd's!!  I cant seem to find any info on this at all!!  I dont know if it's clashing with the klon or what??!! 

 

Here's a summary of what bac is doing to me (still on same dose of klon)...my whole body is freezing cold including the inside of my mouth and my face ...very high pitched crystaline ringing and crackling in my head...difficulty thinking straight...hard time with evryday normal things...just feel quite sick in general...very scared and panicky...it doesn't make any sense at all because it's suppose to help with anxiety!!  It's doing the opposite with me..so it appears!!  I actually got up to 80mgs/day hoping it would calm all of the SE's down...but they escalated!!  so now I'm trying to wean down on it but cant get relief from all of this!! 

 

I started taking the bac about jan 20th and even at starting dose of 10mg tid i started experiencing the SE's (benzo wd's) that i already mentioned.  so..since i was determined to build the bac up in my system in order to eventually work on titrating down on klonipin... i kept increasing the dose.  At 40mgs/day i actually had a breakthrough that was absolutely wonderful and peaceful etc...it felt like what ive experienced in the past when i would have a breakthrough when weaning down on klonipin!  but then stupid me...i went higher 2 days later to 60mgs/day(bac)....and since then which was jan27th ive been suffering tremendously...do not know what to do at this point!!!! 

 

my best guess is that i should have never gone on baclofen to begin with...and so now im in a really bad mess and dont know how to get out of it!!  having a very hard time dealing with my resposibilities because of all this!  I would appreciate any insight on this...please!!  I have not found anyone anywhere that knows anything about this!!

 

My best guess is this...the baclofen is clashing with the klonipin...and for some weird reason causing me to have benzo wd's!!  No doctor would ever believe this!!

thank you...klon24   

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I'm not an expert on this sorry but will just offer what I have heard about the subject.

 

I have done a lot of reading about baclofen being used as an agent in alcohol dependence, and nearly all those who have been trying it report substantial side effects (sometimes at fairly low doses, to begin with).  However they also tend to say that these gradually go away if a person can stick with it.  A few even report being totally free of alcohol now, and attribute this to baclofen.  These individuals usually report having to put up with a host of side effects while gradually pushing themselves to increase their baclofen dose, but also say the problems tended to fade out once steady at a particular dosage level.  They advise staying at a particular dose for a while or even going back down a bit (but not massively) if side effects are too much, and also say these problems are less if the baclofen is spread out into multiple doses throughout the day.  I should point out that I have not actually done this, but I was reading a lot about this when I was still drinking heavily and searching for a way out of it.  Luckily I managed to stop drinking via other means.  I have however been looking at baclofen lately as an aid to benzo withdrawal.

 

All I could suggest to others here is following the above advice that I have read...maybe first make sure the drug is taken in multiple doses rather than only a few, and then reduce the daily baclofen dose somewhat, but not too much, if problems remain.  Some people may simply be unable to tolerate baclofen, so if nothing helps, then unfortunately the last step would be to discontinue the drug if reducing the dose temporarily does not help.

 

Please note that I am not a medical professional and am therefore NOT offering medical advice.  Also the forum where I have read about baclofen is not populated by doctors, but rather is somewhere that alcoholics talk about their dependence and their attempts to get free of it, basically the way lay-people talk here about benzo dependence.

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I have been in w/d from a c/t from K since last summer.  I have taken Baclofen on and off during this time for a back injury.  It has not made any difference in my s/x.  Sorry, but I hope this helps.
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