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Baclofen for alcoholism

Posted , 10 users are following.

nicole36330
nicole36330

I'm 47 year old woman and was drinking up to 3 bottles of wine a day for years.although it was a slow progression from teenage years till now.I have been on it since 9th of August and didn't believe it would work for me but had to give it a go as I was desperate.Well it hit my SWITCH as they call it on 26th of August.I can't believe is that simple.I just don't want to drink anymore.Have even been to the pub for lunch and it doesn't interest me at all.This drug WORKS!!....Just can't see how it will get approved for drug abuse anytime soon as its out of patent and all that entails.Side effects are pretty severe but so is being drunk all the time

3 likes, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • rayboy250
    rayboy250 nicole36330

    Posted

    Baclofen is a muscle relaxant or at least that is what it,s main use.   Nalmafen is something very different . Read up on it and then speak to your GP.
  • vickylou
    vickylou nicole36330

    Posted

    nicole

    i first mentioned nalfemene to my key worker after being referred to ADS by my GP. She'd never heard of it!  I ended up printing off some info for her. At my next appointment she said she'd discussed it with her manager, but it was something they wouldn't recommend.

    Went back to gp who said he wouldn't prescribe some weird American trial.

    Thanks to Joanna on this forum, I was able to get reliable info, stats to show success rate, and NICE guidelines and went this week to see a different gp. Waste of time, because the answer was the same, wouldn't prescribe it. Only way I could get it would be paying to see a private physciatrist and paying for a private prescription.

  • sophie02444
    sophie02444 nicole36330

    Posted

    Hi Nicole,

    I have taken baclofen for 12 months so I known what you are talking about. I can vouch for its amazing effects too!!.  It is really amazing isn't it?  just the feeling to be yourself again and able to take the right decision without constant stress/interference of wanting a drink.

    Baclofen is actually a very cheap drug as you know and if you muster the courage to go to your GP you can refer to the BACLAD study from Germany. It is the first study double blind and placebo and it was published earlier this year.  Of course it shows its fantastic anti-craving effect. 

    As you know be prepared to face a lot of ignorance about this treatment.  It may be better to wait unetil the BACLOVILLE (France) study is out.  This should be at the end of the year.

    Thank you for your testimony as it will help a lot people who get desperate.

    Good for you to have thought out of the box and seek a treatment which works. You'll have a good life without this brain addiction that is called an "alcool problem".

    Vanessa

    PS unfortunately namalfene appears to me as a waste of time and tax payer money.  It is marginally effective (see European drug agency report) and much more expensive than baclofen.

    • vickylou
      vickylou sophie02444

      Posted

      Why is nalfemene a waste of time? There's many people on this forum alone who seem to find it helpful. Also how is it a waste of tax payers money? If GPS were to prescribe baclofen would that be a waste of time and tax papers money as well. Is namalfene a different drug to nalfemene?
    • sophie02444
      sophie02444 vickylou

      Posted

      Hi Vickylou,

      to answer your query : Yes baclofen is very different from namalfene (which is a naltrexone derivative).

      I am probably to blunt but Namalfene has shown only little efficiency to reduce alcohol consumption.

      Here are the hard facts :

      The Drug Evaluation German Agency (IQWIG) made its conclusion on December 1: “Nalmefene for alcohol dependence: no benefit evidenced” (https://www.iqwig.de/en/press/press-releases/press-releases/nalmefene-for-alcohol-dependence-added-benefit-not-proven.6458.html).

      c. The French Health Authority concluded that nalmefene trials showed little evidence for an improvement in actual benefit when compared to existing treatments (rating =4, on a scale of 5 to 1, the highest). The agency advised to restrict prescription to addiction specialists considering the major importance of psycho-social care, a difficult condition to achieve in general practice. Such restriction is rarely used by the Commission (http://www.has-sante.fr/portail/jcms/c_1737894/en/selincroenct12915english-version).

      d. The Swedish Agency for health assessment concluded (March 31, 2015) to the lack of interest of nalmefene compared to existing treatments and did not recommend its reimbursement (http://www.tlv.se/beslut/beslut-lakemedel/avslag-uteslutningar/Selincro-ingar-inte-i-hogkostnadsskyddet/).

      Fourth, who will benefit from nalmefene? Monthly cost for nalmefene in France is €101.34 vs €36.07 for naltrexone. The psychosocial support, a key element in the care of patients with addiction but it is not reimbursed by the health care scheme. Accordingly, this money could have been better used to cover two monthly psychologist visits.

      etc...

      etc..

      etc..

      On the bright side the BACLAD study shows uneprecedented efficiency for Baclofen vs. placebo.  and baclofen is off patent and very cheap. Hopefully the BACLOVILLE will confirm its efficiency.

      If Namalfene works for you : I am sincerely happy.  I am just worried that people become fed up with taking all these drugs and end up refusing helpful treatment when they will finaly be available on the NHS.

      With my deepest respect for all the fighters I am reading about on this website, whatever their weapon of choice. :-)

  • ray21540
    ray21540 nicole36330

    Posted

    The spelling is NALMEFEN or known as SELINCRO. Some predictive text issues in earlier posts. This is prescribable on the NHS if you meet the NICE criteria. It has only been available since March in England. I had to do all the research but my GP agreed to give it ago. It has really worked and I am back in control. Liver results were 179 now 65. ( normal range 0 - 70 ) I still enjoy a drink 2 - 3 times a week but no craving. I can take it or leave it. If your GP will not prescribe ask why

    If not happy with that take it to the commissioner's. Used to be the PCT maybe PCG now.

    • vickylou
      vickylou ray21540

      Posted

      Glad you were able to get it prescribed for you and that you've had such excellent results. Yes I could appeal to PCG, but all my family use the surgery, and I have friends working there who I know from when I was an assistant practice manager at another surgery.

      From your point of view, you wouldn't say its a waste of space and waste of tax payers' money then?

    • rayboy250
      rayboy250 vickylou

      Posted

      Vicky, it certainly is not a waste of time. It has been great for me and many other people. No it may not work for everyone or be right for everyone but it is  agreat option to be offered. As for waste of tax payers money.............well if I continued the way I was ( and as a retired health professional I know ) I would have cost the NHS a lot more with alcohol related medical issues. My GP also recognises that fact. 

      Ray

    • vickylou
      vickylou rayboy250

      Posted

      Rayboy

      i was replying to another poster who said it was a waste of space and a waste of tax payers money. I didn't say that at all. I fully agree with you. I can't get it, but am pleased that it works for you, and yes you and hundreds of others are saving the NHS money

  • nicole36330
    nicole36330

    Posted

    Well,I went to see the doctor on Friday as as I suspected he had never heard of Baclofen for alcohol and couldn't prescribe it so need to order more from the Internet.He has referred me to signpost (a local addictions centre)... But of course I need to phone them up myself which I will but a lot of vulnerable and extremely anxious people won't have the strength to do that.Its only now that am am not drinking I feel I have the courage to take the plunge.Ironic isn't it!....I am on day 12 of not drinking and have just started to titrate down.Will continue until I feel the cravings coming back
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