When it's used for alcohol treatment, the idea is that you dose up until you hit what they call a "switch". This can be a very high dose indeed - up to 360mg. Then you can go down until you find your maintenance level - example: 80mg. The idea is that you have to take it the rest of your life, so it should be seen as a "last resort" type of treatment IMHO.

I had not heard about it before, and a quick search on a very large alcohol/addiction related forum that I visit daily only showed up one mention. I'm interested to learn more about it. Not for personal use mind you, just out of curiosity. I'm studying up on addiction - especially alcohol - so that I can make sense out of it.

In that light, I had read Dr. Ameisen's "The End of My Addiction" last year. It was pretty controversial at first, but slowly it's becoming one of the tools used in addiction treatment.

Same here: baclofen was my "Plan B", I first wanted to try with no chemical help. And as you know, I also started to consume vast amounts of sugar and sweets - chocolate, yes... No more though.

That I had heard of. Obviously, I used to feel very depressed when I was still drinking (and taking benzos, don't get me started on those), which is a cause/effect puzzle. In my case, that completely cleared up after getting sober, spectacularly so I might say.

Not easy at all; all the more important to try to see it in an objective way, it might well be a chemical imbalance after all. Nobody chooses to be an "alcoholic".

On a lighter note, one of my best friends - who is an MD - joked that you are an alcoholic when you drink more than your doctor drinks. Ironically, more people in the medical profession are addicted than in the general population.

I also found a mention about GABA and the pancreas. This I didn't know about, and will look into more in the near future.

I notice when I take the GABA regularly (I don't always take it every day)... I don't have much appetite and I am losing some needed weight. So I found that GABA works on the islets in the pancreas to moderate insulin. I'll be searching on that soon, in more detail...but it seems to work that way with me at least, so I am pleased. I am also less stiff and achy, which plagues me sometimes, and my dreams have changed to more benign subjects and the nightmares have stopped.

So all the major benefits I have so far are mostly in the body, and mild brain effects. It doesn't bother me that GABA is not well crossing the blood brain barrier therefore, because these other effects are very helpful for me. (as people age, the BBB does become a bit more permeable, so older people using PharmaGABA may see more central brain effects than younger ones.).

Hubby certainly is less grumpy this week, and he is only on 100mg at bedtime. So I can see this improvement in his behavior quite easily!

Stacy, please don't get me wrong here -there is so much great advice I have found on this thread, but you are way off target. ...In fact, you seem quite judgmental. I hope I'm not offending you here -just being honest with you.

Your response reminds me of a preacher I met who believed only his religion and his lifestyle were the right way, a guy who belittled others that didn't believe the same things he did. I'm sure you know the type, we all do.

I don't know you - I'm just saying that's the vibe I got when I read your response. For all I know, you could be the opposite.

You say I'm addicted to alcohol? That even without PN I'd probably drink even more - is that what you said? Lots of assuming on your part.

Before my PN, I quite drinking for a whole year just to loose weight - does that sound like an alcoholic's actions? Really - I'm not kidding?

Are you taking any medications for pain or stress? If so, would you not consider yourself addicted to them???

In a way, I know what addiction feels like. Man, years ago; and this is going to sound funny, so get ready to laugh...I could swear I was addicted to RC cola - those 2 litter bottles they sell for about a dollar. I finally stopped drinking that junk years ago, but it took me some time to do so. Don't know if Soda Pop is addictive, but this sure felt like it was. LOL.

I have PN that bugs me everyday, yet I am on NO drugs at all. Let's rewind this here - I AM ON NO MEDICAL DRUGS whatsoever - nothing to control pain or anxiety. This is not an easy road to take.

I am not bragging about this in any sense - the only reason why I choose not to be on Med-drugs, is so that I can gauge in some sense my rate of healing without having to factor in drugs that mask the pain or symptoms. It's not perfect, but it has helped me know that at least I have healed to quite some degree so far. Thank God.

I had my issues with Clonozepam, which I had been on for over 5 years and recently quit it. (Just over 3 months now) I did this once cold turkey, and felt the withdrawal. This time I lowered my doses over just a few weeks and here I am now without it.

I can't say I feel much of the withdrawal effects other than some extra nervousness from time to time...in fact, I pretty much feel the same, which makes me wonder if it ever really helped me in the first place, or was it just a psychologically crutch? I do not know.

However, I admit, that for over a year, I was just on 0.5 per night -according to my neurologist - not a very high dosage, even over the long term. I suspect that statement will be debatable, too. Currently, because of increased Folci in my brain scans, whatever that means - my doctor wants to put me back on Clonozepam - on an even higher dose.

I refuse to do this - If he feels that high anxiety is somehow changing my brain chemistry, I don't agree. I'd rather deal with the anxiety some other way ( considering the Gabba suggestions) rather than go back on a drug.

As for your assumption - before I got pn I did drank about 7 or 8 Lite Beers on the weekend. For the whole week that is NOT a lot in my personal opinion. It may be considered binge drinking by some experts -even me - but I never got in any trouble for drinking or hardly ever gotten stone drunk. Does that sound like alcoholism to you?

My problem with alcohol, is that I'm tempted to use it as a boost to help me forget my depression during social events. Yes, that is a problem. But in reality it's not really the alcohol that I crave -I crave something to ease the pain and make me happier, though I haven't found that yet. Maybe it's something inside of me that I just can't connect with yet. I do not know.

But my drinking history is far and away from alcoholism...Surprisingly, even my Neurologist agrees with that. If I get a hangover, I can NOT drink the next day - according to him, a very clear sign that I am not a true alcoholic.

If I was addicted to alcohol, I'd think he'd tell me so. What I'm addicted to is searching for relief - plain and simple.

I can't even get drunk without getting sick - jeeze, doesn't that automatically exclude me - I mean how many alcoholics do you know that can't even get drunk??? Come on, now.

I'm am guilty of wanting to get the calm and happy feeling I get from drinking about 4 to 6 beers on the weekend. This is the truth.

I think in all reality, this is not much, especially considering HOW I drink and the time elapsed between drinks. Also, I would swap alchol for any other thing that could provide a calming happy effect, if I could find one that doesn't harm us. This doesn't sound like a thing any alcoholic would do either.

I'm dead serious here - If drinking about a 6 pack on the weekend makes a person an alcoholic, then I think at least half of the country, or even the world for that matter, are alcoholics according to your standards.

I make no "Excuses" for anything. I am responsible for what I do -I admitted I was weak, often depressed and seeking answers, because I don't know-it-all, who does???

I just hope what I write here can help others in some way deal with a similar situation. In the meantime, I'll do my best to live life day-by-day, trying to absorb the goodness in life as I do so.

...Oh and by the way - I Love GOD, too.

I apologize for offending you.

The same here, sorry if I offended you, too. I certainly agree with you on one point -we're all in need or addicted to something.

...And as pn sufferers - we're all in this together. I also genuinely hope you get better, too.

I am glad you two ironed this out. We try very hard here at NT to not be judgemental. These forums are for support and for learning new information.

I'd like to clarify the words being used here a little bit.

Addiction is a far cry from dependency.

Addiction is when you crave more and more of the desired substance, excluding food, relationships and work. It is driven by dopamine reinforcement and very difficult to treat. It is thought for example, that addiction may be inherited as a genetic flaw in the dopamine reward system in the brain. Food can be addicting, and so can video games, and even sex. People will do desperate things to get their cravings eased. They will literally destroy their lives to get their substance in some cases!

A dependency can be different. That means you are dependent on the substance, and suffer some sort of psychological or physical symptoms when it is withdrawn. Within the last decade dependency has taken on new meanings. SSRIs cause a withdrawal, and many other drugs, as well, need to be tapered off. Gabapentin, is one. There was a time that drugs like this did not exist...and so their dependency aspects were a surprise to most doctors. People with a dependency do not generally crave the substance dramatically, but just need it to continue daily.
Usually there is no loss of work, relationships, but that varies with people depending on the degree of dependency.

Dependency today is very very common. Addiction is far more dramatic and disabling, and we don't see many addicted people here on our PN forum.

I did not read everyones response so I am sorry if I repeat.
I feel that since I developed PN and RSD my body in general has more problems and is more sensitive. I can't treat my body or do things based on what normal people do because I will end up with pain or a problem.
Also though I have been told this is sad because I am young and I live in a very careful way that I view things as once something happens with your body it may not be able to be fixed. Then you have to live a life of more problems and suffering.
I do feel things like food and I guess drinking need to be done in moderation but 6 drinks in one night in my opinion is not. Even if they say 12 in a week that I feel like is alot but more spread out which I would think has less impact though I am no doc.

Alcohol is, at the moment, the main cause of death of UK males between 16 and 54. That is 20%, and health care experts are talking about an epidemic.

According to Prof David Nutt, a neuropsychopharmacologist, no amount of alcohol is beneficial for females, and only 1/2 of a unit (half a small glass of wine) per day for males, from the age of 40 onwards.

I don't know how that changes if you suffer from PN, but I wouldn't be surprised if the benefit drops down to zero.

Not meant as preaching, but I thought that is a sobering (pun not intended) statistic.

Yes, some countries have a huge problem with alcohol...Russia I believe is very high with this problem.

Our state raised the drinking age to 21...as it had been at 18 for a while. There was so much abuse, and traffic deaths/accidents they raised it back up many years ago to 21.

And the studies, which I watch quite a bit, go back and forth, with this subject here in the States. One cannot really depend on any of them. In fact this week there is a new media report that pregnant women can safely drink some:
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-...rodevelopment/

What can we all think when an article like THAT gets published?

I commend you on your efforts and success to stop drinking. I watched my husband struggle with this too, many years ago. Both his parents were alcoholics. But he did it, and I am very proud of him. He was more of an intermittent binge drinker than a constant drinker and he never drove a car when drinking.

Your posts here are very valuable to our members and readers, to support their decisions to do the same.

Addiction... Dependence... Not to confuse the issue, but to add some information sometimes overlooked/unknown, there is also a phenomenon called pseudoaddiction. It's generally applied to opioids and the chronic pain community, but may have comparisons in other kinds of addictions. I'm not suggesting that it applies here -- just throwing it out for assimilation.

Pseudoaddiction is when a person exhibits behaviors that mirror/simulate addiction (psychological need) because their pain is not adequately being addressed/treated.

These behaviors may include (but are not limited to):
• Feeling that one has to use the medication (engage in the behavior) regularly or periodically
• Failing in attempts to discontinue the medication/behavior
• Feeling that one needs the medication (to engage in the behavior) to deal with problems
• Anticipating/waiting for the next dose or opportunity to use the medication/engage in the behavior

Doc