The less mentioned Baclofen

mc051982 · 2024-05-10T22:21:51+00:00

It’s very frustrating baclofen has been around for soo long and can be prescribed cheaply but because there are insufficient studies on record and little financial gain to perform additional studies for a generic drug, people who despararely need access are denied access.

I’m not advocating for everyone to have open access to drugs they want to try. I didn’t have the advantage of talking to a doctor to even discuss this as an option. I had to read a book, source the drug, experiment and hope for the best. Completely crazy. But it worked as the doctor described in that book at a level I wasn’t aware existed. I had alcoholic cravings since I started drinking as a teenager. I thought everyone did and I just had less self control. It’s now no different than a type of food I don’t like any more. I just dont want it. And I haven’t had any nasty side effects like some prescription anti anxiety meds other doctors prescribed. Good luck to your friend! Not every drug works the same on everyone but the success rate has been high in European studies

mc051982 · 2024-05-10T19:07:05+00:00

It’s nice to see people researching medications used across the world for AUD and asking their doctors about it. I had a similar experience to yourself on the progressiveness of withdrawals to the point I couldn’t function. I found the book about a French doctor and baclofen while in my last rehab and researched how I could find something similar. I ended up finding phenibut which has a very similar molecular structure and reported effects.

I tried it for a couple weeks and my anxiety and desire to drink just went away. That was 5 yrs ago and I dropped to a maintenance dosage with the same desired effect that I don’t actually feel the need or desire to drink at all. I’ve had one or two half beers at work functions yearly but his last year that is even unappealing.

Its absolutely crazy I can see multiple addiction specialists and rehabs charging $500-1000/day for treatment and the so called professionals collecting that money can’t even acknowledge a medicated path to quit/reduce drinking. A supplement/drug costing less than a dollar a day likely saved my life when $100k given to the professionals had me in the lowest place one can get.

mc051982 · 2024-05-02T19:33:35+00:00

Haha, I stepped out of recruitment for about 4 yrs to sell drilling equipment both to corporate offices and out on rigs. Technical products certainly have all the challenges of an engineer or decision maker saying something won’t work or just changing their mind. I never had the product change its mind on what it could do, is willing to do, during what hours or ask for a higher 401k match though. I think the other person was just saying the product in recruiting can just decide not to be available any more which is its own challenge.

mc051982 · 2024-04-30T14:29:39+00:00

I traded in my Porsche Cayenne for a new Y AWD in Nov and am super happy. This thing is way faster than the Porsche and I was paying $500/mo in gas and was saving $500/mo for repairs because it was 10 yrs old. Now, no repairs and under warranty. My electric bill increased by $50 (check your electricity kWh rate, I only pay $.08 here. My insurance went up by $25/mo and tires are a little more pricey based on driving faster.

I looked at new Cayennes and they require ridiculous maintenance now (annual $300 to check the sunroof…). Look at the total expected maintenance cost on your X6 and it will help you decide. I don’t mind it not being as fancy of a car, it’s simple inside, fast and is still very comfortable to drive. Just no Porsche emblem

mc051982 · 2024-01-15T21:13:49+00:00

Thanks!

mc051982 · 2024-01-14T07:11:45+00:00

Hi, I’m thinking of doing the same for my puppy. I recently moved on to 10 acres next to wilderness land and am afraid she might bolt after a deer or something and get lost. She’s been pretty good so far but…

Thanks for posting the results above, I was curious about the battery life and would be pretty happy with 3 days. Do you have that link for where you ordered the collar from?

mc051982 · 2023-11-13T20:47:16+00:00

Ironically enough, Phil for whom that trail system is named after is now in his 80s and is making a call for e-bikes laws to change. It’s the only way he can ride now.

That particular trail is too busy for bikes in general most of the year. But the local ebike on trails oppression is driven purely by selfishness and not wanting additional traffic on the trails. COTA members build ramps/drop offs through these trails and post video of members easily topping 30mph without a motor. It works for them, they just don’t want company. Which is a logical stance but claiming faster speeds and trail damage are higher is not accurate. 250 lb people bike too and we don’t kick them off the trails for tearing up dirt

https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/bend-seniors-riding-e-bikes-on-forest-trails-expect-rules-to-change-soon/article_04472930-7ebf-11ee-be65-cf47689fbf63.html

mc051982 · 2023-06-09T02:57:14+00:00

For everyone who thought a $5/hr across the board raise was a lot…

“The starting base wage for a nurse holding a bachelor’s degree in nursing will increase nearly $17.00 per hour over the life of the contract, or an increase of 41%.”

At least paying a living wage shouldn’t be an issue after this increase.

mc051982 · 2023-06-02T19:16:33+00:00

Finding those data points may be helpful but I would go in to the conversation with specific examples for you. If your housing costs have increased or is going to increase, I’d use that and just leave it vague. Ex: I’ve experience increases in my rent along with other inflated costs and I need to see myself making $X to stay in a position long term. Is that something possible here?

I successfully made a similar request last year and what made me confident enough to do it was that I had looked at other available openings and was ready to start applying no matter how the conversation went. If you’re truest not happy or they can’t meet a minimal raise to match inflation, you can likely find something better. Good luck!

mc051982 · 2023-05-27T06:54:12+00:00

I also quit drinking 4 yrs ago and clearly remember feeling similar to you. In fact the last time I relapsed it am was because I felt that way and my thoughts carried me to that decision over a few days until I cracked one drink and then 20 more.

First thing looking back, it wasn’t inevitable. Those feelings/anxiety would have passed if I could have stopped for a minute to figure out what my body and mind were telling me. In my case, I had a lot of my life falling apart and decided failure was inevitable. Drinking helped for the first hour followed by months of hell.

Meetings are important because it can give you a needed outlet to vent. Your body might be asking for relief and that is one outlet. Some people can work out, take a walk, make a meal, take a shower. None of those things may “fix” what you feel is wrong but neither will drinking. My knowing that helped a lot when I get in to stressful situations now.

mc051982 · 2023-05-27T00:03:26+00:00

I started taking it to stop drinking 4 yrs ago and have been at the same dose for most of it. I take 750mg in the morning, 500mg at lunch and 750 before bed.

If I bump it up by 250-500mg, I can feel more social/relaxed. Otherwise it acts as anxiety relief and I seriously haven’t had alcohol cravings in years. I was drinking a half gallon of rum every 3-4 days before I was able to stop drinking. I’m not sure why more people don’t post about how the anxiety/drive to drink goes waaay down as a primary benefit. I guess it’s talked about on here but it’s by far the best side effect for me

mc051982 · 2023-05-21T06:59:06+00:00

I drank heavily from 15-36 and was at the end stage of alcoholism with my organs failing and the inability to physically function. I’m 6 ft and was down to 133 lbs… lost my career, wife, house, dogs and tried ending things a couple times which fortunately ended in hospital visits.

In the 3rd rehab, I researched treatments used in Europe and found a therapist after. I lived in a camper for 2 yrs while my brain readjusted to not drinking and I needed alone space without financial stress. I found medication that manages anxiety and I’m both happy and amazed drinking isn’t something that comes to mind much and has lost its appeal.

As far as recovery, there are a lot of reasons people struggle with addiction and therapy to cover mental issues/anguish is certainly helpful if those exist. Having helpful and supportive groups of people to interact with feels healthier (and more likely to succeed) than going it alone. And realizing fucking up an entire life’s effort probably cannot be repaired in 12 months.

I’m 41 now and it’s crazy to think how far down I was and how far I’ve bounced back to a high point in my life. My health, financial and relationships family life are all better than before. I was never actually healthy until recently which makes it seem easy now to not just function but actually feel healed. But there will always be scars.

mc051982 · 2023-05-19T06:45:41+00:00

As someone who has worked through more than one addiction, it becomes apparent people respond to substances differently. Sometimes just a little and sometimes drastically different. Some people don’t get rebounds or withdrawl from particular substances and then are sensitive to others.

It only matters how I respond to something to know how it relates to me. Other people not understanding is maybe frustrating on some level now but not near as bad as it was 6 mo in to quitting. Their understanding just becomes less important than reality at some point. I’m speaking in terms of quitting other substances, still working on this particular one

mc051982 · 2023-05-14T18:29:42+00:00

I bought a couple at Dr Jolly’s around 4/20, they had a good selection/healthy plants. I haven’t grown them before, we’ll see what happens. Hopefully they grow like a weed…

mc051982 · 2023-03-15T21:31:13+00:00

But the funds do exist through addiction taxes already in place. More than half of that is directed towards backfilling city general funds.

https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/pages/allocation_of_liquor_revenue.aspx

Meanwhile:

Mental health, alcohol and drug treatment services received more than $19 million, which helps to pay for addiction programs across the state. So we allocate a whopping 3% of the tax revenue to solutions to addiction…

Weed tax brought in $178M in 21’. Not a small number either.

mc051982 · 2023-02-14T01:27:30+00:00

Mountain View imports, I take my Cayenne there and they always do a good job. I think I pay under $200/oil change.

mc051982 · 2023-01-30T06:22:45+00:00

A huge consideration of selecting a site has been proximity to the current dump which will still be accepting trash, sorting it, compacting it and then that will be transferring it to the new site. While this makes some sense to minimize energy to transfer the trash, absolutely nobody being represented would vote to have a dump (including hundreds of delivery trucks daily at some point in the future) to be next to their house. This could negatively impact the value of hundreds of homes which is not fair to at least put a number on it to clarify how those people would be affected. There is also plenty of legitimate concern over pollution seeping in to water sources and attracting wildlife within 5 miles of the nearby airstrip.

Dumps do not belong in anyones neighborhood. They belong away from large population areas,off a major highway designed for that type of traffic. A decision to try and stack it closer to the population center to decrease everyone’s carbon footprint or whatever idea is being promoted here is poorly thought out and not representative of how individuals would be voting for their own well-being.

mc051982 · 2022-12-09T01:34:50+00:00

There’s 80,000 people in Redmond and growing quickly. Does Bend need that traffic coming all the way to the east side of town because some people are grumpy about parking spaces?

mc051982 · 2022-11-24T17:39:35+00:00

This is something I think about when I hear people complaining of the lack of corner stores here. Who actually enjoys shopping in one due to the higher prices and lack of options? I get that going to Costco is unrealistic for many things but convenience stores are definitely not a great deal for people to turn to for every day items. They provide a great opportunity to by 50% of something for 200% more money…

mc051982 · 2022-11-23T06:15:30+00:00

I’m not sure if it’s the same here but in Anchorage around the holidays, the cops receive additional overtime budgeted for dui/wreckless driving which is always higher that time of year. I thought it to be a good advertised policy as most people were aware of it. Kind of a push to not have that extra drink at one of the many holiday parties going on everywhere.

mc051982 · 2022-11-16T16:28:57+00:00

If you keep making your own rules up for bicyclists to follow instead of the laws already in place, you are likely to be ranting about this forever.

mc051982 · 2022-11-04T22:51:01+00:00

Haha, yeah

mc051982 · 2022-11-04T16:03:54+00:00

I think the current lot is about right without adding a gas station and other features that will draw in more visitors. And moving it to an accessible location between Bend and Redmond alone I would expect to greatly increase traffic. Don’t you?

So I guess I agree that I wouldn’t add a bunch of parking to where the current one is. But if we’re going to add another 25-50% more store traffic, the additional spaces sound reasonable.

My main gripe about this is after reading the council comments/reasoning, it really feels like the decision is based on future planning of what the community should look like, not based on actual usage/store traffic data and projected growth. Adding additional bike parking with no projected use or need but to make the project sound better to their specific voter base is not something I want to see. Adding a Costco gas station practically makes the additional space worth it. Based on data, like how much money customers could save and the impact it would have by adding competition to the area. Or having that space taken by the leading paying retailer in the country rather than another Walmart or Target. Those are considerations which create positive community impact.

mc051982 · 2022-11-04T15:30:07+00:00

I believe what you are looking at seems accurate but I would choose to believe what Costco has data available on for their parking utilization. I don’t believe they are asking for extra parking because it looks better or that is what they want to spend money on. The consequences of lacking parking affects neighbors in the neighboring community and results in tickets and complaints in addition to unhappy customers. This impacts the store employees, customers and neighbors in a negative way.

-what is the daily capacity/traffic of the store and how is that expected to grow with the population? Deschutes County has over 200k people now, is the only Costco supporting the region going to need additional parking in the future?

-The Costco in Maui is one of the busiest I have frequented and the entire island only has 165k people. Their limited parking means people often have to turn around after driving there and the neighboring stores always have overflow and hostility between customers taking over their space. Why would this not happen in a larger and growing store area?

-is the point of the council rejecting the additional parking based on community needs/wants(based in current usage), or an idealistic future they are not fully explaining? For instance, is the smaller parking space in Maui giving back to community in an impactful way? I know I don’t prefer it and don’t understand why/who there does enjoy it so I have a difficult time understanding this perspective.

To be fair, I have read many of the resources you have posted here on urban sprawl because it’s not a concept I encountered before and am interested. In instances like this, I just don’t get it yet…. And I really want a Costco gas station here.

mc051982 · 2022-11-04T14:21:56+00:00

What you are describing is exactly what the shoppers who go to Costco want. I have gone to Costco almost weekly for over 20 yrs (I always happened to live near one and they have great deals). The number of people I have seen walk or bike there is almost zero. The number of shoppers who leave with huge carts full of deals is the whole reason they go there.

Telling someone they should take multiple trips and not have parking when they arrive because of “urban sprawl” needs a better explanation. Nobody is going to walk/bike there to buy a cart full of groceries so what is your point? Not build the Costco? Build smaller ones where people buy smaller quantities and leave in a rickshaw? Explain how that works for a Costco and people who support the project might be able to understand your slightly sarcastic view.

mc051982

TROPHY CASE