Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

[vino_grrl]

Hi there ... I'm waiting for supplements/CDs to arrive (have the book) and am wondering whether anyone has had any real success using just the supplements, CDs, Kudzu, etc. and w/o the Topimax.

I ask because I'm a single mom to a toddler. After having read Roberta's stories about the Topa side effects, I'm too scared to take it. The story of her teenage daugther telling her how to find her house when she'd driven by it 12 times w/o recognzing it was the capper for me. I don't have a partner or a grown child to act as my guide ... I"m solely responsible for the well-being of a toddler, live in a major city, and if I got as confused as she describes or as tongue-tied, it could be highly highly dangerous for both of us. Indeed, the Topa side effects more dangerous than my drinking (which I at least confine to home, never drink and drive, and don't ever exceed 4 drinks in a night ... my goal is to get down to 1 or none on a normal night and never to exceed 2-3 over the course of a long evening out w/friends). So I'm reserving that option as a very last resort if I can't get my drinking under control with all the other elements of the program.

Has anyone else out there tried this sans Topa? What was your experience? I plan on following the rest of the program thoroughly (and, indeed, I'm already exercising for an hour a day a minimum of 3x a week ... and usually 5x a week), using the supplements off of the MWO site.

Many thanks!

[Guest]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

Hi vino,
I`m still a novice at sobriety........62 days AF. I have great respect for the meds, but personally chose to do it without. However, had I not managed to quit, I wouldn`t have hesitated to use topa or similar.

Starlight Impress x

[vino_grrl]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

Thanks Starlight ... (nice to be getting advice/support all the way from Scotland. I'm in San Francisco). What did you use to get AF if you didn't use the meds? Can you share? Thanks!
M

[Guest]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

I stupidly didn`t take any supps either when I quit.........I felt drained by week 4, so started on them then. I take an amino acid complex, vit B complex, vit C, omega 3 and gaba. Have just bought some zinc capsules today, after speaking to pharmacist who recommended I take them as part of my post-drink-get-healthy campaign. I bought all my supps locally, but will restock from site`s Health Store when I need more, as the site`s supps are of optimum quality.

Starlight Impress x

[Guest]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

P.S.
Kudzu and L-glutamine are the recommended ones for cravings........I didn`t take those, but cravings are not much to speak of now.......just my former drunken self playing tricks on me now, and I tell it to sod off!!!

Starlight Impress x

[Determinator]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

hi Vino Grrl and welcome! I've been having good success with a combo of the following:
campral, mwo hypno CD's, L-Glutamine 5 to 10grams per day, and a ton of vitamins and exercise. still takes a lot of wilpower but VERY doable....and being part of the MWO community is the glue that holds it all together for many of us.

[julie001]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

I'm taking Topomax. I'm only up to 75mg. I don't have negative side affects, besides occasional tinglely in my feet. I am still drinking almost daily, but I am drinking less and less rapidly so I feel that I may be starting to feel the benefits. We'll see. My hope is that as I up the dose, I don't get all loopey, and I just want to drink less. I'm not opposed to a glass of wine in the evenings. I'd just like to leave it at that. So far, it seems to be helping. Prior to Topamax, by 10pm, I'd have finished a bottle of wine. Now it takes me two more hours longer than that at least, if I finish I finish a bottle of wine at all. Most nights, I don't finish the bottle, and that's a definite step in the right direction. I think that the cons far outweighed the pros so fars as far as alcohol and Topamax. We'll see what happens in the next few days as I dose up another 25mg.

Julie

[vino_grrl]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

good to hear ... it's strangely, oddly comforting to hear how many of the people on this list are winos like me (not the harder stuff). i live just south of cal's 'wine country' and i think many of us here end up winos but delude ourselves that we're just 'cultured.' ;-) my habit started in my late 30s when i was finally earning enough to 'collect' some wines. in other words, the theory was that i'd buy them by the case early in their vintage and let them age. oh yeah. right. before then, i NEVER drank at home alone. but once i had a couple of dozen cases in the garage it became a nightly 'well, it's down there ...' thing (of course it didn't help that my mom died and i learned my long-term boyfriend was cheating on me @ around the same time). i think the 'late-onset' alco story can be heard again & again ... 'i had control ... until ....' all i know is that i have a kiddo who i have to hold it together for (in the way my mom and her mom couldn't hold it together ... both were heavy vodka drinkers til the end ... thought i'd escaped it).

[OverIt2007]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

Hi Vino girl. I am trying to sober up without the Topamax too and hoping that the supps will be enough. It seems to work for others, so hopefully that will work for both of us as well. Im a single Mom of a young child as well. Your story sounds very familiar to me. I usually drink out of loneliness or boredom after my son is in bed. Its not easy being a single Mom of a young child is it? Well, anyways, Im pulling for you!!

[irishlady]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

Hello Vino girl,

I didn't take any meds, quite frankly the side effects of Topa scared me too much, but I do take,
Amino Acids, Magnesium, Evening Primrose Oil, L-Glutamine, A Multi-Vitamin, and for the first 6 months I also took Kudzu..

As well as the supps I completely changed my diet from total crap to fresh and healthy, plenty of fruit and veg, lots of fish, cereals and pulses, seeds and nuts.. I have cut meat down to a minimum and am thinking of cutting it out of my diet altogether.. I exercise a lot and have also developed a lot of new hobbies to distract myself from thinking about alcohol..

It works because yesterday I celebrated one whole year of being alcohol free.

I wish you luck.
Louise xx

[vino_grrl]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

Thanks so much Louise ... glad to hear it's working for someone! I already eat very healthily (and don't eat sugar at all ... just don't like it), and have upped the exercise a lot. I've also started shifting my daughter and my 'adventure time' later afternoon/early evening and make sure it involves a drive somewhere (I won't drink and drive) and getting us home right @ bedtime ... or after (she falls asleep in the car). i find that that later i get home, the less inclined i am to drink to excess ... although i still managed 3 glasses of wine last night. felt too awful/withdrawn etc. to go without ... supps & CDs etc. haven't arrived yet. at least it wasn't the full bottle, i guess.

[nancy]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

Having read a lot of posts here, it seems that the topomax is very effective for moderation, but with a side effect profile that is BAD. I know you can take supplements to counterract that profile, but for me, I just think there must be something better than taking a seizure medication.

If I were to take meds, I would consider naltrexone, which is more accepted for people with drinking problems (as opposed to topa which is for people with epilepsy and migraines).

But I have to admit, those who do the WHOLE program of MWO, including topomax, seem better able to achieve the desired outcome: ability to moderate. Since naltrexone allows you to drink moderately but not get the high from booze, I have to imagine the advantage of topa must be that you can still feel a little high and moderate? maybe others can weigh in on this. If that is the case, is it worth it to be all dopy just to get high from a moderate amount of alcohol?

What are the alternatives:

Your diet is already in hand and that is great. How is your mental attitude? That will improve hugely by having contact with members on this site.

I doubted Kudzu for a while but I am starting to think it is effective on an as needed basis, take it when you are planning to socialize/go out and stay AF the rest of the time.

I do believe in taking vitamins, including a B complex vitamin.

I believe the hypno CDs are very effective but you need to commit time to them.


Judging by the posts I have read, very few people seem to be able to moderate without taking some kind of medication, though it seems a lot of members cut down dramatically on binges (even with the reductions, though intake is still unhealthy). I wish the success rate was higher.

[vino_grrl]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

well .... after a few days of slightly lighter drinking (weaning myself, i suppose ... down to 2-3 drinks an evening ... in prep for my supplements, etc., to arrive), i'm feeling far better than when i joined this forum (i.e., after a night where i drank a bottle & a half). lots of cravings, though (and, indeed, more than i normally have) i think it's partly withdrawal, then also partly that same thing that happens when you go on a diet then all you can think of is food. ;-)

exercise is helping a LOT. i've never been a gym person in my life but, now that my daughter is content to stay @ the gym's kids club, i've been going to spinning class 2-3x a week for the last 3 wks. now, as of tomorrow, i add in two days of pilates. so M-F from 12 to 1 is at the gym. trying to overcome my feelings of self-loathing/disgust about drinking by at least being proud that i've managed to be consistent with exercise for the first time in my life. if i can change that (never thought i could) then i'm hoping i'll be able to change the drinking too. also trying to stick to a low carb (no rice, pasta, potatoes, etc) diet to help get the cravings under control. but white-knuckling until my MWO package arrives. i'm not even trying to quit altogether until that happens ... just trying to stick to 2-3 a night (even managed one night where i got home very late/had a sitter to stick to just ONE. wow!) my goal is to be AF when home alone ... the way i used to be a few years ago, then controlled (no more than 2-3 over the course of a loooong evening) with friends. if that doesn't work, i guess i have to go AF altogether, but that would make me super sad ... i love a really nice glass of wine w/food. i'm a pretty talented cook and have lots of friends who are as well ... many of the social events of my life revolve around cooking/eating & pairing wines w/what you cook/eat. but my friends have off switches that i, now, seem to lack. oy.

[cloudjockey]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

I tried topa twice, both times it worked, but with bad side effects. I really hated the way it made me feel. I'm on campral now, much better. Campral has few side effects, but is not for moderation. If you want to go AF, then I would recomened trying campral.

[stollies1]

Anyone Have Success w/o Topimax?

Hi Vino Girl,
I haven't taken any medical support either to give up but I am convinced the most important drug is determination You just have to truly set your mind to doing it and the withdrawals aren't half as bad. I gave up chilly poultry :H ( a bottle of vodka a day) and had no withdrawals whatsoever.It all depends on the person and at a few drinks a day, I doubt the major symptoms will manifest.I think so long as you support you wellbeing as your making the change, is the best you can do.
Good luck with it all....
Victoria xxooxx