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**greeneyes** · January 20, 2008, 11:10 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

You're ahead of me. I'm waiting on my book, CDs and kudzu. I think I can do this without topamax. I'm going to give it a go with some supplements and exercise. I have some from Pain & Stress Center, who is big on addictions,stress, anxiety, depression w/o prescriptions. And I take other stuff as outlined in their book, but unfortunately not when I'm drinking. I decided to kick it up a notch with this site. I've read here that topamax takes a while to get to you via mail. Keep reading, there's tons of helpful info from experienced people here. You made a good choice with this site.

**lukalee** · January 20, 2008, 11:15 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

I don't take prescription medication. I take 5-HTP, Kudzu, and sometimes Melatonin. I also take a lot of other supplements. I think it is promoted on this site (I hope, I don't know where else I would have learned about it) but I bought "Seven Weeks to Sobriety." I really have not been following it to a T, but it goes through the different types of supplements that should be used for detox, repairing the damage, etc. etc.

**Carm** · January 20, 2008, 11:40 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

I always buy my vitamins and supplements at vitacost and I found out that there is a Kudzu with 1200mg per serving. If you go on the vitacost web-site you can read amazing "results" from customers. I also ordered SAME and Gaba there......I will try to go along with this together with the CDs and the nutritions. Topomax is scaring me :-)

**Not Happy Hour-Happy Life** · January 20, 2008, 02:45 PM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

Welcome, Carm. You found a good place. I didn't take any supplements when I initially stopped drinking, but kicked up my water intake (rule of thumb: take your body weight, divide it by two~ that's how many ounces you should normally drink a day. So, at 140 lbs, you should drink 70 ounces.) Most people don't drink enough H2O... once I did, I felt like a puppy introduced to fire hydrants.

I went about a month before I found this site, and since then, I've added vitamins to my diet (B complex, Flax Seed Oil, Niacin, Calcium w/Magnesium, Chromax chromium, L Glut)...

I didn't know about the kudzu or the topa when I started and since I've been okay, I haven't added them. If you can commit to do 30 days alcohol free, then you can decide whether you want to stay AF or moderate your drinking. You don't have to decide today :flower:

Take care, and Go CHEESEHEADS!

Much love,

**me145** · January 20, 2008, 03:08 PM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

yup

my bf does the same thing, blames all ouru problems on the night i might get to drunk. yes, i have a problem with getting to drunk. but no, all our problems are not from that. in fact, they tend to come out more when we're drinking,

PJ · January 20, 2008, 07:17 PM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

Hi Carm,
:welcome: :welcome: :welcome:

Personnaly, I think there's "levels" of alcohol use:
(just my personal opinion)

1 - Teatotaller (never have, never will)
2 - Occasional use (normal people)
3 - Abuse (too much OR too often - by moderation standards)
4 - Addiction (add cravings to level 3)
5 - Dependance (can't function without it, withdrawal is dangerous)

Based on this theory, I think the protocol should fit the individual need: (these are my personal opinions and only intended as "food for thought")

1 - Party poopers. Stop Judging everyone else! You have no clue!
2 - Congratulations. Just because you don't have This problem, doesn't make you perfect. Back off!
3 - Basic supplements are a must, depending on your pattern. Alcohol does damage that the supplements will help undo and level out. (multi-vitmin, trace minerals, amino acids, fatty acids, and water - LOTS of WATER) - do this to fit your personal patern.
4 - Add Kudzu and L-glutamin to the basic supplements. NAC is also good for killing hangovers, and clearing toxins. May also need day time energy boost for a while (ginseng, bee pollen, royal jelly, suma, etc)
5 - Add pharmacudical prescriptions (Topa, etc) to the previous levels. Sleep aids are also helpful for a while (Tytrophan, 5-htp, prescription, etc).

Levels 3-5, consider hypnosis or other behavior modofication therapy...

Just my thoughts.

**dj0062** · January 20, 2008, 08:51 PM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

:new: Hi all,

I guess I have lurked long enough - lol. I am also going to try all supps but not the med at first (as I sit here with my Chard.) Just read the pdf book and feel optomistic, although not sure if I can even handle day 1. After I read it, in regard to the self-hypnosis I realized that is how I quit smoking (at least the start), I then relied on Nicorette gum for a couple of years as a crutch. A little apprehensive about the supps. and effects on the stomach. I drink every day - at least a bottle sometimes more.

Hope to be talking more.

dj

**Mags** · January 20, 2008, 10:02 PM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

Hey Carm

I grew up not far from Gulfport. I know practically every inch of that coast from a sailboat. At least I did before Katrina.

I've been around MWO a pretty long time and the first thing I should say is welcome. Things can be confusing at first.

Definitely start off by reading RJ's book and spending as much time as possible reading and posting on the boards here. As for the supps, you really don't have to start with the topamax right away - it is pretty heavy stuff. Start off with the kudzu (buy it from this site - other stuff in stores is not nearly as good) and the L-glutamine at a minumum. Those are very good for the alcohol cravings. You also need an excellent multivitamin - you can take the all one sold on this website or any other good quality one.

As for the SAMe, first know that it is not for people with bipolar disorder. It can be quite unhealthy for those people. And if you are taking certain anti-D's it might be contraindicated. It is excellent as a mood booster and i believe it raises serotonin levels in the brain, but I would have to double check that. It certainly has helped me a lot in the depression thing.

What else did you mention? 5-HTP i think. I have never taken that, but I do take GABA which has helped me a lot. They are similar.

Start with the kudzu and glutamine for a few days, then add the others one by one for a few days to test for bad reactions. I think you will find them very helpful.

I would hold off on the topamax for a few weeks. See how the kudzu works first. And before starting the topa, read up on it on this website. It must be taken carefully and dosed up slowly. And some people do not tolerate it well. Then there are alternatives such as Campral, etc. Do your research on this site.

Hope this helps a little. Welcome to MWO. I hope to see you around some more. We are always here for help whenever you need it.

PJ · January 20, 2008, 10:05 PM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

Welcome, DJ!

Sounds like you read the "lurking" thread? LOL!!

Keep posting! It doesn't matter where you're at. We're here for support. Still outta control...we can show you how to stand back up. Thinking about change, but not ready... we will hold your hand. Ready to take a plung... we'll offer advice. Hanging on by a thread... We'll pray for you. BELIEVE me. No matter where you're at, we're here to support YOUR goals today, and YOUR goals in the future. No judgement.

**Croft** · January 21, 2008, 09:37 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

I agree that all the nutrients and drugs are confusing. But I bought it all anyway including hte Topo. I want to quit, as I no longer want the hubby to have an excuse for why we have our big fights.

**Justin Time** · January 21, 2008, 09:54 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

PJ may be on to something with her discussion of levels. However, I am a proponent of Topamax for anyone struggling enough to consider MWO. It really helped me and even more so my wife. I am off the Topa now (after 3 months) but she just got another 3 months worth. She thinks that after 6 months she will be ready to get off it.

**dj0062** · January 21, 2008, 10:14 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

PJ

Thanks for the encouraging words and thoughts - very much appreciated! I'm surprised I don't feel worse this morning for the damage I did. Don't remember going to bed. I hate that feeling. Anyway, I think there is hope now. At least I am going to try it.
I see you are from VA as well. I am in the SW part - pretty much the rural area.

dj

**Carm** · January 25, 2008, 07:53 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

Back again :-) and good to see you all !!!! As good as it gets

:thanks: for all your tips regarding the nutritions and so forth.
I had a crazy week. Once I found MWO is subscribed immediately, downloaded the book, ordered the vitamins and supplements and felt good :-) I read the book the same day...bet everybody did! God, I was thrilled to death.....still am.
I guess I mentioned before that Im drinking when I am upset (mainly with my husband......a lie always than). OK, so here is the story and i truly hope I dont get on your nerves....but its is 5:AM here and a pretty good time for me to let out some things.
First of all I havent touched a drop since 10 days.
Katrina was mentioned here before and since Katrina I have my husband 24/7 (both working out of the house). He has always been pretty hard to deal with (attorney) and every argument seem to be a day in court (they know how to flip facts around, corner you and make you feel like you can be blamed for the miserey of the world). As I said I had him 24/7 (still have), on top of that clients coming to the house and secretaries. No room on my own. It just started so harmless........when I had enough I rode my bike and one day I started out to buy me a beer or two, found a nice place and made myself comfortable. Well, I didnt give it too much thought than because I just had two or 3 drinks once in a while and nothing to be worried about. The drinks made me feel better, kind like a "get away", they relaxed me. As things got worth here.....too much fighting.....and beer was out of the picture (he checked my backpack, found them and gave me a hard time......) I decided one day to get a pint of wodka........easy to hide somewhere and I coukd finally drink it at home without him seing it. Guess there I had the turning point and missed the boat. Because, I did not do that often, but now I was no longer done after "2-3 drinks", when I started I could not stop and drank until I was really drunk. I have to mention here that I used to have 3 glasses of wine when we went out (for years) and already there my husband made a big deal out of it and called me pretty often an "alcoholic" when he wanted to hurt me. So I guess, I just did what seem to be the "natural answer" on his "false (at that time anyway) accusations". But the matter of fact is, I lost control (when I drank) and everything just became more misereable. The first couple of swigs where my decision than Mr. Smirnoff took over and made the decision and I hate that. As i write this now I can see things in perspective and I realize that he had been so nasty to me so many times, it is a pure wonder that I didnt drink on a daily basis. After sucking a whole week of being critisized for everything (I am 5 foot 4, 130 pounds but "a big fat mama", I have my own business, pay my own expenses, work 12 hours a day, cook "from scratch" every night, clean the house, do the loundry, but when I sit down and read a book "Im just sitting on my fat ase", when I knit "this is stuff for old women", when I puzzle "Is this what they do in Europe?") called me Nazi bitch several times I had a situation where the weather was so bad I could not ride my bike so I drank Listerine to "get away" (I am ashamed of that).I put my husband in a "pool position". Boy I made it so easy for him........and every argument ended the usual way. He gets real mean and personal, accuses me of being a drunk and than provokes me "Go and get a drink".So after a 100 fights about "booth" (which is BS because we got deeper issues) or so he finally talked to lawyer last week about a divorce, saw a counsellor (which was supposed to be a marriage counsellor) and came home, told me that "she-the counsellor-" said that Im a severe alcoholic, have to be locked up for at least 90 days and that I must be bipolar anyway (bitch (sorry), but she never saw me or talked to me). That was the day when I decided that I gotta do something. I found this site and now, a week later, I finally know why this site and the program was what I needed. Before I met my husband I did self-hypnosis for many years (I was balanced and just felt good about myself and all my decisions). I lost that, I mean I lost the ability to do that.....and the "meditations" I did have a lot to do with "positive" thinking and "positive feelings" so since "he" is such a pessimistic person and always unhappy I guess I lost it. And along with that I lost all my hobbies like painting in oil, knitting, reading.......due to being "unbalanced" but also to his negative comments towards all of this. I just got "lost". But now its over!!!!!! I had a week of getting back on track, the book was my mirror and I knew I was lost but now Im found. I do not need Topomax (I do not have cravings), I need the CDs to get back to be able again to meditate. My steps for my life and what I did: After being so mean and threatening I thought I fight back! Im on this program (with all your support), I saw a lawyer (just for advice and to make sure he cant lock me up as he said), I see a psychiatrist, a real MD...not what he saw "a half graduate" (to knock out his bullshit about being biplor), I bought me a fancy new MP3 player, made two playilsts...one with "feeling good and relax music" the other with my favorite female rocksongs (I used to sing in a band....Ohhhhh I lost that too) and when he starts out here :-) I go to my music (better than Smirnoff.......I can manage the controls.....) and here we go. SO, he tried again.....twice this week, twice very nasty...but no longer with ME BUDDY. Its time to take care of MY stuff......Im on my way, MY WAY OUT and I know that in a couple of month I can enjoy a normal glass of wine.

Im sorry, this is a long one but I had such an "eye opener". I truly believe that a lot of us are drinking because they "lost" something along the way. This could be anything. I lost my sister when she was 19, this year I lost my daddy (he was 60)......which was very hard. But I lost myself.......I lost all what once made my personality, what made me strong and although "I had help" with this on a fast track, it was me. I let it happen.

Love you all and see you later:h

**Carm** · January 25, 2008, 08:09 AM

HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

Yep take the wind out of his sails

:goodjob: croft,

I know exactly how you feel. Same boat I guess:l . As longs as we drink (especially when THEY dont drink) they are in a "pool position".....STEP 1 Take this position away....
STEP 2 Feel good about yourself again.... STEP 3 Who knows......maybe/hopefully a happy marriage. Guess this is something we have to deal with later. The booth gives them an "Ace" to play against you and you are always in the wrong due to this magic card (no matter how bad they are -which could be female an male).

Send you an angel to guide your way

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HELP, new and confused about the nutritions

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