New here and starting Topa and with a question

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Aus - yes, it can. It worked quite quickly for me on appetite loss. Which I didn't need. Much to the chagrine of a lot of folk here, I don't need to lose any weight !!! LOL Infact, when I started losing, I had to consciously make myself eat - I started on the All-One so I knew I would be getting all the Nutrients I would need - I chose the Green Phyto one and LOVE it. in fact when I don't have it I miss it and feel the difference. I have just got a coupon from them so if you order any let me mnkow and I wil let you know the coupon code! I weigh the same now that I did when I got married - 30 years ago! It is pretty much well distributed the same too LOL. 'Cept I have no boobs due to BC but I was only tiny before so you couldn't really count them anyway! Probably too much info - sorry - I tend to waffle as those here will tell you. ANYWAY - going on - have you just started on Topa? PLEASE let us know how you are doing - we love to keep this thread going and sometimes it slows to almost going backwards! New faces are awesome. WELCOME. PM me if you ever have any questions!

Love, Sun X

[Bruunhilde]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Sunny,

BC, huh, are you in the clear then? You skinny B! LOL, yes, chagrin is the word, its effortless for some like my dad and he just thinks I must pork out to be overweight and I don't! He does! AGGGG! :H

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Bruun and IM - replying to both of you - I am a waffly mood - so I apologize in advance - LOL First of all, I went back through our thread and read a lot of the earlier posts - I decided that i LIKE when folk post about themselves - it gives us readers a chance to see where we are. So reading the posts that YOU think are "ME ME ME" are actually good! Otherwise, how are others to know how to compare themselves? I like the way that you both post. please don't change.
ImHere - one thing I would love to say to you about feeling inferior/inadequate - my mum once asked me (when we were in a restaurant and I had complained about my looks), "who in here would you rather look like?". I looked around and there was no-one that I would rather look like than me. I don't care for my looks but there was no-one else I wanted to look like!!!!! the other thing with feeling inadequate - SO often, the folk that you feel inadequate to, feel the same same as you. I used to worry SO much about what others thought about me. then one day, I came to my senses. What difference does it make what they think of me? It will be in their mind for a minute - two at most then gone. if they talk about me, it gives someone else a break - I AM HAPPY WITH WHO I AM. It matters not what others think - it is inside you what is important - you need to be happy with you. I could go on but I don't want to waffle and bore everyone. Please feel free to PM me if you want to. it is nothing to do with religion - just a mindset!! The day I changed the way I thought was really good me for.

well, I said I wouldn't waffle but I have. Oh - I started getting depressed on the higher dose of Topa so have had to back down again!!!! SO, here we go again. I cannot take the higher dose that makes me stop the AL. That is the 300mg dose. I get up to the 250mg dose and all is fine. then I get to the 300mg and I know that I don't want the AL. BUT the depression kicks in. I cannot handle that black feeling. just can't go there. So I am back down again. Am going to have to do this with the lower dose. Still handling the AL pretty well - never get drunk, never drink too much, but always still drink every night, yada, yada, yada. Anyone reading from the beginning must be bored with me.

Love and hugs to all,

love, Sun XX

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Bruunhilde;1228347 wrote: Hi Sunny,

BC, huh, are you in the clear then? You skinny B! LOL, yes, chagrin is the word, its effortless for some like my dad and he just thinks I must pork out to be overweight and I don't! He does! AGGGG! :H

Am i in the clear for what Bruun????

[Bruunhilde]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

BC, Sun.

Like your whole post on every single point. :l

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Everyone, it's me, playland, I'm ready to join in this really wonderful thread, you all have literally given me the courage to try the Topa, I've been afraid of the medications for along time but it has become really my last hope at least for this moment. I'm pretty tired tonight but wanted to let you know that I'm here and will be starting to post and let you know how it is going with me. See you tomorrow.
PL

[Australia]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Thanks sun! No I haven't started yet, I have just ordered online which I am a little worried about in case it has weird stuff in it but the place was recommended here so I should be OK. I will prob get it in a few days and I intend to start at 25mg and hope to help with af and also weight I gained on ssris, like 30 pounds! I don't want to feel dopey and am worried I might not be able to function at work, hope this is not the case, see,s a little scary but so many have used it so can't be all bad. Also I get lots of situational anxiety and I hear this could level it out and make me more confident as well as stoping my drinking crazy amounts of soda and smoking, sounds magic!!!
Thoughts guys?

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Bruunhilde;1228427 wrote: BC, Sun.

Like your whole post on every single point. :l

YES bruun - I am in the clear - this November was my 5 year mark!! Not that I ever worried anyway - I am a little miss Pollyanna !! My Docs quite shook their heads at me 'cos they thought I wasn't taking the whole business seriously enough!! LOL

Hugs to you.

Welcome Playland !! And Aus - I do have thoughts but am in a rush right now - will be back later .. need to get to the shops before they get too manic!

Hugs to all, Sun XX

[Bruunhilde]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Glad to hear you're clear! Love that polyanna attitude, what a gift!

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Again,
I started the Topa exactly one week ago and what an interesting week. Before I get into that I want to give you the info leading up to this week, I know it is the "me,me,me" but it does let you know where I have come from and I hope some of it might be useful to someone else out there. I'll try to not ramble on too long and in the future promise to not be long.
So, my drinking started out innocently and gradually enough until it just started getting heavier and heavier during a time of extreme difficulty and depression in my life and after starting on SSRIs I just kept drinking and really it was just a way of life and this went on for about 15 years I guess, there was never a day that I didn't drink heavily, but I never really questioned it. Then about the last 3 years it has literally taken over my life, I go to work and the minute I get off work I stop for a glass of wine even before getting home and then drink all evening until basically passing out. The children are now grown and I'm divorced so no one is around to see but I also have to try to hide it if I go somewhere. The craving is absolute torture. Travelling by plane? To another country to visit family? How to hide it there? On and on and on and on. My whole life has become doing nothing but work and drinking, no energy, no fun. So, about a year ago I came across the MWO book and bought everything, CDs, supplements, not the meds, I was afraid to order them online and wouldn't ask my doctor. I am a nurse and cannot have this on my medical record.
I didn't like the hynotherapist on the cds but I liked the idea so I started looking around on the internet and came across another one called Wendi.com, wow, called "Alcohol Freedom". I listened to it about 3 days and it was absolutely like magic, all the cravings were gone and I had a hugh rush of energy and felt better than I had felt for years and was also still taking the supplements. So I was supposed to listen to the cds for 30 days but I was so busy at the hospital I couldn't keep listening and I started thinking "Oh, this was so easy that I can do this anytime that I want and I can have a drink if I want to and just listen to the tapes again and quit anytime, (typical of alcohol talking) so within two weeks I was drinking as much as ever and then when I listened to the tapes again, it didn't work the same way. I have never again been able to get it to work like it did the first time and I don't know why but it has never been the same, kind of like your experience, Sun, with the Topa. So, things have continued to even get worse, more and more wine. I have started to feel really desperate and started thinking more and more about the Topamax and started reading on this Forum. I started on the Newbies Nest and none of them seem to take the medication and then I found this thread and started reading and decided to order the Topamax.
I have been very afraid of the side effects but after all of my research I decided that this medication has been around for a long time and has been used for along time with alot of success for other things. Most people don't get really really awful side effects & many do of course. I'm really afraid of the Baclefen, and some of the others don't sound as if they work really well, and they are getting more difficult to get without a RX also, I don't know if I can even get any more Topa. I am anxious about the loss of hair which has been report by so many people on the Topa and I am going to get the recommended supplements, anyone with experience on that part?
I'm going to close for tonight because I don't want to go on too long for one post. Tomorrow I will let you know how the first week on Topa has gone and what my plan is for the second week. Thanks for you patience in reading this very long post and best wishes and luck to all of you here.

playland

[Midnight]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Playland - my replies are always short because I am on my iPhone but I have been on topa quite a while. First round was a miracle. Able to do alcohol free nights and then completely moderate when needed. Stopped during pregnancy and now after kids second round not as good but still better than I could be! No hair loss even at 250 mg. I did have tingles and word loss for maybe up to a month but basically all side effects have gone away. First round I lost 20 lbs, second round really no weight loss and I have heard this is common.
Gotta run! Let me know if you have other questions!

[Bruunhilde]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Playland, welcome, I can't give you feedback on Topa much, except to say I was on it for a few weeks and my hair fell out but it helped me taper down for the first time in my life. I had four days alcohol free. My hair seems to fall out for any reason it can find. If your hair is temperamental like that, it might fall out. Mine grew back in later.

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi All- Thanks for your input Midnight and Bruun regarding the hair loss issue, right now I'm just starting and so don't have the hair loss and won't worry about it yet I guess, maybe it won't even happen, and maybe it doesn't matter, I don't know yet.

So, day 1 on Topa 25mg - immediate tingles around my mouth and hands and "spacy" feeling head, I went to work and really did ok, went home and drank the same as usual. Day 2 - went to work - had trouble functioning normally, I told co-workers I was feeling ill, I felt like I couldn't smile and that I was kind of moving in slow motion and felt very anxious that I was going to be making medication errors but I made it thru and got home but was confused getting off the subway, drank as usual. Day 3 - still very "spacy" feeling and very "solemn" and kept saying "jar of water" instead of "bottle of water". But that afternoon I noticed that I wasn't feeling that normal kind of underlying gnawing feeling of thinking about drinking and unbelievably when I got home I just didn't want a glass of wine. I just couldn't believe that had happened. I also was just not really hungry.

I cannot believe that this happened in only 3 days. I was AF for 3 days and am so so scared that it will not last. The next night I had dinner with my son in law and he poured me a glass of wine and I just drank it slowly, it wasn't too exciting and I didn't want more, wow, I was blown away, but last night, I had a small glass and then another small glass, so far tonight not any, but I am afraid it is wearing off.

Tomorrow is the 9th day and I am going to go to 50 mg. I know that it is not a miracle drug and I still need to have some "will power" and I think, gee don't I have any at all, with the Topa working so well, I still had a bit last night. But that is where it is for now. All the side effects have gone away for now, perhaps they will return when I increase the dose I don't know but I will fine out tomorrow.

Thanks to all of you here, I have learned so much by reading thru alot of your experiences and how you have handled things and kind of what I might expect. Mostly I have realized that it might seem like everything is good and is under control but can be lost very easily and I have to be really careful.

Oh yes, the other thing is the appetite loss. It is the strangest thing I have ever experienced. I take a bite of food and am just not interested. I had gained 20 lbs from taking neurontin for chronic pain which I have stopped but hadn't lost the weight. I may have lost a pound but it looks like I actually might lose some weight with the Topa. I had no idea it helped with weight until I started reading your thread.

So, right now I am in absolute heaven, it is such a complete freedom from the torture of thinking about alcohol night and day every waking minute, it is such a luxury and I just pray that I can continue this.

bye for now, playland

[Australia]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Wow, playland- great job. I'm glad you are getting results. I am waiting for ny order to arrive, then I will share experiences too. Do you still feel spacey? Anxious? I was hoping it might quell anxiety

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hey everyone - sorry I still haven't replied - got in from work last night around 11.00 and am up and on my way out now at 10 after 6. Back later! Hugs to you all,

Sun X