New here and starting Topa and with a question

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Good Morning everyone

Diz - glad that you took it easy yesterday - the rhodiola is not an AD - I like to think of it more as something that just takes the edge off things. It works very subtley (subtley sp?) and in a day or two - just takes the edge off! LOL re what did I do in the garden - WEED !! It seems that is all my garden ever needs! We have very clayey soil too and I have amended it a lot - but the raised beds this year have so far been a joy - weeding one of them yesterday took seconds! It is the rest of the garden that is hard to weed - even though we have put tons of other stuff all over, it is never enough. I will check out the greenhouse story later - no time now as I am off to work in a few.....

Play - I had to look and look and look before I found what you were talking about with Mimi - then I found it - about when Diz didn't post, that this thread is boring! LOL - I am sure she didn't mean it the way it sounded...... Glad that the Topa is there for you. I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record but I wish it did that for me. I too used to like carbonated water but just drink plain water now - I hadn't even thought about the topa doing that - DUH !! I love the water now though - we have a filter on our tap and I drink loads of it.

I have to get to work - early shift - love it! Am full of good intentions about weeding when I come home but we shall see.....

Love and hugs to all..... Sun X

[DizzyBee]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Sun

I will see if I can find the rhodiola. Yeah, I'm sure Mimi was just trying to cajole me into writing more.

Anyway, I just thought I should mention that 300mg is not by far the highest safe recommendable dosage of Topamax. People with Migraines and Epilepsy often take up to 500-600mg per day. I think the book just went up to 300mg for legal reasons, you don't want someone taking more than that unsupervised.

So if its not giving you any bad side effects, and as you dumped your AD, why don't you discuss the possibility with your doctor of increasing? Oh... I remember now you mentioned depression. But you're not down now, and its Summer, hmmm, so maybe?

LOL, look at us, all trying to prescribe each other happy.

I'm going to ask my brother and the gardener on Saturday to turn one of my veggie beds into a raised bed to help with the weeding... So looking forward!

:l :l :l

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hello Everyone!

Funny about the Margarita pizza! HA! Had not thought about that when I was typing it. I wish … but nope, it was real deal. Quite common in these parts as I live less pretty close to the of border Mexico!

Sun – Really didn’t take me that long to type that as I type fast, but I just don’t often take the time to go back and check for errors. You guys will just have to accept me being a type-tard. =)

Yes Mimi and all .. that is my dog Charlie! I don’t really spend much time brushing him but we have a little routine that in the evening, even for 5-10 minutes while I watch a bit if TV I brush him a bit before we go to bed. He is SUCH a love bug and loves his tummy brushed. Also, livingout in the country I have to watch for things like burrs and foxtails and other nasties that can get into his coat. In fact, he is going in for surgery next Thursday. =(

About a month ago I felt a small lump on his neck. Within a day and a half it was the size of a golf ball! So I rushed him to the vet. I thought it was a swollen glad or something. Nope – they figure it some sort of “foreign body” like a thorn or something and the body is reacting and surrounding it with white blood cells. Doesn’t seem to hurt at all and what little fluid they could get out (it’s really hard!) was all white cells. So they put him on antibiotics for 14 days. A day and half later it was about the size of a raisin – and in 3 days gone! I did the full 14 days of meds and knew it was a 50/50 chance of it returning. Last Friday I thought I found it again. Sure enough by Monday I had him back at the vet and by yesterday afternoon back to golf ball size. *sigh*.

I had to wait until yesterday to get his meds in and we started them last night. Hopefully with the quick success again this time this time. The hope is to really shrink it again and then remove it next Thursday morning and find out what the heck it is. Not really major – except to me! (and my pocketbook!) But it’s stresses me anytime you put an animal under because you are always taking a chance and I can’t explain to him why he will hurt and will be walking around with a cone head! Taking a few days off to be with him and then have the weekend …

Mimi – Laughed so hard at your mouse story! That is one BRAVE mouse! I used to get them inside once in a while and had a totally useless cat. He would sit on my barstool and watch the little critter run back and forth across the kitchen floor. Would catch them outside and bring them in as present – but totally ignored them in the house. I can just imagine your screams. HA!

Play – So sound so great and are doing SO well! Happy dance for you! Like you, can’t put too much pressure on myself – but 2 glasses are WONDERFUL! I’m still working on getting that brave and getting comfortable with 3 glasses. I am going to up my Topa tonight to 50/100 as I think I have been at 50/75 too long and those few days of going a bit overboard worry me.
Diz – I am so happy to hear you have broken you “funk cloud”. So hard at times! Hormones can play a MAJOR part too! I had big time ovarian cysts and hormones were totally out of wack and then had a radical hysterectomy and I was up and down and all over the board trying to get balance again. Thankfully got it solved with bio-identical HRT patches years ago now, but it was NO FUN!

And I am sorry – but your BF is a poop for making such a comment about the money. Ignore it, work through it, be the bigger one and proud that you will take care of it properly and it will all be said and done it a short time. And as a side note, if he is so broke, why did he send you “extra” – so he could feel better about himself and make you feel worse and have more to hang over your head? Just a thought (you can tell me shut up anytime) but I would send the extra back ASAP if possible. The sooner this is off your plate the better you can deal with what is REALLY happening in the relationship and not what side issues are steering it. **stepping off soap box**

Hey Sun! You sound like you have been working as crazy of days as me! Glad you have found some time for you garden. I hope to get back out there this weekend before I kill off anything more!

Oh, contractors are a nightmare! What all are you having done? I did one room at a time in the years I have had this house and swear there were issues with every room and every one of them. I now just know that it will take twice as long and cost 1 ? times what they say – no matter what. I don’t envy you – except it’s SO fun when it’s over!

So overall I seem to back on a better track after slipping a bit for a few days. I was supposed to have Monday off but ended up at my desk on the phones for hours and hours and sadly it was anything but relaxing. So 3 days of over “my limit” but yesterday I felt balanced again and remembered to even have my All-One as well as extra L-Glut and only drank 2.5 glasses of wine with ease. Tonight I move up to 100 of Topa which will take me to 50/100 daily. I think I may have stayed at 50/75 too long. I’m doing OK, but I am still thinking about it too much and days home are still hard to fight for that 3 PM start time if I have anything in the house at all. So still working on that part ..

Diz – Will get to the gardening thread again soon! I greenhouse??? I am jealous!!

Hello to everyone else!

Later all!

WTE

[mimi911]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Sunshine I couldn't figure out what playland was reffering to either but you cleared it up for me.

Playlandof course the rest of you aren't boring but if you go back and look you will see that when she wasn't posting there were hardly any posts from the rest of of either. Myself included. It is sometimes difficult to find the time to spend on this computer so it's completely understandable and I'm sorry for causing offense.

As for the mouse, it outsmarted me and I haven't seen it since. I think we scared it so bad it must be in the next county by now telling its family and friends about the strange giants who were afraid of something so small.

Gotta go, the almost 3 year old is calling.....

[mimi911]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

WTEKeep us updated on your dog. Hope all goes well.

snuggled up on the couch watching Toy Story but think the G.B. isn't going to last long as she is really tired today.

Well, time for some major snuggles...

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi, I havent been posting much because I havent really got much to say, sitting in my house in pain is about it lately I have been trying to keep up reading but even that Im finding hard.

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi, :thanks: Sun and Mimi for the reassurance that we aren't developing into a little "groupie" club here, why do I need to feel the love and acceptance in this club? not sure,

but I remember when I was in high school, actually all the way thru school, I was just not in the popular group, it didn't feel good, I've never gone to a high school reunion, I've always lived thousands of miles away and there were no big friendships for me to go back for. Of course I had some friendships but they were not the full on kind the popular kids seemed to develop. I grew up just fine and I'm probably more of a free spirit than most of the others in my class were. I come from a tiny back woodsy town in the midwest, nothing is left of the town these days, and I am one of the only people that left there after graduation. You guys are probably the biggest group of friends that I have.

I have been a nurse for over 40 years and have found that nurses tend to be very difficult to form good friendships with. I have 3 best friend nurses, one lives near to me and the other two live in Colorado where I lived for 30 years. In general nurses are so busy, if you are not working, they are working, there is no time to get together, they are also in general fraught with problems, co-dependency, depression and self-medication. They are over worked and very stressed and it is no wonder that they are a mess so much of the time.

Space I've been thinking about your back and I did something to my back two days ago and I can barely get up and down. I don't generally have a back problem but something happened, hopefully mine will get better. Some of our patients at the hospital have been using an over the counter patch that is just a topical anesthetic, the patch just sticks on and they come in all sizes, everyone says they really do work and they use them every day, the doctors even tell them to get them. I'm going to try one tomorrow, they get them at drugstores like "Wallgreens", I'm not sure what kind of stores you have but they must be available for you, they are not a RX.

WTE, that thing with Charlie sounds like an abcess that clears up when he takes an ABX but doesn't completely get cleared up. I wonder if perhaps it needs to be opened up so that it can drain while at the same time he is taking an extended time of ABX and having hot packs daily to help it drain say about 10 days of both things, just a thought, perhaps mention it to the Vet, but I'm not a doc, so I'm sure the Vet must know best, and I know he will be ok in the end, I'm saying prayers for you both.

Regarding me and Topa, we are getting along well together now, but I am not in the clear yet. At this point I am feeling the cravings starting to let up during the day. I still feel them during the evening and that is why I'm just having the plan to be able to have two glasses of wine in the evening and not freak out about it. I'm going to sit tight and give the topa more time to really do it's thing. I think in one more week I will increase by another 25mg and then hold it there while I go to spain. I am pretty certain that at this dose I will be able to concentrate on what I have to do without going thru all the torture of the cravings while I am there. I can relax and know that I can have a glass in the evening and not worry about it during the day, I think I will be able to be very relaxed about that whole alcohol situation while I am there, thank the Lord.:thanks:

Dizz I so hope you are feeling better and Sun what is this Rhodiola business that takes the EDGE off??? and where do you get it? it is a supplement???

ok bye for now, I'll be around later, I'm already in bed with my PJs on and I'm going to watch a movie and relax, woops, having my wine already, but I can have two:H

love you all.
Play

[struggles]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi everyone! I made 24 hours and am back on the topa! I drank all day yesterday and was in bed by 7pm. I woke today and began my day one. Felt a little shaky and did get a few sweats and my stomach is off, but no drink

I made a nice dinner and ate with the kids. I just took my second dose of topa and it can make me tired so I generally go to bed early.

I want to thank you all for your support. I have started reading Jason Vale's book, kick the drink easily and it's interesting so far.

Have a good night, all. :thanks:

[playland]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Welcome Back Struggles, remember the topa takes some time to start working so relax and let it build up in your system, in a week you can increase the dose by 25 mg and hold to that for another week. Keep us updated on your progress. Going to bed early does wonders for not drinking, it's a good thing.
See you soon.

Hugs,
Play

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi everyone - got in from work and went out in the garden and hilled my spuds then had a chap come and do an estimate for me. Am now waiting for my dinner to cook - I am starving !!!

Diz - I have never gone above 300mg but I suppose I could - I know my nephew did - he was on it for other things ..... I am on my 3rd guinness - SIGH. Didn't take my L-Glut nor my Kudzu - need to get back into taking them. anyway I don't have any more and won't go out after having three anyway, so it is a moot point tonight. My doc would NEVER inscrease - the one I have now would just want me to go to a group psych meeting or AA or something - she and I do not see eye to eye. I am feeling fine re the depression so far anyway which is great.

WTE - hope everything goes well with Charlie and his lump - I feel for you - having had Maggie and lumps, my heart is in my mouth for you.....but I know everything will be well. :h As for what I am having done on the house - the hail storm that we had at the end of april damaged the siding on the end of our house and when the loss adjustor came out he also said that we needed a new roof so as our area is considered a disaster area due to the storm the roofers and general contractors in the area are snowed under with work. We have had over 60 calls from scammers and who knows who regarding our roof - we don't even answer the phone any more and we have been warned by the Consumer Protection Agency Corps not to discuss our house with anyone calling at the house or calling on the phone or leaving flyers - it is all a real mess in this area. I have called some local people and have some of them giving us estimates and will only go with them. Sorry if that is way more info than you wanted - LOL!!

Mimi - this thread used to be posted on rather few and far between. So I understand when you said that it was boring when Diz didn't post!! Please tell me that you have taken up the 'proper' mouse traps and put down humane ones???? Please?? :l Loved the idea of major snuggles.......

Play - you do not need the acceptance into this 'club' - you are the one that would give acceptance - if there were one - into this club - LOL - you are a silly!! You have been here long enough that you are a long standing member!!!! I do understand where you are coming from though - when i was at school, there weren't quite the cliques that there are these days, but I suppose I was in one of the groups that was more of the popular ones - although not as they are these days at all!! And I was one of the quiet ones. So sort of got on with everyone anyway, but was shy so know where you are coming from.

So sorry you did something to your back - does the pain patch help at all? i always think the back is too big of an area for a pain patch to help much!! When are you off to Spain again? Is that for your daughters surgery ? How long will you be gone for?

Rhodiola is a russian shrub that you can buy at Wholefoods as a supplement. I prefer the New Chapter Rhodiola Force 300- it is more expensive but is worth it in the long run. It takes a day or two to kick in, and just takes the edge off of things - is very subtle - you will take it and a day or two later will suddenly think "I am feeling better". I don't take it the way they suggest - if any of you get it ask me !!

Hi there Struggles - lovely to see you here again - I am happy that you are back on the topa..... you might try the Alan carr book as well as the vale book - it is just a personal thing but I way prefer it over the vale book!!! Hang in here with us - glad you had a good dinner with the kids! Sleep well my friend! :l

I am off to bed too - I work the closing shift tomorrow and am going to get me a milky coffee and go to bed with a good book!!! I might even be able to get a little sleep in if the dogs let me!

Love and hugs to all,

Sun X

[mimi911]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Playof you are probably more than any of those "popular" people ever became. some of us take our time to blossom and become the strong women we are today.

The mouse has been humanely taken care of. Who could hurt something with such cute little eyes. I do hope he hasn't got any brothers or sisters visiting.

[mimi911]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Oh my goodness, that was supposed to say

Play- you are probably more successful than any of those popular people ever became and should be proud of yourself.

I am watching NCIS: Las Angeles while typing this. not very good at doing two things at one time. lol

[DizzyBee]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hey everyone

Winter's here and I'm so glad I'm not working in the city as I now get two extra hours to snuggle under the covers should I choose to do so. I often don't but I HATE driving in the cold wet rain. My immobilisers broken anyway, so I guess I would've had an excuse to stay at home. Why this rambling? I applied for a job just to see what they'll say but I doubt I'll take it. I'm still not sure what I want to do and I think I want to go to London for a bit although I no longer have that in mind for a longterm plan.

I have to start sewing my sprout hemp bags today. Going to pick them up from my mother, who is feeling better - yay! She is a hyper as anything now and hard to keep up with. Then I'm taking it to my aunt's swimwear factory where I'm hoping the girls will help me with the sewing. Well I'm going to buy some chocolates on the way just in case. My aunt and uncle is in Italy at the moment and they are bound to be quiet today as I doubt there are too many people buying swimwear on a cold and rainy day like today.

I also have to start writing an article on alternative energy sources in South Africa. I'm quite excited about it but also a bit nervous. I'll tell you more about it once I've done some research.

Hey Struggles, good to see you back here! Wow, you're a brave one, just jumping on that wagon! Good for you, stick close to us. Also, the Abstinence daily thread is great if you have a 30 day AF goal. They keep me on my toes when I feel like sliding off...

WTE - Sorry to hear about Charlie. My mom's dog Ciske also has a lump on her tummy and the dog says its harmless but I still wish my mom would have it removed. I should add its a MINI greenhouse, the size of a large table to be exact.

Oh, and feel free to say mean things about Mr Shithead, I do Hmmm, you weren't mean actually. I'll send him the money like I said I will, right now I'll just give him (and me) some space. I don't know, there is something wrong with him. He still wants me to visit but for some reason he can't get over this grudge he bears against me. It's so childish, I've decided to just let him be for a week or two, perhaps me trying to make amends gave him the false impression that I am the one in the wrong here.

Sorry, Space, Could you see your doctor again. I don't think you ever told us what caused your back pain? Its an on injury that flared up again. Shit, its because of the gardening? :l

Play, I think when I started here I was just so excited as I loved Topa and I loved this website and I loved this thread so my enthusiasm rubbed off on everyone else. Other than that it's up to each and every one of us to keep this thread alive. Oh, and I was never popular in school. I was the school newspaper editor though, which gave people the impression that I was a nerd, but it was helpful as it let me get away with murder as I was actually a naughty one.

Thanks for reminding me that you are a nurse. I sometimes really get stuck with those nursing policy documents and if you don't mind perhaps I can ask you? I have some experience in the medical field but I'm obviously a nurse and therefore I simply don't know, for example, what one calls the trolley over the bed, or those side rails they use to keep the patients from falling off.

Sunny I think everyone has their perfect Topamax dosage and I think yours is higher than 300mg. I'm going to say this once and only once. (Have you seen 'allo 'allo? :H ) What if your magic dose is 325mg? I'd like for you to consider that you are now off the AD which means that you could probably take a bit more Topamax. So perhaps consider ordering a 100 25mg pills from River Pharmacy and playing with your dose a bit? Really slowly and carefully of course and if any bad SE happens, you simply taper back down to 300. Don't quit before the miracle happens (and I know that's out of context)

And hon, you really should take that L-glut and the All-One. It always makes a huge difference for you. I really can't imagine you at an AA meeting and you know what - this is a frigging modern AA meeting! I'm serious, you probably share more on this site than you'll ever share at a meeting. Yes, some of us drink a bit and yes we talk a bit about our lives but its a damn lot more interesting than sitting in that circle.

So I'd like for you to consider that this IS group therapy. I'm also shy, the only reason I blurt out stuff here is because I'm a writer so (surprise, surprise) I feel comfortable writing my feelings down. But if you and I and everyone else here were in group I would not have told you half of what I have said. And half of it would still be inside me, festering away.

PS: if your doc really pisses you off, perhaps get a new one? :h

Mimi, I'm glad the mouse is sorted. A cat would take care of that for you. Wel mine would in no time. Sometimes I wish I had a little one to cuddle up with...Pffft, let me not get all soppy now. There's still plenty of time for that and we have to pick the right daddy, eh?

Houtx, why so quiet? Did you meet up with that hot lover and are the two of you locked up in some hotel room? :blush:

Have a great day everyone,

XOX

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I havent read right through yet but just need to tell you Dizzy that my back isnt like this because of the gardening. I dont know exactly what it is yet, I am having an xray done next week so hopefully will know more then. Its true I was gardening when the pain started but anything could have set if off. I have had it before so dont worry.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Good Morning everyone!

Mimi - glad the mouse was taken care of humanely - poor thing was probably terrified - like Diz, I take spiders etc outside - I have even been seen chasing flies around the kitchen with a glass and a piece of card - LOL. Or I wait until they go near the back door then sneak up behind them and quickly open it and the updraught causes them to be whooshed outside - LOL

Diz - it seems so funny to hear you say it is winter there - of course we are heading into summer..... what sort of temps do you get in your winter? SO happy that your mum is feeling better - that is so good - for BOTH of you.

I do have 50mg tabs that i could cut in half to try going up to 325mg - might have to think about that. 300mg worked for me last time I got this high.....so maybe the extra 25mg would..... and yes, I do need to take the L-Glut - I am the one that keeps preaching about how wonderful it is aren't I? LOL I do still have my All-One every day anyway - but that is more so I know I am getting my proper nutrition and do feel better when I have it.

Wish I could change my doc, but I am stuck with her due to my insurance and the fact that we are retired military. My other one who was okay - but not great - way better than her - was deployed and am not sure when he is coming back, so if I can hold out til he comes back, that would be okay..... other than that I was thinking about talking to the commander of the clinic and seeing if I can change although of course that will give me a black mark on my record and the docs will think me a trouble maker then so I am darned if I do and darned if I don't.

Houtx - I agree with Diz - where are you?? Come and check in......

Well, I need to get some outside clothes on and go and water. It is that time of year when I need to start getting up earlier when i work in the morning, so I have time to water the pots and things in the mornings! Although closing shift tonight.... then day off tomorrow 'cos I worked on Sunday - nice having Friday off for a change!!

Love and hugs to all,

Sun XX