Newbies Nest! for bac

[LadyLush]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hi all!

Well I feel obligated to get this thread bac to the top.
I originally started Bac on February 14th and was doing quite well. I gave in to my alcoholic side and slowly slid back down that oh so slippery slope. I was up to almost 180 but had not hit my "switch". I was feeling so good but my "other" side wanted to test me again.:tempted:
It sucked, it absolutely sucked to be dragged down into that person again. But for me, I needed that one last time to be absolutely sure this road is the one to take; it is.
I have been titrating back up because during the drinking I was sporadic in my doses.
Bac for me is the way to go. It takes the darkness away and has given me hope I have never dreamed possible. The anxiety with drinking is gone again. I am back up to 100 to 120 mg again. I have not had a drink in 6 days and I feel like I have the world back on my side again. Some drink along the way and are successful, I know I can't. But that is me and however you get there, just get there.
My side effects are minimal but being alcohol free helps with that.
Anyway, everyone has an opinion so listen to them all. Hang on to those that help you along the way and listen and just feel YOUR way.
I would not be here still and again if I had not had the help and support of many on here. Bad seeds are very rare in these parts so follow your instincts and good luck to us all!

Newbies come on and join the ride!

Lady:hug:

[Zephra]

Newbies Nest! for bac

How's everyone doing? Lady glad to see your back on track.

I am now at 50 mg's and taking it in 5 doses. I go up 10 mg's every 3 -4 days. Still drinking about a bottle of wine a night. Can't wait till I have no desire. I find that I am having a nap at about 6-9 and then stay up till around 2 or 3 and then get up at about 8 in the morning. Glad I work mostly from home. Sleep apnea still there but I am not freaking about it, I just tell myself take a breath and then go back to sleep.

I much appreciate those who walked before us in sharing their journey, it really helps.
z

[Chi]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hi Z thanks for the update. Have you noticed any reduction in craving yet? I did not notice consistent reduction in craving until I was at about 75, and my drinking went to about half. I stayed there for a long time, and then this year went up to 100 which seems to have made a big difference for me as I now feel indifferent at 110-110. I'm going to stay at this level for awhile to see what happens.

[Zephra]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hi Chi, no reduction in cravings yet. I hope I hit it at a low dose of a 100 or so. Chi did you stop drinking before the craving reduction hit? z
Sorry Chi notice that you answered your cravings were reduced at about 75mg. I am looking forward to that. Thanks, z

[bleep]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Z, the reduction will come, have no fear. At first, it's not even noticeable, it feels normal. The wine sits there, undrunk, because you don't want it and it feels okay to just put it in the fridge. When you suddenly realise what you've just done, it's a great feeling! You are seeing the sleep effects, the others are coming...

Luscious, fantastic to see you here, keep us updated please. No need to race this time! Gently does it, you will get there.

Evey, you've been very quiet, hope things are going along nicely?

[Zephra]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hey Bleep, it's like clockwork, fell asleep at six and wokeup at nine. I am looking forward to the part in my bac journey where the SE's are the feeling great ones. I am going to put forth a bit of effort with the smoking and try to eliminate that on the way up also. z

[Evey]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hello...

Well, I have stayed at 110 all week. I'm having less than 2 drinks a night. Last night, I couldn't even finish my only glass of wine. It didn't taste very good to me.

I'm still having trouble with sleep. I read somewhere that you should take your last dose 6 hours before you go to sleep. That seemed to help a little bit. I still woke up several hours later and then kept waking up. I then tried to take it when I went to sleep and when I woke up in the night-which seems to help for a hour or so, maybe 2. I'm still waking up a lot though. Oh well, I guess it's just par for the course. I think I may go back and try to take it all as far away as I can from bedtime, maybe 5 hrs. I have been taking a few GABA supplements that I used to take before Bac. I think they are okay to take with Bac, I'm thinking that they just enhance the bac, I don't know I'm still not tired during the day.

[bleep]

Newbies Nest! for bac

If you aren't tired during the day, just enjoy the extra time you have awake. People are so conditioned from their old sleeping habits, when suddenly you need less sleep it feels wrong somehow. But in reality, it's fantastic - I have so much more time available to me than before.

A while ago I slept through the night, and got 7 hours in. I was horrified. Luckily it was an aberration, and I returned to waking up in the middle of the night again the next night.

The rest of your update sounds great, I'm glad things seem to be working so well for you.

[LadyLush]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Evey said:
I used to be late for work all the time or call out sometimes because I was hungover and then start drinking around 1. I used to be so hung over at work that I would sleep in my car at lunch-not in the best spot to be doing that. I felt like I looked so terrible, that I would hate to go order food for lunch and have to wait for it, hate to have to stand and microwave my food at work because I looked so bad. Working all day, after knowing that I gotten drunk and said terrible things the night before and then beating myself up the entire day. There is other stuff, more serious stuff-but this was little stuff that was making me miserable on a daily basis.

I haven't had one day like that since I started taking Bac.


Ditto all the way Evey with me as well! As long as I am on Bac I am on my game!!!


Ditto all the way

Lady

[LadyLush]

Newbies Nest! for bac

And Zeph,

The anxiety reduction is incredible. I take Lorazepam for anxiety (generic Ativan), my prescription was filled 1/11/11 and I still have several left. That is an "SE" of Bac I will gladly take and suffer any other side effect for.


Lady

[Zephra]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hello, Newbies come tell us about your Bac Journey.

I had started going down in Bac when the reports about the good Dr. began to surface a couple of weeks ago. I did not want my brain to expode. I then had a re-think and decided hell most of you sound pretty sane so decided to continue.

I am now at 70 mgs. Still sleeping well, feeling an uncomfortable stone but I am sure this will pass. I am taking it slow and easy. I will go up 20 mgs a week to give my brain time to adjust.

Come on and share, you know you want to. z

[Chi]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Zephra;1105028 wrote: Hello, Newbies come tell us about your Bac Journey.

I had started going down in Bac when the reports about the good Dr. began to surface a couple of weeks ago. I did not want my brain to expode. I then had a re-think and decided hell most of you sound pretty sane so decided to continue.

I am now at 70 mgs. Still sleeping well, feeling an uncomfortable stone but I am sure this will pass. I am taking it slow and easy. I will go up 20 mgs a week to give my brain time to adjust.

Come on and share, you know you want to. z

Hi z, sounds like you have a good titration plan. Do you feel indifferent yet? I stayed at 50-75 for most of 2010 and went up to 100-110 in early 2011. During 2010 my drinking was greatly reduced. I was not "indifferent" though, and continued to drink at the reduced rate. For me I was happy to be drinking less.... wasn't quite ready to go AF, and even felt like I was "moderating" with my reduced drinking. In reality my reduction wasn't moderating, as I still drank 4-6 beers on many occasions. I think moderating is like 2 drinks, which for me was like an appetizer. So in early 2011 I decided to go up.

At 100mg I can say I do feel indifference. I have many AF days and when I do drink it's very little and 4 or 5 drinks feels like a binge! I feel like shit the next day and think "I did not even enjoy it"...

I'm trying to figure out how long I should stay at 100. I do have some SE's mostly insomnia which I've been working on by taking my doses earlier in the day. That seems to help but when my work schedule changes it's a bit of a challenge to adjust my dose.

Looking back, pre-bac, there is no way I could have imagined removing so much alcohol from my life. Craving was obviously a huge part of it for me.

These days I continue to adjust to a more sober life. That in itself has challenges for me (breaking old habits) but the rewards are worth it. My husband still drinks, but his is also reduced quite a bit. He takes low dose bac, and also his main drinking partner is mostly sipping ice tea. It all seems good enough for me at the moment. I don't see life as black and white, recovery or relapse-- read that somewhere here lately, don't want the dysfunctional drinking or the fear of drinking. It's still an ongoing journey

[Zephra]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hi Chi, I just wrote a reply and it disappeared, damn.

I am up to 80 mgs. of Bac. Last week had a reduction in my drinking and only drank a half bottle per night instead of a whole bottle of red wine. This week I am back to a bottle a night.

The SE?s I am getting are tiredness during the day, brain zaps, dizziness, and a stoned feeling which does not feel good. These I can handle. I would like the SE?s like anxiety reduction, and the feeling good one to kick in. I really hope I don?t have to be a mega Bac?er to reach the switch. I weigh 120 and am 5?1?, I know this has nothing to do with it but!

With your shift work, that will be tricky. Sleep is so important. You will have to Plan ahead, do you get a few days off when the shift switches to adapt the dosing?

To Drink or Not To Drink after the switch, that is the question. I started Bac because I would like to drink like a normal person. Not crave it and to be able to have a glass once in a while. My plan has been to get to the switch and then tapper back to zero. Will see how I feel about this as I go along. z

[bleep]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hi Z,

The anxiety reduction is a funny one. It's about the level you are on that mine kicked in, although I didn't notice it. I am only ever able to notice my anxiety by its absence, strangely enough, and then one day, it was gone. It's still gone today. I recently had to drop to 100mg's and could feel it returning, but was able to go back up thankfully.

I had always planned to moderate, I enjoy a glass of wine at the right time. I find, funnily enough, when I am on the correct baclofen dose (doesn't happen as often as I'd like due to supply issues), that I tend not to drink, despite wanting to moderate. Alcohol just isn't appealing when you are indifferent.

I also found, during my titrating up, that at different levels I would drink different amounts. At some levels, hardly anything, then at others I would be as normal, and pint away. I just ignored it all, and took each level as it came. In the end, it doesn't matter.

On post that disappear - every time I write a post that's more than a couple of lines long, I highlight the whole text and copy it before posting. That way, if it vanishes, as they sometimes do, I just reload the screen and paste the post back in.

Best of luck with your ongoing baclofen experience.

[Zephra]

Newbies Nest! for bac

Hi Bleep, Yes I am not going to worry about my intake at the moment and just head for the switch.

Another SE I am getting is slight headaches. I never have headaches. The brain zaps are a little wild too. Z