Newbies Nest

[narilly]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good night everyone.
That was an interesting post on antabuse Tony. I really did not know anything about it before, it sounds horrible though. I think that would definitely make you quit. Do what you gotta do G!

Happy Chickens, happy eggs..eh Lav

Have a good night everyone. Sober here in YYC.
xo

[PanhandleKim]

Re: Newbies Nest

Spent a lot of time today trying to get prepared for the upcoming week. School is winding down and both of my kids have all kinds of activities/events/ceremonies that go with the end of the school year. I was with my daughter for three hours today looking for dresses, planning for graduation, etc. There is no way I would have been able to stay alert and focused for that length of time if I had been drinking. If I'm not careful, I can slip into regret, thinking about all of the things I've missed (and that my kids missed) because of my drinking. I'm just trying to stay focused on today and trying to do the next right thing.

So many wonderful people here at MWO. I don't know what I would do without the advice and guidance - just reading about what everyone else has experienced and what's going on in their daily lives is invaluable to me.

Looking forward to a sober Monday-

Goodnight all-
Kim

[Roobs]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi nesters,

Thank you for the suggestions regarding joy and gratitude. I haven't been very cognizant of life's little treasures. I'm going to try and greet everyday with more awareness and remember everything is better sober!
Goodnight❤️

[Guitarista]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters

Just wanted to pick up on the Antabuse theme

I'm on this and G man it doesn't really matter about taking the half dose you referred to or the full dose, the half dose may just make the effect of you drinking not quite so severe if you did drink while on it. It has absolutely no affect on you UNLESS you drink.

It stays quite inert in your system. If you took one tablet today it would stay with you for around 48 hours. If you continue to take it then it plateaus after around 2 weeks and then stays active in your system for about 5 days, depending on your BMI/metabolism etc.

What it does is interacts with alcohol only, by stopping your body from breaking down and absorbing alcohol. It prevents the liver from producing the enzyme it naturally produces when alcohol is present in your system. Your body HAS to get rid of the alcohol somehow so it makes you sick...I read somewhere on the internet that it doesn't really work...so last time around, last year some time, when I was using it, I was stupid enough to put it to the test and, please trust me if you are on AB - it really does work

I thought it worked immediately so I had a sip of wine...all fine so I finished the glass...all fine, so I finished the bottle, and the next one and I believe more too, although I can't remember how much I had in the end...All fine and I staggered to bed...all fine until about 3am when I woke up feeling really sick and rushed to the bathroom. I was VERY sick, I had palaptations, sweats, and weakness in most joints, it was the worst sickness I have ever experienced...it works, I know that for a fact.

Taking it over a period of time is fine and helps because if I decided to have a drink, I would have to stop taking the pills 5 days in advance, and in that time I think I would have changed my mind!

The higher the dose, the worse the effects, apparently and I was told this as there is a supply issue in the UK where the licensed dose is 200mg per day. Because of a problem with manufacture here, it is now being imported from Spain where the licensed dose is 250mg and my Doctor has told me that that has no effect either, as long as I don't drink, but if I did drink then the effects would be even worse.

Thanks Tony! Appreciate it. Glad wedding went without problems.

Yo nesters. No ticket to boozeville here. I cancelled it and even got a refund. Take it easy out there.

[lifechange]

Re: Newbies Nest

Morning, Nesters..
it's good to be Un-Hung on Monday.
I'm feeling tons of anxiety this morning, though. And it took everything I had not to drink last night. I just didn't allow myself to go outdoors.. and I watched a really good documentary about Stephen Hawkings.. A Brief History of Mine. That definitely took my mind off of my life.
It's been a bit over 3 months since I moved into this new place.. and I'm very happy here but sometimes it hits me that I am really on my own. And then I start to wonder if it could have all been different if I had stopped drinking 6 years ago.? And then I get sad. I know better not to go there at this point in time.. and usually I am able to think things through and though I know it might not have been so tumultuous, I'm still better off out of the relationship I was in. It wasn't a one-way street. I'm so fortunate (and grateful, really!) to have the girls and to be close to my parents, to have a lot of amazing girlfriends.. I just wish, in this moment, that I was a bit further along. I know I sound like a broken record. I remember writing exactly the same thing a week or two again.. It's about the journey!! But like so many of us, sitting through/dealing with extreme mental discomfort is a new concept.. and it is so tempting to "escape" it. Of course, we all know how temporary the escape is and how much more stress it brings into our lives.

So it was great to come here first thing this a.m. and read about how you're all doing. To see that how I'm feeling is totally normal and it will pass.. having the support of this group, being a part of this community helps me keep my sanity. It scares me to death to think of drinking again. Of being on my own and in the state I was in. I know I am capable of losing it all if I begin to drink again. I have to keep that in mind. And continue to make it my goal each and every day not to drink no matter what and no matter who!

Moving on to nice things.. Kensho, we kayak here on a lake for the most part. It is possible to plan river trips and I'm considering doing it this summer with the girls..but we haven't made up our minds yet. And flea markets! Mostly I just look around but I do find a lot of household things and clothes for myself and my eldest.. We have a lot of them here and it's possible to find great stuff. Antique and otherwise. It's a bit of a ritual here.. Do you have them where you're living? I can't remember which part of the country you're in..?

G-man, Congrats on the certification.. and your plans to travel sound great. Looking forward to hearing more about them as they develop..

Hi to Pav, LS, Nar, Kim, Susie, Tony, Lav, Byrdie, NS, Ava, Roobs, ABCowboy, Wags I know I'm missing people..Nora.. everyone stopping in or flying by..big hugs!

[Susie45]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good morning all - Monday morning is tough enough but they are much easier to get back into the work routine after a sober weekend. I am thankful for another AF weekend! My husband and i talked about my drinking last night. He never really saw me with a "drinking issue" but he sees my pattern and understands my feelings on it. It was a good conversation and I laid out all the reasons why drinking no longer fits into my life. It felt good to get it out there in the open.
Kim - it's hard to do but don't think too much about your past mistakes.... Focus on today and the future...you have the rest of your life to be there 100% for your children and that's what counts. So many people go through there entire life in a drunken haze and don't realize what they have missed until their life is practically over. You are doing something about it now when you still have your whole life ahead of you! And your kids will have a mom that will be present for all their future life events - graduations, proms, engagements, weddings, grand babies! ....so much more in life that is coming and you will be there- sober and present.

[Neo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Restarting quit this week after a blunder on weekend, should I say last 3 days. Served absolutely no purpose at all and missed out on doing stuff. While I didn't quit smoking as well, I didn't feel as good as I did after quitting both at the same time and smoking always remains a pilot light to fuel the alcohol habit fire.So see how I go this week and smokes in next day or so . Main goal this week is to reach end of week with no beer and 1 day at a time

[Neo]

Re: Newbies Nest

Hi Nesters

Back from the family wedding which all passed off with no real problems for me. There were only a couple of people there who got stupidly drunk, and I didn't know them so although it wasn't pleasant to watch, it didn't affect me.

My immediate family were really supportive without even saying anything. No-one offered me an alcoholic drink, I had apple juice all the way through (including the toasts). Straight back up to Scotland today and back to work this evening....I'm bushed and going to bed but had to have a read back.

Just wanted to pick up on the Antabuse theme




I'm on this and G man it doesn't really matter about taking the half dose you referred to or the full dose, the half dose may just make the effect of you drinking not quite so severe if you did drink while on it. It has absolutely no affect on you UNLESS you drink.

It stays quite inert in your system. If you took one tablet today it would stay with you for around 48 hours. If you continue to take it then it plateaus after around 2 weeks and then stays active in your system for about 5 days, depending on your BMI/metabolism etc.

What it does is interacts with alcohol only, by stopping your body from breaking down and absorbing alcohol. It prevents the liver from producing the enzyme it naturally produces when alcohol is present in your system. Your body HAS to get rid of the alcohol somehow so it makes you sick...I read somewhere on the internet that it doesn't really work...so last time around, last year some time, when I was using it, I was stupid enough to put it to the test and, please trust me if you are on AB - it really does work

I thought it worked immediately so I had a sip of wine...all fine so I finished the glass...all fine, so I finished the bottle, and the next one and I believe more too, although I can't remember how much I had in the end...All fine and I staggered to bed...all fine until about 3am when I woke up feeling really sick and rushed to the bathroom. I was VERY sick, I had palaptations, sweats, and weakness in most joints, it was the worst sickness I have ever experienced...it works, I know that for a fact.

Taking it over a period of time is fine and helps because if I decided to have a drink, I would have to stop taking the pills 5 days in advance, and in that time I think I would have changed my mind!

The higher the dose, the worse the effects, apparently and I was told this as there is a supply issue in the UK where the licensed dose is 200mg per day. Because of a problem with manufacture here, it is now being imported from Spain where the licensed dose is 250mg and my Doctor has told me that that has no effect either, as long as I don't drink, but if I did drink then the effects would be even worse.

I imagine my worst ever ever hangover and this would sum up drinking on Antabuse. My worst hangover ever had me stumbling through the door of the hospital and was then first prescribed valium in 2012. It was after duty free Jim Beam coming back from NZ. Never ever touched Spirits again which has been good.

I have heard it kills people and does nothing for the cravings. I would never take it myself or could recommend anyone on this forum to do so.

[KENSHO]

Re: Newbies Nest

Running out the door, but I wanted to stop in for this fun drinking fact:

When I take photos now, I actually have wide, genuine, happy smiles. I have never been able to do that in my life. I think when I was drinking, I was not only just unhappy, but felt unauthentic. I didn't like myself and felt like a fraud who lied to me and others. Now, I can open up and bring forth a beam of self respect and pride. What a nice example of how not drinking changes us.

Have a good day everyone!

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

Thanks for the first-person account of using AB, Tony. You explained it really clearly. An interesting thing is that some Asian populations tend to be deficient in the enzyme that AB targets. They have a lower incidence of alcoholism because drinking makes them feel awful so they don't drink much or often so an addiction doesn't have the chance to develop. The enzyme catalyzes the second step of alcohol breakdown - it takes time for the product of the first step (which is what makes us ill) to build up to high, toxic levels so the delay you experienced seems about right. It would be nice if it were immediate!

AB can be a great tool to buy some time AF and like I've said (many times - sorry to sound like a broken record!), time without the drug is what we all need to get our brains to the point that we can make choices that are in our best interests. I consider AB a valuable tool for anyone who knows for sure that the threat of violent illness would deter them from drinking. I know it would do the trick for me - I positively hate to throw up. Unfortunately, drinking didn't cause that for me. I might have quit earlier if it had!

[NoSugar]

Re: Newbies Nest

When I take photos now, I actually have wide, genuine, happy smiles. I have never been able to do that in my life. I think when I was drinking, I was not only just unhappy, but felt unauthentic. I didn't like myself and felt like a fraud who lied to me and others. Now, I can open up and bring forth a beam of self respect and pride. What a nice example of how not drinking changes us.

That is great, Kensho, and so cool that you can see it! When I look at old photos, I can now see that my smile never reached my dead, glassy eyes - my mouth was just going through the motions of smiling, pretty much like I was going through life.

[Byrdlady]

Re: Newbies Nest

Tony, great post. We had a nester many years back that said that drinking over AB made her head spin around like something out of a Stephen King novel. Im with NS, getting time and distance from AL is the key and if AB helps do that, then it is worth it. I think using it as a deterrent sounds better to me than continuing to drink uncontrollably. Something new needs to be tried, maybe AB is the right tool when nothing else has worked. AL will surely kill us. If AB helps us break that cycle, it would be worth a try. Thank you for taking the time to explain it.
Wishing everyone joy and peace tonight. Byrdie

[Lavande]

Re: Newbies Nest

Good Monday evening Nesters,

Still a bit too chilly for springtime but no rain today - yay!
That means getting outside to work in the garden a bit, my fav past time

LC, focusing on today - and only today is the kindest thing we can do for ourselves. Knowing we cannot change anything in the past & really do not have any control over the future helps a lot! We can prepare ourselves for a happy & healthy future by doing all the 'right things' but that's where our control ends I think. Enjoy today & hope for another good day tomorrow
You are doing great, just one day at a time!

LS, hope you are doing well.

Neo, your rather frequent 'fails' tell me you are really not quite committed to your quit yet. What can you change in your plan to help yourself focus on your #1 priority?

Kensho, keep smiling, that's awesome

Hello to NS, Byrdie 7 everyone else checking in tonight.
Have a safe night in the nest one & all!

Lav

[PanhandleKim]

Re: Newbies Nest

I'm thankful it was a quiet Monday at work...so nice to start the week off without a hangover. Susie, so glad your weekend was AL free. The weekends are indeed a challenge but I keep thinking the more we get through successfully, the easier it will become.

Kensho, keep smiling - I love your post about how your smile has changed since giving up AL.

Neo - keep posting and reading. So many people here with great quit time and advice.

Goodnight to all in the nest-
Kim

[wagmor]

Re: Newbies Nest

Wow, all this talk about drinking on AB, and how that feels, sure makes me NOT miss drinking. However, this is an effective strategy for me at least to reinforce my quit - to reflect back on some of the awful experiences and to recognize and appreciate how far I've come. Very few things feel worse to me than a bad hangover - not just the horrible physical aspects, but also the regret and the harsh realization that I did it to myself - and I am glad I will never feel one again.

Before my 2014 quit (my second to last quit, and now this is for sure the LAST and final one!), I was in really bad shape. I'd been drinking a LOT every day for months. Before I was able to fully quit I actually had to taper in order to safely not risk alcohol withdrawal. I was definitely experiencing withdrawal symptoms and had to drink, a little less each day, for something like 2 weeks before I didn't get withdrawal symptoms if I didn't have a drink for a few hours. I spent a few nights awake, online, doing research on all the symptoms and how to know when to call an ambulance. I lived alone, had few friends and no family nearby, and I was literally TERRIFIED.

One would think after that horrific scare that I would never drink again. I had a solid quit going, I was active here on MWO, and I got to around day 150. Then, I relapsed. I actually saw it coming and thought I was going to drink at just this one event and then quit again. We all know that never works for folks like us. It took me almost two years to quit again!

This time I'm feeling much more solid with my quit and much more convinced that it's both what I want to do and what I need to do. I'm less than 2 weeks away from reaching Day 300, and about 11 weeks from hitting the year mark. These milestones are very exciting for me but I have learned my lesson - they are to be celebrated and then seen in my rear view mirror as I cruise forward with my quit.

I really owe a lot to all of you. Some of you were here in the nest back in 2014, some joined while I was off on my 2-year bender, and some have joined in the more recent past. I don't always write a lot on here, but I read almost every post in the nest and I appreciate everything that you all share. Thanks for being here - for me, for others, and for YOURSELVES!!!

Good night nesters, or good morning if that's the case in your corner of the globe. :heartbeat: