eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

[craving]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

eight days a week;807051 wrote: Thank you craving, I do hope things will be better once I no longer drink to excess. What a nasty substance this is eh?

I have quite a 'weak' stomach anyway, so booze really affects it. And I don't like this Lansoprazole. It's yet another chemical I'm taking, and has brought spots out on my legs (apparently a common side effect). I found something in the newspaper about a brand of salts called Eno - sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate - and am thinking of trying that instead.

Alcohol is a real dirty drug :egad: I think we would be better off taking heroin or cocaine instead of alcohol!

I tried some salts, and they only had temporary effect. The problem is that the muscle to close the stomach - the reflux muscle is weak because of the alcohol intake. Additionally alcohol effects the stomach - like it also affected mine. Making it inflamed and out of balance.

Never heard of any spots as a side effect? how does that look like? like birthmarks?

[eight days a week]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

When I had a public detox many of the the heroin users felt sorry for us alcoholics because alcohol is such a dirty drug indeed, affecting most of the body's organs in such nasty ways. The only ones worse off than us were the methadone addicts, as that stuff apparently gets into every cell in your body - and that's what the 'health' service give people to stay off heroin!!

Ah, the salts sound a bit like the Gaviscon - short-acting relief. But, I think it's worth a try as an extra help until I can get off the booze and the Lansoprazole - at least they're natural substances and not more chemicals.

The spots are like very tiny red blotches on the bottom of my shins. It's also affected my face complexion. My Uncle takes the same med and has the very same thing.

[Mettaphorica]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

eight days a week;806917 wrote:
I'm seriously considering requesting another detox.
I think you should. I have been watching this thread for a while and meaning to post. I am really concerned about you.

eight days a week;806917 wrote: . I'll need a few more days being as bad as this before I'm ready to take that step. But, it's getting ever closer I feel.

You know, not to be melodramatic, but you may not get there. You may be dead. I printed out your thread and read it, and please know that someone sober reading it, it reads like a horror story, and I am afraid for you. You mention your liver, as if that's the only benchmark of disease. What about the brain damage you are sustaining right now? What about the fact that the combo you are taking, your heart can stop at any time? You say you want to be a writer. Your writing quality is severely compromised while you are drinking, even though alcohol tries to convince you you are more creative. It happened to me. I used to love writing, even made a living from it. Oneday you notice that as you are writing, that word you need to complete what you want to say just won't come. You know it's in your brain, but it doesn't come. And you get frustrated, and just a little worried about Alzheimer's or something, and you're only in your 30's or 40's! And it happens again and again and again. Your brain just can't retrieve the wonderful, delicious words that you loved and used to express yourself just won't come. Your writing starts to turn flaccid, turns to crap, for lack of words and turns of phrase.

I feel that in some ways, you are over-thinking and over-storying what's going on for you, and you know what? Your addiction likes it that way. As long as you just keep drinking, it is happy. Like you, I thought I was "doing something", helping myself by continually posting my thoughts, feelings, and journey in a thread (another board). I did this for a year, and although I got to write about myself and fill in some lonely spots, ocassionally got a brilliant insight, I was still drinking, and it was getting worse, which was surprising to me, since I figured I was helping myself, figuring sooner or later the writing and expressing would help me kick it. People kept telling me I was over thinking things, over analysing, but I couldn't see it, couldn't believe it. It was true, and it was keeping me stuck, the whys, hows and wherefores were amusing, kept my brain busy, and most dangerously, gave me the illusion that I was working on the problem, figuring it out. The addiction likes it, because its' a subtle way for it to convince you you are doing something, and eventually you'll get there, if you just "figure it out" enough, write about it enough. It likes it because it gets to keep you where it wants you--addicted, drinking, and because you are so caught up in it, you can't see its tricks. Remember when you were last AC free, and after a time you could start to reflect back on your old behaviour, thoughts and beliefs, and you could see the delusions the lies that AC tells you quite clearly? Right now you can't see clearly, because it's got you and lying to you and deluding you. Please believe me, I am on the outside watching, and what's happening to you is scary. I go to bed worrying about you and check this board daily, relieved when I see you are still alive. Even if you think you have control, you don't, and since you started this thread, there's really been no improvement for you. You had some plans and some ideas about how your strategy might work, but overall, there's really been no change for you. Time to try something else, perhaps?

I'm writing because you remind me of me, where I was, and the writing is similar.
You want to write to help others--you are in danger of dying now, my friend. And what help is that to anyone? What a waste of talent! Perhaps we can come up with some other approaches, some other ideas to get you out of AC's clutches?
with kind and caring intentions,
Mettaphorica

PS my brain has never restored the ability to write as well as I could. That's the problem, you don't get it back.

[eight days a week]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

Thank you for your concern. I didn't know how to take your comments last night, but nevertheless I wrote a thankful reply in response. Having thought further, a lot of what you've said is deeply upsetting to me. It seems like you're attacking me by projecting your own past onto my present situation. And, if you meant to help, you have done quite the opposite. You have upset me today, re-reading your post; a day when I hoped to be getting more back on track.

I think you meant to help but you haven't.

[Lo0p]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

You'll be fine 8. You're writing style is not compromised, aside from a few too many Beatles references.

Stick with the Bac.

[eight days a week]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

Lo0p;807312 wrote: You'll be fine 8. You're writing style is not compromised, aside from a few too many Beatles references.

Stick with the Bac.

Too many Beatles quotes? You can stick that comment where the Here Comes the Sun don't shine!!

Just joking, thanks so much for the encouragement buddy

eight (UK units per day over what he can handle)

[eight days a week]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

Only managed 40mg Bac yesterday
8mg diazepam
Probably around 25 UK units

I've made the first steps to an inpatient detox today, just in case. Unfortunately they say it'll take up to six weeks (last time they said a month and it took four - months).

[craving]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

eight days a week;807699 wrote: Only managed 40mg Bac yesterday

do you have significant side effects on Bac? when i started i noticed that my body would react on increase of daily dose as it was reacting to alcohol.
vision became blurry - feeling like the outside world is way much far - cotton - not feeling all senses fully and the best thing ... falling asleep really totally finished off - what i loved the most about binging

don't these side effects remember you on drinking? try to use Bac as a substitute at first. if you increase the dose constantly you will not need alcohol at all!

[Virgil]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

A Polite Request

Mettaphorica,

I'm sure your intentions were good but, in the light of 8's edited response to your post (#78), I suspect that it was your choice of words that may have caused offence to our dear friend, 8.

Please consider offering eight days a week an apology, if you deem it to be appropriate.

Thank you.

V.

[eight days a week]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

craving;807829 wrote: do you have significant side effects on Bac? when i started i noticed that my body would react on increase of daily dose as it was reacting to alcohol.
vision became blurry - feeling like the outside world is way much far - cotton - not feeling all senses fully and the best thing ... falling asleep really totally finished off - what i loved the most about binging

don't these side effects remember you on drinking? try to use Bac as a substitute at first. if you increase the dose constantly you will not need alcohol at all!

Thank you my friend, I think I need to increase the Bac, yes. The side effects don't really remind me of drinking. It could well be that I need to take a much bigger dose before I start drinking. If I take it during drinking I am very woozy, forgetful, and often fall asleep, even during the day.

I am not sure how this stuff is meant to be working. Do I need to titrate up to a certain point where I inevitably drink less, or do I need to really struggle against the cravings? I'm going to get in touch with my specialist today I think and see what he says.

Virgil, thank you very much indeed for your support. You are absolutely right, it was the choice of words that upset me, and also the fact that the poster seemed to be assuming a lot about me, and even projecting their own experiences onto my situation, which I found really unhelpful. I'd prefer to forget the whole thing now.

[craving]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

eight days a week;807930 wrote: Thank you my friend, I think I need to increase the Bac, yes. The side effects don't really remind me of drinking. It could well be that I need to take a much bigger dose before I start drinking. If I take it during drinking I am very woozy, forgetful, and often fall asleep, even during the day.

I am not sure how this stuff is meant to be working. Do I need to titrate up to a certain point where I inevitably drink less, or do I need to really struggle against the cravings? I'm going to get in touch with my specialist today I think and see what he says.

Try taking a bigger dose of Baclofen about 3 hours before you drink. In general Baclofen always takes 2-4 hours to work for me. And then it kicks in, I can feel it. And I can feel when I am not taking it (neck pain).

You actually don't need to do anything. Baclofen will do the trick itself. When you reach the right levels it will do "click". I started off taking Baclofen with the goal to reduce my alcohol - and then it changed my moderate drinking into AF. I never was looking for AF - then the click on Baclofen happened and suddenly I realized that alcohol is just doing bad things to me. I would have never realized that without Baclofen, at least not in this density!

Try to increase the Baclofen more steady. Try not to reduce it back until you have reached your switch.

Baclofen DOES work wonders!

[eight days a week]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

Thank you craving, that seems very useful advice and is also very encouraging to me

Out of interest, how much were you drinking before week 38 in your signature?

Yesterday was a slightly better day:

7mg diazepam
20 UK units AL
70mg Bac

[crown86]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

8

Hang in there my friend...Yep think your right about the assuming part..love how you spell the word assume ass of u and me. Like you I was going to do it my way...it matter zero what anyone told me..infact family friends etc tried a watered down intervention..all that did was piss me off and I drank during the whole time they "confronted me" to go to rehab detox AA. I told them all to go home an watch another person on the tv intervention who lives at home or dependent on others so they could be controlled. Looking back I know they only cared and were frustrated but I had enough money and resources if I wanted to drink myself to death, which was I was headed, it was my business not theirs and I would be dammed if anyone would tell me different.

Then when I decided to help myself I caught a lot of of crap for the method..TSM from family and friends. Again, it was my life therefore my way period end of story. I have made posts in other forums and was "attacked" over TSM and me...LOL F-K them...I refuse to let people in a forum get to me nor even argue with them especially if I told family and friends this is the way it's going to be. Funny I have an uncle in AA who has been sober for over 30 years...he really doesnt go to meeting anymore but he supported me 110% in TSM and now tells people about the pill.

I know you have mentioned you experienced success with TSM and with Baclofen...I know you mentioned your under a doctor's care. I know from your previous posts your a smart guy and the bottom line you know whats best for you. Doing something..anything to me is better than doing nothing and continuing to drink with zero medication and not posting here or elsewhere.

Keep posting, keep taking the medication you and or your doctor feels is right for you. I know it will click for you at some point you are too determined.

BTW - Did you eat that steak dinner?...You better be eating my friend or remember what I told ya bout those fish and chips

Your Yank Friend

[craving]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

eight days a week;807942 wrote: Thank you craving, that seems very useful advice and is also very encouraging to me

Out of interest, how much were you drinking before week 38 in your signature?

It was going up and down. But in general more up than down. For me TSM was not working :upset:

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/9527/unitsd.jpg

didn't want to post my chart in here - so I posted only the link. just thought it might be easier to show. As you can see initial break down on TSM start - was very hopeful, then constant increase, then I did wash out days - trying to not drink 2-3 days and to feel the positive re-enforcement - that made later the second drop, I also tried to force myself into drinking less - which only worked very temporary. Before I started Baclofen my target was clear : going over 40 US units a week and more each year, until all my life is destroyed by its fundamentals. I was very desperate, I knew I was going to die from alcohol - so I figured taking Baclofen without real rules was my only exit.

35 US units a week equal about 620ml pure alcohol a week. Not sure how much that is in UK units. (edit : i think that are 62 UK units a week)

Let Baclofen do its magic. Take it consequently and try to raise your mg input constantly without going a step back. Side effects will disappear shortly after you are used to the new dose. In general I loved the side effects. On increase I had no anxiety - even the normal fear was partly deactivated. I felt euphoric.

[eight days a week]

eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

Thank you so very much my friends, you have no idea how important your constructive input, advice and encouragement is to me

I am very tired tonight, so am just going to post my figures for yesterday before I forget, and will answer you all properly tomorrow I hope.

7mg diazepam
70mg Bac (I meant to bump it up further but was very woozy and confused all day)
15 UK units AL - much better, and I will do better than that today too

Best wishes to all :-)

eight

P.S. The Bac is making me very sleepy all the time still, but even at these 'low' levels it seems to be reducing my craving for alcohol. Nal has worked on the endorphin side, this stuff seems to be working in another way. So, I am still sick, but very hopeful...