I'M SO CONFUSED HELP!

[koki]

Hi guys!

Some one please help which drug listed above is most sucessful with minimal sedation and which doesn't cause weight gain. My doc wont prescribe anything because he doesnt think they work we just have to want it bad enough :new:and "topamax = dopamax it makes people stupid". So if i'm going to spend money online i need guidance``` any amazing testimonials?

[spuddleduck]

I'M SO CONFUSED HELP!

hi koki. i take capral. the only side effects ive had is a dodgy tummy. nothing so bad to stop taking it but i know others have had really bad tummy troubles with it. i was 2 weeks sober when i started it. i cant say i feel any different on it but im still sober after 2 months so im keeping with it. good luck

[mama bear]

I'M SO CONFUSED HELP!

I started on topa and quit after 8 weeks....VERY topa dopey...hated it...
but others here love and swear by it

[beatle]

I'M SO CONFUSED HELP!

Read all the threads on baclofen... many people are having phenomenal success with it. It does have side effects, but if you increase very very slowly, the side effects can be minimal (because they go away after after a while if you take it very slowly). But some people couldn't stand the side effects and quit. I suggest you take some time to look at the baclofen threads. And all other meds threads, too. Many people are also having great success using Naltrexone according to the Sinclair Method (TSM).

[techie]

I'M SO CONFUSED HELP!

I'm on 50mg of topamax and have had minimal SE's Everyone responds diff to rx's. I had a slight loss of app for 2 wks after starting. This went away third wk in.

[NoraC]

I'M SO CONFUSED HELP!

I'm taking 200 mg Topamax with hardly any side effects. The Topamax helps but the only problem I have is when I don't take it, I go back to my cravings. Mental cravings not physical cravings. So, I just need to stay on top of the medication.

[bernard]

I'M SO CONFUSED HELP!

koki,
No drug is perfect for everyone, and there are no sure ways to go about the trial-and-error process of finding out what works for you. However, good guesses are better than wild guesses.

First of all, I would try to think about what drives you to drink. I think the largest number of alcoholics are driven by anxiety, as Dr. Ameisen was. If you drink to calm yourself, I would try baclofen which might be a good substitute for alcohol and help with your anxiety and sleep. You specify minimal sedation; do you mean sleepy-inducing? Some people don't get a noticeable somnolent effect until they're over 200 mg/day. Some get it at a tenth as much, although the effect usually fades quickly. And you don't need to stay on the high dose for a long time. This drug has certainly been the most successful so far.

If you're driven by the alcohol high and euphoria, or if it alleviates down moods, you might start with naltrexone which blocks that effect. The theory of The Sinclair Method is that your brain will learn not to associate alcohol with that boost in mood.

You could combine the two.

Acaprosate should theoretically be an "artificial alcohol" because it also reduces glutamate while boosting GABA, but its effectiveness in practice has been disappointing. It could be like baclofen which had not been tried at high doses until Ameisen discovered its dramatic threshold at high dose.

Topamax works for some people, but not for most.

And there's disulfram, the oldest pharmaceutical in the arsenal, which produces acute sensitivity to alcohol. It doesn't help most people.

Good luck, and keep us posted.