New here and starting Topa and with a question

[NoraC]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hey all.....I'm on 200 mg. I have been exhausted. I have drinking over it several times. But not because of cravings mostly just stress. Lots of stress right now. Uncle in hospital, etc. So, I need to fight the habit now because it is not cravings. I'm just doing it. I don't even want it......if that makes sense. Anyway, I'm glad that I have felt it kicking in. I'll just be glad once the exhaustion goes away.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Nora - it makes perfect sense to me 'cos I do it too. (hang head in shame jeanbean). BUT my rationalization of it is that I only have one!! and I am rationalizing. No excusing it at all. It is a habit. Pure and simple. It can't even be called modding as modding is having a couple a couple of times a year - I think. So, I am not sure where I am. I don't even really feel guilty about it either. Not sure if that is good or bad. Should I feel guilty? I don't know. "big sigh" I really don't know.

Hugs to everyone, Sun xx

[Cruise]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I feel great right now my 1st day of trying....it is 9.30pm and so far I have stayed AF. Had 1 L Glutamine and 3 Milk Thistle for the cravings , just popped one now.....hope and am sure I will make my 1st day...I feel great....Normally on a Saturday, I would have had a 1st drink by 2pm and wasted the whole day.......Today been to the seaside and funfair....eat out...and had a great day....so happy to have found this site yesterday
Couldn"t have done it without reading many of your posts .....have tried in the past and failed....
Thank you all, my new friends your post inspired me .....Wow...

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

HaveFaith & others, I have been a lo-carber for years so I never eat anything white except cauliflower. This weight gain (a mere 5-7 lbs but felt like 20) was mostly due to BAC. Nothing changed, I think BAC slowed my metabolism. But my bad self does munch late at night sometimes if I am in "don't care" mode...plus this summer I did a lot of traveling...anyway, I would like to drop those plus a few more.

Today I decided to go ahead and take 150 mgs. I took 50 this morning around 10:30 and then a 100 mg tablet around 3:30 right before I went to the gym. I was only planning to get on the treadmill. I didn't notice too much of anything after taking the 50 but was expecting to feel something after taking the 100, but an hour or so later, nothing. No change in appetite, no tingles, nothing. The only thing was I actually felt kinda sick to my stomach. But several hours later I think was when it actually kicked in - and I just kinda felt ehhhhhhh about everything. 4 hrs later, I am on my 2nd glass of wine and boiled some shrimp but only had a couple. Blah...

Hope this lasts at this dose! As far as the brain fog others talked about earlier, I have found myself repeating myself and mispronouncing things a bit. For the most part, it hasn't been a problem. I have been doing what I've been doing for so long, if I am at a loss for words, I have a 2nd "word bank" I go to and this just hasn't been a problem. So far, I am feeling really hopeful this is going to work for me. I think it may take some doing as I have been drinking a long time - but to have felt that indifference earlier was SOOOO great! :-))

[beatle]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

houtx;948802 wrote: AAARRRGGG - this happens to me all the time!! I post more than a few minutes and have to sign back in and my post is lost. Drives me crazy -

When you log in, if you check the "remember me" box, it should not log out on you... ever. You can type half a message, go somewhere else, then come back later and finish the message.

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Thx beatle!! I'll look for this & do it!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Cruise - welcome - this is a super place to be - we are all here for you with bells on!! Any questions you might have or if you just want to chat - go for it. Post and read - someone on this site will be able to help you.

Beatle - thank you - I knew there was something I should be saying as I never lose posts but it was eluding me (dang Topa!!). You answered it for me.

houtx - good for you! It is a great feeling when you get that indifferent feeling to Al - just sort of blows you away doesn't it?

Just got in from work everyone and need to go and sort Maggie (my dear old dog) out and then get ready for bed. hope you all have a great Sunday - though I am sure I will be popping in here.

hugs to all,

Sun xx

[luvmypups]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi, all...very interesting and helpful read I just had here. I am finishing week one and due to start twice a day tomorrow...is it best to do the tapering up once a week? I so want to reach the point where this really kicks in (other than making me a dufus, which it's already doing)! I didn't have a good weekend although the week went pretty well. It's a question of habit and a husband who enables me (likes my company, hasn't come to the realization that I need to stop although he IS reading the book finally). Thanks.

[luvmypups]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Oh...sorry...another question...are the side effects temporary?

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Luv - welcome - good to have you here. I think we have a pretty good thread going here! I personally think that you should titrate up via the schedule in the book - it does seem to help with the SE's. If you get a particularly bad SE then by going back down and staying at the lower level a bit longer, then going up, you can sometimes lower the effect of the SE. I do feel it is best to go up in weekly increments. But of course, in the end, it is up to you.

Some of the SE's are temporary. This time around (!!) I am not getting nearly as much of the tingling and I am also not getting the loss of appetite that I got last time. Last time, the tingling did seem to dissipate for me too. I was very lucky in that I had mild SE's. the Topa Dopa was okay - forgetting words, but folk tend to think I am a bit special anyway. LOL Others here can tell you of their SE's and if they are/were temporary - they will be along either today or in the next day or two - so stick around and again - welcome!

My hubs also drinks, and said he didn't mind me stopping, but still wanted me to meet him at 'our' pub after work on 'our' day each week - and it wasn't the same when I had water!! He said I didn't have a problem - but he drinks way more than I did so by admitting that I did, it would be admitting that he did and he wasn't about to do that!

Hugs, Sun xx

[luvmypups]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Thanks, Sun. Well, date night won't happen again till next Friday (thank goodness this weekend is over!) so hopefully I will have things a bit more under control by then. I just finished more of the boards (pages and pages, phew!) and got a bit more informed.I hope I do get the loss of appetite as a bit of weight loss will probably impress my husband more than my not drinking LOL. Thank you for the quick reply.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Luv - don't worry about trying to hurry things. I know that once you have decided this, that you want it all to happen yesterday - but it all took a long time to happen and it is not going to clear up over night - some folk are disappointed thinking Topa is a magic pill that all of a sudden they will be AF - for the odd few, that can happen, but don't get discouraged please - it will happen - when i first started taking it, I thought it was NEVER going to work and was getting so worried - what if I was going to be an alkie for ever - GULP - then one evening - all of a sudden - I really didn't fancy my Guinness - and felt rather cross about it too -as I did want it - but my body didn't!! LOL. Anyway - take things as they come. It will all fall into place - it gets exciting - which sounds a dumb thing to say as I type it, but it sort of is - a whole new life for you!!

Hugs, Sun x

[2Run]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi guys! Have been away for the weekend so I'm just now catching up on posts.
Sun - you said that you don't feel like one a night is modding. I am actually really impressed by your tidy little brandy and decaf at the end of the day. If I could get myself to one glass of red or white each evening, I would be thrilled. I used to do that ALL THE TIME (and have many, many AF nights without noticing) so that would be modding for me, you know? I guess it's different for everyone. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I think you are doing great!
Tomorrow I will go up to 50mg. I'll probably do 25 at around 10:30 am after the gym and another 25 around 4:00pm. It does make me spacey and tired still so an AM dose should be interesting. I was with family in the mountains this weekend and when we were all at lunch yesterday everyone was ordering drinks (I come from a family of happy, social drinkers who love wine and scotch and good beer...no alcoholics though) so I ordered a glass of white wine even though I REALLY DIDN'T WANT IT!!!! WHAT?!?! I sipped it slowly and didn't order a second which I would almost always do on a Saturday with family. Crazy! I have also noticed that although I'm still drinking in the evenings I am very easily making a conscious effort to stop earlier than I normally would and overall am drinking less. I still am not having that indifference in the evenings though. Anyway...I'm hoping that 50mg will help that. And the appetite!
And :welcome: to all the new posters!!! We're happy to have you here!!!!!!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

2run - thank you so much for saying that - I maybe am looking for vindication. I suppose I feel slightly hypocritical really, urging everyone on in their quest for being AL free and there is me, having my brandy and coffee every night, without saying anything is wrong with it. I am not sure if there is or isn't. i have very mixed feelings about it. Maybe I should just have it on the nights that I work late - or the nights that I don't. Maybe just not EVERY night. I think that might be a better idea.

You obviously are having some indifference as you didn't really want your wine at lunchtime - Topa is very sneaky!!!! It works without you really noticing that it is working until one day you DO notice that it is working. anyway you sound as if you are doing well - especially being around a family of drinkers (except mine WERE alcoholics LOL).

So good for you! The appetite loss should kick in soon - I am surprised that it hasn't already but I am sure that it will - that too, in itself is rather subtle - or it was for me. One day I suddenly thought " I haven't eaten today" and it was about 2.00 in the afternoon!! Maybe you are looking for it too hard! try forgetting about it!!

Hugs to you, Sun x

[sapphire1]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi GUys, An Updaye on where I am at with the topa. I am still on 50mg and still completely indifferent to al. I have been al free now since for 46 days, 36 of them on topa. I felt the indifference kick in almost straight away. My story is that I am a binge drinker and never had a "regular time or place that I took that first drink" . I drank at irregular intervals and would have days and weeks al free in between binges. When I picked up a drink, I couldnt stop, and I drank like some possessed for up to week, drinking maybe six bottles of wine a day and some vodka every day, until I was so sick that I would end up in the hospital or I would force myself to detox at home very painfully and dangerously and get back to sanity until the next time. I am wondering if the topa has worked at such a low dose for me and so quickly is maybe due to a couple of factors: 1. I was al free for 10 days before I took my first dose, and 2. I dont have a regular witching hour to contend with........some of you are saying that you are drinking over the topa out of habit....that makes sense because my habit was so erratic that there was no established pattern to break away from. If that is the case and you are drinking out of habit and not physical craving, then maybe its time to look at establishing a new routine to replace the old one. For example if you regularly have a drink at 5pm. plan to do something else instead...go for a walk...just change your environment at that time for long enough to break that association...it takes around six weeks to form a new habit.........I think its about recognising patterns of behaviour and changing the landscape to form a new pattern. Good luck to everyone you are all doing a wonderful job.