New here and starting Topa and with a question

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I am here sun just didnt post, nothing much ot say, oh to answer your question about why was I drinking wine, I felt like a change and something a bit stronger than the lager, the lager tastes fine but it does take so long to take effect if you know what I mean if I want to get that feeling. And I wanted releif from all the stresses I have been having so I got wine, not something I want to become a habit tho. I didnt wait to go up I went up yesterday instead, I want to nip all the thoughts of getting drunk and wanting stronger drinks and getting drunk in the bud. I know physically I just cant take heavy drinking any more and I cant risk any return to it and drinking the way I have over the past week isnt good, even with the two days AF I still had three nights where I drank far more than I wanted. I dont think I have dont this before since Ive been taking the topa so it does worry me.

But not anymore because today is a new day, last night with a fair bit of effort was a one can night and today is Sunday but no one is comming for dinner, my daughter went out last night to a halloween party so will be in bad today and my mum isnt coming for dinner although I will ring and ask her round for tea and cake or something I have started baking cakes again, I am going to slimming world so I dont eat them just a tiny taste but everyone else likes them and it is a bit of a hobby.

Ok thats enough about me, I hope everyone has a good Sunday

xx

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Morning All!

Mama Bear ? Yes, Sun confuses the heck out of me on what is OK to eat and what is not! LOL I can?t imagine trying to go to a restaurant and figure it all out. But as she said, her needs are small and simple and so it all worked out in the end. But ? She can keep her fake bacon! HA!

Star! Good to see you and we did have a wonderful time even though it seemed quite short. Hopefully she will make another trip soon!

Hi Play! Hope all is well in your world and I sure hope you can make it down soon. Sun really enjoyed her visit in Encinitas and I suspect you would as well. The gardens are really lovely, although I haven?t been there for quite a few years.

Hi Space! Good to hear you sounding better this Sunday morning. Sounds like you need a day to relax and chill. Baking cakes sounds wonderful. =) I hope the money thing gets sorted out rapidly. Financial stuff is SO stressful! Ack.

And yes, two more kittens! HA! They are darling and I will have them for only 2-3 weeks. The only reason they needed fostering is because they still needed their shots and got the first round on Friday before we picked them up. Second round in two weeks and hopefully they will have their surgeries (spaying) at the same time and be ready for adoption quite quickly. I am NOT getting attached to these two! HA!

Charlie is not too certain what to think of them just yet. They are quite timid still but when they start playing and running around he gets intrigued, gets too close and they spit! LOL He?s VERY gentle and would never harm them. But ? as Sun said, he?s a touch jealous and wants to be pet himself it?s like he is telling me I should be paying attention to him and not the kittens. He is certainly a Mams boy although he sure took to Sun and all her sweet talk and snuggles!

And we DO need to Skype soon! I can only do it on my laptop as my PC has no camera. I think I will also get over the ?make up need? soon. HA!

Hi Eva! Fun to see you over here and I hope you stay a spell! =) Yes, we have been very lucky to ?meet? such special people here. And it was wonderful having Sun here!

SUN! What a great time and glad to know you are home safe and sound. That IS a long trip, especially with having to change planes.

We will plan kayaking again in the future! I still can?t believe it about the damn sting and hopefully it will be pretty healed very soon!

I opened the back room up for the kittens when I got home yesterday. But, they didn?t come out at all. I think they were a bit pooped from my neighbor?s daughter playing with them and us in the morning and then me again. LOL ?Jan? is now named ?Roxy?. =) Who the heck names a kitten Jan???

I need to do some more reading this morning on killing off that ?grass? in my garden. For the others ? I have a raised bed of strawberries and it was invaded this summer but what Sun found out was a Bermuda grass. It?s awful! You can?t just pull it out or you make it stronger. Very sad as this was the third summer my strawberries were going and had just gotten to the point of producing a lot and very large berries. I don?t think I have any choice but to ?kill off? the entire bed by smothering it with newspaper and plastic to get rid of that grass ? and with it will go my strawberries. =(

Other than that, my garden is MUCH more tidy after all of Sun?s hard work! I gave up years ago trying to maintain a winter garden with the shorter days and my working schedule. You certainly can grow all year around here ? I just don?t have the time and it?s dark when I get home. Next Spring!

So after today it is back to reality for me. Boo! And time to try and get myself sorted out a bit more with the wine and with smoking. Hate it! I still think about Topa a lot and even more as I am FINALLY starting to put some weight back on. But I still have quite a ways to go and I know it wasn?t just the kidney thing as it happened before as well. I think I just need to TRY harder and hopefully in January the Chantix will work for me for the smoking part at least.

That?s about all from here. It was a busy day yesterday with taking Sun to the airport and then I went to a cheese/wine tasting festival with a GF in the afternoon. Pretty fun and we ?tasted? at over 30 restaurants! Good music on the street and dairy animals as well. It was a good day. =)

Hello to everyone I missed! Enjoy your Sunday! Hugs ?




And "Jenny" =)

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Good Morning ! Gosh - it is so cold here after sunny CA !!! The temp was around freezing when I got up and took the dogs out and sat on the step! It has gone up to 36 now - LOL. Brrrr. I took my hot water bottle to bed with me last night!

The pictures of the kittens are lovely WTE - and Roxy is way better than Jan for the other kitten!! Glad they are getting lots of attention. They are so sweet. I would have loved to see them more with Charlie. But I am sure we will get to see more pics.....

Space - thanks for explaining about the wine and stuff . makes sense and I understand where you are coming from. Good for you though, recognizing it for what it is and taking steps to stop it before it gets to be a BIG problem. You DO have to listen to the Topa - it isn't magic. Unfortunately I have to get up to such a high dose for it to really work for me. I am going to go up again too.

And yes, today is a new day - how come there is no Sunday lunch today at your mums? that is a first isn't it? Nice that you will have her round though - what sort of cakes are you baking?

Play - how nice that you will have a day or two off - you really need them. Hopefully you will just take time to relax and have some 'you' time.

My arm is getting better all the time - the swelling has almost gone but it still hurts - the horse pills that I am having to take are obviously working. Thank goodness.

Yes, we did work hard in WTE's garden - but it was fun - such a shame about that bermuda grass - it is a wild bermuda, not the type one has as lawn and is such a pain to get rid of. Charlie was in charge that day and watched to make sure we were doing things right - he lay in the shade and just did the overseeing.

WTE - glad that you enjoyed your wine/cheese festival yesterday - cannot imagine tasting 30 different cheeses - I would go pop I think!! It sounded like fun though and I am happy that you and your friend had a good time.

I know what you mean about getting back on track with the cigs and the AL - we sound like a broken record don't we? But, as Space said, today is a new day so there is always hope !!

WU - where are you?? Houtx, where are you too? About time you both popped in again....... Dizzy - when are you back from your trip? Hope to see you all here shortly.

lots of love and hugs, Sun X

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi - me again - sending out a signal........

[Alcoholic]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Lol, sunshine!

I'm taking topamax as well. Right now at 50 mg a day. Seen great results w other people, not so much myself but maybe my dosage is too Low. My doc actually sent in via electronic RX to be brand name so it cost me 280 instead of $15. So hopefully I can get the next rx cheaper at higher dosage. No side effect yet. Hope to get to know you guys on this thread!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Al and welcome !! WOW - $280 instead of $15? I have always only ever been given the Topirimate, never the Topamax - am not sure if there is any difference. One thing I will warn you of, is don't try and go up faster than the recommended titration schedule - faster is not better with Topa. So happy that you are not having any SE's. That is great. I have to get to a high dosage for the Topa to work for me and then get SE's so walk a fine edge between the dose and the Se's - hence still drinking. But I am working on that!! LOL

Also - the Topa can be very subtle so you have to listen for it - which sounds odd but you will know it when it happens. You will pour a drink and get half way through it and just either forget it or not want the rest.......

Anyway, great to see you here - welcome once again.....

Sun XX

[Alcoholic]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi everyone:

I'm new to topa thread. Just wanted to quickly introduce myself.

20 year 1-2 bottle wine drinker. 2 weeks ago found MWO site. Got excited, went out and got supplements, meds and started my journey to a healthier lifestyle. Then got into some controversial stuff in newbies site unknowingly. (I'm fairly new to the whole Internet social networking stuff and mod vs ab debate ), and now trying to find a new neutral ground to park myself.

By being on this site via my Iphone it prevents me from drinking.

I hope to get to know you guys better...

[spacebebe01]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Al and a very warm welcome to MWO and the topa thread. This is a lovely friendly thread so just come on in and sit down with us here and have a good chat we dont bite I think its probably the best thread on MWO and I mostly just stick to this one now but do wonder off to other threads sometimes for a look around tho but always come back quick. Take no notice of the controversy, its not worth it.

Its good you have got the supps and eveything and are so possitive about your getting better, that will give you such a good chance, I also take supps and listen to hypno tapes as well, I find them usefull, I like the wendi ones.

Anyway, just wanted to say hello really

xx

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Al - I read your post - are you a 20 year old who drinks 1-2 bottles of wine a day or are you someone who has been drinking 1-2 bottles of wine a day for 20 years? I couldn't quite decide ! If you are a 20 year old then you are the youngest member of this thread! LOL

SO how are you doing - if I am being nosy tell me so - but what is your plan? What is your history and where are you at now?

Let me tell you about me...... I drink daily. My drink of choice is guiness - being from UK, I started drinking early. Never had a problem until about 15 years ago when I noticed I was drinking daily. I never drink to excess - don't get drunk - have blackouts, or whatever - BUT I do drink daily so that makes it a problem for me. I used to be able to keep it to two a day which was fine but it has been creeping up to 4-5 a day. I have stopped a couple of times - once with topa when i stopped for 8 months - both drinking and smoking then broke my foot, was home and bored and thought I could just have 'one' - of both - yeah, right !! Then this year I stopped for three months, went to Uk and started both again!! So, I am a WIP (work in progress) and working on my next plan !!

I know the others will be along sometime and tell you about themselves, it is always nice to have a new face here...... look forward to hearing about you.

Hugs, sun X

[Alcoholic]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi, space: nice penguin and thanks for the encouragement. I thought these med threads were short lived question answer only threads only and didn't know that people stay on and continue to to contact within the thread.... Learning everyday. Cool! Nice to meet you too and hope to meet you!

[Alcoholic]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi, sunshine,

Wish I was 20!

I'm 40 yo w a son, good job and a good husband. Drank 20 years, just beginning to get paranoid about my liver status, wanting my liver to stay healthy, so decide to quit drinking. So far, I've had a few AF days and plan and I want to stay AF as long as I can, but I don't think I can stay AF for life. I'm just being honest w myself. So I think I'd like to be able to drink at events, Celebration, Anniversaries... But for me, to not be a daily drinker just because I sometimes think my liver is hurting..... I'm too scared of needles to get blood work done to check my liver status! I know I'm nuts, huh! And what,s wild is that I'm in the medical field!

So, sun, yeah, it doesn't sound like you never drank that much, maybe I shouldn't t say that to someone on this forum, but compared to someone who has had multiple blackouts, many drunken episodes, you really aren't too bad off. May I also ask your age?

So you live in uk but travel to Illinois and ca and around the world for pleasure or work?

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Kind of a quick pop in until later …

AL – WELCOME! Pull up a comfy chair or pick a spot on the sofa … this is our “living room”. =) Happy you joined us and you will find this to be a GREAT group of very supportive and informative peeps!

Sorry you had “issue” in another thread – I suppose some people always need to have their politics regarding everything. HA! I’m sure it came from a good place but can be difficult when you are perhaps choosing a different path.

Fantastic on trying Topa! I KNOW it works for many. I’m a bit of a rebel of the group as I can no longer take it – but I am NOT giving up my journey NOR my sweet friends here. I am in the small percentage that that has the odd side effect of losing massive amounts of weight on it. *sigh* I know – many want to, but I didn’t. It happened twice to the point of being serious. So I am still searching out a new road and determined to find my way! Oh, that after being a daily drinker for 25+ years and wine also being my poison.

I hope you have added L-Glut to your supplements. I know it really helped me while on Topa! And so easy to take THE POWDER … just have to remember it! LOL

I’ll be back later ….

WTE

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

LOL AL - Giggle at your comment of Sun traveling from the UK to IL and CA. Sorry! No she lives in IL but you shouod hear that Brit accent!

BTW - I am 58. I will keep Suns age a secret for now. HA!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Al - no, I live in USA these days - in fact have done for 30 years due to meeting an american in Germany when i was 28. I am 58, as are a few of us on this site - sorry WTE - gave your age away - LOL. I never used to travel anywhere much - I am such a homebody - but have travelled more in the past year meeting folk on this site than I have travelled anywhere - apart from home once a year pretty much.

I work here in USA at a bookstore and love my job. I have two daughters, 26 and 29, one living a mile away but soon to move back in, and the other married and lives hundreds of miles away. I have met two of the people from this thread - WTE and Play - they are both awesome.

I know, like you, we all do not see a future of us never drinking again - which totally contradicts the apparent theme of MWO these days - hence me sticking around here. if I could keep it down to a couple now and then i would be very happy with that. I have done it before and plan on doing it again.

LOL - I could NOT decide if you were a male or a female. having said you have a husband, I am going out on a limb here and going to say you are a female ???? of course, one cannot always say that for sure !! Does your husband drink? Mine does and he drinks more than me but doesn't really worry about it or think he has a problem - now and then he will decide to stop and then just stop - for a couple of weeks but then starts up again.

Anyway - nice to hear more about you and stay with us - we have a great group here - where are you if you don't mind me asking? you don't have to tell us if you don't want to.....

hugs, sun X

[NoraC]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi - trying to get caught up. How's Sunni's arm? Is she feeling better? WTE, I'm so sorry that I didn't get to meet up with you.
Al - I keep passing you on different threads today. :H We must be hanging with all the cool people.