New here and starting Topa and with a question

[july141995]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I'm back 2......

Hi all!

Great thread. I've been reading this read for several days.

I use to be around here. Then I was known as "Birds of Paradise" I remember Sun, WTE and Hoping. You all sound amazing and congrats for pushing though.

I tried Bac about a year ago and was miserable!!!! SEs too much. Awful

I did Topa and had success. Several AF weeks and I felt contol. Would drink more out of habit!

I'm ordering more topa today. The lowest dose I have is 50 and Im afraid to start with that. I want to follow the schedule.

I too am a wine lover. Chard and Pinor Noir. I'd love to try wine free Wednesday. I'm glad this forum is here and look forward to chatting with everyone and beginning a new path.

Have a great week and good luck to all!

July,
AKA, Bird of Paradise

[airam]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Good morning everyone.

Sassy, hope you are feeling better today.

I drank yesterday much more than I wanted to :no: and of course I'm hungover today :yuk:
I had lunch with my parents and my brother at a restaurant. Weather was very warm and everyone asked for a cold beer. So here I come .... I only had one beer but the dinking switch was on. A few hours later I was at my boyfriend's house and the cravings began. Long story made short I ended drinking everything he had left in different bottles. He is not a drinker and he only had half a bottle of wine, about two shots of vodka and 1 shot of tequila. I drank all that and my head is killing me today.
I'm bitterly disappointed with me.
I think I have to go up to 200mg today.


The Pact.- Count me in!


Claremont, Sunny, Iluminae, Sassy, Houtx, WTE, H4B, Having, 2run, Mum and everyone else, this is a great thread. Hope we had our own topiramate sub-forum!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Good morning to everyone - Hi there July - welcome! Why did you stop Topa last time? Can't stop and chat - got to get to PT appt then work - work 2-close today so will have to catch up either tonight or tomorrow morning - great thread we have going! Great to see everyone here.

Hugs to all,

Sun xx

P.S. airam - don't beat yourself up - just dust off and get back on the horse!!

[Illuminae]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

pact

Wineless Wednesdays might be hard for me because that's the night both of our kids have activities late and we always eat out. I could try to just do the minimal approach though (2 drinks).

Think I'm going to go for an AF today. Shouldn't be too hard since I think I'm coming down with a cold and drinking last night didn't help that at all.

I'm bummed to be feeling bad on my day off and it's not even a hangover.

Taking vitamins and zinc to try to knock it out before it gets worse.

[july141995]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Sun and everyone

I stopped topa twice...Both cause I was flat. Familiar with the affects. But, they say the third time is the charm.

I'm 41 years. 2 beautiful great boys. Freshmen and 7th grader. Happily married to my husband for 15 years. And I drink too much. I need to slow down and have several consecutive days of AF. Hoping topa and a lot of determination will help.

I just ordered my topa. I will be starting my supps and am ready to get my life under control.

It's been great reading this thread. Everyone keep posting. It means a lot

Peace out
July

[Claremont]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Airam - No biggie - it's just one bad day in so many fantastic days you've had. Just don't make them consecutive and you should be able to get it under control. Why can't you look at it like you just chose to do it? Maybe you wanted to, and maybe it chose you but don't beat yourself up. You've been successful before and you can do it again. YOU CAN. I KNOW YOU CAN.

Ok - so it seems like a number of us are on board for Wednesdays. Why don't we do it like this - we choose to do what we want as a goal whether it be AF or 1,2,3, etc and commit to it on the forum. We either succeed or get close to it and there is no judging (like there would be anyway). We are not required to post our results?? Whatever seems like an accomplishment for us personally is what we choose as our goal. For me, 3 is my lowest so 2 is an accomplishment so I would go with 2. The goal is just to commit to an agreement that we are in it together to accomplish something that we don't achieve on a regular night. Do we start this week or next? I was thinking that we do Wednesdays for 4 weeks and then add 1 more day in the same week.

July - welcome and good luck to you. I don't take the supps but do take the topa and the Nal.

Upping it to 50 tomorrow yikes. I have had a raging headache for 3 days now. Has anyone else experienced that in the early days?

Illuminae - feel better.

Sun - miss your long posts. I know, life happens……...

Lata everyone.

[SassyLassy]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

not for the weak

Probably not very appropriate, but I got this in an email and it made me smile Attached files [img]/converted_files/1395084=5729-attachment.jpg[/img]

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi y'all -
I am on board for "Free or Reduced Wed" but will have to skip this one b/c I am meeting the new guy...hmm, how shall I refer to him?? Lake house guy?? I'll come up with something...

Airam, you fell off your perfect wagon. I know you feel like shit, but don't beat yourself to death. One day is enough. How did you your boyfriend handle it? I'm curious how the SOs (significant others) handle our drinking. Does everyone hide it pretty well?? Do y'all get "the looks" , get ignored, do your spouses drink too & just don't really care? What?

My ex used to come into the BR where I was watching TV and (presumably to ask me a question) would look first at my glass of wine, then at me. He hated drinking, maybe had a beer or 2, would crank up the coffe pot every night about 7:30...ugh - hell years. He was such a Catholic poop! And while I had my bad episodes, I blame the fact it got worse b/c I felt like I had to hide it...was so ashamed and so rejected...blblblblblblblblbllb glad those times are over.

[Claremont]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Does anyone have bad sleep on Topa or did you in the early days? If I wake in the middle of the night, I can't seem to get back to sleep and have anxiety. I just lie there all night long. It could just be my life doing that to me, but I'm wondering if it's the meds and if I should wait to go up to 50mg.

Sassy/Airam - how are things?

Houtx - have you noticed a difference at all with the drinking since you must have a different outlook on things these past few days?

[airam]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

It was a long time before my SO realised I had a drinking problem.
Really, people who don't have a drinking problem are never counting how many drinks you've had. And he was like that.

Claremont, I was taking homeopathic sleep pills on the early days. The lab is Boiron. They helped me a lot with insominia and nervousness.
I told Sunny a few posts back they were called Sedalia, but now I'm not sure if I was taking those or Quietude, because I have both at home.
They are very good.

Yesterday night I was having a lot of cravings. I don't understand why those are coming back. Finally I went to bed and was an AF day. The only different thing I'm doing is that since last Monday I'm taking Topamax, the real thing. Before that I was taking the generic. I'll go back to the generic once I finish this bottle.


Sunny haven't seen you later!

Hugs to everyone!





sorry for my English...

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hallo everyone! Well, I am off today and spent the morning first at the dentist then running errands - had to shop for a coat - I HATE shopping and bought one but am not sure if I like it!! anyway, Sassy - laughed at the e-mail! appropriate or not, it did make me smile too! Hope that you and Hubs are okay again. How is the drinking coming along?

Houtx - thanks for explaining the purist - my mind was boggling at what it might be - I laughed when you explained it! Also thanks for you explaining your date to all of us - I am so pleased that you have sorted things out a bit with him - sounds like it might be fun for you. I wonder what his drinking is like? That would be really ironic - here you are trying to control/stop and there he is - drinking more than you!

Airam - please stop apologising for your poor English - you are amazing - I wouldn't even know that it is not your first language - and as I said the other day, don't be annoyed with yourself at one day missing - there are lots of days to make it up - I went up to 150 mg today. Supposed to go up yesterday but remembered too late to take a 100 mg tab - would have been too tired this a.m.! That is strange that you are having cravings with the real thing whereas you weren't with the generic!! I have only ever taken the generic.

Claremont - I am with you re the Free or reduced day - Wednesday is good for me - it might be a free for me as last night was down to one drink! I don't recall having a headache in the early days but I very rarely get headaches anyway - can't remember the last one I had. I think Airam may have - I think someone on here did. I think it went away eventually. Maybe it is 'cos you aren't sleeping well. i took umm, Oh gosh - Topa moment - the ones they suggest in the book - hells bells - hang on -Calms Forte - and the ironic thing is, on the bottle it says "Non drowsy formula" - cracks me up!! anyway -I would go to the chemist and get a homeopathic version of anything - Melatonin works too and doesn't leave me groggy in the mornings. Are you in UK or USA? I know that Melatonin is only available on prescription in UK 'cos I used to bring some over for my aunt.

July - welcome!! I remember your (other) name! Great to see you here. If you have been reading this, you will see that I too stopped Topa 'cos I was flat - you are the first person that i have seen who had the same trouble with it. How long were you AF on it? My Doc told me that it wasn't the Topa and I am inclined to believe him 'cos when i stopped it I was still flat - it was only once I started drinking again that I was happy! So this time I am going to have to try to work out something else and deal with that as it happens.

Houtx - you asked how our SO's handle our drinking? Mine drinks more than me and said that I didn't have a problem when i said that I wanted to stop drinking. (If he had agreed then it would mean that he had a problem and he doesn't - well, didn't think he did). He now thinks he might have just a teeny one!!! Oh - brother is calling from England - I am going to post this and talk later!

hugs, Sun xx

[july141995]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Claremont,

I also tried calms forte. It also helped with some anxiety. Calms Forte is mentioned (I think) in RJs book. It's an OTC homeopathic.

Looking forward to getting my topa to join you all! I have some left, but my lowest dose is 50. I'm too afraid to start up with that.

Enjoy everyone.

July

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I forgot about Calms Forte, and think there is a bottle hang around here somewhere. To me, if feels a lot like Valerian.

[WaitingToExhale]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hello again all ? this time from the grand USA! Wow! What a journey and it was over 26 hours traveling yesterday to get back to just LA. UGH!! Spent the night in LA so we didn?t have to drive right after all of that travel. If I never see my suitcase again after 3 flights and customs ? I will be happy! HA!

It was an AMAZING trip and the only thing that I feel bad about is losing my ?traction? with Topa, which seemed SO strong this time around. It was just impossible to even keep track of anything with while I was gone, partying with 41 others singles, the go, go go for 2 weeks straight. But Greece was incredible and I hope to return some day to some specific areas I saw on our journeys ? and oh the Greek men! YIKES! I think I fell in love three times ?.

Loving the idea of the Wednesday thing! Must count me out this week as I am just now trying to figure out what time and day it is after arriving home yesterday afternoon. Sleep has been weird with the jet lag thing and while I TRIED to stay up last night to get back to ?normal? (whatever that is!) I took a nap. Then bed at 9:30 and awoke again at 2:30 this morning and have been up all day. Damn. Suppose to have dinner with an old romance tonight (just buds now) but I think I may fall asleep in my ? what AM I drinking these days?

For all the grand things I had heard about Greek wines .. they can keep em! HA! Trust me ? I tried! Actually, it?s odd because I was getting a ?sicky? feeling about wine before I left and doing the AFs on Topa. I stopped at the grocery store on the way home yesterday and bought a small bottle of vodka instead. I would LOVE a continued distaste for wines as that is my devil! Not sure the vodka is any better ..but at least I drink less ?.

So it is back to work tomorrow and I am starting at square one. **sigh** I SO feared drinking through the Topa in Greece and it losing it?s affect if I did that - so I just stopped taking it. I think I will start with 50mg again, like the last time as I didn?t really seem to have any SEs as that starting point. Crap ? hate starting over but most admit to some reinforcement on seeing my GF smashed (really smashed!) a few times in Greece and thinking ? how awful and I don?t want to drink so out of control anymore. Not that I get smashed ? but my choices sure are not as good as they could be!

Sun ? You sound so good again and LOVE LOVE LOVE your posts!! You are an inspiration for me ? as I am sure you are to others. Keep on trucking GF!

Airam ? Wow! You are rockin! And you are also right about those without a drinking problem not really seeing ours ? unless we are binge drinkers. Me ? I cruise through the days sipping and no one ever knows (unless they counted my recycle bin!) It was amazing to me to not toss 14+ empty bottles the week before I left ? something unheard for YEARS! AND - I am REALLY curious about the ?real? Topa as compared to others? Where were you getting it? I am almost afraid to get a ?real? scrip because the Topa from River was working so well.

Claremont ? I had the sleeping weirdness the last time around with Topa. Not sure why not this time. And, odd as it seems, the bit of anxiety I had started to get the last year or so upon waking in the morning, went POOF after a few days AF! I KNEW it was the booze! Try and wait it out if you can ? I think it may reverse a bit. I also had some weird slight headaches about the first week but they went away too .. And did you call me a beotch? HA! HA! Hey ? some of us are still pretending we have a life! lol

Houtx! Chica! Whooo Hooo!!! Mr. Right Now????????? JAKE??? lol I am thrilled for you! He sounds darling (with the exception of smoking which I cannot say anything about because I still smoke!) So you see him again tomorrow?? Details babe! I had some fun times with the Greek men (one in particular) ? but talk about Geographically Undesirable. HA! Dinner with RSF tonight ? if I can keep my eyes open ? Love the name .. was it Boat Dock Guy?? **cracking up**

July!! I remember you! Damn ? are we still going around the same block? HA! This is my second try at Topa too and I was doing great this time until I went to Greece ? So .. welcome back and so great to see you! I?m also looking forward to that ?control? again!

Illum ? So glad you are here with us! I am trying to catch with a fog brain but you sound like you are doing pretty good. It IS funny how we notice how others drink when we slow down a bit. I can even almost spot a ?problem? now in a person .. weird. Congrats on your AF days ? love that feeling when it happens.

Sassy ? hope you are feeling better since I last read your posts. Also sounds like you have a lovely family and so much to ?save? by feeling better about AL. We ATRE going to make this a success. =)

And to anyone I missed ? forgive me and my jet lag brain.

Looking forward to getting moving on this Topa again! Damn ? I look at pictures from Greece and MY EYES from all the red wine! UGH! I will do a slow ramp up this week as I only have to work 3 days and then have the weekend off. I am SO READY!

Hugs to all of you ? I missed being here and all the wonderful support! Count me in for the Wedensday thing next week ... =)

WTE

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

WELCOME BACK WTE

Hugs, Sun xx