New here and starting Topa and with a question

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi all - okay - did my Christmas cake and also have posted one of my favourite pics of all time - it looks like the view from the road above where I used to live !!! I also have baked the cookies and just now need to dip them in chocolate tomorrow morning.








If anyone else wants to post - please feel free......

love and hugs, Sun XXXX Attached files [img]/converted_files/2010752=7255-attachment.jpg[/img] [img]/converted_files/2010752=7256-attachment.jpg[/img]

[FreeFly]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Lovin' the moo cow (oops, wrong thread!)

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

HI FREE !!!!! So lovely to see you here !!!!! I LOVE the picture of the cow over the stone wall - it SO reminds me of home !!!!!! I lived in a tiny village just like that one..... welcome to our thread !!!! LOL !!!!

Love, Sun XXX

[teezah]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hello everyone, and thank you sunshine daisies for inviting me to the thread.

I'm a 40 something married lady with 3 children, one of whom is profoundly disabled and suffers very ill health. I have stress & anxiety. I started self medicating with a glass of wine every night, which escalated over the years to having a bottle a night.

I hate the hangover in the morning & not being able to fire on all cylinders, plus I hate the compulsive need to HAVE to buy a bottle. Drinking a bottle of wine every night does not fit into my plan of living a long and healthy life! I do not want to be burdened with illnesses and disabilities of my own in my middle aged & older years.

I started 6 months ago on baclofen and it has been very effective. However, I'm asthmatic and the side effect of worsening symptoms has been too much, and I have already had a couple of bad viral chest infections this year. Also a bit fed up with the tinnitus and achy bones. So I've started titrating down on the baclofen and have ordered topiramate to try. Also, GABA, same and kudzu but not the mwo as shipping to the uk is $44!!

Just thought I'd say "hi". I won't be able to be on here often because of time pressure - I get very little time to myself but I'll pop in now & again to say hi and see how you are all doing. Should be a couple of weeks before I get my new meds.

Take care,

Teezah

[Alcoholic]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi, Teezah:

just want to welcome you to topa thread. I hope you will find topa helpful for you. I'm still taking 50 mg a day (not regularly though, shame on me!) I think it finally started to reduce my appetite which is a great side effect for me! Good luck!

[DizzyBee]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Welcome Teezah and hi to everyone else. Sorry I haven't done a proper update but I have to sort out my 'real' internet and until then I'm just on Blackberry. After emails and chat session with bf it feels like I'm gettin carpul tunnel syndrome from pressing these tiny little buttons.

Prepped a curry noodle saladd and chicken kebabs today and wrapped all of my prezzies. 0our family celebrate on Xmas eve so tom is going to be hectic and I wanted to pop in and say Merry Christmas to all who celebrate in case i don't get another chance.

Lots of love.

XXX

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

HEY everyone - I am HOME !!!! Oh it feels SO good to be home. TWO whole days off. Just awesome...... NO more customers NO more public for two whole days !! YEAH !!!!!!!! I am going to hibernate...... well as much as I can - LOL !!!! My first Christmas eve off in 17 years.

Dizzy - lovely to see you - hope you enjoy tomorrow. It will be good to see you properly when you have your internet up and running. I will get my pressies wrapped tomorrow. Forgot to take the turkey out of the freezer until this morning so am hoping it will defrost in time - oops. Oh well, I won't be eating it so no love lost there.

Teezah - SO good to see you here. We are just a few of us those post regularly here and with it being this time of year it is a bit hectic, but usually someone comes along. I am so glad that you did come and post.

I do understand your situation - as much as I can, not having a disabled child - I feel for you there - that is such a stress in itself. I cannot actually imagine what it must be like and admire you for dealing with it - which actually is a stupid thing to say so I apologize. I am very good at putting my foot in my mouth - LOL.

I am scared silly of bac and have never taken it and never will - I have a friend that took/takes it and she actually gets a different personality when she does and it sort of scares me. she gets very angry with the whole world and I tend to back away from her - when she stopped taking it she went back to her lovely kind self then I knew that she had started it again without her even telling me.

The Topa is definitely not as effective as the Bac- I warn you now. With some folk, it works at a very low dose - with others, you have to get to a much higher dose. BUT when it works, it really works. But I do feel it is worth trying. The SE's - again for some, are very mild, and for others not so much. I had very few SE's - and over time, they went away - although the Topa dopa remains but that could be due to age too - I have never really decided which it is.

Please do pop in and keep us updated.

Ally - I am so pleased for you that the reduced appetite SE has finally kicked in for you. How long have you been taking the topa for? It hit me with it very quickly. I find food a nuisance - always have - some people live to eat - I am one of those to eat to live, so when the Topa reduced my appetite somewhat I was pleased. It meant I didn't have to bother quite so much with food. I cannot remember exactly how much I lost on the topa when I first started taking it - I thought it was more than it was - but I had got a copy of my medical records and it was 10 lbs. Which was fine - I don't need to lose any more. I just like not having to bother with food....... and when I do eat it is stuff that is nutritious.

Well, I have waffled on royally haven't I? so I shall stop. I plan on getting up early and going out before any of the public are around (LOL) and then coming home and getting on with all the stuff I need to do before THE DAY.

love and hugs to all,

love, Sun XX

[teezah]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Thank you for the welcome

finally started to reduce my appetite which is a great side effect

Yes - give me some of that! Although I think the Baclofen works on emotional eating too as I don't seem to hunt food (as much) on baclofen

Sunshine, you make me laugh. My d(for disabled) daughter is amazing and gorgeous and fantastic. Lot of hard work though!

I hear what you are saying about the topa being less effective. With the bac, I didn't use any supplements but for this I've bought kudzu, GABA and same to add to my arsenal so fingers crossed x

Prepped a curry noodle saladd and chicken kebabs
Mmmmm yum... I've been trying to make light healthy meals in the run up to tomorrow too.

I probably won't post tomorrow, but you'll all be in my thoughts. Have a lovely day everyone.

[DizzyBee]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Oh I have to probably explain that's its 30 degrees in Cape Town so there's no hope for roasts and stuff. We have a leg of lamb and the rest is all BBQ and salad foods Not so odd if you've been doing Xmas poolside most of your life...
XXX

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Merry Christmas to all! Great pics, Sunny - the cake is beautiful! Looks scrumptious! A quick hello from me. Hope all is well - my 2 kids are home from college and my school ended Friday, so still relaxing and trying not to get too tipsy while they are here! lol

I plan to try TOPA again in January - will dig the book out and reread it for inspiration. I need to do something to try and get a grip on this. Just trying to maintain thru the holidays. Hope so too for all my friends here. Hope it's merry & bright!

XO

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi - I am back again. having such a nice day - still cannot get over having Christmas Eve off - this is SO wonderful! I am getting stuff sorted for tomorrow and can really feel myself unwinding. Hubs is leaving for work shortly - he only has today and tomorrow then he will be home 24/7 - GOD HELP ME !!! So I plan on making the most of today..... LOL

Anyway - Houtx - lovely to see you. Haven't sliced the cake yet - it usually tastes pretty good though. We usually wait until Christmas day to slice it. Hope that you are having a good time with the children home and staying relatively sober - :l

Enjoy your Christmas if we don't see you again before.....

love and hugs, sun XX

[Alcoholic]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Houtx , dizzy, sun, teezah, freefly:

Nice to see everyone!!! Stuck at work but no one is showing. Which means I'm sitting here getting paid for not doing any work!!! Feeling a bit guilty.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Ally

[Bruunhilde]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi everyone!

Sun, I'm so pleased you can enjoy two days in a row, and avoid alot of stressed out people doing last minute shopping. Which reminds me, where exactly am I on shopping? Hmmm. I honestly have very few people to gift, since most of my friends are remote and we've agreed to not exchange gifts - the shipping is a pain and so expensive, plus who needs more STUFF? A card is nice but even that is optional. I find the people sending me cards are all retired, except one. And all she sent was a photo card, signed, no message. I think she has a big list. I don't send out cards annually, I did here and there for years but no longer. I imagine you would have the energy to do that kind of thing, Sun? Or maybe it's not a UK thing, this card sending. I personally would rather spend time in person or even on the phone with these people and actually experience them, rather than buy and send a gift or card.

Retirement -- you need to get him involved in out of the house things asap!

Welcome Teezah, I did well on Topa at 25-50-mg I think it was, for a while, three years ago. Then I went off and started drinking again. Forgot about the whole effort and went back down the rabbit hole. Now when I try to take topa, I get panic attacks, so it's a no-go although I sure would like to reduce my weight and I look longingly at the bottle of topa pills on my desk and wonder.... should I try for the fourth time?

Thanks Play for your kind words about my sister's diagnosis. It really shook me - I wrote you about it and lost the whole post on the Kindle, so forgive my lateness. I've been very low energy lately, tired and achy and drinking which makes for more of the same. I do this every year before xmas.

Diz, enjoy the holiday, xmas by the pool - we have that kind of weather sometimes, in California, in December. Seems like every Rose Bowl parade has excellent weather and all the non-CA people think they need to move here because it must be like that all winter long! You see these folks from Minnesota in shorts when it's 60F outside and the locals are freezing. This week it's in the low 50's and dips to freezing at night. Rain today too. The sun keeps trying to break through but no, it's not happening.... or maybe it is. It changes its mind.

I'm so sluggish and tired, I'm wondering if it's this new batch of baclofen I'm taking. I've been on it for two weeks and although I can muster for a few hours quite well, now that I'm on vacation I just want to stay in bed but it's too boring. LOL Plus the beseeching looks my dog gives me, get to me. So I'm up and ... working. NO! I need to do so many other things!

Where is WTE, I guess tomorrow is her only day of rest.

Question on quite a different topic, does anyone have experience with basenji dogs? I think I want one, there's a rescue here that I might visit. My pup needs company and someone who can run with him but I don't want another big dog blocking the hallways. And the basenji doesn't bark, and is more cat-like which will fit right in. I keep looking and thinking this is a good idea then I panic and think NO! No more animals! Too much worry, trouble, too much neediness. And what if the dog chews up my stuff, which basenji's have a reputation of doing if they're not sufficiently entertained?

Happy Christmas eve to all, and happy winter to everyone - I think the solstice just passed on the 21 or 22. May it be a winter of love and blessings to be grateful for.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

YE GADS !!! How on earth can anyone expect a vegetarian to do this ????? Oh My Gosh. I have just had my hand inside this poor turkey - It was GROSS! And then to lug the thing about - I think next year if anyone wants turkey someone else is going to have to cook the darn thing 'cos this is the last time I am ever going to deal with it !! I have scrubbed my hands over and over but can still feel it on them. Yuck.......

Ahem.... okay - hi everyone - me here. Up until now, it is has been a great day - finally got my cappucino cookies dipped in chocolate and everything done except the hoovering. i think I am going to go and read for a little while. I need to veg.

Hi Bruun - yes, I did send cards this year -some years i do and some i don't. Depnds how organized I am. This year I was - LOL. Oh - and do not remind me of retirement....

No, I have no experience at all on Basenji's. Do not get a sheltie - they bark ! I don't know anyone with a basenji at all. What about getting a cat as company for your pup instead of another dog? Just a thought.......

off to read for a while. I will be back later.

love and hugs to all,

sun XX

[NoraC]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!:h