New here and starting Topa and with a question

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Oh Gum - I am so sorry to hear of your fall - how very painful for you. I am hoping that the x-ray showed nothing was broken? Poor you .....

Yes, I am still AF and NF. The AF isn't as easy as the NF funnily enough .... I quit the cigs using an e-cig - and it was SO easy! Yes, I am still using the e-cig - but a mere fraction of how I used to smoke - maybe a total of 10 puffs yesterday for the whole day. And I am not even actually trying to not smoke - just don't even think of it for some reason. The AF I did cave on one day ..... but onwards !!!

Your weekend sounded good in as much as it made you take the AB ! LOL. I can't take it right now as I have an appt coming up and they will be taking blood - then I have a dental cleaning - I doubt that any type of AL is used but am not going to take any chances as I am SO sensitive to the AB.

Stuck - your weekend sounded - well, just awful to me - but I cannot imagine being up until 2.00. Oh to be young again - LOL. Sorry you felt so bad because of it - time for an AF stint now maybe? You always do it SO easily - I am quite envious !!

Meggie - your puppy will 'mouth' anything and everything - partly it's age and partly 'cos that is what puppies DO ! Ours still mouths us - and he is now about 8 months old (I think). It is so hard to break him of it. He was a shelter pup - as was his mum, whom we also have.... how is the house training going?

Sorry to hear about your tiredness - as you said, it is probably a mixture of things - the sinus thing, meds - and also the time of year - a lot of folk are dragging - spring is taking a long time getting here this year and it has been a really bad winter.

Anyway - got to get ready for work. Have a great day everyone !!

Sun XX

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Good grief - major falls and binges and going AF & CF (cigarette free?). Lots to comment on! Gum, hope your fall injuries are better now. You sound like you're doing pretty well overall. Being AF during a weekend when everyone is drinking? HUGE!!

I don't have the energy to comment individually - Meggie, Sunny, Stuck, etc - am home tired and spent from a fun day on the golf course. Color me selfish but I am looking cross-eyed at this screen! I just want to say that I had a great spring break week - got a lot done. Loved it! Then went to give blood the other day and was rejected b/c my blood pressure was too high. This has happened every time it's time to take my BP, but being rejected at the blood bank struck a note.

So called the Dr I'd been referred to...couldn't get an appt til May, but ok. I've now updated dentist, eye Dr and mammogram this week. Also shopped, cleaned and relaxed!! Everyone should have a "spring break"!! So ready to retire!

Stuck - your posts are epic! Keep 'em coming, but also hope you are doing ok! UGH - can so relate in a non-Vegas way! lol

[Funny Girl]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hello everyone - I've been absent. Been busy selling my house & buying another. Sun - you know the story. Anyway - high hopes for bigger things to come & hopefully I will get rid of AL too. Tried TOPA again & can't do it - doesn't agree with me for some reason . . .had muscle fatigue, weakness & then felt like I couldn't breathe. . .. so - no way I can do it even though it makes me not want to drink. Anyway. . . posts are entertaining and glad I'm not alone. I'll try to make a point of being present & hopefully get back on track.

[meggie]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Well, I have been wondering where everyone has been. It is either age, or just being clumsy, but I am also sitting with a cold pack on the hand. I have been sick and haven't been to the gym. Good workout on Wednesday, then did a class that is a fast yoga class with push ups from a plank. I must have done something to the hand. Oh, well, no gym today.
Still drinking, meditating and rereading A New Earth. Funny I have read it before and have notes all through the book and don't remember a thing.
Good to see people back.

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hallo - Funny Girl - nice to see you again. So sorry that you can't take the Topa - but it doesn't suit everyone. I wish I could have kept on with it ....have you tried Antabuse? That really works as you just cannot drink with it in your system! Just a thought anyway.

Meggie - sorry about your hand - did you hurt it at the time or is it just afterwards that it started hurting? I have heard of, but never done, fast yoga - sounds interesting to say the least.

Yes Houtx - CF is ciggie free ! I haven't had a cig since a week ago last Thursday! The AL is still a work in progress but as usual I am optimistic ! Re your BP being high - mine went down so much when i was AF. I can't give blood 'cos I was in UK at a certain time - which ticks me off as I used to do blood and platelets and now they don't want either from me !! Anyway - I digress - my BP was getting really high and I was taking it regularly after seeing that - at the beginning of feb - and since then it has come way down. So you might want to start monitering yours.

Glad that you enjoyed your spring break - sounded great even if you are left really tired - a good tired I think!!


Hope everyone is having a good weekend, hugs, Sun XX

[meggie]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I have a friend who has been drinking since her early 20's. She has been in and out of rehab. Last night she went to hospital because she was sick. her husband called me crying at 4 am. Her liver has failed, her kidneys have shut down, and the next 24 hours will determine if she lives. Wow, that really hit home. Her blood pressure was 50 over 30 or the other way around.
ARe we really doing that much damage to our bodies?

[Just A Gal]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

I haven't started the program yet, just finished the book last night. I'm taking several natural supplements for anxiety/depression: Rhodiola tincture, 5HTP, Organic Lithium and Vitamin B shots. I was on Zoloft but didn't like the SE, and the supplements are working! I'm concerned about the cognitive SE of the topa as I'm an elementary school teacher, but I'm going to make an appt. with my naturopath tomorrow and we'll work out a plan. My goal is moderate drinking. Sunshine...I too took Celexa for awhile, and Wellbutrin before that. The Wellbutrin worked better for me. Good luck everyone, I'll keep checking in!

[Just A Gal]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Meg...so sorry to hear about your friend. Al is more damaging to our bodies than most people realize. I pray your friend's wife will recover!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Meggie - SO sorry to hear about your friend - yes, it does bring it home to us what AL does to us - I had a close friend die from AL related stuff about 5 years ago - but we soon forget about AL being the cause and carry on as we were. I sincerely hope she will be okay - it doesn't sound good at all though. My prayers go out to you and her and her family.

Hi there Just a gal - welcome to the thread - it sounds as if you are on the right path - I noticed that you had also posted on the smoking thread - I haven't had a cig now in - ummm, about 11 or so days - I think ! Maybe 10 ...... they sometimes give folk Wellbutrin for stopping smoking - is that why you were on it? Of if not, did you notice any change in your desire for a cig?

Let us know how you are doing won't you - nice to have a new face here ....

Sun Xx

[gumtree]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Just a quick post today,
Meg, I feel for you and your friend's spouse. It's heartwrentching! xo
will post more tomorrow.

[houtx]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi "Just a Gal" & welcome - hope the TOPA works for you! Keep us posted

Meggie, wow. So sad about your friend...and eye-opening. I feel like that may be me someday. Seriously - who's to know what the future may hold. I was obsessed with guilt today. Went to bed early, but still had too much to drink on the whole and started my first day back at school feeling hung-over and like shit. I hate myself for this crap when I go out of control. Tonight much better, but didn't take the AB today as I have a function tomorrow I know I will want to drink. Am trying to pump myself up to take it Wed. & then be AF til Friday. I'm so sick of being addicted!! WHY can't I take it leave it??!! UGH

Gum, I hope you heal fast! Funnygirl, nice to hear from you & maybe think of doing the AB like some of us are. It's just a matter of committing to taking it and following through. I really need to commit and follow-through more often!! Sunny, great you are being AF & CF! I quit years back using Nicorette gum & that really helped. A year after quitting, I just stopped the gum too. That was a cinch. Hang in there!

XO

[gumtree]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi everyone,

Just a Gal, I had issues with Topamax my first week on the 25mg dose as far as feeling "loopy" - I wouldn't have even wanted to drive on it - but that resolved after the first week. Right now I'm on 100mg and don't seem to have SE - the hand tingling resolved a couple weeks ago and that was the only SE I noticed having after the first week.

I had planned on titrating up to 150mg from 125, but ended up on going down to 100mg due to my insurance. Until I get a new script they won't cover me for more than 100mg. I'm ok with that, I have a huge exam to write mid April, so maybe it's for the best, in case any "dopamax" issues kicked in at 150 for me during exam time, would be just my luck! So current plan is to hold steady at 100mg until after my exam, then start titrating up again (assuming by then my insurance issue is resolved by my doctor).

Houtx, I didn't take my AB yesterday either, had a setback with my back (pun intended) and feeling sorry for myself used that as an excuse to extend my drinking into Monday. oh well. And I have half a bottle of vino left in the fridge from last night that I hate the thought of wasting, so not planning on an AF day today either, but it will only be a half bottle, which for me is a small amount. I'm not going to take the AB tomorrow, since I have an event on Friday, and for me that's cutting it pretty tight for the AB to get out of my system. But I am aiming for AF on Wednesday and Thursday through willpower.

Sun, you seem to be getting more AF days than not with willpower alone, so impressed. Well done! and that's combined with going cig free. Give yourself a few pats on the back!!!!

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Gum - thanks for the kudos but am sitting here with a Guinness !! still not smoking though !! I had a wisdom tooth out yesterday - emergency, although it started bothering me Friday and they put me on Anti-biotics - today i feel the best I have felt in ages !!! My gum is sore but I still feel wonderful!!!! Cannot believe that I had had an infection for a while and not known it - I had a skin check two weeks ago and my doc said my glands were swollen which could indicate that my body was fighting an infection. I feel SO good - I know no reason to have a guinness - but it seemed like such a good idea! LOL Just cannot get over how good I am feeling. (and I hasten to add - that was BEFORE the Guinness!!)

Gum - if you don't mind me asking - and you can PM me if you want - where are you ? Just a ballpark idea is good .......

Oh gosh - please be careful taking the Ab tomorrow and having an event on friday - that is cutting it really really close! I would be scared to do that - I had a reaction with some Branston pickle so know what a reaction is like - it is very scary!

Hope everyone else is doing okay - take care everyone,

hugs, sun XX

[gumtree]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hey Sun,
I'm not taking AB at all this week because I delayed and have an event on Friday, that would be WAY to close in my opinion. So don't worry!
I sent you a pm, but am fine with answering here that I'm in Ontario Canada. Any other Canadians on this thread?

[sunshinedaisies]

New here and starting Topa and with a question

Hi Gum - thanks for the Pm - I have answered! I am glad that you have decided not to take the AB 'cos of your event on Friday - that is cutting it way too close - just my opinion. I know that Houtx takes it and then will drink two days later but it worries me ...... if I take it on a Monday then won't drink until the Friday .... AB scares me !! LOL

Am going to start getting ready for bed - still cannot get over how good I am feeling ....I obviously did have an infection that is now resolving.

Love and hugs, sun XXx