4 meds - which one?

[ignominous]

4 meds - which one?

AlllyB
When I first read your post I wanted to reply and give you my thumbs up but I was worried about hijacking the thread. Since that's been done for me. Greatt, great, great!

[Cranky Pants]

4 meds - which one?

Just a small data point from me.

I have been taking bac for about 3 days now and I have been drinking much less. My biggest SE has been slight nausea and fatigue. Enough nausea to keep from boozing? Maybe. Is the bac working in other ways? Maybe. I am only taking 15mg a day right now and hope to ramp up slowly.

Like Sunny said, I was kinda whacked out today and accomplishing NOTHING so I decided to get up and moving. I actually got a lot done and felt less ill.

One thing that I was hoping for was relief from anxiety and this has not happened yet.

The other thing...isn't this supposed to be a muscle relaxer? I am not getting ANY benefits at all in that area and I could really use some. In fact, I feel more tense. I may start a new thread about this.

Not drinking as much on a small dose is cool though!

CP

[Isolde]

4 meds - which one?

Hi Cranky, while I find that the bac does help with my anxiety, I don't get the muscle relaxing effect at all. Like you, my body feels more tense. It's like my brain is relaxed but my body's not. My whole body feels very rigid even just sitting at my desk during the day, and my jaw clamps shut very tightly at night when I'm sleeping. Magnesium had helped me in the past for the jaw clenching, so I tried it again, but I don't think that the kind I was using (magnesium citrate) was doing anything for me at all. I picked up some chelated magnesium yesterday (the "good stuff") and so far it seems to be helping me out. Right now I'm just taking 250mg in the morning to help keep my body from tensing up so much during the day, and 500mg at night to keep myself from shredding the inside of my mouth while I'm sleeping. It certainly seems to be having some benefit, so you may want to give it a try.

Hope this helps!

[christyacc]

4 meds - which one?

My muscles aren't tense, but can get quite twitchy. I am on bac and still working on the dosing....I have taken 80mgs in one dose and this is when I get twitchy.

I like Bac. I have gone from drinking every day to at this point, drinking on the weekend. I find that I don't have much willpower when the drink is accessible. I know that if I have one, this will lead into more....and so on, and the hang overs.....WOW! I had a hangover Sunday and I felt horrible. What I want is to get to the point that I won't even care to drink....will that come? I am currently at about 160mgs. I just want my week day feelings of not caring for AL can carry on to the weekend. This weekend will definately be a trying one. I have a babseball party here, at my home, and then my best friend's 40th b-day party......

I wish I had more will power.

[37degrees]

4 meds - which one?

Baclofen is a "muscle relaxant" in a very limited sense. It relieves muscle spasticity in people with specific types of neurological disease, probably by at its action at the spinal cord level. That is not what is going on in most people with "tight muscles" due to anxiety or other psychological conditions.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

4 meds - which one?

37,
Huh? Is that to say that the twitchy muscles are a reflection of anxiety or other psychological conditions?
Cranky, I have noticed that whenever I feel particularly bac'd out walking the dog makes a difference. Though my inclination is to go to bed with a book.
How's it going?

[37degrees]

4 meds - which one?

I just meant that the "muscle tightness" for which Baclofen is prescribed refers to the muscle contractures secondary to neurological disease.

[37degrees]

4 meds - which one?

An update.

Last week, I left town (for business reasons) before I got my NAL refill in the mail, and finished my last pill Sunday night. So I went AF Mon to today. I have gone AF several times before, so I know I am not physically dependent. This time wasn't a big deal. I just hit El Pollo Loco, In N Out, and Panda Express for my meals, thus avoiding all AL spots.

Did I missed AL? Yes, but it wasn't really all-out craving. It was more like wanting Skittles.

BUT. I got home Fri, took a NAL from the newly-arrived shipment, and proceeded to drink a bottle of wine. The experience is exactly the same as pre-NAL. The first glass is all about the taste and smell. The 2nd and 3rd is about the nice buzz. After that, I still want to keep drinking. The very act of being drunk is pleasurable.

The sensations are no different from those I had pre-NAL. I also don't notice any changes in my enjoyment or lack of, in any other activities in my life.

I am into my 3rd month of NAL. I have to say that any effect (aside from the initial nausea and AL avoidance) is not large (or even noticeable) in my case. In accordance with my original intentions, I will finish my 3rd month. Since I am not working next week, I will be drinking freely. Interestingly, this will mean that I drink *more* on NAL than off it.

[Merlot]

4 meds - which one?

Hi, I just came across this thread (and site) recently. I started NAL according to TSM about 10 weeks ago. I was skeptical, but so far the results have been very good. I've basically seen a 50% reduction in my drinking which has made a world of difference. I typically drank over 60 units per week before taking NAL. So far on NAL, I've averaged about 35 units per week for the 10 weeks and my units now at week 10 are closer to 20, almost 1/3rd of my pre-TSM drinking. The amazing thing is that it hasn't required that much effort other than taking the pill before drinking. On NAL I simply don't want to drink as much as I would normally. If the pattern continues, I'll be drinking about the same units in a month as I did normally in a week. I understand the method doesn't work for everyone though, but it is worth a try.

:new:

[gyco]

4 meds - which one?

hi 37 degrees,atheist is a harsh word,but it is what it is,your not a god,or you wouldnt be in this predicament ? as far as the drugs,ive tried nal,but i was not drinking at he time,i used it for cravings,or if i got the desire to drink,cant say it didnt help,works wonders for some,as far as bac,i also tried that ,but not for drinking,i had the hic ups for 2.5 days,your rt about relaxing,i was at a very small dose,the docttor said th valve inside my asofagis was not closing and the accids were escaping,oddly enuff it worked,as far as zombie land lets face it,that is where most of are,for many years of our lifes,when were drinking or drugging,i wish you well hav a good day gyco

[37degrees]

4 meds - which one?

Merlot;1006131 wrote: Hi, I just came across this thread (and site) recently. I started NAL according to TSM about 10 weeks ago. I was skeptical, but so far the results have been very good. I've basically seen a 50% reduction in my drinking which has made a world of difference. I typically drank over 60 units per week before taking NAL. So far on NAL, I've averaged about 35 units per week for the 10 weeks and my units now at week 10 are closer to 20, almost 1/3rd of my pre-TSM drinking. The amazing thing is that it hasn't required that much effort other than taking the pill before drinking. On NAL I simply don't want to drink as much as I would normally. If the pattern continues, I'll be drinking about the same units in a month as I did normally in a week. I understand the method doesn't work for everyone though, but it is worth a try.

:new:

Congrats. Great that it is working for you.

I agree it is worth a try (since I am doing so). Compared to BAC or TOP or Antabuse, NAL has little side effects (unless one needs narcotic painkillers).

[37degrees]

4 meds - which one?

Today:

Took my NAL, bought a $25 bottle of wine, started drinking. It tastes *delicious*, and the buzz is great. The sense of pleasure is about the same as it was before I started NAL.

Just my observation: I am not working this week, I got some good financial news, I feel no stress, and so I am not drinking to escape. I am drinking just because it feels good. NAL doesn't seem to have changed my pleasure-receptors at all.

[Merlot]

4 meds - which one?

37degree, that's interesting: i.e., that you don't find any difference in the buzz while on NAL and drinking. I most definitely do find a difference. It's a little hard to describe, but I will try. Drinking on NAL still produces drunkenness in many aspects: slower motor coordination, relaxant effect, etc. What is most profoundly missing is the "giddiness" or carefree buzz or sense of euphoria. And this was apparent from the very first drink I took on NAL. In fact, on the very first time of drinking on NAL I couldn't drink more than 3 small beers as I was getting absolutely no buzz at all. I would describe the situation as being forced to drink a six pack of coke. Why would you keep drinking after your thirst was satisfied and you are not getting the reinforcement? On the other hand, you aren't thirsty and you are full after drinking the first or second can.

I think it possible that people who react well to NAL and TSM will have an initial big drop in drinking as the first sign that something profound is up. Did you have that initial huge drop and reaction to NAL? You cannot miss it as it is not subtle: more like a sledge hammer. I had a 75% reduction in units in the first week.

Now, after a few weeks on NAL, I found I was able to drink more and the effect of NAL became more subtle in retrospect. That worried me. And I noticed that drinking on NAL was not unpleasant -- but I figure that helps with compliance. It seemed my body had adjusted a bit. I drank more, but never to my previous pre-TSM levels. However, I still was not getting the same buzz or high from drinking and feeling of wanting to drink more and more. It is very subtle at this stage. Then over time I found it progressively easier to limit how much I wanted to drink. I find it much easier to exercise control and say that's it when on NAL.

As I said before, I'm only on W10 and only one person. However, this week I'm likely only going to drink about 19 or 20 units at most (I've had 8.5 units in the last 5 days; 3 days to go). 10 weeks ago I was drinking over 60 units a week. The effort is minimal. So that's about a 75% reduction in drinking with not very much effort. I have never been successful at moderating my drinking in the past. Time will tell if this is sustainable.

I provide the above for you to compare to your experience. Good luck in finding something that works for you if in fact NAL is not the solution.

[37degrees]

4 meds - which one?

Thanks for sharing your experience. I did have an initial aversion to AL but that was prob. from the nausea SE in the first week. Now I find my AL experience to be back to pre-NAL days. As I posted earlier, I don't have a physical dependence on AL , but I do find drinking wine to be one of the most pleasurable things I do. I am trying to find substitute activities, but I don't really like running, golf, gardening, etc. I like reading and fiddling with the computer, but unfortunately I like them even better while sipping wine.

Best of luck in continuing your success.

[Merlot]

4 meds - which one?

37degrees;1007232 wrote: Thanks for sharing your experience. I did have an initial aversion to AL but that was prob. from the nausea SE in the first week. Now I find my AL experience to be back to pre-NAL days. As I posted earlier, I don't have a physical dependence on AL , but I do find drinking wine to be one of the most pleasurable things I do. I am trying to find substitute activities, but I don't really like running, golf, gardening, etc. I like reading and fiddling with the computer, but unfortunately I like them even better while sipping wine.

Best of luck in continuing your success.

Thanks. I'm not sure what you mean by "I don't have a physical dependence on AL." I assume you have issues with AL or you wouldn't be here. How you label or categorize that problem or issue isn't that important. We live in a material or physical world so in that sense your AL issue would be physical unless you consider it meta-physical. One thing I have found about people with AL issues, they are not all the same.