Sassy's bac journey

[SassyLassy]

Sassy's bac journey

March 16, to RedHead77

Hey, Red,

We find each other on different threads, but I keep remembering that we both started on Bac at about the same time (feb 4 for me). I'm at 110 mg, and the schedule says I should move up to 130 starting tomorrow-I think I'll do it. Not sure if I've shared this here, but I'm 47, female, and wondering when my switch will come. I'll race ya?! JK

Then on 3/26:
Good job, Red...what are you at now, about 130-150mg?? I'm at 150 since Thursday, major head cold with cough, and while I spent 12 hours in bed last night, didn't sleep maybe 1/2 of them. Had one glass of wine (5-6 oz) last night, and I was so pooped I just went to bed! Don't think it's the "switch", just sick and tired, literally.

[SassyLassy]

Sassy's bac journey

April 11, "still here"

Again, to Redhead77
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I haven't posted in days, but I've been following along. Red, I'm still "racing" you for the switch. I'm at 170 right now, took a week off of going up as I was sick - major headcold - and my son had strep.

Anyway, I'm getting anxious/impatient about reaching this switch. But I (we) have come too far and invested too much to give up.

I wanted to post my dosing schedule in reply to (?) whoever was asking about it. I printed this out small, and keep it in my wallet, first to remind me what I'm supposed to do, and 2nd, to let anyone know that I'm on Bac at a particular dosage if something happens.

I take 5 doses a day: 7AM, 10:30AM, 2PM, 5:30PM, and 9PM:

7:00 10:30 2:00 5:30 9:00 Total/day
3/10/2011 20 20 20 20 30 110
3/17/2011 25 25 25 25 30 130
3/24/2011 30 30 30 30 30 150
3/31/2011 30 30 30 40 40 170
4/7/2011 30 30 30 40 40 170
4/14/2011 35 35 35 40 45 190
4/21/2011 40 40 40 45 45 210
4/28/2011 45 45 45 45 50 230
5/5/2011 50 50 50 50 50 250
5/12/2011 50 50 50 60 60 270
5/19/2011 55 55 55 60 65 290

[SassyLassy]

Sassy's bac journey

Yesterday, 5/8

I'm at 250 right now. Biggest side effects that bother me: water weight gain/edema. MY FEET ARE ROUND!! This is just in the last week or 2. I've taken to wearing support hose to keep from having completely unidentifiable ankles! Haven't had any AF days, so that may be holding me up. Wanting, wishing, waiting

moglor;1111690 wrote: Sassy, how much water are you drinking? Baclofen does weird stuff to the kidneys, and I find I can abate most of the SEs simply by drinking a ton of water, as in 2-3 gallons/day. Yes, I pee constantly. It's really important to keep your water intake high to flush the insane amounts of bac we take out of the kidneys.

I drink 4-5+ bottles of water every day. This is a 20 oz (.6L) refillable bottle, so 80-100 oz. I've always drunk this much-I'm always thirsty, I think due to the anti-depressant I'm on, and I'm a mouth breather at night. Since I've started retaining water, maybe about 2 weeks ago, my weight has gone upto an all-time high this morning, up 5-6 pounds from "normal", up 8 pounds from when I was sick with a head cold in March. I may go to the drugstore and get a diuretic of some sort. Anyone know how I'll know when this gets to be medically dangerous?

Hubbie is leaving town tomorrow (Tues), and won't be back until Saturday. Normally, I'd take that as a free pass to drink to my heart's delight, but just like I don't want him telling me when/how to cut down (remember Lent-he lasted a week!), I also don't want to let his actions (leaving me alone, whether out of town or just in his office) be a trigger for me to drink more. I need to find a replacement activity. Reading, crafts???(I sewed/crocheted/rug hooked in high school, and was pretty good at sewing, but have no interest now...what's up with that?) Maybe working out at night?

Been at Sparkpeople.com, trying to get motivated to exercise more. Picked up the book, The Spark, from the library last week, and read some of that over the weekend. I need to make a visual collage of what I want, what's important to me, what I want to become as I move intothis next phase of my life.

Stay tuned!

[redhead77]

Sassy's bac journey

Ah ha! I just wrote you on my thread. I couldn't remember if you had your own. I will be back later to give it some attention. I have to run. :l

[redhead77]

Sassy's bac journey

I guess I lost the post on my thread. Oh shit! No time for an update now. I'll be back tonight Sassy.

[Zephra]

Sassy's bac journey

Hi Sassy, don't have alot to say, just wanted you to know I am reading your journey. I am now at 120mg of bac and don't have experience at the higher levels yet. I wish you well. z

[SassyLassy]

Sassy's bac journey

So Sad

I'm so sad tonight...I was really hoping that, by putting myself out there, my story, I might get some input, some attention. I'm not one of those who posts often, but I am here a lot and post when I have something to say. This feels a bit like high school, where I'm looking for the "cool kids" to notice me. I stood in front of the group and took my clothes off, but nobody noticed.

This is so hard...not sure I know how to be on a group/site like this without exposing myself to, well, indifference.

I know, I know, we're all here because we have an alcohol problem. This isn't a site to get counseling. But when you're isolated already, then try something like Bac to treat yourself, and expose yourself like I did today and everyone yawns (2xx views, 1 response - really?), I don't know what to make of it.

Wish I was one of the cool people - always have, always will, never will be.:upset:

[redhead77]

Sassy's bac journey

SassyLassy;1111877 wrote: I'm at 250 right now. Biggest side effects that bother me: water weight gain/edema. MY FEET ARE ROUND!! This is just in the last week or 2. I've taken to wearing support hose to keep from having completely unidentifiable ankles! Haven't had any AF days, so that may be holding me up. Wanting, wishing, waiting


I drink 4-5+ bottles of water every day. This is a 20 oz (.6L) refillable bottle, so 80-100 oz. I've always drunk this much-I'm always thirsty, I think due to the anti-depressant I'm on, and I'm a mouth breather at night. Since I've started retaining water, maybe about 2 weeks ago, my weight has gone upto an all-time high this morning, up 5-6 pounds from "normal", up 8 pounds from when I was sick with a head cold in March. I may go to the drugstore and get a diuretic of some sort. Anyone know how I'll know when this gets to be medically dangerous?

Hubbie is leaving town tomorrow (Tues), and won't be back until Saturday. Normally, I'd take that as a free pass to drink to my heart's delight, but just like I don't want him telling me when/how to cut down (remember Lent-he lasted a week!), I also don't want to let his actions (leaving me alone, whether out of town or just in his office) be a trigger for me to drink more. I need to find a replacement activity. Reading, crafts???(I sewed/crocheted/rug hooked in high school, and was pretty good at sewing, but have no interest now...what's up with that?) Maybe working out at night?

Been at Sparkpeople.com, trying to get motivated to exercise more. Picked up the book, The Spark, from the library last week, and read some of that over the weekend. I need to make a visual collage of what I want, what's important to me, what I want to become as I move intothis next phase of my life.

Stay tuned!

Hi Sassy,

Are you worried about the swollen feet? Do they get worse at night? You aren't the first one. I know Terry K, Cindi, beatle, and a few others have mentioned it. How much are you still drinking, at the 250 mg? I'm glad you aren't having other side effects like problems with mentation, hallucinations, head in a vice, on and on. I started getting all sorts of weird things as the switch neared. It scared the hell out of me. It also left me nearly incapacitated. I'm surprised you aren't experiencing more at this point. Don't know what to make of that.

If it were easy to find a hobby, to keep us all from drinking, we wouldn't be here. Don't be hard on yourself my friend. Maybe, come online and visit, while he's away.

I'm not sure how strong the over the counter diuretics are. I wouldn't think very strong. Maybe you could try it and see, just don't stay on them long term. Continue to drink fluids, wear your support hose, and elevate your legs whenever you have a chance. Don't forget to eat and drink lots of potassium containing foods to replace that electrolyte. You lose potassium with diuretics.

Sassy, I hope this happens for you soon. I have my fingers crossed. :l

[Lo0p]

Sassy's bac journey

I can't help but think: Isn't peripheral edema a side effect of alcohol abuse? Isn't it a sign that this sh&t is getting serious?

I don't really have the time to check into it right now but do we really think this is an SE of baclofen? Could you be projecting this SE onto baclofen? Please don't chastise me for this people I'm just thinking out loud.

[bleep]

Sassy's bac journey

Hi Sassy,

I reckon if edema is the biggest concern, you are doing fine! It can be very uncomfortable, but Red has some good suggestions that will hopefully alleviate it somewhat. Most people complain of mental SE's that are very bothersome, so to me it looks like things are okay.

You'll find responses will come in waves. Sometimes you will post something that you think deserves immediate attention, and nobody says anything. Then, a random comment will ignite fevered discussions. It's strange, but it's the nature of forums. The only advice I can give you is to keep posting your story - people are listening, and if someone reads something they can relate to, they sometimes jump in and say something. Sometimes they don't.

You're taking a relatively unheard of drug in an unheard of dose to cure something that everyone has always said is incurable. I think that's pretty cool.

[ignominious]

Sassy's bac journey

Hi Sas

Just read your log. Did you originally post them elsewhere on the forum or are they from notes that you've been keeping?

You seem to progressing in the right direction with nothing too unusual happening. 250mg is quite a hefty dose but many people have needed more. Hope that you're nearing your switch.

Don't give up, this stuff works though at times it can be tiresome!. Keep posting, I'm sure to come up with some wildly insightful (imo) thoughts for you to read! Good luck, we're all rooting for you.

[Murphyx]

Sassy's bac journey

Lo0p;1112188 wrote: I can't help but think: Isn't peripheral edema a side effect of alcohol abuse? Isn't it a sign that this sh&t is getting serious?

You're right that oedema (or edema as it appears to be spelt on the other side of the Atlantic) can be a sign of liver failure, as well as kidney or heart failure, but there are a whole bunch of other things that can be responsible.

Sassy, you mention you're on an anti-depressant. Is it an SSRI type? They can be responsible for pedal oedema, but also, perversely, for fluid loss.

Oh and I had to respond because you mentioned taking all your clothes off. I took that as I promise and I'm going to hold you to it.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sassy's bac journey

Morning, sassity Lass.

I can't even begin to respond to all of the things that resonated with me in your posts. There were too many!

I'll respond to the last one first.

It was a VERY quiet weekend around here, on MWO in general, ftr. I had an inner lamentation going on about that, because Ig and I used to have long angst filled moments over the weekends way bac in the day (last fall! )

It is so damn hard to put yourself out there. Even anonymously on the WWW.

It is very easy to feel left out, or out of it, especially (imo) on bac, alone on the journey, and without active support.

I did indeed spend most of my days checking in to the meds threads. It was a lifesaver, for me. I used to be self-consious about it. Now I think of it as a privilege. Both to participate and because I no longer have that kind of time to spend here. I do feel for the people who can't check in, or are nervous about it. Lots and lots and lots of that going on, and it's easy to miss a shout out or a thought and sometimes it's really hard to respond.
I wish we had a daily thread, the way the Aussie's do, or a Newbie's Nest, or SOMETHING. I've tried. We're an ornery bunch. It hasn't caught on. yet.

Just keep posting, my sassy friend. We're here. This place can't substitute for therapy, whatever... Frankly, on the bac ride, I've found MWO more valuable than that could ever be.
Just keep posting.

More later, I promise. :l
xxoo
Ne

[beatle]

Sassy's bac journey

Hi Sassy,

I read your whole journal last night and was simply overwhelmed. Such honesty, such attention to detail, so much information. I had many responses. So much that I could relate to. So many questions, too. And I did plan to respond here, but I'm not one for spontaneous posts, especially to something on this scale; an hour or so organizing my thoughts and how to communicate them would be more in order for me, and when I read your journal last night, I was not in a position, physically or mentally, to give it the response it deserved, and to say what I wanted to say.

And I'm not in that position now, either, unfortunately. But I'm betting there are a lot of other people out there who had a similar reaction to mine, and weren't quite sure how to respond. Just guessin'.

Anyway, I think it is an amazing journal, full of both information and personal experience, that will be extremely helpful to many people, especially yourself.

I hope you continue doing this, it truly is priceless.

[beatle]

Sassy's bac journey

Also, what Ne said:

Ne/Neva Eva;1112284 wrote:
It is so damn hard to put yourself out there. Even anonymously on the WWW.

It is very easy to feel left out, or out of it, especially (imo) on bac, alone on the journey, and without active support.

Ne