Cindi and Baclofen

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

UK,

I, too, have gained 30 lbs since my GB. Now I have to watch what I eat.

Today I am going to the better grocery store that is only 10 miles away (I live in the country) and purchase some protein shots, cottage cheese, yoghurt, fruit, and vegetables.

That is what I am going to eat for the next few weeks and see if I can lose a bit of weight while I am home. Traveling and eating out all the time makes it difficult, but not impossible so it is not an excuse, but I have been eating high caloric foods. Not in the quantity that others do, I would get sick, but over time it has added up on me.

I also have purchased a good pair of sneakers and am going to start walking. I am doing some weights, too.

Hopefully, this routine will help.

I am still about 100 lbs less than I was when I had the GB. I am truly one of those with a low metabolism. I need to exercise to increase it. I recall Arnold Schwarzenegger saying once that dieting without exercise is hell.

Cindi

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

UK,

I, too, have gained 30 lbs since my GB. Now I have to watch what I eat.

Today I am going to the better grocery store that is only 10 miles away (I live in the country) and purchase some protein shots, cottage cheese, yoghurt, fruit, and vegetables.

That is what I am going to eat for the next few weeks and see if I can lose a bit of weight while I am home. Traveling and eating out all the time makes it difficult, but not impossible so it is not an excuse, but I have been eating high caloric foods. Not in the quantity that others do, I would get sick, but over the 6 years since my GB it has added up on me.

I also have purchased a good pair of sneakers and am going to start walking. I am doing some weights, too.

Hopefully, this routine will help.

I am still about 100 lbs less than I was when I had the GB. I am truly one of those with a low metabolism. I need to exercise to increase it. I recall Arnold Schwarzenegger saying once that dieting without exercise is sheer hell.

Cindi

[Lo0p]

Cindi and Baclofen

For some reason I feel proud of you, I'm trying to think of a way to tell you that without relaying any type of condescension because... I'm feel like in no place to have this feeling. I didn't suffer the way that you are regarding my initial baclofen experience. For me the choice was easy...do or die. For you it sounds similar but still it is a much harder choice to make.

Your update sounds hopeful and gives me a little relief. I feel almost selfish sometimes when I get relief out of some people's small successes. It's still hard for me to read these forums on a day to day basis because I'm so empathetic it fucking drains me. I talk to my sister and mom about it all the time and apparently they seem to understand why I do it even more than I do. :H

Cinders;1100840 wrote: Today I am going to the better grocery store that is only 10 miles away (I live in the country) and purchase some protein shots, cottage cheese, yoghurt, fruit, and vegetables.
You just nailed down about 1/3-1/2 of what my entire diet consists of. I'd never eat protein shots (I'll always go for the real thing) but this is obviously a necessity because of your GB. Veggies take up about 1/3 of my diet alone, but I eat something like this every single night (more fruit and carbs on a workout night):


Isolde turned me onto Greek yogurt too (lower fat)! That stuff is really good and has a much higher pro/carb ratio than most yogurt so check it out if you can. Regular yogurt might as well be a dessert if you're dieting though .

Cinders;1100840 wrote: I also have purchased a good pair of sneakers and am going to start walking. I am doing some weights, too.

Hopefully, this routine will help.

I am still about 100 lbs less than I was when I had the GB. I am truly one of those with a low metabolism. I need to exercise to increase it. I recall Arnold Schwarzenegger saying once that dieting without exercise is sheer hell.

IM(expert and not so humble)O dieting without resistance training is pointless. Sure you'll lose weight, and it might feel great. But if you don't at least retain most of your lean mass you'll end up exactly where 90+% of dieters do: right back where you started or worse.

Protect your muscles. Feed them and use them. They are your metabolism. Convince your body that they must be spared at all costs. This means heavy resistance training.

Sure cardio will increase your metabolism, in the short term. If you are going to do cardio at all then eat enough calories to support it.

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

lo0p,

I am glad you posted this for me. Thank you!!

The only reason I want to do the walking for the cardio is that it is good for the heart. My doctor warned me that pure resistance training without cardio can actually be dangerous for us oldsters. She said a simple 30 minute walk a day, as long as it isn't a stroll, will do.

I have high bp, meds keep it in check, but apparently doing cardio with the weight training will ensure I don't mess up my bp.

As for the yoghurt, I concur. I always eat Greek yoghurt. Plain yoghurt, not the crud with all the added sugar. The sugar I add is either fresh or frozen fruit, depending on the time of year and what is available. I just blend up a little bit of fruit in the yoghurt and then add the rest and it is delicious. Greek yoghurt just plain old tastes better than plain yoghurt. It has a better texture, too.

Again, thank you for your post. You have reinforced for me that my plan is a good one.

Cindi

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

Zenners,

Density gets me as much as anything. I think that is why beef and chicken get me. It seems even if I chew it up well.

Besides, I don't believe in consuming too much soy as an older woman. They are starting to think that the hormone replacement therapy that soy products naturally do can also lead to breast cancer. It is a, eat some soy but not too much soy recommendation we are getting today. I never buy the soy nuts anymore because I eat too many. Kind of like any nuts or potato chips. :H

I should never have had the GB, I would rather be fat than be a drunk.

However, I would very much rather be a normal weight and AF. That would be a start on a good life. Then, like Ig and others, I will need to work on the head a bit. :-)

Love,
Cindi

[Doggygirl]

Cindi and Baclofen

Cindi I am so happy and hopeful right along with you! I hope this is your miracle happening.

DG

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

Wow, a lot of posting on my thread by myself today. Not usual for me. I tend to shy away from the "me" stuff.

However, I did forget one very serious SE that I just experienced today.

Based on the postings here, there has only been one other person who experienced it. I can't recall who and I am too lazy to do a search.

However, I have now experienced this for the 4th time.

Sleep paralysis.

This is Baclofen's scariest SE for me.

I decided to take a nap about an hour after my second dose. I was extremely tired and stumbling around a lot.

I experienced sleep paralysis during my nap. I hate it but the funny thing is, at least I recognized it. I could not open my eyes to get out of my sleep. My dream was realistic, to say the least. I was living my dream.

But, I finally recognized I was dreaming, my analytical mind eventually kicked in and realized that what I was experiencing simply could not be happening. Luckily, it was not a nightmare. Whew. But even with the knowledge it was a dream, I could not wake up. I finally was able to come to when my dog started barking. Thank you, Poulan!!

Anyhow, at least I now have a coping mechanism for this.

And, I must stress that I titrated up way too fast last week. I went from 60 mgs/day to 80, to 100, to 120 mgs/day within one week, once or twice at 140 mgs/day. Stupid, I know, but I thought I only had a short time to be at home. Thankfully, I have a lot more time, at least at this point.

I am going to stay at 120 mgs/day until my SEs abate a bit. I have faith they will. When they do, I shall post so others know how long it took me to get back to normal.

I will, however, be somewhat aggessive on my titration. This stay at home is a gift and I am going to use it to the best of my advantage.

Love,
Cindi

[Guest]

Cindi and Baclofen

Cinders;1101088 wrote: Wow, a lot of posting on my thread by myself today. Not usual for me. I tend to shy away from the "me" stuff.

However, I did forget one very serious SE that I just experienced today.

Based on the postings here, there has only been one other person who experienced it. I can't recall who and I am too lazy to do a search.

However, I have now experienced this for the 4th time.

Sleep paralysis.

This is Baclofen's scariest SE for me.

I decided to take a nap about an hour after my second dose. I was extremely tired and stumbling around a lot.

I experienced sleep paralysis during my nap. I hate it but the funny thing is, at least I recognized it. I could not open my eyes to get out of my sleep. My dream was realistic, to say the least. I was living my dream.

But, I finally recognized I was dreaming, my analytical mind eventually kicked in and realized that what I was experiencing simply could not be happening. Luckily, it was not a nightmare. Whew. But even with the knowledge it was a dream, I could not wake up. I finally was able to come to when my dog started barking. Thank you, Poulan!!

Anyhow, at least I now have a coping mechanism for this.

And, I must stress that I titrated up way too fast last week. I went from 60 mgs/day to 80, to 100, to 120 mgs/day within one week, once or twice at 140 mgs/day. Stupid, I know, but I thought I only had a short time to be at home. Thankfully, I have a lot more time, at least at this point.

I am going to stay at 120 mgs/day until my SEs abate a bit. I have faith they will. When they do, I shall post so others know how long it took me to get back to normal.

I will, however, be somewhat aggessive on my titration. This stay at home is a gift and I am going to use it to the best of my advantage.

Love,
Cindi

I need to read more BUT I think I have had this all my life, and so did not make the link with baclofen at all. I have always had various problems with sleep, hallucinations, sleep walking, vivid dreams, night panics all sorts of things. Coupled with day time drowsiness at various times I did wonder if I was narcoleptic. A visit to the sleep lab showed whilst I am not 'normal' by a long chalk, I am not 'abnormal' quite enough to be diagnosed as narcoleptic. Just been checking a few things - I remember my MLST results showing I enter REM sleep within 10 minutes whereas a normal person takes about 90 minutes, and a narcoleptic only a few minutes.

Sleep paralysis is a part of narcolepsy, I get it more or less every night and I have always been distressed about it but had accepted it was just part of sleep for me. Never knew sleep paralysis was a condition!

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

Ukblonde;1101093 wrote: I need to read more BUT I think I have had this all my life, and so did not make the link with baclofen at all. I have always had various problems with sleep, hallucinations, sleep walking, vivid dreams, night panics all sorts of things. Coupled with day time drowsiness at various times I did wonder if I was narcoleptic. A visit to the sleep lab showed whilst I am not 'normal' by a long chalk, I am not 'abnormal' quite enough to be diagnosed as narcoleptic. Just been checking a few things - I remember my MLST results showing I enter REM sleep within 10 minutes whereas a normal person takes about 90 minutes, and a narcoleptic only a few minutes.

Sleep paralysis is a part of narcolepsy, I get it more or less every night and I have always been distressed about it but had accepted it was just part of sleep for me. Never knew sleep paralysis was a condition!

UK,

My husband used to suffer it as a child. So he knows what I am talking about.

Apparently, so do you.

I am having it at 120 mgs/day, the last time I tried Baclofen, I had it at about the same level.

I am going to push through and deal with it. It is one of the things, plus a very stressful account, that made me titrate down and stop last time.

I don't have that issue today, therefore, I am going to move forward.

Good luck with your study on the condition. It happens to more people than I realized, having nothing to do with Baclofen.

Cindi

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

Okay, another update.

I experienced the sleep paralysis again last night during my regular sleep. That is the first time that has happened. However, this time, again, I finally figured out what was going on in the dream was not reality. (It was really strange and I am trying to analyze the dream but that has nothing to do with this forum.) I did finally wake up and was able to open my eyes. Again, not a nightmare, Thank G-d!!

I am still stumbling around and acting drunk. But, remember, I titrated up way too fast and did not follow the protocol.

However, it is what it is as I say to my clients who have painted themselves into a wall. I am going to stay at 120 mgs/day until the SEs abate. It is that simple.

I have the opportunity to do this and I am not going to mess this up.

In the drinking front, I am doing middling okay. I wanted so bad to go out last night and get some alcohol. I ended up walking over to my son's trailer (okay, we live in Alabama and my son and his family live on a trailer on my property. It is the south, y'all.) and wanted to give them the keys to my car. However, about halfway there I decided that was not a good idea because then my son would drive my car to work and back until the gas tank was empty. (I don't blame him, he works hard for a little bit of money.)

So, I walked back through the woods in the dark and came home and hit the bed.

I woke up, took my Baclofen and promptly went back to sleep. How weird.

Everyone else here posts that at this level they have insomnia. I sleep and dream really weird dreams.

Anyhow, still at 120 mgs/day. I have put my meds in a meds dispenser so I don't screw up and know exactly what I am doing. The Baclofen messes you up enough to let you screw up how much you have taken and when.

I guess the real reason for this post is:

120 mgs/day and still craving.

Love to all,
Cindi

[Doggygirl]

Cindi and Baclofen

Just a post of encouragement for you Cindi! I so want you to have FREEDOM.

DG

[RedThread12]

Cindi and Baclofen

Hi Cindi: Me, too, just sending all my support your way. Your struggle and your persistence in facing it have been an inspiration to me from my beginning on MWO.

Re the gut issues, perhaps you could do some research and talk to your doctor about l-glutamine. It's actually a neuro-transmitter, but works primarily through the "enteric nervous system" - the gut. Serotonin is produced primarily in the gut.

I've been taking it in huge quantities for over year now and received enormous benefits. It completely stabilized my blood sugar allowing to drop pounds and pounds and has completely revolutionized my bowel movements (tmi, I'm sure, but hey, we're talking about important stuff, here!).

I take as much as I do (15-20 grams/day) with the full support of my GP, who is a body-builder and uses it herself. I've recommended to friends who have had varying degrees of success in terms of losing weight and food cravings, but it might be worth a look-see, with the help of your physician to figure out dosages that would allow you to find out if there's any benefit to be had.

Best of luck . . . with everything.

[Doggygirl]

Cindi and Baclofen

Red - I found your post about high dose L-Glut very interesting. Would love more info about how you started out, how much you took, how you decided when / how much to add, how you knew when you were taking enough, etc. I assume you are taking powder form?

Many thanks!!!

(Cindi, if you are not also interested in that info, just say the word and I can ask elsewhere!!)

Cindi how are you today?

DG

[Cinders]

Cindi and Baclofen

DG, you are more than :welcome: to post on my thread!! You are one of my heros, you know. :l:l

I am interested in the alcohol/sugar connection. I believe that is why my GB caused my alcoholism to kick in fully. I was an alcoholic prior to GB but didn't realize it. I thought that a bottle of wine a night was "normal."

As for the Baclofen, I am still at 120 mgs/day because after reading other threads, I realize that titrating up too fast can be dangerous. This is a drug not to be taken lightly. But remember, alcohol is a drug not to be taken lightly either.

I am going to stay here until my SEs subside. I peed the bed last night. Luckily, hubby was out of town so I didn't get the hassle for it.

I am older, though, and this is an issue for us older women to begin with. Sneezing, laughing, etc, causes it. Taking a strong muscle relaxant makes it worse.

Sorry if this is TMI but I believe truth will win.

Meanwhile, there is a bottle of vodka in my freezer and it is still there.

That would never have happened before when hubby was out of town.

The great news is that it is still there and I will not have to withdraw from AL when hubby gets home.

I get to pour it down the sink instead of him.

I bought it out of habit, I do not drink it because I don't need to.

I do suffer SEs from Baclofen. My daughter thought I was drunk Sunday, I am reeling around like a drunk, I have a hard time typing, which is amazing since I am a whiz at typing.

Baclofen does affect you.

However, I hang on to the realization that when I hit my switch (not there yet because I do want to drink,) I can titrate down on Baclofen to maintenance. I can't do that with alcohol.

Cindi

[ignominious]

Cindi and Baclofen

TMI for me but then again I'm repressed and trying to get in touch with my child. I'll push through it!

The vodka sounds encouraging so good on you. Yay!

I wouldn't personally wait until the SEs completely dissipate before titrating up, you've only got so much time at home any way. Wait until they are not too debilitating and go for it. Just my 2 cents.

Best wishes