Libby likes Bac

[libmit]

Hi,

I think I've hit my switch. I started taking bac on 2/28. Starting around 3/20, I've had little interest in drinking. A little background, I've also tried topa (2006) and nal (2010), with little to no success. I've been drinking since I was about 15 - I'm 48 now. I'm most interested in drinking like a "normal" person, in other words, I don't really want to be alcohol free, I just don't want to be drunk every night. I'm feeling good now.

I'm at 120mg bac now, and have been for about a week. I was up to 160, but I didn't feel too great. I've had some somnolence, nausea, headache and general malaise, but nothing earth shattering. I have a weird rushing sensation on and off in my ears (like a yawn), but without the yawn - anyone else have this? I might have a sinus infection (thought the bac was giving me a headache, but then I realized it felt a lot like a sinus inf.) and got some meds a couple of days ago, and I seem to feel better.

I'm currently drinking between 0 and half a bottle of wine at night. I used to drink a couple of beers, then half a bottle of wine, then several cocktails and a few more beers - maybe a minimum of 6 drinks a night, usually a lot more. Hard to say exact amounts due to my liberal pouring of Captain/diet coke. On two occasions since 3/20 I had about 6 drinks, and I felt like hell the next day. Before, 6 drinks was practically AF for me.

The school my kids go to has an annual fundraiser that is a big party. Two years ago, I was completely wasted, made an ass of myself, lost my purse, phone...my kids were crying, I couldn't stand up. Not a proud moment. Last night, for the first time in the 7 years we've been going, I had a total of one glass of wine. I was actually drinking water. Water? I was a little worried about going - I'm a known partier and the alcohol flows freely, I actually had fun and I wasn't drunk, and I can remember it all. Also, last weekend we went out of town, and I had a total of two drinks the whole trip. This is incredible. I am one who would have stopped immediately at a liquor store, carried a flask.... I was actually enjoying drinking tea. Fantastic.

This forum has helped me a lot learning about other people's experiences in titrating up/down, side effects, experiences etc..., and I thank you all.

Libby

[Zephra]

Libby likes Bac

Hey Libby Congrats on having more control over the ale and hopefully hitting the switch. It's wonderful when you can realize that you can have fun without the ale.

I too get the ear, sinus thing and wondered if it's bac. Also the somnolence, nausea, headache and general malaise.
Anyway just wanted to give you a shout out. z

[bleep]

Libby likes Bac

Way to go Libby. It's truly a blessing.

Like you, I choose to drink after reaching indifference, and the ability to drink like a normal person is astonishing. I wonder if I'm not tempting fate though?

The SE's you are experiencing are all very familiar - they will fade entirely with a bit of time.

[ignominious]

Libby likes Bac

Sounds good Lib.

Don't know if that's the switch or not though. Hope for you it is.

You must be as pleased as punch about the school fundraiser.

[Seethepony]

Libby likes Bac

"the ability to drink like a normal person is astonishing. I wonder if I'm not tempting fate though?"

I don't think you are. I find baclofen hangovers so unreasonably grim that like Pavlov's dog my instincts are bending towards a total loathing for alcohol. I think it takes some effort (and masochism) to abuse alcohol and take baclofen at the same time.

My trick - and I hope it doesn't work only for me - is to occasionally drink alcohol-free beer. Sounds silly, but it works. Maybe I crave the calories? Whatever reason, I actually enjoy alcohol free beer now, and can order it in a pub without feeling like a freak. I've consumed "proper" beer once in the past 8 weeks - a weedy amount compared to before - and lo and behold, along came the hangover from hell. So I think I'll stick to the AF beer from now on. Baclofen + the occasional AF beer = unbeatable mix!

Sorry to hijack your thread Lib, I actually intended to just pass on congratulations, so that's what I'll do --

Congratulations , Lib! The ability to leave one's house knowing one won't make a complete prick of oneself is the biggest confidence booster known to man - or woman.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Libby likes Bac

I'll add my hearty Congratulations to the mix, Libby!

It's a gift, isn't it?

I think the ear-ringing is a pretty well-established SE at this point. I've had it, for sure, and mine was definitely bac-related. It was also a yawning-feeling as opposed to the actual ear-ringing. It happened when I was very tired, mostly. Like all of 'em (for me) it went away.

I hope that at some point you'll think post here:

https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...fen-47958.html

Enjoy, Libby!

Ne

lol, Seethepony, I had my first AF beer last week and decided it wasn't completely loathsome and abhorrent. And I didn't feel like a complete wanker. (or whatever.)

[bleep]

Libby likes Bac

I've always looked on AF beer as the strangest substance known to man, but now I kind of get the point. I'm pretty sure you can't get them here, certainly not much of a market for them, but you can get low-alcohol wine. Maybe I'll give that a bash and see where it takes me. At least it will stop my wife from ransacking my stash!

[libmit]

Libby likes Bac

Thanks everyone,

I agree I haven't hit a complete indifference switch, but for now, this seems to be working for me. I can always increase. Totally agree with Seethepony about the bac hangovers - suffering one right now from 2.5 glasses of wine. A hangover from such a tiny amount - ridiculous.

I used to drink NA beers during the week (in an attempt to drink less and lose weight), so I'm not averse to them. I haven't actually had a beer in over a month, and I definitely don't need any extra calories. Any decent NA wines out there?

Maybe I'll eventually get to alcohol free, but I guess for me I need to go in stages.

Glad the yawn feeling is normal - it was sort of freaking me out. The somnolence is MUCH better. The three hour afternoon naps were getting a little ridiculous.

Libby

[LadyLush]

Libby likes Bac

Libby,

I had to come on to say I am happy for you. I am also at 120 mg and came down from 180mg and have been doing great. I have the ringing and occasional zaps but I hope it's just the brain re-wiring.
Glad you are here and stuck with it.


Lady:l

[Lo0p]

Libby likes Bac

I like it too.


:welcome:

[Doggygirl]

Libby likes Bac

Libby, just wanted to say congratulations. I can so relate to your description of the "before and after" fund raiser parties. For me it's business stuff, but same sort of deal.

I gave up trying NA wines a long time ago. Is there a Yuk smilie? :yuk: Guess so. When I fancied trying them, I thought they all tasted like drain cleaner or something. Good luck there!

DG

[libmit]

Libby likes Bac

Thanks again for the well wishes.

Alcohol free tonite - still suffering from the ridiculous 2.5 glasses of wine hangover. If that's not a reason to not drink, I don't know what is. I seem to be able to have one drink, but any more and it's bac hangover from hell. Unlike regular hangovers, the bac ones seem to get worse throughout the day instead of better.

Lady, where are you alcohol wise at 120?

And DG - drain cleaner makes me laugh. Think I'll avoid the NA wine. Can't imagine any NA wine would be drinkable - might as well drink grape juice, which I don't like either.

Ne - how long until the yawn thing went away for you?

Libby

[RatStew]

Libby likes Bac

baclofen's going to help you a lot. But when you wrote the following, it was a dealbreaker for me:

libmit;1108063 wrote: Hi,
I'm most interested in drinking like a "normal" person, in other words, I don't really want to be alcohol free, I just don't want to be drunk every night. I'm feeling good now.

Libby, I sympathize with you because I've been there and I AM there. But seriously, get real, you'll never be able to "drink like a normal person." People like you and me, our brains aren't wired that way unfortunately.

[bleep]

Libby likes Bac

Hmmm, you may be surprised there Rat. Baclofen has completely removed my thirst. I often enjoy a glass of wine after work and leave it that.

You're right, our brains are wired differently. Baclofen re-wires them.

[ignominious]

Libby likes Bac

I think we are too early in the day of high dose baclofen treatment to say what are or are not deal breakers.

There are different approaches to titration schedules, maintenance doses and drinking on bac that all appear to have some success.