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    New and could use some support!

    New to posting here, but have been lurking on and off for maybe a year. You all have given me hope that it can be done.

    Here?s my story ? I?ll try to keep it brief. I am in my 40?s, have 4 kids and am married. I started drinking in high school. Went to college, met a great guy, married him. (Also a drinker, which didn?t help me much when I was looking to cut back) (Now, while he still drinks, it is not as much as me and isn?t negatively impacting his daily life) It has been so long ago, I don?t remember the frequency of drinking then, but I know it was every weekend. Not sure about during the week. Thank goodness I went to college in a city with public transportation or I probably won?t be alive today. Anyway? I have continued to drink. Not sure when it became daily, but it has been at least the last 5-6 yrs that it has been more likely that I drink daily, than not. It wasn?t so hard to not drink when I was pregnant, but when I wasn?t preggers? Really hard. I could go 3-5 days max and then once the weekend hit? back to drinking again.

    I haven?t hit bottom yet, or the thought of giving up would come easier to me, I think. I don?t know. Maybe I?m in denial. I don?t want to stop ? the thought of never being able to have a drink out on the porch with my DH is not something I want to even think about. I just want to be able to better control myself when I do have a drink. I?m not getting drunk everyday, but I do go to bed buzzed about half of the time. I don?t start until 6 pm and am usually in bed with the kids at 9pm (except on the weekends). I can easily, and usually do, have 4 drinks in that time period. I would say 1-3 days a week I wake up and feel like crud. Not down and out crappy, but foggy. If it weren?t for the calories in alcohol, I might not even be posting right now. I have put on 10 lbs a year, for the last 15 yrs, all in part to alcohol. You know the drill, feel like crap in the morning and craving hi calorie/hi fat foods. Then once the day is blown, why try to make good food choices?

    I went to Weight Watchers last year and lost 40 lbs and was feeling really good about myself. I didn?t stop drinking, but cut back considerably. Everyday was a challenge. Then we went on vacation, without the kids, and alcohol was free flowing. It was so hard to get back to moderation ? I just couldn?t do it. I?ve put back on 35 of the 40 lbs I?d lost  I started back to WW this week. ( I am 2 days AF and counting) I know that I have to cut back considerably on the A for this to work and lose weight. I have 150 lbs to lose ? that will take at least 1 ? yrs ? probably 2 yrs. And to keep it off? I have to figure out a long term solution to the drinking.

    I made an appointment last spring with a psychologist ? I thought she was a psychiatrist and could prescribe meds. It took everything I had to call and make the appointment and then everything else to actually get there. I spilled my guts to her, told her I was struggling with Alcohol etc. Told her I wasn?t interested in stopping yet, just wanted better control. She wasn?t really listening. She suggested AA and that yes there were some meds out there to help and that I should talk to my Dr about that. Or she would make the call for me to my Dr. But I would still have to see my general Dr. I was so mad at myself for not researching her more. I wanted one stop shopping. I didn?t want to go to 2 different Dr?s. I never went back to her and never talked to my general about it. I was embarrassed. And still am. I know that I shouldn?t be, but I am?.

    I have an appointment with my general Dr tomorrow for a blood pressure check and get a script renewal for the BP meds. Part of me wants to ask her about baclafin (sp) but I part of me doesn?t?. it is so hard to admit you need help? I am a very emotional person - I cry at the drop of a hat. I know that I will be in tears in the Dr?s office if I start talking about, which is another thing that is embarrassing for me. Then what if she doesn?t know anything about it? I?ve looked through posts here to try and find info that I can bring with me that talks about the drug, what it has done for people etc, but then what about the dosing? Specific info on that is hard to find here. Trying to decide if I should just call Dr. Levin like some people here have done, Then it would on the phone and I?d be less likely to cry, and he already knows the ins and outs? or find a shrink that specializes in addiction?

    I didn't do a good job of keeping it brief - sorry! If you have gotten down this far, thanks !

    Any suggestions and thoughts are welcome.

    #2
    New and could use some support!

    Welcome Mom!

    Call Dr. Levine! he will help you like he has helped so many others! There is lots of info on different meds on these boards...Baclofen and Naltroxene seem to be the most popular...Dr. L will give you baclofen and tell you how to take it! Don't wait! Call him now!! Keep us posted on how things are going for you!
    "What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us." Ralph Waldo Emerson

    Comment


      #3
      New and could use some support!

      +1

      Definitely call Dr L. Don't bother trying to get it from your family doctor. The chances are he/she won't know what you're talking about and won't prescribe it. Even if he/she did they wouldn't prescribe to a high enough dose.

      Dr L is the way to go. I've never spoken to him (I'm in the wrong continent unfortunately) but I hear he's a very nice man and easy to talk to.

      Good luck mom!

      The unexamined life is not worth living

      Comment


        #4
        New and could use some support!

        Hiya.
        The short version is that your doctor will not very likely prescribe for you. HOWEVER, if you are in the northeast of the US you are likely in a major metropolitan area. There are actually docs there that are open to it... Some have even heard of it. Some, in NYC, Boston and Phillie, actually even prescribe it!!! No, no. I don't know who they are. I just have hints that this is the case.

        However, the longer version is this:
        Use the information found in the first post of this thread:

        https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...ead-38718.html

        I printed it out and gave it to my PCP. She is not on board, but now she knows what I take and why. Your doctor may be more open. I live in a backwater. At least I think so... :upset:

        Also, it seems that people who HAVE had success in convincing their doctors have a previous relationship with their docs. They are open and honest about their drinking. If this is not the case with your doc, I would start there, and call Dr. Levin in the meantime. You can fully expect your doc to send you to a shrink/addiction specialist, as the risks are pretty great for internists or PCP to treat our types. Really. i feel for them. the buggers. S/he may also be willing to prescribe something else. That's up to you. I have pretty strong opinions, myself, but YOU should do the research and find out what's best for YOU!

        Oh, and :welcome:! Hope it's not too scary. I used to cry like a baby about that too. For good reason. I still cry at just about everything. It's endearing. I hope. :upset: See? Me sobbing. :H
        Kidding. But really. I'm a cryer. I feel ya'.
        Hang in!
        Ne

        Comment


          #5
          New and could use some support!

          Dr L is the way to go. I've never spoken to him (I'm in the wrong continent unfortunately) but I hear he's a very nice man and easy to talk to.

          +1 to Murph. I'm (currently :-S) on the right continent and did call Dr. L. He gets to the point. He tells you a schedule. He does NOT dick you about with questions about how much you're drinking, and he does NOT waste his breath trying to persuade you how you should do Bac AF. Clearly Bac AF cuts down on SEs, but he knows that if we were able to manage 6 weeks AF, we would not be calling him in in the first place.

          Per other threads, I'm currently off the Bac, but that is due to a very specific set of uncontrollable circumstances. I still believe it is 'my way out', I just have to better manage the time to start the regime.

          Best of luck,

          Paul.

          Comment


            #6
            New and could use some support!

            Hi Mom 2 four,

            Just reading your name makes my heart go thumpety thump. I am a mom of 3. I haven't regretted taking baclofen a day in my life. It was hard, but the rewards to my children have been many. I read your introduction. I hope you have contacted Dr L by now. Please do report on your decision, and his response. I mostly want to say :welcome: at this point. We are here for you. Off to bed. We know how early the wee ones rise.
            This Princess Saved Herself

            Comment


              #7
              New and could use some support!

              :welcome::welcome:

              taking bac is the best thing you can do...

              i'm a mom too and there no better thing than for a kid seeing it's mom sober...
              i know it because my father was a alcoholist too and that was a terribly thing i've seen my mother drunk many times and it broke my hard!!

              so go for it!!!:h:h:h
              hugs irini

              Comment


                #8
                New and could use some support!

                Mom of 4! I literally do not know how that's possible. I barely have enough energy to be a dad of 1, 4 would doubtless do me in.

                Welcome to the forum. Murphy as usual gives good advice - it's highly unlikely that your doctor will have heard about baclofen. That said, there isn't anything wrong with bringing them into the picture. It puzzles me why a lot of people generally hide this, and drinking, from their doctors. This is the person you have entrusted with your health, they need to know! It has since been bought to my attention that people are worried about their records, which I can understand, but still...

                Best of luck with baclofen.

                Comment


                  #9
                  New and could use some support!

                  bleep;1125573 wrote: That said, there isn't anything wrong with bringing them into the picture. It puzzles me why a lot of people generally hide this, and drinking, from their doctors. This is the person you have entrusted with your health,
                  In theory, in the UK you can choose your GP, but in practice the buggers lists are always full and when you go to live in a new town you end up with the only GP with vacancies, and of course he has vacancies for a reason. In my case, my doctor is a halfwit and I'm pretty sure he must have received his qualification from the Karachi Medical and Gardening (Correspondence) School and even then he most likely had to bribe someone in order to pass. My doctor is an incompetent cock and I wouldn't entrust him with anything...except my wife.

                  The unexamined life is not worth living

                  Comment


                    #10
                    New and could use some support!

                    Hi and welcome mum 2 4! I'm not very experienced with baclofen but wanted to wish you all the best.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      New and could use some support!

                      hi mommy! wow, you have a load on your plate! the advice above is great. you haven't checked back in though, so i hope you've read it and will give us an update. people here are very supportive, and we'll be sure to stick with you on your journey if you stick with us. promise.

                      i spoke to dr levin and it was a breeze. i think it's your best bet for help with drinking and bac. the bac will cost something, the dr will cost something (he does take insurance), but alcohol is never free, so don't let money stop you.

                      i'm a single mom of one. i can tell you that in my few days of not drinking i already feel like a much better mom. i am doing the best thing for my son that i could ever do.

                      good luck. keep us posted.
                      rudy

                      Comment


                        #12
                        New and could use some support!

                        How do you contact Dr Levine?
                        Hope :h

                        Comment


                          #13
                          New and could use some support!

                          HM,

                          I got this from another thread:

                          Dr. Levin's information is this:

                          Home: 312-642-5803

                          This is the number that he prefers. Call between 7 and 9pm Central Standard Time. He's in Chicago, Illinois. He takes overseas calls, and calls from doctors, too. Also, he is VERY good at straightening out reluctant or belligerent pharmacists. (Though there are other ways around this, if it does actually become an issue.)

                          His office number is: 312-236-6675
                          He always answers this, even if he's in a session with a patient. Someone posted recently that it's called the baclophone.

                          Good Luck!
                          LL:l
                          The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.

                          *Don't look where you fall, look why you slipped*

                          Comment


                            #14
                            New and could use some support!

                            Hi Hopeful Mom,

                            How to contact Dr. L is here:
                            https://www.mywayout.org/community/f2...too-54428.html

                            Comment

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