Sammi Starts Bac

[Sammi33]

Hi Everyone,

After a bit of a shaky start, i am feeling a lot better after dropping and spacing out my doses, so i thought i would start to share my experience.

I started Bac last week, was prescribed 30mg (3 x 10) by my doctor. Turned out this was too high for me, and the side effects took me by surprise, especially since my doctor told me he was starting me on a low dose. Anyway after a bit of adjusting and a lot of help and advice from you guys here :thanks: i am now taking 3 x 5mg each day. Basically since i started on friday i have hardly been out of bed due to tiredness and feeling sick if i sat or stood up. But today everything is different!! I have also had 4 AF days, which is a lot to do with not feeling well and being a bit scared of side effects.

I have woken up today feeling pretty good - i am up and out of bed and feeling motivated to change. I have just been to the supermarket and stocked up on fresh fruit and vegetables feeling keen to eat and live healthy - haven't felt like that since i can remember. I did forget what i was looking for a couple of times at the store, but i can live with that!!

I am about to try and do some work so hopefully i can concentrate through the foggy head!

Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories, they are a huge help.

Sammi

[SlipperyPete]

Sammi Starts Bac

Good luck Sammi!

Keep us informed on your progress. 4 AF days, fresh fruit and veggies, and motivation to change. I'd say you're off to an awesome start

[bleep]

Sammi Starts Bac

That's a good start, for sure. You are obviously sensitive to baclofen, so take it easy, and split your doses as much as possible to help with the SE's.

[RudyB]

Sammi Starts Bac

welcome sammi! good luck in your process. splitting doses will do wonders for the se's. as will fresh fruit and veggies. get up and move around periodically, that will help stave off the tired, as will naps, whenever possible. i was still working on early bac, i'm a teacher, and used to sneak naps during my breaks. they were my ticket to making it through the day, and surviving the commute home. you'll do this, just watch yourself!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sammi Starts Bac

Hiya, Sammi! What the others said!
Also, working is a really good thing to help with managing both the SEs and the foggy-headedness. Plug through, it'll pay off!

When I felt really ill I treated it as though I had the flu. Not much different, you know? Except the pay off was a life I'd never dreamed possible and the suffering was that much smaller in relative terms. I wish I'd known that then!
Point is, though, lots of liquid and rest time and nutritious food and judicious decisions about what to do...
Glad the lower dose is working for you. From what I can tell, that titration is more akin to what the people who take bac for other reasons are following. I wonder why docs aren't reading that stuff, too?
Anyhoo... Hang in, glad you're posting, and keep us posted!

Ne

[Sammi33]

Sammi Starts Bac

I am actually nearly through day 5 AF! I can't believe it, couldn't tell you how long it's been since i have given my body 5 days off from the struggle to process alcohol.

I felt a bit like drinking tonight, i think because i am feeling better on the bac and not feeling sick. It wasn't too hard to say no, and i have had dinner (fantastic fresh vegetable soup!) - i know if i get through until after dinner without drinking then generally my cravings are managable.

I generally find if i have a few days AF, although it has been very rare last few years, it kind of breaks the cycle or something and it's easier to keep going. I am not actually trying not to drink at all at the moment, but i figure if i can say no as often as possible then it can only help with SEs....the weekend might be a different story but i am only on a low dose at the moment so i am not expecting miracles, just happy with progress at this stage.

I am not going to push myself to go up again too quickly. I am generally pretty cautious and was a bit startled initially, so i am just happy that i am pushing on...quite often i get freaked out and don't give things a go but i REALLY want this to work! I see my doc again next Thurs so i will probably go up again before then and then talk about it with him. Funny thing is he is actually at an addiction clinic, and it was his suggestiob that i start bac (although i was just about to ask about it) so i figured he would be really experienced about dose, but i guess we are all very different in how we react. I am reluctant to make a fuss over the fact that i thought it was too high though because i don't want to make him hesitant to increase my dose.

Anyway, i'm rambling, just wanted to share where i am at, i am finding it helps to get it out.

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement xx

[Sammi33]

Sammi Starts Bac

It is so nice not to wake up with a hangover

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sammi Starts Bac

Sammi33;1161583 wrote: It is so nice not to wake up without a hangover

:H

woop woop! Yeehaw! Isn't it though? Long may it last...

[Murphyx]

Sammi Starts Bac

Looking good Sammi . I think 30mg to start off with is too high. Slow and steady is the key. Softly, softly, catchee monkey.:H

[Sammi33]

Sammi Starts Bac

I just walked for 20 minutes on the treadmill. I know, pretty pathetic! Its a start though...

[bleep]

Sammi Starts Bac

As you say, you've got to start somewhere. Good for you!

The waking up without a hangover is the one that I like though. It's so nice to start the day without groaning!

[Sammi33]

Sammi Starts Bac

Reminds me of a thread i saw on here a couple of months back called something like "things i don't miss". I can't find it again but it was a great reminder of why it's worth the fight, and amazing how similar we all are.

[Sammi33]

Sammi Starts Bac

Hi All,

Just updating the last few days on my bac journey!

After 6 AF days last week, I drank on Friday and Saturday nights, 4.5 on Friday and 7 on Saturday. I don't feel upset that I drank, this is such a joy for me. I haven't had 6 AF days in years and normally Friday and Sat nights would be about 20 each. Yesterday I was back AF again without any real effort at all.

In my 6 AF days last week I found that there was a bit of willpower involved, especially on the days when I had stopped feeling dodgy from bac, but I really think the AF days helped break the momentum of my drinking. What really amazed me was that on the nights that I did drink, it was no effort at all to stop. On Saturday morning I tipped out half a drink from the night before!!!!! I have never done this before and wouldn't have even thought it possible. I have never before had a night when I was drinking where I felt like I was ready to go to bed, I would always have to force myself to stop with A LOT of effort, or (most often) pass out on the couch. But it just felt like enough was enough, it's hard to even describe.

I don't really expect this to last because I am still on a very low dose (3 x 5mg per day), but even for a short time this is a blessing. It makes me realise that it is possible, and I will do whatever I have to with the bac to get to where I need to be. SE are very minimal, tired and a bit of a foggy head but getting better each day. Becuase I had a bit of a reaction to start with I am a bit wary of going up but I know I will need to. I am thinking of just sitting where I am until the desire to drink starts getting stronger and then going up...anyone have any thoughts on that? Should I be pushing it up anyway?

I'm really giving it my best shot to do everything I can this time, exercising, eating very healthy etc and it's so much easier when I'm not hungover, tired and craving greasy, carby hangover food all the time.

I just went and bought some Glutamine from the store - I told the girl I wanted L-Glutamin but she assured me it is the same thing so I hope that info is right. The one I have says it its to assist recovery post exercise, does that sound like the right stuff? It says its for body builders and elite athletes!!!!!!! I am also unsure about does, I have 1000mg capsules, and it says to take 1 to 5 per day, but I think this is for the exercise stuff so any help would be appreciated.

Sorry for the long post, thanks for reading and for any advice :thanks:

Sammi

[bleep]

Sammi Starts Bac

Some people do react at very low doses, and it looks like you may be one of the lucky ones! Saying that, I'd press on a bit more. Your healthy living and exercising will help a lot in this, I should think.

Alas, I am clueless about all things related to Glut, L or not, so I can't help you there.

[RudyB]

Sammi Starts Bac

sammi, sounds like you're doing great! good to be kind to yourself about the drink; focus on the success that you've had so far. tremendous! and the exercise and eats are so very basic, but they get lost in the sauce when the sauce captures us, huh?

keep on with your excellent efforts. i'd keep titrating up slowly. if you sit at your low level for too long, you may find yourself back in the clutches of the beast, and that is very disheartening. don't feel threatened by the se's. they'll probably come, but less so if you go slowly, and break your doses into small pieces, even 5 mg if you can.

i don't know much about l-glutamine (yes, same as without the e, i'm sure; the glutamin is prob just a misspelling). some have excellent luck w it helping stave off cravings. some find it makes them very gassy.

stay positive, girl. your progress is an inspiration.