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    Back on Bac..

    Hello?.

    It?s been awhile. I very much considered changing my screen name for fear some of you may remember me. I have posted some very depressed, suicidal posts in the past. All very embarrassing, but very real and true.

    I tried bac a year ago and drank heavily through my titration. Can?t remember what I got up to, but I think it was about 180mg. BAD SEs, mostly intense somelence and dropping things (momentarily losing control of my muscles?). Came off because of 1) shipment was delayed so HAD to (Did titrate down though). 2) SUPER embarrassing Halloween with a friend who had just recently become a friend I met through work I was falling down drunk, woke up naked from the waist down, went to put my pants on and they were wet..I think I may have pee?d myself (has never happened before nor since so I blamed loss of muscle control on the bac). I blacked out. She just told me I fell and she had to help me in to her place. Other than that her husband who was out of town at the time seems to make a point everytime Halloween is brought up that he knows nothing.

    So, Bac came and I didn?t want to go down that road again with the SE?s . Cut to several weeks ago. I?m back to trolling the MWO boards. I decide I?m going to give Bac another try?I do have several hundreds of dollars worth of pills stock piled. Only this time I want to do it differently. Not drink my typical 2 bottles of wine+ a day and to pay closer attention to when and how much I?m taking.

    I?ve been Back on Bac (love AC/DC and have their song Back In Black changed to Back on Bac ☺) for about a month, now at 100mg. Soooooo tired in the beginning. Find it very helpful to break the doses up into smaller timeframes. Have the 25 mg pills, so am taking ? every 2 hours. Also notice a huge difference between how it controls cravings with different amounts of AL. I have had a couple AF days which I do notice the Bac really helping; to crazy 8-10 drink days where I feel as though the Bac is just making the drunkness more of a disaster.

    While being AF or 1-2 drink days aren?t quite the hitting the switch, ?no effort?, they are manageable and I can certainly feel the bac working more. However, what has been more typical is a 4 ? drink day. Don?t know why, but so many times I have been drinking 4 ? drinks which means 1) half my usual 8-10+ drinks and 2) I?m leaving half a drink still in the glass..so not the old me!

    Knowing that the BAC is working better when AF or 1-2 glasses still does not get that equation sign between THOUGHT = ACTION. I know this is the better way to go for me. But, like yesterday?.I ?HAD TO HAVE IT?. I was able to white knuckle until the early afternoon?had 2..and was surprisingly able to stop. But then had 2 ? more with dinner?but did leave ? a glass of wine. So..this certainly is an improvement.

    I could literally write a novel about this whole 30 year drunken journey, but don?t want to bore you. I dream of the day I can pay someone to listen to me talk. I don?t even care that I?m paying them to listen?I just need to talk?And, I?m reaching out for support and?help?.

    If you made it to the end of this long post, I really, really appreciate your time.:thanks:

    #2
    Back on Bac..

    heya heart! welcome back, and bac! sounds like some baby steps for you are providing some real change. that's good!

    i don't think you need to be embarassed about your past here on the boards. we've all gone through all kindsa crazy mutations with this disease, and many of us with bac. i doubt you'll be encountering much judgement.

    it's great that you have a stockpile to get you started on bac again. good luck this time around. keep heart. you're on the right track. may you have many more nights and days of half-consumption. don't lose sight of the fact that that is progress.

    keep up the good fight. and keep us posted.
    xo rudy

    Comment


      #3
      Back on Bac..

      TakeHeart - I'm so glad you are back here and trying again. Just wanted to say hello and that I could REALLY relate to what you said about needing to talk about it. It just reminded me how sick I felt inside for so many years struggling wtih AL and NOT able to talk to anyone about it.

      Never give up, OK?

      DG
      Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
      Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07


      One day at a time.

      Comment


        #4
        Back on Bac..

        Hiya TakeHeart,

        You're doing the right thing by splitting the doses up, that really helps with SEs. Are you having the muscle-control thing again? I had it really bad when titrating up, but only at a certain dosage; when I went up, it disappeared.

        Great that you're drinking less, but one thing I would say is perhaps it's best not to white-knuckle too much when you're titrating up. I think that just allows pressure to build up and we end up drinking more when we finally allow ourselves to.

        Really glad you decided to give it another go and I'm looking forward to hearing how you get on.

        Murph

        The unexamined life is not worth living

        Comment


          #5
          Back on Bac..

          Hey heart Im right there with ya, Im also back on the bac going through the motions, I too had not the best experience first time, i kind of had a mental implosion my emotions where on a total roller coaster and ultimately fell into an embarrassing heap, oh and drank in total rebellion of myself and what I was trying to achieve, don't kind of understand why I do that to myself but yeah I do. So hear we go again! I'm still drinking but like you not as much Im tapering up soooooo tired ahhh, but going to persevere like I said babe Im right here with you.
          sigpic
          Where ever you go, there you are
          .

          Comment


            #6
            Back on Bac..

            Hiya, Heart. And :welcome: (bac)

            No worries about old crap.
            I'm going to put that song on my list. :H I'll think of you when it comes on. Thanks.

            I found the 1/2-full-glass thing pretty miraculous myself. The first couple of times I figured I was hallucinating or something. Then it became that the glass wasn't empty AND the bottle wasn't empty. Holy guacamole! I used to grab a bottle out of the fridge when I arrived home and set it on the table next to me. I only got up for necessities: The bathroom and the next bottle. Maybe some ice if it got too warm. But it usually didn't because, well, you know.

            If you struggled mightily with SEs the last time it might help to have a plan in place to deal with them should they arise again. That way you'll be prepared and able to mitigate them. Taking the pills is a thing until it becomes a way of life. Now I take so little, so infrequently, I keep forgetting to take the damn things!
            Hang in, glad you're bac, keep us posted!
            :l

            Comment


              #7
              Back on Bac..

              hi again, heart. how's it going? one thing that helps me with the tired se is to go for a run. dunno if you're a runner, but any form of exercise will help. sounds tricky, excercise when you're tired, but if you can muster the strength to get started, it will keep you going for a while. (i realize as i type that i've no idea if tired is an se you're having, but most of us did/do.) good luck with your bac experience, and drop us a post to let us know how you're doing.

              Comment


                #8
                Back on Bac..

                Thanks so much for the support. It really means a lot.

                So, Fri, Sat and Sun I drank pretty heavily and pretty much from noon on. I had about 8+ drinks each day and although I can do more in a day, this is unacceptable to me for a myriad of reasons. One big one is that having tried bac unsuccessfully before, I know that I am so good at putting alcohol down my throat that I can heavily drink on bac, making me even more of a hot mess than I already am.

                Another biggie is that, I am so F*#king Tired of AL robbing me of time!!!!! In the three days I accomplished nothing productive. SOOO?.many things I would have liked to have done. I have a creative project I?m working on and am in a window of time where I have the opportunity to get some traction on making a dream a reality. I?m not producing the results I need to, though. So, another 3 days wasted away with nothing to show here. I also have loved to exercise throughout my life, but have chosen the bottle over the gym more and more frequently. In the past few years I have let myself go, gaining weight and losing muscle tone. Rudy, I was a runner for years, but find it hard on my knees now. Miss it. Also, my laundry is piling up and my home is a mess. Would be nice to be sitting in a clean house. Finally, could have made some much needed money on Sunday, but decided I wanted to for AF on Monday, so declined the opportunity so that I could drink because after all it would be my last chance to do so for awhile.

                Yesterday I went up to 125mg. Side effects mostly the tiredness and the muscle spasms/ twitching (?) are slightly there, but not to the point where I am losing complete control (ie. Dropping things) just a jerky motion. Also, am experiencing a bit of nausea which I don?t remember from the first go round.

                Did good with not drinking yesterday until I stopped by to see an old friend who recently told me he thought I needed a break from the drinking. Walk in and he asks if I want water or a beer. I choose water. He gets us both water. Fifteen minutes later he leaves and comes back with a beer for himself. He doesn?t have a drinking problem, he?s a 1-2 drink kinda guy if at all. So, I must say I don?t understand after telling me I need to take a break from drinking why he 1) offers me a beer and 2) has to open one and drink it in front of me. Anyways, I?m watching him drink this beer and it just looks soooo good. I remember Murph?s post and asked for one?and it was really good. Bad news~ it ruined my AF plan. Good news~ I had only one and was fine with it. Could I have drank another?hey, who are we dealing with here? Of course, I could!...But, I really didn?t have any problem not having a second.

                Honestly, I was kinda done after the one.

                Today I would like to go AF, but it is morn and already am craving a drink. Do have a busy day, so if I can get out of the house w/o one then I have a great shot at it. I won't be back home until later tonight. Thanks again for the support and great advice. :thanks: How you doing Wintyr?

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                  #9
                  Back on Bac..

                  Good job heart. Keep plugging along, it sounds like you may have the ticket to your sobriety this time around. I love hearing stories like this - the way bac seems to impact differently at different times for the same person. I'm hoping to have that experience. Thanks for sharing.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Back on Bac..

                    Thanks for the encouragement, Bruunhilde.

                    After a week at 125mg, I am taking it to 150mg tomorrow. I am definitely noticing a reduction in my drinking. I have gone from not finishing my drink (and not b/c I have passed out) to actually having some wine left in the bottle. And, that?s the first bottle. Yeah?LOL?small victories, right? :wd:

                    Still dealing with the tiredness, the muscle twitches and the occasional nausea (which I don?t recall at all from a year ago). Was really depressed earlier this week. Those ugly, dark suicidal thoughts came creeping in my brain. However, right at this moment feel like there is no way I would want to commit suicide.

                    A serious pendulum swing here. I actually can?t believe how a week ago I was SERIOUSLY just wanting to die, to now?dare I say?excited to live? Hmm?contemplating whether ?excited? might be a bit of an exaggeration?not sure, but I definitely don?t want to die.

                    In reflection I contribute this to a few possibilities:

                    1) About 4 days ago I added 1000mg of L-Glut as well as the Amino Blend I got from the MWO store. I am not sure about the Amino blend because I threw the bottle out and put the pills in a plastic baggie b/c I didn?t want to have a bottle advertising ?My Way Out? only because I am here on the down low. Haven?t shared with anyone, but you all. I think I remember that 4 of these pills is what is recommended, so that is what I am taking throughout the day. Also these pills are several years old. Hope it?s okay to still take them. Decided to add these into the mix because I?ve been reading so much about alcoholism and neuro-transmitters. I had both of these in my cabinet and figured why not use them.

                    2) I met my only best friend still in the city ( a couple of years ago, my three other BF?s moved out of state for unrelated reasons?I think?:H). This girl knows me SO well! She does know of my struggle with AL, but not about bac or MWO. So we meet out and she tells me how happy she is that I showed up sober. Saying how the last few times we?ve gone out, I was already a little buzzed before I got there. True, but very surprised she picked up on it since..I wasn?t drunk, but definitely started before I got there. Didn?t think anyone would have noticed. She didn?t say anything at the time. She also commented on how I looked really pretty and healthy?.ahhh, gotta luv your GFs.:h

                    WOW?this is turning into a long post, sorry?

                    So?she made are really good analogy that hit home. I am currently in a relationship with someone whom I now know is NOT the guy for me. He?s neurotic, I?m chill. We like everything opposite. I am financially dependent on him. I live in his house and things are HIS way. Most of the time he?s nice, but can sometimes be verbally abusive. I have been talking about leaving for at least a year now. I haven?t because I just don?t feel I can make it on my own.

                    Her analogy is that I am in a life boat with him. Just ahead is this beautiful island of happiness and joy, I just don?t think I can swim to it. Which is where I interrupted her and reminded her that I used to be a lifeguard on the beach and that I am a really good swimmer. She smiled and said I just played into her analogy even better. Because the point is I HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT I CAN SWIM! I made a six figure income and supported myself for YEARS before the economy crashed and let?s be honest, my drinking escalated to a point where it certainly had a negative effect. I am in a 100% commission sales job, so depression+ drinking 24/7= no effort, no effort=no money. But, I do know how to swim! This just clicked with me.

                    I now have a plan and feel some hope. Also, for years and years I have felt that if I could just get my drinking under control, my life would change for the better. I?m very excited about the possibility of hopefully being able (thanks to bac) to put my theory to the test. Not quite there, but feel as though I?m getting there.

                    Last week I drank:
                    Mon- 0
                    Tues- 2
                    Wed- 4
                    Thurs- 3
                    Fri- 7
                    Sat- 6
                    Sun- 3

                    How do I pm someone? I want to PM LoOp and ask where I can get the cool drinking graph he has. I know there is the drink tracker on here, but I like the graph he has better.

                    Best wishes to you all!

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Back on Bac..

                      You can swim! YOU can swim. You CAN swim. You can SWIM!!! Yeehaw!

                      The PM function can be found under the User CP button or on the top right hand corner of your screen under your name. Hit send message when you see the option.

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                        #12
                        Back on Bac..

                        I can just send you mine. It's in Excel '07 format. You'll have to delete mine and add all your own info to it though.

                        It's kinda messy. I'll need an email addy to send it to.

                        :goodjob:
                        :nutso: I take pride in my humility :nutso:
                        :what?:
                        sigpic
                        Graph of My Drinking From July '09 to January '10

                        Consolidated Baclofen Information Thread




                        Baclofen for Alcoholism and Other Addictions
                        A Forum
                        Trolls need not apply

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                          #13
                          Back on Bac..

                          Thanks for sharing your graph, Loop! I will PM you my email. Thanks NE for the PM instructions. I’ve done this in the past , but it’s been awhile and I couldn’t remember how. Also, for the added inflections. You turned it into a good affirmation for me!

                          2 - 10/26
                          5 – 10/27
                          3 – 10/28
                          6 – 10/29
                          8 – 10/30
                          10 – 11/1
                          5 – 11/2
                          3 – 11/3
                          3 – 11/4
                          3 – 11/5
                          3 – 11/6
                          4 – 11/7
                          7 – 11/8
                          9 – 11/9

                          I went up to 175 last Monday having had a bad week of drinking. Having looked at the amount of drinks, it doesn’t appear all that bad…for me atleast However, there are a few instances where my drinking created a less than ideal situation. I talked with a client late at night and was slurring my words. Looking at the number of drinks I had that day, while on the higher side, nothing crazy when you consider I started drinking in the early afternoon and this was at about 8:30 at night. That’s less than a drink per hour. I think a lot of it had to do with the bac as well. I was so tired I could hardly keep my eyes open. I could tell I was slurring and she suggested I call her a little earlier in the day next time. Not sure if she said this because she didn’t want to be bothered late in the evening or if it had something to do with my slurring. Regardless, if I hadn’t started drinking so early, I would have gone into the office and made the call earlier. Instead I had a glass of wine before heading in…which eventually led to a bottle. Then a nap for 3 hours. Then another cocktail before walking into the office. Situation 1.

                          The next situation was two days later when I thought it might be nice to have a glass of wine with lunch. I stopped myself with the reminder of this is how it started two days ago and the negative outcome it led to. Somehow, someway :H I was able to convince myself that I would only have one. So I poured a glass of wine. And, another. And, another. And heck, might as well finish off the bottle, right? Then it just didn’t seem enough so I had 2 cocktails. CUT TO: I wake up. My first thought is, “where am I?”. Slowly I realize I’ve got my feet on the floor and I am passed out on my bed. Shoes on, sunglasses on., ready to walk out the door. Think it’s 8 am, but quickly realize it’s 8pm. Check my vms. My bf left a message saying he stopped by the house to pick something up and I was “sleeping”. He picked my arm up and it fell like dead weight. Nice…..

                          Also, I don’t want to go to a party and not really remember leaving or the drive home. Also threw another pair of pumps out because I ruined them with a drunk stumble.

                          Did much better this week, but did not get one AF day. No “situations” though. Going up to 200 today. This is where I can understand why people give up. This is where I gave up exactly one year ago. The SE’s for me are horrible.

                          I love keeping track of the number of drinks I drink in a day. I would love to have this track for the last TWO DECADES! Seriously, would love to see what that looks like.

                          Peace and blessing!

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