Sabby's Progress Thread

[SabbyATL]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Still on 20mg in 2 doses. Still AF.

Still craving! I keep thinking about Christmas Day...MAN I want to drink that day! We're having a regular dinner but then we're going to hang out with some friends and there's always a LOT of alcohol there.

In other news, I have a major stiff neck.

It's either meningitis or a bac SE.

I'm thinking SE. I don't have a headache or any of the other meningitis symptoms.

Anyone else get this SE?

[penelope67]

Sabby's Progress Thread

yes I woke up today with a bit of muscle ache in my neck. I am on 2nd day of 30mg of bac. The neck pain went away when I got up. But my nose is stuffed beyond belief and I am begging people for any kind of suggestions on that one! i tried sinus meds, neti pot, hot tea and soup! Nothing has helped!
I haven't really been drinking, sucks you still have cravings. maybe you can bring you NA beer along for your holiday dinner. or just drink, maybe you won't want to have too much bkz of the bac...might be a good test (or not)... don't mind me i can't think bkz of my nose.

[SabbyATL]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Hi penelope67!

Funnily enough, I now have a bit of a stuffed up nose, too. But, it IS that time of year so I'd be surprised if it were due to bac.

However, I think the neck stiffness is due to bac.

It's actually worsened throughout the day! But it's not unbearable. Just as if I slept funny.

I probably will just bring the NA beer. I still have cravings but they come and go, not constant.

Cooking and baking up a storm helps! So does NA beer!

I hope your nose gets better soon!

[redhead77]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Sabby,

I would expect to have cravings for quite a while. I think I may have read about some people having some muscle stiffness...maybe, but at much higher doses. Congrats on all you AF days, and have a nice holiday with your family.

EDIT: I wrote a number in here that Dr L told me that most people find indifference. I don't think that's a great idea. I don't want you to be focused on a number, when it could be much less for you. People have found indifference here with all different numbers. Have a good day, Sabby.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Sabby's Progress Thread

SabbyATL;1231163 wrote:
In other news, I have a major stiff neck.

It's either meningitis or a bac SE.

:H

I had a stiff neck on the lower doses. It went away at the higher doses. I was really alarmed at this SE for several reasons, but partly because I thought I might have something really wrong with me! I didn't. It went away. Wish I'd taken some aspirin... (I didn't take any other meds when I was titrating up. Even aspirin. I was too scared. Obviously it wouldn't have made a dang bit of difference--except that I might have been much more comfortable...)

Drink or don't...I'm not sure that it'll make a difference. It certainly won't in terms of whether or not bac will work, how long it will take, or any of the rest of that stuff. It might make you feel particularly drunk or crappy, but probably not on 20mg. (Maybe, though. Who knows? I hated the lower doses and only felt relief when I got above 70mg. Which took me about six weeks. ugh. :upset: Lo0p kept telling me to just go up, and I wouldn't, until I did, and then felt MUCH better.) I think stressing about whether or not to drink can be almost as bad as drinking, honestly. It's the anxiety that screws with everything. Managing anxiety is a big part of success with bac, imho. I think it might be a good idea to look at that, honestly. Ya' know?

Hope it's a good day/weekend/holiday!

[SabbyATL]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Hi red and Eva,

You're right I shouldn't stress. I'll bring my NA beer but if I feel like having the real thing, I will! I just don't want to get drunk because I am so tired of getting drunk.

Re the stiff neck. Whoa it is SOOOOO stiff. I'm rather amazed by it. I got on a drug website to see with SEs were listed and here's what i saw:

"Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: signs of infection (e.g., fever, chills, redness/swelling at the pump site), unexplained stiff neck, severe headache, trouble breathing."

Why do they have to say "rare but serious" and then NOT tell us why it's considered serious? When they say serious it makes me think it's a harbinger for worse to come!

But it honestly doesn't FEEL serious, just uncomfortable. And anything that's got the potential to be a muscle relaxant could have an unpredictable effect.

My husband said there there are no indications and side effects in drugs. He says's they're ALL side effects. It's just that some of them are desireable and likely and others are not. It's a way of reminding yourself that drugs don't operate in a vacuum in the body.

[penelope67]

Sabby's Progress Thread

it occurs to me we may all have predetermined vulnerable areas which bac will impact first. Like me I have asthma (which I truly believe is hormonal and connected to my hashimoto's thyroid disease and stress for too long which damages the adrenals). I also tend to have sinus problems in general. I read some people on Bac had their jaws clamp while they were sleeping so they were wearing mouth guards. When i thought of that last it night it really struck that my nasal passages were clamped! So for some it was the jaw, for others like you the neck and for me the nose. Is the nose a muscle? Bac being a muscle relaxer makes me think it's when the dose runs out that the "victim" muscle reacts. Just a pre coffee theory. I cannot decide if i should up the dose or go down. i am thinkiing up.

[Bruunhilde]

Sabby's Progress Thread

SabbyATL;1231468 wrote:

Re the stiff neck. Whoa it is SOOOOO stiff. I'm rather amazed by it. I got on a drug website to see with SEs were listed and here's what i saw:

"Tell your doctor immediately if any of these rare but very serious side effects occur: signs of infection (e.g., fever, chills, redness/swelling at the pump site), unexplained stiff neck, severe headache, trouble breathing."

Why do they have to say "rare but serious" and then NOT tell us why it's considered serious? When they say serious it makes me think it's a harbinger for worse to come!

You're so right, Sabby, all the code words and vague but frightening intimations in the medical jargon are certainly not helpful. Sounds like you're doing fine to me! Keep it up, good for you!

[SabbyATL]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Hi All,

Quick update - I'm now 18 days AF.

I still crave Al. I am still using near beer to cope. My diet is total shit. Part of that is the holidays and part of that is replacing drink with food. But, I have a fairly good functional relationship with food so I think that will subside after the holidays. I am running even more! It's funny how energetic you are in the morning when you haven't been drinking.

I think it might be the bac but I have been sleeping HARD at night. So hard it's often dreamless. I get sleepy during the day, which is unusual for me. And I've started taking naps, since I'm on vacation. And I have a history of being a horrible napper. I can't just take a short nap...I fall asleep for a couple of hours and when I wake up I feel horrible. But lately I've taken naps for 20 minutes - 3 hours (only once for 3 hours) and I wake up feeling great!

I'm not having any anxiety, just cravings.

Oh, and I had neck stiffness? Totally went away when I bumped up to 40mg/day.

Today I am bumping up to 60mg.

Tomorrow is NYE, but I am not worried I will drink. We have some kids sleeping over so we're going to do family friendly activity. Also, I've been in a lot of holiday party situations and have not succumbed, so I am confident I will be fine.

I hope everyone has been well!

-Sabby

PS. I don't think I will be able to be a daily participant on this forum, simply due to my schedule. But I will try to catch up with everyone, and not just on my thread, at least weekly.

Happy New Year!

[redhead77]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Sabby, where did you go?

[SabbyATL]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Hey red, and others,

I know I've been MIA.

Well, here's the story. I've had to titrate off bac. I'm down to 5mg a day and in 3 days I will be off.

I couldn't take the SEs at 80mg. My quality of life was terribly low and I was still having cravings. I was having trouble breathing and running, which is very important to me, was getting almost impossible. I was falling asleep as soon as I sat still, which is not good for my job (not to mention everyone would see it as I don't have a private office). I was getting terrible sleep. And most frightening, I was getting very very frequent heart palpitations. I get them occasionally but the bac made them worse. And if they get out of control they can lead to permanent heart arrhythmias.


The good news is - I'm still AF! 40 days AF!

I still have cravings but they're pretty manageable.

Though I admit that I worry I won't be AF forever. I don't know. We'll see.

If I find I can't perhaps I will try one of the other meds. But for now I need to get back into running shape and continue being AF!

[redhead77]

Sabby's Progress Thread

Thanks for coming back and reporting with honesty. I've been wondering how you would fare with bac. We are close to the same age, and I've not read about many women taking bac with success in their 30s. Yes, there have been a few. Isolde, DrunkandTired (who we've barely heard from since she hit her switch) and I believe Birdy 02 was in her 30s. There might be some others who were before me. I will remain confused as to why people switch and disappear. Yes, I know that life beckons. But recovering from this disease is enough to want to stick around and talk about it...at least a little.

YAY for you, Sabby! I'm super glad to hear about your 40 days AF, however they may come. If you go back to drinking, well, I guess you can figure out a new plan then. Or maybe you're already thinking of one just in case. The SEs are a bitch to get around. I'm pretty sure you would have been well read enough on bac to do this right. I mean, I would assume you tried different things out when you were titrating up. I'm not sure if I've heard much about people having heart palpitations. But that does sound very scary.

I'm hoping for the best for you. Keep coming back and updating us if you want or can!

Redhead