Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

[Sticky]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Hi Poink

Thanks for your PM on the TSM site, which I've only just seen. Tried to reply but the site kept going down.

I'm now hoping to try baclofen myself. Have to wait til next week and have some blood tests first. Your progress sounds great so far.

If I get the script I'll be posting here too, so will let you know.

Cheers
Sticky :thanks:

[spacebebe01]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Hi Poink, your progress is amazing and inspiring.

[suneelca]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Hi, Poink -- pleased to make your acquaintance. Like you, have drawn much strength from this community. Am definitely inspired by your story.

Based on what I read of your story, it seems like the big reduction in your drinking / desire to drink have been since you started take Baclofen -- as opposed to the NAL? How long had you been on TSM?

I only ask as I had been on TSM / NAL for about a year -- with minimal effect -- before I found Bac through Dr. A's book and this site. Quit the NAL, and have gotten to a pretty good place with Bac (although, like many here, it hasn't been easy).

Curious.

Also, how are you doing with the other meds you were taking? I was diagnosed as bipolar -- but Bac is the only drug that 'worked'. You indicated in one post that you had dumped Abilify. Are you still on anything else? A lot of my difficulties post-Bac have been less with Bac and more with getting off the other shit.

Thanks again for your great posts.

[Poink]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Weight gain

Since starting the bac on 5/16, I have gained 4 pounds. Dammit. I actually have tried to be a little careful with what I eat and drink (no beer, no Lime-a-ritas).

I have gone for at least a half hour bicycle ride every day. The reason I started riding was to keep from gaining weight.

As I said earlier, I have weight issues anyway, and have been on other medications that caused rapid weight gain, and gained a lot after I stopped smoking.

Well, so be it. Will just have to try harder. Instead of being pretty good will have to be really good.

I am very pleased about everything else happening because of the bac. No way I?m giving that up.

As Roseanne Roseannadanna used to say ? It?s always something. If it ain?t one thing it?s another.?

[Poink]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Hi all,
Been a few days since I posted. Not a whole lot to talk about. Everything is pretty much the same: I sleep about 8 hours a night, I go for at least one bike ride a day, I don't drink during the middle of the night and 2 out of 3 days this past weekend I waited until evening to drink. On Sunday I started pretty early but had bought some beer that only has 2.4% alcohol so stayed in control until evening.

suneelca, been doing TSM for about 2 months so far. And while I credit the bac with the reduction in consumption so far, the nal definately was changing my attitude about some things and made me open to trying the things that bac is allowing me to do. I believe that soon there will be a medically proven combination drug treatment for alcoholism. Right now it looks like baclofen will probably be one of those drugs. If I am one of the fortunate ones for whom nal works that will be the best possible outcome. The bac is included for harm reduction while I give the nal a chance to work.

I still drink too much every day, but I am seeing some positive things. The not drinking between sleep sessions each night is saving me 20-30 units a week, and the delay in drinking on weekends is saving me another maybe 20 units. So right now am in the 70-80 units a week instead of 110-140 a week.

Had upped my bac to 100mg/day, but starting tomorrow will begin titrating back down a bit. My order from River is still in customs (9 days and counting) and I made another order from Inhouse that shipped a couple of days ago but last time it took 14 days to get here and I don't have enough to last that long. Hopefully my River order will clear Customs soon and I won't have to go too far down.

And before you ask, No thank you, I'll be fine. I know that there will be some (Ne) who will offer to help me out but it won't be necessary. I am learning a valuable lesson. Won't allow this to happen in the future. Will try to make sure that my next order arrives a couple of months before I need it so that I have time to make other arrangements if needed.

And suneelca, I haven't taken anything but alcohol for the bipolar for a couple of years now. I feel better after a couple of weeks on baclofen than I can remember feeling at any time on Abilify and Effexor.

I have managed to lose 3 0f the 4.5 pounds I gained. Now if I can drop about 20 more...

[Poink]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

I guess all I had to do was to write about it, because last night about midnight my order shows as leaving Customs so I should have it by tomorrow. Whew! Now, as The Clash said "Should I stay or should I go" up? Not really interested in indifference yet but a little more control would be nice. Would like to get where Spacebebe is, 3 or 4 lagers a night, but I know she's been taking low/moderate doses of bac for about 8 months. Anyway, something for me to think about.

[COSGringo]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Hey Poink. Just my thoughts but I think you still might want to consider going up on that Bac. If you still want those drinks then you could easily slip back into a routine but that's just my opinion.
I know the SE's do suck but I am barely ever drinking now and when I do it's very little. It's odd because it doesn't even seem amazing. It's just things have changed.
I can tell you in the past it was a lot of work for me to skip days without drink. Now it's effortless. I don't plan on what's in my liquor cabinet and have not been to a liquor store in a long time now.

Whatever you do, I wish you the best.

[spacebebe01]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

I am just going along on this journey poink. I have started getting se's from the bac which I havent had so far so Im not too sure where Im going again. But maybe thats bac for me. still right down on the drink, in fact one drink tonight, plus the se's has me feeling a bit stoned, I just want to go to bed. I also just had 2 days with no drink because my daughter was staying and it was no problem at all. I am just going to try and ride this out for a couple of days and see what happens. If I feel like this on Saturday I will go down again.

I mayself wouldnt worry about gaining 4 pounds, its a small price to pay for getting the drunk out of your life. Its good your going to get your supply, it would have been a shame if you had to have gone down just because you where running out.

[Poink]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Yeah Space, I too am feeling slightly stoned all day since I jumped from 75 to 100mg/day a couple of days ago. Shouldn't have jumped 25mg/day. I hadn't been having any recurring negative SEs at 75mg/day. Since I am here I will wait until this stoned feeling fades before kicking it up any.

And wasn't as worried about the 4 pounds as much as I was the fact that I put it on so fast and was afraid I would continue to gain. When I was put on Abilify a few years ago I gained about 30 pounds in 30 days so I stopped taking it. Was afraid the weight gain from bac might keep growing and that was pretty troubling. Now it seems that I can control it with diet and exercise.

Your progress lately has been very cool. It gives me a lot of hope.

Anyway, things are looking pretty good right now. Good luck with your SEs.

[spacebebe01]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Its great that you have the motivation and ability for the diet and excercise. Im impressed. I wish I could do it.

I think I kind of know what you mean about the weight gain, Ive never noticed it with bac but with Serequel I have put on around 25pounds maybe more but thats in 4 months. I see the doc at the end of the month so Im going to ask her about it.

I have been wondering whether to go back down or carry on going up until I get this suppression that I hear about. I will stay at 100mg tho for a few days and see does it wear of and then make a decision I think. The thing is tho Im thinking that the stoned feeling is actually increasing my desire to drink, its kind of Im on my way to getting drunk before I start drinking. I dont know we will have to hope someone whos done this chimes in.

[StuckinLA]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Hey there, Poink,

I hate to be a dissenting voice when it comes to exercise, but TSM is all about extinguishing reward mechanisms in the brain. And, as it's laid out in _The Cure For Alcoholism_ by Roy Eskapa, nal doesn't care what reward that is. So while nal works great for alcohol--and someone on here said it "cured" their internet porn habit--it will also most likely, over time, extinguish the good feelings you get from exercising and bike riding.

There's a period of of increased dopamine uptake two days after taking nal, though, and the Eskapa book recommends doing whatever activities (like the gym) that you want to reinforce that second day after your last nal/drinking.

Anyway, just thought I'd point that out...

[StuckinLA]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Just ran across some of your other posts--and feel like a real tool. Of course you know a lot about this stuff. ((slapping forehead)) Sorry for jumping in with the obvious.

[Poink]

Poink's TSM/Bac Attack

Hey there Stuck,

LOL, but most certainly not a problem. I appreciate the concern, and I mean that. And you have my permission to jump in with anything at any time.

And I am sorry that I didn?t get back to you sooner on the first post. I do most of my forum browsing on my Iphone and wait until I get some computer time on a full sized keyboard to post. At times my trembling nerves make the typing on the phone particularly challenging.

I have only had a couple of periods of serious exercise in my life, but right now isn?t really one of them. If I talk about a long bike ride it is 30-45 minutes at a 12-15 mph speed. I don?t know much about the science but I don?t know that I am exerting myself enough to cause the ?runner?s high? or whatever. I think that all of the good feeling I have about it is simply doing something to improve my health, and the fact that every day I see some improvement in some facet of my journey.

Anyway, thanks for reading and responding.