Need help on changing bac titration

[GeauxGirl]

I'm not really a dumb f**k, but I seem to get myself into situations...

I have been on bac for about 4 weeks. I had virtually no SEs until i hit 80ml, divide into 4 doses. Now I am having problems. From all that I have read, most SEs come from higher doses, and maybe I am a wuss. But, I feel like I am hungover ALLday. My glands hurt, and I have a low grade headache, which aspirin does not touch,and I'm having trouble thinking and word retrieval. Couple this with getting less done in the evenings than when drunk, and I am not happy! I could feel better on alcohol!

My question: do1) I need to stay at 80and believe that SEs will diminish 2) drop lower (-and if so, how much,how fast, or 3) go upas fast as I can? I have read posts that advocate all of the above. But most seem to relate to higher doses.

I hav just come back from the store, after having drunk1/2+ of a bottle of wine. I usually do not drive after drinking this mch, but I felt that I could not tolerate running out of wine this evening. I have had only40ml of bac today. I cannot dcide what tom do, so I do nothing. Help please.

Gg

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help on changing bac titration

Hey GG.

Sometimes it seemed that taking bac was worse than getting drunk/being hungover. That might actually be true. Fortunately the bac SEs stop eventually. The way I drank, the getting drunk/being hungover was never going to end. Plus hangovers really, really suck and bac only really sucked comparatively. (For me, anyway.)

I wouldn't suggest doing anything "fast" or "abruptly". I would suggest that making any decisions about it is much better in the light of a new day and before any booze. That's a good rule of thumb, just in general. (Hard to achieve though!)

The lower doses were much worse for me (until I hit about 70-90mg) than anything until I got to the high 200s. And I definitely had the experience (repeatedly) of finding that going up alleviated, or at least changed, the SEs. But in retrospect I wish I'd taken more time. Who knows if that actually would have made a difference, though? It might have just prolonged the (um, sorry for the word) agony.

I don't know that you have anything to lose by taking 10mg less or 10mg more. It's probably a good idea to evaluate based on when you started at 80mg.

Hang in, sister.

[StuckinLA]

Need help on changing bac titration

Hey G,

First, 80 to 40 in one day isn't the best idea. I'd say try to get at least another 20 in tonight.

Next, yeah, you've got some SEs. It happens. Drinking makes it worse. I say stay where you're at and see if it clears up at all in four days or so. But I'm also a wuss. Going up never sounded like a good idea to me. Again, any AL is not going to help how you're feeling during the day. And 80 is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Sorry for the abbreviated reply, but my phone is driving me nuts right now.

[libmit]

Need help on changing bac titration

That sounds like the bac hangover that I get. I take liquid, and the hangovers didn't start until around 100 I think - I remember much earlier when I tried the pills. Anyway, I can get that headache that nothing helps from even 1 glass of wine the night before. It really sucks, but with the bac diminishing the craving and the thought of that atrocious hangover, it makes me really limit my intake.

I don't know what to tell you about going up or staying at 80. I try to stay at a dose until I feel human, but sometimes I go up anyway, and sometimes it helps. Maybe I'd say go ahead and go up 10, and if it's worse, go back down.

I put an app on my phone that reminds me to take doses and how much and I can type notes about how I feel. That seems to help me quite a bit. It's called Pill Monitor.

I'd definitely try to NOT vary the daily dose much at all (except going up or down 10). I went up 5 one time and that sort of threw me for a loop, so I upped another 5 quickly. I usually up 10 every 5-7 days.

Good luck,
Libby

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help on changing bac titration

And, so, GG, how are you?

[GeauxGirl]

Need help on changing bac titration

Thanks for getting back to me. My BP is really elevated today. Meds had been holding it at about 130/79, but today it is 159/98. I'm kinda sweaty, face flushed, etc. I took 70 ml bac yesterday, down from 80. Today I plan to hold at 70; with 30 in 2 doses in the am, and 20 + 20 later in the day. I hope that is enough/not too much. I think I will stay at 70 through this week, then re-evaluate. I am trying to limit ALC, even do without, but it is hard to totally not drink. When I have drunk, I found I want less, which is good.

My plan for today: 70 bac and NO alcohol. I haven't taken l-glut in 2 days. The witching hours will be 5:30 - 8:00. I have to function early tomorrow morning, so that is a good incentive to be AF tonight. When I wake up with no signs of ALC or bac hangover, I love me so much more and the day gets off to a great start. I know that no ALC is a way " to vote for the day." I cannot control what bac will do.

Did anyone else have trouble logging on to mwo this am? I could not get on via iPad, phone or computer, nor even through Facebook. Anyone know what might have been the problem?

I felt really lost without my lifeline!

Again, thanks to NE, Stuck, and others who took time to send ideas, thoughts. You really keep me from feeling so alone.

GG

[caro]

Need help on changing bac titration

Hi GG,

I had a problem logging on to MWO this am too.

With my titration I took it really slowly, no more than 10mg increase a week. I have been lucky enough not to have had any side effects (yet!).

Good news that when you do drink you want less.

Chin up.

Caro

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need help on changing bac titration

The site was down this morning. That happened once when I was new, and mostly lurking, but felt like I knew everyone (even though I didn't...yet.) I FREAKED OUT! omg. (I'm a bit high strung, I suppose. And way worse back then.) I vividly remember wondering what the hell I was gonna do if I couldn't spend my requisite many hours on here. And I didn't know anyone's real name! It lasted for about 24 hours. And I reached out and made my first offline friend. It's been all downhill since then.

So the BP thing is concerning but there are so many things that affect BP it's kind of a throw a dart situation. Right? Anxiety about the bac. Booze. The bac, of course. (No doubt that it can raise BP in some people, and generally seems like it's related to amount.)

But another story from back in my day (groan): I have really low BP. (100/60) Always have. One of my friends on here was having major BP problems with bac and I started checking my blood pressure. For the first (and last) time in my life I had a systolic blood pressure over 120. I don't remember what the diastolic was.

I'm not at all suggesting it's in your head, but it could be a part of it. What do you do (other than the obvious) to relax? Even the obvious...takes the edge off. (NOT SUGGESTING! just sayin'. Relaxed is good.)

Sounds like a good plan with the bac, GG. If you get to the point where it feels like you should shake things up again, you might remind yourself it's just medication. They give it to lots and lots of people--even those (especially those) that are immunocompromised. Doesn't mean it doesn't suck sometimes. Just means you're going to be okay. :l

[laurie65]

Need help on changing bac titration

I couldn't log on either. I got in a bit of a panic and did loads of virus check on my laptop. Typically, I blamed myself.
It must have been a server problem.
I've been on bac for 10 weeks now and am up at a mighty 180 mgs. I feel like shit.
I must a admit that in recent days I've changed the way I take my medicine. I used to do 25 mgs over 6 doses, but I kept forgetting to take it. Even with my phone alarm.
If I didn't take immediately the alarm went, I would forget, then I would forget if I had taken the dose at all...making me para that I was double dosing.
I want to persist with the new regime. i'm still drinking like a maniac, but I have great hope this will shift soon.
I just keep putting off the decision to not drink (one day at a time)
L x