Hey Skull and bk! It's nice to see you guys again. I made it back, too - somewhat. I haven't even begun to figure out how to navigate my way around the new site yet. I can see I'll have to sit down at an actual computer at some point; trying to figure out the new site on my iPhone is not proving to be easy. Anyway, not much at all going on in my neck of the woods, outside of the fact that I'm quitting smoking tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, but I definitely think I'm ready. I'm all stocked up on nicotine lozenges and lollipops. How are you doing?
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Last edited by Lostinspace; October 7, 2014, 05:45 PM. -
I have missssssssed you guys... Yep right there...
I made it thru my month of only drinking on Fri & Sat with a small hiccup on the last Sunday with 2 beers. I am in the midst of trying to set a goal for this month.
I thought I would try reduce intake and was successful last weekend but not nearly the place I hope to land. Still drinking way to many when I do drink.
I do the spread out drinking... Have a couple then wait a bit then have a couple more- clean something have a couple more- clean some more etc..... Didn't get all out drunk just buzzing along. Still not good for my liver.
Anyway... I have been sincerely considering ordering baclofen from River. I have read that you can use it in conjunction with Naltrexone.
Must do some more research. I don't know whether to give Nal another try or order bac or keeping chipping away at my goals as I have had some success.
It's getting to where when the weekend rolls around I am not even craving a drink.. It more like a habit or ritual. I have figured out one thing I get plain lonely sometimes.
So I have opted to lessen my time on social media sites (expect here) in hopes that it will push me to make more personal contact with people in general. I tend to introvert.
I want to connect with my friends via talking or texting or even planning events together. I don't know....
Lost- so good to see you!!! How are you? How is your drinking going?
Will be interested to hear about everyone.
Much love.
Ps. Does anyone know to increase the thread font size mine is so tiny even my glasses on. Hmph.Comment
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That's awesome that you stuck to your goals last month, bk. And you might not have cut back as much as you wanted to last weekend, but you still cut back, so that's progress. Did Nal work for you in the past? I've never tried Nal, but I would think it could help if you're drinking more out of habit than from craving since it takes away the high. Baclofen has worked wonders for me, but I was dealing with intense cravings when I started; the habit part I still had to address. Although, I have heard that for people who get to really high doses, they eventually don't want to drink, habit or not.
And I know exactly what you mean about the loneliness. I'm right there myself. That's a great idea to cut back on social media and spend more time with people in the face-to-face world. I'm a fellow introvert and it's amazing to me how lost I can get on the Internet sometimes - and not even on social media sites, just reading things online in general. It helps fill the void in my life that should be filled by going out and doing things - and actually meeting people. I need to work on changing this. But the drinking, or lack thereof, is still going really well. I almost never have cravings any more. I wasn't quite so sure initially, but I do now think I'm at my switch dose on bac, or at least a dose that's plenty good enough.Last edited by Lostinspace; October 8, 2014, 05:07 PM.Comment
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Lost- I gave Nal a small try for a few months but didn't like the side effects I felt.. It was making it difficult for me to eat food. I mean I would love to lose a few pounds but not that way. And it gave me a very flat feeling. I don't like to feel like I had no emotion especially around my kiddos. It was hard to laugh... Which I usually do a lot of. I don't know Lost... It's just such a pain in the ass..
I do the same thing with the net.. Reading and surfing mindlessly a lot of time. It does seem to fill my lonely void a little but to be honest I crave that in person connection...
I'm so very happy to hear you are doing fabulous with AF stuff.. That is so awesome... Well girlfriend I am so dang tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. Be back tomorrow to check.
(Hug)Comment
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BKY and Lost,
Naltrexone works well for me at least, as I only use it rarely (always if drinking anything). So so it only really functions to prevent excessive drinking (and it does). The goal was to control or stop drinking, and since I drink hardly anything, It has worked. (Took a long time though)
There was a small effect on mood, but not now. The benefits of not having a "drink" problem are indescribable.
End of story.Comment
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BK, Lis, Guapo- glad you guys are all here posting
I too tried Naltrexone on and off for a few months- I tried to take it every single time I drank (per the Sinclair Method) and I would say that I succeeded about 95% of the time, much to my frustration. The problem was that Naltrexone worked well to block the euphoria of alcohol- but my cravings wanted that euphoria, so I kept sabotaging here and there. "I'll just take one night of drinking without it and get back to it tomorrow". So I was sabotaging.
Naltrexone definitely has its own SE's, just like Baclofen or any other meds- though less so than most. In the case of Nal, I found that while my interest in alcohol did decrease, so did my interest in everything else. Just for a short time- the few hours- I was edgier and moodier than usual- didn't want food, connection, stimulus of any kind. For me, for all these reasons, I decided Nal was not for me. That said, I do know that it works well for some!
I too had read that Bac and Nal could be used in conjunction, and that was originally my plan- to stay with Nal but add Bac to lessen those pesky cravings. But I ended up shifting to Bac and Antabuse instead, cuz I wanted to force those 30 days AF. My plan was, after 30 days AF due to the bac/antabuse, I'd shift over to bac/nal. But I never ended up needing to do that, since bac/antabuse ended up being the winning combination for me.
Whatever gets us to lessen our drinking to less abusive levels, that's the winner! It varies for everyone and can be such a long road but it's so worth it. I'm Day 343 AF and can't believe that in just 3 weeks I'll have been a whole year sober... that's fuckin' CRAZY. I haven't been sober this long since I was probably about 16 years old.
Anyways, I'm doing pretty well right now- I'm back on my Spartan healthy diet and over the first-week hump, so I'm feeling good. I've got a friend coming down for the weekend who's going through a divorce and dealing with alcohol abuse as well so I'm glad I can be a friend to listen and maybe help.
BK, Lis- I totally relate to being an introvert and losing myself in the internet. I actually need to force time away from the internet via an internet blocker for at least 5 or so hours during the workday, otherwise I will just get sucked into the internet. And I've actually joined a men's support group partially dealing with social anxiety and similar issues, and feel really good about the first meeting I attended. I'm doing some more self help reading of various types too and feeling more optimistic than ever. I've also joined meetup.com to force myself to get out into the world and interact with people of like interests. BK, Lis, maybe that is an option for you?
Not much else to report- hope everyone is doing well today!
Best to all-
SkullComment
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Hey All!!!
Guapo... I wish i could describe mine as a *small* mood problem... it is more like Skull described edgy and irritating and for me it lasts for the night. I found myself drinking over the Nal to rid myself of my bitchy attitiude...
Skullman.... you crack me up... I am so SO PROUD of you Hulk... almost a dang year.. that is fuckin' crazy. Thanks for you insight on the meds. I am so dang close to ordering the bac. I have been reading alot about adrenal fatigue and how it can cause craving for AL because it gives you that instant carb to glucose exchange delivering instant energy. I find myself using AL to clean at the end of the week when I am most tired. Very interesting stuf.. I know its a double double cause AL can cause adrenal fatigue as well causing chasing your tail effect. I have been digging deep into the adrenal stuff because I suffer from the afternoon coma syndromeamong other symptoms... hate it.
Plus I have been finding that after I workout I feel like I want to be in a coma... not good considering you want to feel that endorphin rush. *sigh*
I haven't been getting lately.
I totatlly hear ya on the side effect thing.. you have to deal with a little of something to get rid of the beast. Its weird cause I do so well during the week not drinking. And now that the weekend is here I am not craving a beer.. its more of something I am used to doing. More like breaking a cycle. I really need to make some friends who are willing to go do stuff without the bar. One of my very best friends is a drinker of course and I asked her to do an activity tonight that would involve 1 hour of time not drinking and got denied. I don't have many local friends to do things with as I mentioned. I probably should try the meet up site.
Oh well... maybe I will meet some people at the gym eventually that I can do fun things with.
Funny for you... I confided in my trainer about my drinking a bit. So we are trying to work on a goal each week for me to be accountable for. So last weekend I drank less than I would normally drink but to someone who is a *normal* drinker, it was difficult for him to wrap his head around that fact that I drank 12 beers in one night.. he kept saying that is not normal. NO shit Sherlock.... Anyway all I can do at this point is keep trying right?
I am so glad to be here and back online. I missed you guys very much.Comment
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I'm sorry the Nal side effects were too rough for you, bk. I can understand not wanting to be emotionally dulled like that. I've been there without any medications in the past and it's not fun. And not being able to eat? That's definitely too much. It's interesting to hear you talk about not being able to enjoy anything on Nal, Skull. I had Nal pushed on me at a rehab a couple years ago and, given what I know about how Nal works, and the role of endorphins in producing pleasure in general, I was afraid that it would have exactly that effect. When I kept telling my counselor I didn't want to take it for that reason, she said that was nonsense and basically told me I was in denial and just didn't really want to stop drinking. It's good to know that my fear was not unfounded.
And bk, I think baclofen may very well help you even though you're drinking out of habit rather than craving at this point. I know for me, at first, I did find it difficult to break the habit piece even after the cravings were mostly gone. But once I got up to my current dose (160 mg), I found it was fairly easy to break the daily booze habit and form new ones. I just made a decision that I was going to do some AF time, and I did - no pain involved. My only point in bringing up that bac deals with cravings and not habit is that you might not just all of a sudden not want to drink anymore. Some people do seem to experience that, but I had to make a conscious decision to do some AF time before indifference really started to set in. If you have the money to try it, it's definitely worth a shot.
That's amazing that you've been AF for nearly a year, Skull! I'll be raising a toast (of soda) in your honor in three weeks That's awesome that you're now in a position to be helping a friend through their own alcohol struggles. And thanks for the recommendation for meetup.com. I'll try to get up the courage to check it out. For the moment, I'm extremely limited in what I can do because of lack of transportation, but I'll hopefully be getting my license back in the next few months. So it'll be interesting to see what kind of groups there are in my area.
Oh, and Skull - I was thinking about you earlier today and I had to laugh about that comment you made a while back about wishing there was such a thing as smokelofen. I could definitely use some of that right now. I'm in my second day cigarette free and somehow it's even harder than the first. Ugh! I guess it'll get easier soon enough. I hope you guys have a great night!Last edited by Lostinspace; October 9, 2014, 06:35 PM.Comment
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Good morning! Does anyone want to try the chat box with me?Comment
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I missed you all too! Glad to be getting some discussion going againOriginally posted by bkyogagurl View Post Thanks for the kind words, BK.
I know you've been reticent to try out bac, but I really think it could help you in the same way that Lis describes. It's such a relief to be able to make logical choices, and make the choice to break the habits. As you know, for me that required antabuse for a while on top of the bac, but many others find success just forcing the AF time through bac and force of will. It's really worth forcing 14 AF days, then 30 AF days, just to really feel it and give your body/mind a bit more time off to heal.
The downside of course is the bac SE's- as I'm sure you know, the sleep issues (sleepy in the afternoons, sometimes unable to sleep at night) can be a real annoyance. But they go away soon enough and then the real good stuff begins.
I'd really encourage you to give it a try! It's helped so many people, why not you?
I hear you on the sober friends thing. For me, I just had to become a hermit for a while and live a totally boring lifestyle, on purpose- going to bars etc would just be bad. Sounds like you know what I mean- I think that is great that you've outlined your needs to do social things AF- really sorry to hear that your friend wasn't able or willing to do that.
Very cool though that your trainer is working with the full picture, ie knowing about your alcohol use and helping to work with that from a physical point of view. I found a trainer to be really beneficial to set me on the right path for those reasons. And speaking of training- I too think there's a real connection between alcohol/sugars/carbs food etc. I found that super crucial to staying AF was to make sure to get enough macros (carbs/fats/proteins) every single day- if I didn't, alcohol cravings took over. Fine-tuning how many carbs/fats/proteins are right for you per day or per meal is a real process, that's for sure, but worth dialing in. A good trainer can help with that- but sounds like you may already have a handle on this stuff through your own reading and trainer etc.
And yes, try meetup.com . In most cities there are AF groups/events. I wish you best of luck!!!Comment
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Totally. I'm logged in now, I'll stay on a bit to see if anyone shows upOriginally posted by bkyogagurl View Post
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Thanks Lis! I'ma go pop over to your thread and reply. Yeah try out meetup.com, they also have a phone app. Even if you don't attend in person for a while, you can search out groups you'd be interested in joining, and they have discussion forums etc. too.Originally posted by Lostinspace View PostI'm sorry the Nal side effects were too rough for you, bk. I can understand not wanting to be emotionally dulled like that. I've been there without any medications in the past and it's not fun. And not being able to eat? That's definitely too much. It's interesting to hear you talk about not being able to enjoy anything on Nal, Skull. I had Nal pushed on me at a rehab a couple years ago and, given what I know about how Nal works, and the role of endorphins in producing pleasure in general, I was afraid that it would have exactly that effect. When I kept telling my counselor I didn't want to take it for that reason, she said that was nonsense and basically told me I was in denial and just didn't really want to stop drinking. It's good to know that my fear was not unfounded.
And bk, I think baclofen may very well help you even though you're drinking out of habit rather than craving at this point. I know for me, at first, I did find it difficult to break the habit piece even after the cravings were mostly gone. But once I got up to my current dose (160 mg), I found it was fairly easy to break the daily booze habit and form new ones. I just made a decision that I was going to do some AF time, and I did - no pain involved. My only point in bringing up that bac deals with cravings and not habit is that you might not just all of a sudden not want to drink anymore. Some people do seem to experience that, but I had to make a conscious decision to do some AF time before indifference really started to set in. If you have the money to try it, it's definitely worth a shot.
That's amazing that you've been AF for nearly a year, Skull! I'll be raising a toast (of soda) in your honor in three weeks That's awesome that you're now in a position to be helping a friend through their own alcohol struggles. And thanks for the recommendation for meetup.com. I'll try to get up the courage to check it out. For the moment, I'm extremely limited in what I can do because of lack of transportation, but I'll hopefully be getting my license back in the next few months. So it'll be interesting to see what kind of groups there are in my area.
Oh, and Skull - I was thinking about you earlier today and I had to laugh about that comment you made a while back about wishing there was such a thing as smokelofen. I could definitely use some of that right now. I'm in my second day cigarette free and somehow it's even harder than the first. Ugh! I guess it'll get easier soon enough. I hope you guys have a great night!
As for smokelofen, yeah I do wish they had that! Some people swear by Campral for that purpose, but I never tried it. I still got the nicotine lozenges but I've been smoke free since January. There's actually a smoke free roll call on here that I post from time to time to stay motivated. I mostly just post my stats (from the Cessation Nation app) on how many days smoke free etc. I'll go bump it in case you're interested. And yes btw it does get easier- get through the first week! I'm at the point now where smoke doesn't seem delicious to me for the most part- just toxic.Comment
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In regard to the chat thing-
Sorry Skull... I got busy today. I checked in but must have missed you by a hair. I was thinking of trying again on Monday since the weekends are so busy. Mine aren't always but this one will be with the husband home. Maybe tomorrow tho... In the morn.
Whatcha got?Comment
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I didn't know there was a chat feature now. I'll have to check that out. I still haven't had a chance to sit down at an actual computer and see what the new site is all about.
Skull, that's interesting that some people swear by campral for dealing with nicotine cravings. I never noticed a reduction in cravings when I took it, but then again, I wasn't trying to quit smoking at that time either. I would never try it again, though. It made me an irritable little crankypants. That smoke free roll call could be good to stay motivated in the beginning. Glad to hear you're at the point of just seeing it as toxic. I can't wait to get there myself.Comment
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I'll hang out in the chat room for a couple hours today and see if anyone pops by
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