Gabapentin

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

3 days no cravings. I thought what about a beer tonight. Even though I don't like the taste, I like the vibe of beer and Monday Night Football. It was pretty easy to shrug it off even though the fridge is stocked. On my other issue, that guy came over tonight to help with with a plumbing issue. It was easy to not ask about that stuff as well.

I have been sleeping well and waking up very easily. I am the worst morning person I have ever met....I wanna sleep more more more. Today I woke up 2 hours before I should have without anyone waking me up. I just woke up on my own and started working. That was weird. I actually am trying to start eating right today because key made me paranoid about the munchies . Dude if I start exercising next, someone needs to keep an eye on me because somethin ain't right.

This has all happened very fast so I am trying to stay a little guarded about it.

[spiritwolf333]

Gabapentin

JD -what dosage of Gaba are you taking and what time(s). Any-any negative side effects? This is really very interesting and is similar to some of the other research I am reading.

Also, as you state, your goal right now is moderated drinking only at certain times. For others, it is to remain abstinent. It concerns me slightly that you can drink so much and not feel the mental effects a short time later. I absolutely believe what you are saying and I think I understand exactly what you are talking about. I just hope the alcohol is not rewiring another part of the brain - a part that may show problems months or years down the road.

What you are describing is the dream-come-true for every alcoholic (and even non-alcoholic)

Thanks for posting and please keep us updated.

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

spiritwolf333;1599772 wrote: JD -what dosage of Gaba are you taking and what time(s). Any-any negative side effects? This is really very interesting and is similar to some of the other research I am reading.

Also, as you state, your goal right now is moderated drinking only at certain times. For others, it is to remain abstinent. It concerns me slightly that you can drink so much and not feel the mental effects a short time later. I absolutely believe what you are saying and I think I understand exactly what you are talking about. I just hope the alcohol is not rewiring another part of the brain - a part that may show problems months or years down the road.

What you are describing is the dream-come-true for every alcoholic (and even non-alcoholic)

Thanks for posting and please keep us updated.

Thanks for the reply. I am taking 1800 mg a day... 600 at noon, 600 at 6PM and 600 at midnight (I usually stay up late). I wait to take the first one until noon because I take my daily antacid when I wake up.

For the next part, I totally hear what ur saying and want to clarify. I had expected to drink a lot at that annual party for months. I do not want to drink like that more than once or twice a year. I say even once or twice a year because I have the christmas party and an annual reunion with my high school friends. I don't have to drink a lot at either and may not next time.

----"Also, as you state, your goal right now is moderated drinking only at certain times"
-- I knew that sentence was poorly constructed on my part. In the past, I wanted to be able to go out and party all the time, but be able to stop when I wanted (control). This is not what I want anymore....I know that. What I am uncertain about is do I even want to have 2 here and there, or do I want to not drink anymore at all. I honestly don't know. I know that right now, I am not going to try and stay abstinent. I am also not planning to drink. I want to see how long it takes me to crave a couple drinks. It seems when I have cravings, 1 or 2 drinks stops the urge (as opposed to 100).

Yeah the sober in an hour after 14 drinks is weird. Don't freak me out man...I thought it was cool . I hear what you are saying about drinking interfering with rewiring. I don't see how that could be possible... I mean I have not had a drink for more days than I have. I started 11/26 (my birthday btw). I have drank 3 days (the first at a very low dose of gab) and not drank 18 days. So, it seems like there is plenty of time for rewiring.

BUT, every ounce of education on something I know nothing about is a good idea. I'm going to heed your warning and talk to my doctor about that. He is a GP, but has a lot of brain knowledge based on necessity with his family in his own life.

Dream-come-true? Hmmmm maybe 5-10 years ago. At 38, getting a handle on myself is more of what I want. If I could have worked a little harder a AA for an extended amount of time, I would have stayed abstinent there and not wanted to do meds. This is kind of a last resort for me, as a personal preference.

Do you mind sharing some of the stuff you have been reading?

[skullbabyland]

Gabapentin

JD, thanks much for posting your findings here. Gabapentin is completely new to me. I'm really interested to hear how things progress for you. Best of luck.

[MissIndygo]

Gabapentin

Very impressive JD. Good for you! Like Skull I really don't know much about Gabapentin, so I am following your thread with interest. Keep us posted. All the best.

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

I will go ahead and post a negative now and hopefully not post a huge negative later.

I have plans to go hook up with a friend for beer and burgers. So, obviously the no drinking didnt last long. Honestly I have been a little preoccupied with it for over an hour. My hope is one or two beers (hell even 4 or 5) kills that obsession and there is no reason to drink 100. As I write this, I see an exact mirror of my posts when I was taking baclofen, so I am a little concerned. Hopefully, I post later and don't move along to my other addiction. Wish me luck!!!

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

Wow is all I can say. I realized halfway through and told my friend this instant in my life has been my lifelong dream (sad when I tell what it is ). There was something magical when I was a kid and I would go out with my parents and their friends with their son. I always remember those times in a restaurant around Christmas and they would have drinks and talk up a storm. I don't know why but those times were always beautiful to me. I have tried to recreate them in my own life since I was 21.... Never been able to and have thrown away many years chasing it. I did leave a half beer on a table while taking baclofen at lunch one time. I don't know, being with my best and oldest friend made it awesome tonight. I have always wanted to have a good dinner and a few drinks with good friend(s).

Anyways, if u read all that sappy bullshit, I drank a Grey Goose with cranberry juice. Then I had a Dos Equis. I had no craving at all after that. In fact, it took me forever with the first drink. I ended up slamming it because my friend had slowly finished his first beer and I had only taken 2 small sips. I'm sure if I had been with my fianc? I may have not finished the first drink.

I want to stress for the thousandth time, this happened on baclofen too and then stopped working weeks later. I am not in the clear.

[MissIndygo]

Gabapentin

Good stuff JDizzle, am happy for you.

Hey I found some very encouraging research 2013 (November) results re: Gabapentin.
I took me hours to get, which is odd as I have access to a uni e-library, but all the same I finally got it.
Interestingly they used the same dosing as you 1800mg a day and got some very positive results.

I will email it to you.
If anybody else is interested please let me know and I will email it to you.

[MissIndygo]

Gabapentin

Sorry I haven't emailed it yet, as I don't seem to be able to attach it when I do it through mwo?

Just send me a pm with your email address if your interested.

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

MissIndygo;1600164 wrote: Sorry I haven't emailed it yet, as I don't seem to be able to attach it when I do it through mwo?

Just send me a pm with your email address if your interested.

Thank u so much. Don't sweat it though. That November study is what my doc and I based my dosage on. He seemed to think the difference in placebo and gab was significant.

[MissIndygo]

Gabapentin

Oh yes, the results are certainly significant. So I agree with your doc JD

I was getting rather excited about it all, as you may have noticed I do love my research hehe.

Lucky you with having such an open-minded doc! Good for you!
Keep up the updating.

[kronkcarr]

Gabapentin

I was talking with spiritwolf last night and he suggested I read your thread. You've posted good stuff here. Thanks. I understand your feelings about dinner, drinks and conversation. These social times, or, for me, rituals, are when I do have 1-2 drinks. I'm so happy that I don't have to stress over these drinks here and there.

I was also one of those who got loud and talked to people whether they wanted me to or not. It's almost foreign to me now after a year. I'm along for your ride (and my elbow is in the car).

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

Indigo, it is not very hard to get a doc to prescribe gabapentin I would think. I think it is pretty common to prescribe it for anxiety. It doesn't have addictive qualities and the dosage is well under the legal amount. If they can't get in trouble, they will be more open.

Kronk, u very very funny. That's a deep thoughts quote. I love those. Also I noticed ur date is 12/12/12. That is hilarious for me because there is this older gentleman in this group I pop into from time to time.... That's his date and he always say it with long pauses 12.....12.....12

[spiritwolf333]

Gabapentin

Hi JD -How is the GabaP working? I've got some exciting news re Gabapentin. I will post later. Please let us know about your current progress. Thanks

[JDizzle]

Gabapentin

Sorry man. My fianc? was out of town so I have been eating twinkees on the couch in my underwear while drinking out of a gallon of chocolate milk. It was wonderful. She is home now and so is the iPad.

So, honestly I had a set back. I over drank and indulged in other things as well. I hate to even say it, but I promised honesty and that's just how I do. I firmly believe that this was not a case of medicine not working, but a case of very bad decision making on my part. I was home alone, so I went out with the boys. They were finishing beers while I had taken 2 sips. So instead of just going at my own pace and being called a pussy (maybe that is a texas thing with boys), I would slam the rest to keep up. I didnt have my own car so instead of asking to go home, I went to the next barS. Then forced myself to keep up there too. Another friend came up and he is bad to have around for my other issue. So I really can't report much on medication after that. I hope this doesn't deter people, but I can say the only difference here and with other meds is that I told the truth about it.

Look, I am a freakin terrible test case man. I make bad decisions a lot. There r also so many unknowns.... Can I take 2 pills a day and then take 3 if I know I'm going to drink to avoid me developing a tolerance? Does me drinking really screw with any brain rewiring? I failed at AA for 21 years....I wouldn't be one to bet money on ever staying sober. I'm just looking for a little life improvement I think. I would like to see someone try this that wanted to stay sober.

Someone get started on gab and add to this thread with ur experience. I really just think I'm a bad example for any drug. There is a very marked difference in my drinking.

I am going out of town with family tomorrow. I'm sure I will drink with my sister. If I don't develope craving, I will surely post. If I do, I will consult my doctor and let you know about that too.