Yes it was me that was on Topamax .... and am not sure why your doc is saying for you to take it the way he is saying ... it makes no sense - even though I am not a doctor !! Please feel free to PM me and let me know the reasons behind it - I still have some Topa and if it might help will start it again!

Hugs, Maggie

Week five and two alcohol free days so far the week. Huge for me. On the advice of psychiatrist specialising in addictions who uses TSM, i started on 25mg topamax on sat 26th sept. i stopped after 3 nights of taking it. it made me feel really flat, low energy and not interested in much of anything by the 2nd day on it; booze, food, my garden … life. Brain fog as i was I cleaning up my chalk board food shopping list. I could only remember 2 of the 3 items i had to re write on it a minute after erasing them. Not like me. Texted my doc how i was feeling and he responded "it should improve, yes normal. until the transient effects get better i would not increase the dose." I liked the idea of a helping hand on top of the TSM with beating nightly alcohol cravings, also liked the idea that doc said most of his patients loose considerable weight on it without trying. i could happily loose 20 pounds. but it's not my priority, i'm committed to getting my drinking under control, feel sure the rest of me will follow. I don't like feeling low energy, zombie'ish. I don't think the SE of Topamax are worth it for me, even though sounds like the "transient effects" get better with time. So for now anyway, back to strictly the TSM plus my 30mg of cymbalta which i've been taking for some 3 yrs now and i find helps brighten my mood.
I'm making exercise a habit again. gonna try to work in more AF days and sched a long work out the next morning … surely a better, healthier approach to weight loss!
PS Maggie thanks for sharing your Topamax experience.

Stated TSM Fri 28th Aug 2015
Before TSM 10 to 19 units most days/ average 91 units/week - no AF days except when went abstinent for 51 days last Fall. A started becoming a problem late 30'ies 38, 39. Amount and frequency crept up slowly to where it is today. Last 4 years heavy, daily drinker.
Fri - 50mg Nal - 7 units
Sat ~25mg Nal - 6 unit
Sun ~25mg Nal - 19 units
Mon ~37.5mg Nal - 4 units
Tues ~37.5mg Nal - 13 units
Wed no Nal, AF day (1st in 9 months!)
Thurs 50mg Nal - 13 units
WEEK TWO
Fri 50mg - 10 units
Sat 50mg - 12 units
Sun 50mg - 13 units
Mon 7th Sept Labor Day 50mg - 14 units
WEEK THREE (always 50mg Nal one hour before drinking going fwd unless noted)
Tues 8th to Tues 15 - on beach vacation, took Nal an hour before but drinking a lot, got back on Sat still drinking a lot, discouraged didn't keep track.
Wed 16th - 50mg - 18 units
Thurs 17th - No Nal- AF
WEEK FOUR
Fri 18th -9 units
Sat 19th - 10 units
Sun 20th - 14 units
Mon 21st - 12 units
Tues 22nd - 12 units
Wed 23rd - 12 units
Thurs 24th - 15 units
WEEK FIVE
Fri 25th - 12 units
Sat 26th - 14 units (added 25mg Topamax at bedtime)
Sun 27th - 14 units (25mg Topamax)
Mon 28 -No Nal - AF (25mg Topamax)
Tues 29th - 12 units (stopped taking Topamax)
Wed 30th - took 50mg Nal expecting to drink on my way home but didn't feel like it. still a little zombie'ish after topamax, just wanted bed/sleep. AF

terez,

I am glad that things are working for you, and I thought you are really early in the game with TSM to be adding something with the nal. (but I am not a doctor). I wanted to ask you if you have had your liver functions test done (or going to), for with the nal., alcohol and cymbalta all can effect you liver. I was on cymbalta for a while and it really helped me, but my drinking picked up and I was afraid what I was doing to my liver and asked to switch to something else. Since you are doing with under a doctors supervision, I am sure he is testing you routinely.

You are really early in the game, but you are doing great!

Keep posting,

Jaba

Terez, sounds like you are making a good decision. Wishing you continued progress.

Going to bed on a Saturday night with a glass of sparkling water at 10:30p.
Very unusual for me when there's a full bottle of vodka in the freezer and a beautiful bottle of burgundy in the house.
Had 7 units tonight. Tipped out the last half of my red wine.
There was a post from Badger that I came across last night with a passage from "The Cure" that I copied out for myself to read daily.
Helpful. Thank you.
"One thing that is particularly important when you start out on TSM and which a lot of people find really helps reduce their consumption is what we call mindful drinking, or not drinking through the Naltrexone. What this means is that once you've taken your tablet and waited the hour (and that's absolutely vital too, no matter how much you're craving that first drink - you *must* wait at least an hour. Not 45 or 50 minutes. One hour.) is that when you take that first drink or two, that rather than necking them, you try and sip them slowly. Try and listen to the feedback that you're getting from your brain and your body. If you listen, you will start to find that they're telling you that maybe you don't actually want that next drink, and the next one, and the next one... At which point you listen to your body and stop drinking for that day. Naltrexone *will* work. It *will* block the opioid receptors in your brain, but you have to work with it. It's not a magic wand that you can wave and stop drinking. If you don't listen to your brain's feedback and keep drinking (drink through the Nal), the Nal will still be doing its job and blocking the receptors, but you won't be getting the full benefits of the treatment. And you'll end up drunk. Nal won't stop that happening."

Stated TSM Fri 28th AUG 2015
Before TSM 10 to 19 units most days/ average 91 units/week - no AF days except when went abstinent for 51 days last Fall. A started becoming a problem late 30'ies 38, 39. Amount and frequency crept up slowly to where it is today. Last 4 years heavy, daily drinker.
Fri 28th AUG - 50mg Nal - 7 units
Sat 29th ~25mg Nal - 6 unit
Sun 30th ~25mg Nal - 19 units
Mon 31st ~37.5mg Nal - 4 units
Tues 1st SEPT ~37.5mg Nal - 13 units
Wed 2nd no Nal, AF day (1st in 9 months!)
Thurs 3rd 50mg Nal - 13 units
WEEK TWO (always 50mg Nal one hour before drinking going fwd unless noted)
Fri 4th - 10 units
Sat 5th - 12 units
Sun 6th - 13 units
Mon 7th Sept Labor Day - 14 units
WEEK THREE
Tues 8th to Tues 15 - on beach vacation, took Nal an hour before but drank a lot, got back on Sat continued to drink a lot, discouraged, didn't keep track.
Wed 16th - 18 units
Thurs 17th - No Nal- AF
WEEK FOUR
Fri 18th -9 units
Sat 19th - 10 units
Sun 20th - 14 units
Mon 21st - 12 units
Tues 22nd - 12 units
Wed 23rd - 12 units
Thurs 24th - 15 units
WEEK FIVE
Fri 25th - 12 units
Sat 26th - 14 units (added 25mg Topamax at bedtime)
Sun 27th - 14 units (25mg Topamax)
Mon 28 -No Nal - AF (25mg Topamax)
Tues 29th - 12 units (stopped taking Topamax)
Wed 30th - took 50mg Nal expecting to drink on my way home but didn't feel like it. still a little zombie'ish after topamax, just wanted bed/sleep. AF
Thurs 1st OCT- 10 units
WEEK SIX
Fri 2nd - 7 units
Sat 3rd - 7 units

Terez,

I have to admit that your progress is better than mine was at 6 week, for I was drinking like a fish and having nal. overs...and once I started to drink I would finish the bottle. You have al. in your house and drinking sparkling water you should be very proud for I know I am at your progress...Truly amazing!

I read what badger posted and it took me a couple of month to grasp that concept (or should i say my brain), but it is true. It does help being reminded that you can drink through the medicine, and in doing so you do not get the full benefit.

Keep up the good work for you are doing awesome!

Jaba

Keeping track. Working at being more mindful. g'night.

Stated TSM Fri 28th AUG 2015
Before TSM 10 to 19 units most days/ average 91 units/week - no AF days except when went abstinent for 51 days last Fall. AL started becoming a problem late 30'ies 38, 39. Amount and frequency crept up slowly to where it is today. Last 4 years heavy, daily drinker.
1: 62 (1) 50mg Nal 1st night (spacey feeling), then 2 nights at 25mg, then 50mg going forward.
2: 91 (0) part of this week on beach vacation, discouraged, didn't keep close track, drank a lot as is usual on vaca, number approx
3: 90 (1) part of this week on beach vacation, unit number approx
4: 84 (0)
5: 62 (2) added 25mg of Topamax on advice of addiction psychiatrist but stopped after 3 nights because of zombie SE. (Also took Nal expecting to drink one night and didn't.)
WEEK SIX
Fri 2nd - 7
Sat 3rd - 7
Sun 4th - 12
Mon 5th - 10

Not a great week. Vodka in the house. My vodka drinks have three A units in them. Once I have two of those I feel comfortably numb. Have noticed the bottle of red that follows is often only half finished. That's new for me. Also noted that since I started TSM I've never blacked out and not remembered details of the night before such as how and when I got to bed. That used to happen at least weekly. Thinking I leave Vodka out of the house, stick to wine and work at being more mindful and towards at least two AF days a week. I take 30 mg Cymbalta to beat the blues, think Nal might be making me a little down or maybe it's the alcohol. Hope working in at least a few AF days will help my mood.
Forward, 6 weeks and counting! Great w'end to u all, grateful for this posting site. Encouraging to read how others are doing.

Stated TSM Fri 28th AUG 2015
Before TSM 10 to 19 units most days/ average 91 units/week - no AF days.
Wk:units (AF)
1: 62 (1) 50mg Nal 1st night (spacey feeling), then 2 nights at 25mg, then 50mg going forward.
2: 91 (0) part of this week on beach vacation, discouraged, didn't keep close track, drank a lot as is usual on vaca, number approx
3: 90 (1) part of this week on beach vacation, unit number approx
4: 84 (0)
5: 62 (2) added 25mg of Topamax on advice of addiction psychiatrist but stopped after 3 nights because of zombie SE.
6: 68 (0)

Terez,

I am glad to hear about your progress. If you can have a af day it will help your mood, at least that is how it is supposed to work (it doesn't for me, I feel better on nal than off).

Keep up the good work, and keep posting,

Jaba

Terez: sounds like it is a good idea not to have vodka in the house, because those are strong drinks!! And this is coming from someone who LOVES strong drinks.

Just keep the faith and keep going. It is still early in the process for you. What is critical right now is just to take that pill one hour before drinking. The rest will come.

Hugs from Newlife