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RamboGoesMeow t1_jacux1d wrote

Reply to comment by chrisdh79 in An anti-seizure medication shows promise in reducing the likelihood of heavy drinking, desire to drink, and positive alcohol expectancies, according to new research by chrisdh79

Oh hell yeah. This is fantastic news for alcoholics like me. Fingers crossed that this gets studied more, and ends up being genuinely effective for the vast majority of people seeking help.

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Dsphar t1_jad6v8q wrote

Topirimate sucks. There is a reason they call it dopirimate. Having said that, it has its uses.

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Bombast_ t1_jadld58 wrote

Based off your comment I took a peek at the side effects...sheesh. Sounds like it would be pretty difficult to function as an adult.

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supermaja t1_jaeai3u wrote

Pharmacists say people on topiramate are “skinny and stupid”.

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Mercury2Phoenix t1_jadwi39 wrote

I see a lot of people complaining about the drug, but know that for some people, it works, and there aren't many side effects. I was on it for years to help with migraines. The "side effect" I noticed was that I would no longer get a buzz or any reward from drinking alcohol. (I liked to drink in social settings to easy social anxiety.) I've seen other studies in the past on it being used for alcohol dependence but the results were inconsistent. One guy in the documentary I watched went from drinking a 24 pack of beer a day, to total abstinence.

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RamboGoesMeow t1_jadxoyp wrote

I’m definitely looking at all options right now, because I truly want to stay sober this time, I’m so tired of being a drunk asshole.

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MrKahnberg t1_jae2i87 wrote

You deserve to be sober. Are you able to talk about this a dr? I started with a conversation with my gp. Now sober for about 28 months.
I realize now that the fear of not getting drunk was why I drank so much for so long. I attend an informal video meeting once a week.

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RamboGoesMeow t1_jae67zi wrote

Yes, I went through medical detox, and am on a 6 week course through my health insurance provider. I have about 2 hours of video meetings Mon-Fri, and attend 3 outside meetings a week. So far so good, I’m 14 days sober today, and I’m doing my best to stay sober.

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MrKahnberg t1_jaem1ym wrote

The physiological benefits take a while to be noticeable. I'd say around 6 months sober I definitely felt more comfortable with my depression and started to lose weight.
You can dm me if you want to talk.
Probably the most important thing is to be connected to other people.

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GnomaPhobic t1_jaeb980 wrote

Just do today what you did yesterday, and you'll stay sober today. And if you can stay sober today, you can do it again tomorrow. I found that mantra was helpful to me when I was struggling to quit drinking, thought I'd offer it in case it helps you too. It does get easier with time, I promise.

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RamboGoesMeow t1_jaebmtd wrote

Thank you, I like that mantra and will certainly use it. I take it one day at a time, and it’s working for me so far.

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DamonSing t1_jadz6cw wrote

I was on topiramate for 5 years for my seizures. It was a nightmare experience and hard as hell to get off of. I’ve been sober almost a decade now and I promise you there are much better ways to stop drinking.

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nihilisticpunchline t1_jaekif9 wrote

I've been on it for 7 years for migraines and it's been a god send. It might also be for someone else for this purpose or it might not. Let's not discourage (or even encourage) someone based on anecdotal evidence.

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DamonSing t1_jaeryal wrote

I’m glad it works for you, but I would highly recommend any person thinking of taking it do serious research before starting it. Many people have had horrific experiences on this medication and I will continue to discourage people from taking it regardless of your anecdotal positive experience.

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nihilisticpunchline t1_jaewng9 wrote

Any person should do research, to include speaking to their doctor and/or pharmacist, before taking any medication. I have had horrendous experiences with other medications but I'm not going around telling people to not take them. It's not for me or you to decide if there are better ways for a person to manage their illnesses.

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muscletrain t1_jadoaqg wrote

This drug sounds nasty, have you looked into Baclofen ? An alcoholic doctor wrote a book on it and how it stopped his drinking. It's a strong GABA-B drug. I have first hand experience with it helping me kick a heavy GHB addiction that would have hospitalized most people.

Highly highly underrated for alcohol/GHB/dealing with any severe GABA-B issues

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RamboGoesMeow t1_jadsnep wrote

I have an appointment with my doctor tomorrow, so I’ll ask about that. I’m just 14 days sober, and doing my best to remain that way. AA makes it difficult with the god aspect, but that’s my best bet since other options are few and far between due to my schedule.

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SomethingClever42068 t1_jadwyd3 wrote

Check out S.A.F.E. instead.

If it were AA or nothing for me I'd still be drinking a liter + of vodka a day.

I guess I'm not a complete success, since I drink one night a week (and never until I'm black out drunk)

But it's been over 1600 days since I've drank daily so it's a win in my book.

Edit: S.M.A.R.T. not safe.

My bad guys.

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altcastle t1_jadz5ae wrote

Why once a week? Just need that day to look forward to? Once I quit after a decade + of drinking a precise but heavy amount nightly, I just put it behind me besides a random drink if I’m at dinner celebrating very rarely.

I think if I kept anything around, I’d go back to my old ways.

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Flock_with_me t1_jadxeim wrote

Naltrexone might be an option to ask your doctor about. It definitely helped a lot with the drinking, but unfortunately for me it caused sudden bouts of depression whenever I took it. I was struggling with depression anyway and really couldn't deal with added mood drops, but I've read that this very rare and that it works well for other people. The few times I used naltrexone it completely curbed my desire to drink, and if I had a drink in a social setting, the drink had no effect on me and - most importantly - didn't lead to a horrific bender.

Ultimately I needed therapeutic psychedelics to treat both my alcoholism and depression. I hope you find a path that works for you.

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samaramatisse t1_jaf3bf0 wrote

Naltrexone can also be used off label to help OCD and self harm behaviors like hair pulling and skin picking.

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hippoheft t1_jadw8mu wrote

I've had great luck with Gabapentin, but everybody's different.

Another helpful resource to keep in mind is r/stopdrinking.

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muscletrain t1_jae1hwn wrote

Keep in mind gabapentin and pregabalin have nasty withdrawals that not many people speak about.

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