drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

[drunknomore?]

Hi everyone, Thought I would post a few more observations on what its like to drink on Naltrexone since not many people here seem to be doing it but I've been getting good results with it. Last night was night 5 on 25 mg and I still didn't drink nearly as much as I traditionally do ( 2 bottles) but for the first time drank more than I had been for the previous 4 nights ( usually 1-2 drinks, one night I drank three, all with no effect aside from some tiredness). Last night I was at a party and I drank one, but it seemed to affect me more than the previous nights. I still didn't want more though. I think the difference between last night and the previous nights is that I ate a lot yesterday - a full business lunch and a business dinner, and that seems to reduce the effect of the Nal. So now am going to watch what I eat as well to make sure my stomach doesn't get so full as to interfere with the drug, though actually my desire to eat has gone down too on this stuff, so that shouldn't be too hard.
Anyway still woke up totally hangover free, and still so much less interested in drinking, but still able to socialize without drawing attention to my drinking habits in any way, which is GREAT! Its a whole new world.
Wishing everyone the BEST
DNM

[Determinator]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

DNM, that's very encouraging. Sinclair method? sorry I've not heard of that.... is that a particular treatment methodology?

[drunknomore?]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hi there,
I have a friend in Scandinavia whose father had a really, really bad problem for years- he was finally effectively treated in Finland a few years ago by a Dr. Sinclair using Naltrexone. So I became interested in Naltrexone and did a lot of online research and discovered that this guy does things differently from most in that he thinks Naltrexone isn't so good for abs but works really well to moderate even a very heavy alcoholic's drinking ( this is what happened with my friend's Dad, and so far, with me). You can look it up on Wikipedia if you put in "Sinclair Method". The few peple I've discussed it with say its not very well known here or much on the web because controlled drinking doesn't fly as a concept in the US, and since nal doesn't do a great job for abs its kind of put to one side as a treatment option here. And, since most of the people seeing Dr. Sinclair et al are writing in Finnish or other languages, so it doesn't have a big google presence. Also, I guess naltrexone's patent is running out or something so its not worth the drug company's time and money to launch a campaign to change people's minds on the subject? (This bit I don't really know about).
Anywy, so far its really working for me. Its weird because there are a lot of questions I have now about my drinking that specifically derive from having one or two drinks only and not wanting more (like: if it doesn't affect me at all then why do I feel pressure socially to have another?)- very different questions than I had in AA when I was fighting cravings and feeling bad about being an alcoholic (how could I do that? What happened in my childhood to make me this way? How can I make up to people my self-indulgence?). Also, now I feel no worse about being an alcoholic than I do about being depressed enough to need anti-depressants. I now really do view it as a disease- much moreso than I did in AA. The whole thing leaves me a lot more confident in general - I am not a "bad" person, I just need to take responsibility for myself by acknowledging my problem and addressing it in the most effective way I know - so far for me that's naltrexone. I just hope it keeps working - I think it will, if it doesn't then onto the next thing, but for now I have definitely been a "social" drinker since I went on it (instead of 2 bottles of wine a night) and am generally much cheerier and optimistic about life!!
Hope that helps,
DNM

[icandothis]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hi DNM!

I read your posts and am considering ordering Naltroxene. You're right, it's not really considered here in the US much. I'll probably have trouble finding a Dr. to perscribe, but your experience is very inspiring! I'm currently going through the "terrible cravings and guilt" method. (Hopefully the cravings will subside at some point!)

Thanks for the posts!

[KAT20]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hello DMN and all, I am going into my 4th evening with naltrexone. Sunday 0, thought some might have just been will power, Mon 1 1/2, made a spritzer and did'nt seem to want more, last night the same. I have felt alittle tired, not sure if meds or the weather. That is interesting about naltrexone not marketing, when I first asked about meds my therapist was suprised the psychiatrist did'nt suggest naltrexone. I ordered it on my on line and was reluctant to take it. I finally was willing to try anything to control myself. I will ask my physican tomorrow when I see her. She does not know I ordered these, just knew I was on Campral and Trazadone to sleep.

[drunknomore?]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hi Kathy, That's great that it seems to be working! These are the Indian Nodicts, right? I am really interested to hear how it goes for you. And Icandoit, you too - if you order it would love to stay in touch about how it goes for you!
For me, tonight I took the dog out for a really long walk - I got back in at 7 - (I have been taking my pill at about 5:30 every day), and was sort of involuntarily overcome with the thought of how GOOD a cold glass of wine would taste. What I've noticed is that you don't get that feeling on Nal - you basically don't notice wine or whatever until its in front of you and even then you kind of sip it absentmindedly and slowly while you get absorbed in other stuff- so I panicked and thought- whoahhhhSHIT - its stopped working!!! Then realized I was late with my dose. Popped one, hopped in the bath, got out just now and somehow now don't mind if I do, don't mind if I don't re that glass of wine! And the coolest thing is if I do, its not going to matter that much because won't get that kick anyway, so there's no compelling reason to have one at all. Now nice and relaxed again!
But wow - the power of that urge took me by surprise - don't think I'll be skipping a dose anytime soon.....
Hope all goes well for you all-
DNM

[KAT20]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

nodicts

DMN, yes these are the India Nodicts, they are not scored so I just bite them in half, Great for the teeth, Ha, not the best flavor either. Anyway, I too take mine about 5:30 6:00, as that is my weakest time, my "treat" as I liked to think at the end of a long day. I have told myself Take 1/2 and see how you feel, the feeling seems to past where before thats all I could think about and felt deprieved if I could'nt. Maybe this works best for habitual alcohol use as opposed to physical addiction. Wish me luck

[Pebbles]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Does anyone in the UK order Naltrexone on-line ? The only one I've found so far is River pharmacy and it's not cheap, does anyone get theirs from an Indian source?

I was getting topa on-line but Aclepsa doesn't seem to have Naltrexone...

any ideas ?

[icandothis]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hello. I just received my Nal and will probably start next week. I got 50 mgs from an Indian pharmacy. I was wondering about using 1/2 pill at first....thanks for the info Kathyk. Pebbles...I just searched around the internet until I found an Indian pharmacy...not sure about the UK. I hope it works for me! Thanks for the info everyone.

[fickle]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Wow! I want to know more!! Does anyone know if naltrexone is available in Australia?
I'm going to ring my doc for an appointment tomorrow and ask her if she'll prescribe it for me - what dose are you on DNM?? I am going to start researching right now!
Love & grattitude to you all!
XXX

[debruce]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hi,
I am from Australia and am on Naltrexone. My Dr prescribed it for me and it is on the PBS so only costs about $30 (normal prescription price).
Have been having success with it. I am on Day 9 AF, so all is good.
Success and well being to all

[KAT20]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hello DNM and all, I was gonna update ya'll on my naltrexone progress. 5 days last week I did pretty well at moderation. I kind of blew over the weekend thought. Felt like a real failure on Monday. Reading other posts have given me more determination to keep on trying. I took my Naltrexone earlier yesterday. I usually wait till say 5:30 but yesterday I took mine at 4:00. Decided to not have a drink at all, and my husband had a beer or two. I know alot of my drinking is habit or evening ritual. I was ready to say the naltrexones don't work but I now realize like many others have stated, there is no magic pill, you have to use all your resources. I am going to try and go AF during the week and try for mods on the weekend. For anyone looking to order naltexone it is from River Pharmacy. I'll let you know how the week goes, wish me luck. Oh, another thing about naltrexone, I read if you slip up alot your brain can produce more receptors to let the pleasurable feeling of alcohol in. Maybe thats what I did along with just the physical act of thinking I needed it.

[drunknomore?]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hi there, thought I'd give an update too - this is week three on the Naltrexone and its effect on me has changed over the period - in the beginning it WAS like a magic bullet - I just couldn't drink much on it. That was GREAT, but it steadily decreased by the middle of last week. So I upped the dosage to 75 mg for when I drink, and that helped a lot, but I think what Kathy says is true -its like my body is adapting to the naltrexone. Still - it matters that I take it - a lot. I know this because one, when I take 50 and choose not to drink, I have no cravings for it at all ( I have just naturally chose not to drink last night or the night before, with very little effort). And two, when I do drink, it changes my drinking by reducing it even when I am being irresponsible about it. For example on saturday I did get through a whole bottle and a half over 8 hours, so about 11 units over 8 hours. I really felt like "getting drunk" that night", I remember, and by the end of the night did feel woozy/mid-drunk, but nothing like 1 1/2 would have done to me without the Nal (which would have been speed-drinking, certainly more than 1 1/2 bottle, and blackouts). I am disappointed in myself, not only because I wanted to get drunk, but because I knew that on the Nal I probably could have stopped myself if I had chosen to. Thats where the difference still lies, so far. On the Nal I don't quite lose the inhibition that can stop you from having that next one. On saturday I consciously pushed through to be "social" and stay out later. I need to look at that - hard.
So, with me it seems the Nal isn't the magic bullet I thought it was originally, but I still wouldn't go without it, since even when I do behave like an idiot and drink "through" it, I am still generally able to avoid doing that with a lot more ease than without the Nal, and my stopping point, even during that binge, was at much less than it would have been on a non-Nal binge ( 2 1/2 bottles when I am feeling like that). So the "harm-reduction" idea is still there. Like I said I wouldn't go without it, and am now realizing I must use my own discipline, which I still have after the first drink on Naltrexone but which doesn't exist after the first drink if I am not on naltrexone, to help me. It still helps - I wish it worked as well as in that first magical week, but this is still a lot better than life off Naltrexone!

[KAT20]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

DMN, Ditto to everthing you said. I'd rather be with the naltrexone than not. I'm not crazy about trying topamax. I do take many vitamins including multi, c, mag, potassium, fish oil, milk thistle, calcium, B12, amino complete and L-glutamine. I did order Kuduz and Gaba to add to my list, will let you know how that goes. I will say that with all these I seem to recover alittle better the next day. I hope by staying on naltrexone, 50mg now and adding Kuduz and gaba that might give me that little extra help with cravings. Also did'nt purchase wine at the grocery on Sunday, what a novel idea huh. Social situations and weekends are the hardest, will keep on keeping on ODAT

[maxman]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Back on the nal, it makes alchohol taste strange for me in past experiences, seems to make my body feel all tight!? 4 AF though working well!