drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

[lenaleed]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

BTW Topa is absolutely not an option for me as I had impacted kidney stones requiring surgery. I will not risk that much pain again unless someone promises to hand me a baby and I'm way too old for that.
Lena

[lenaleed]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

And another thing: Whatever happens I have had my last day of 5-10 drinks. I don't underestimate the value of my first

[lenaleed]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Great new avatar John.

[JohnR]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

12.5mg sounds much more tolerable. I will try that too but again, not today. As I said, I'm a lightweight with drugs so unlike alc, I require very little. I'm still so spaced out from my first nal experience and have no desire for alc. I wont have any problems skipping alc and nal tonight.

My days of 5+ drinks are over too. I remain committed to that. I have no time for shame, just determination.

I didnt know Topa was hard on the kidneys. I want to be more careful about what I put in my body from this point forward.

I realized it was probably not the best idea to have my pic for an avatar!

[lenaleed]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Go ask Alice?

Well it's nearly 6:30 pm and at 6 I took as close to 1/4 tab Naltrexone as I could manage. Just slightly over. I honestly don't feel like a drink but am trying to do a faithful daily Sinclair program. I have some old klonipin and saw no drug interactions noted for these so if it gets rough I will take a pinch of that in a few hours. Haven't taken one in weeks so a tiny bit will do. I just don't want to do it on a regular basis -- it took months to taper off of it. The phenomenal thing is it's 6:30 and I'm not interested in a drink. Not happily finishing my fourth. Second day in a row after too many years to count. As my ex husband often said, "It's five pm somewhere." I've got a nervous eye on the clock not to see when an hour is up so I can drink but so I can tell whether side effects will set in. Just back from a phone call. Nearly 1 hour and no side effects at all yet. Fingers crossed. I'lll keep you posted. You all please do the same. Lena

[JohnR]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

In the same boat lena. I did 1/4 tab and waiting, watching the clock. I got better through the day and a little more daring about taking a little more. This has taken me years to reach too and I will keep trying. On the phone now...waiting for my hour to be up.

Hang in there.

[lenaleed]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Sinclair will work for me

Great night! the 12.5 mg dose was just right. I could feel a mild effect: a little drowsy, indifferent to the pizza my daughter and I ordered for dinner. Sipped two vodka/sparkling waters through the evening. Indifferent to those as well. I don't want to waste the sauvignon blanc and it's nice to have my daughter see me without the ubiquitous wine glass. I assume all this means my dose was enough for the opiod receptor blocking necessary for the extinction process. Another day w/ only two and not wanting (needing) more. NO nausea, no increase in tinnitus. A little trouble getting to sleep but slept like a rock.

Truly a miracle. I know it's early but I feel confident I have reclaimed my life from the grip of the alcohol monster.

Like you, John, I have always been super sensitive to drugs/meds. I should have known better than to start w/ the recommended dose. I will up-dose to 25 if/when I feel the need. I hope and pray I did not scare anyone off this miracle drug by describing my experience the first day. The Sinclair Method was my last best hope, and after only two days I would urge anyone to try it. I am going to re-read/study the Eskapa book about the Sinclair Method and follow it to the letter.

Please keep up the sharing!

How'd it go John?

[JohnR]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

I had a great night as well. Yesterday, I had no plans for nal nor alc and then last night I started one of my marathon phone calls with a friend and found myself thinking about wine so I quartered a tab of nal, 12.5mg and watched the clock. An hour later, I poured the wine and that one glass lasted the whole night. I found myself drinking tiny sips and with the right dosage of nal, I did not feel spaced out or dizzy, no out-of-body experience so I am very happy for this. I too should have known better than to start anything full dose. I just really wanted to give it a chance and for it to work so I was perhaps a bit to eager that first day.

Also last night, I did not experience any of the anxiety or anxious feelings I had the previous night. I slept well (other than once to let the dog out at 3:am) and this morning, I awoke and on my nightstand was my wine glass and it still had some wine in it! That hasn't happened in I dont know how many years. I drink basically everything but as far as wine goes, I used to never save a half bottle. I would just finish it and say "Red wine is good for you!" But that was part of my adiction and deep down, I knew that wine - or any alc for that matter - is really NOT good for you, at least not the way I was doing it.

Today, I truly believe the Sinclair method will work for me and I am amazed because I had never heard about any such thing until just 2 weeks ago and since then, I found MWO, did some research and went from zero hope to knowing that I do have a way out, whether it is nal or topra, or any of the other alternative methods to the only one I knew existed (and would not work for me)...I am rambling here but my point is that I now know that I will be able to change my life. I realize this will take time and that nal or any other drug is only one tool, one component to what it will take to achieve my goal but it is an important one and now I feel, a good one for me.

Congrats on night #2 Lena and have a great day. I hope tonight goes as well as last night.

[aurora borialis]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

well here I am. On Feb 6th I will have been doing the Sinclair method for 4 months. I am frustrated because the last time I drank was the day before yesterday. All day yesterday I was hungover and felt like crap. Today I can feel some of the inflammation going down and by tomorrow I will fell better. Then tomorrow night I will feel like doing it all again and It is the most annoying, life draining cycle I have ever been in. I take my nal one hour before as always and so far the only real thing I've noticed is that I can no longer drink wine. Whiskey or vodka, no problem. Thanks for the support of this site. I really appreciate it. Going a little batty over it all.

[lenaleed]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hey Potato -- Sorry to hear that. I've been re-reading parts of the Eskapa book on the Sinclair method. One thing you may want to keep in mind is that it can take longer than four months. Everyone is different. And not everyone experiences the immediate effect that John and I have had of not really wanting a drink. Eskapa describes this benefit as "weak" and, from the reports of some on the board, it can be short-lived. It's not the mainstay of the method; the several weeks and months of extinction through drinking on Naltrexone is. I know it is not a magic bullet. rv9 says it works best on daily drinkers like me, and you have mentioned you are not a daily drinker. I'm not suggesting you drink daily; just suggesting maybe it will take a little longer. The important thing is you are taking your Nal before you drink. I hope you hang in there, and please keep sharing. We're all pulling for you.

Oceana -- How's it going today?

John -- Great news! On to Day Three we go.

Anyone else out there care to share?

[Guest]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Oceana -- How's it going today?
Thank you for asking, makes me feel connected....

Hi all, I am doing well, continuing with dealing with the divorce issue, but I feel very clear headed and calm. I attribute the calmness to my use of baclofen, as I have used in the past Nal for cravings. I continue to do my program of 25 mg nal, 5 mg bac 2x's a day with an added midday 5mgs bac. I am on day 21 AF.

I am reading the Sinclair Method, but am not sure if I can do this, reason being, if I drink, my husband will final the divorce, if I do not drink, we stay married.
I will have him read the book and see what he thinks.

I know this is all emotionally confusing but I am trying to play my cards right. Had a real wake up (financially) at mediators so, as I do love my husband, it behooves me to not get divorced. But as I said, I do have good clarity and I am on top of my game.

I need to remember I am not a "bad" person, I do get insecure sometimes feeling this way, as husband does not have any idea of how we feel or are as alcoholic people. We did not ask for this. It is not our FAULT. Oh yes, when I grow up I want to be an alcoholic.

potato, thanks for your con't input, seems like you are the longest subject we have on Nal and Sinclair, but as Lena says, it may be difficult because you are not a daily drinker. I do know for the month I had my Vivtrol shot, I drank three days later, right back to 24/7 and I enjoyed every minute of every drink. Maybe if I had had in mind the Sinclair program, I might have mentally rejected the result of drinking. I do not know. But I had no ill feeling toward any of my consumption during that month. The battle continues, let's keep our armies healthy, strong, well fed and well watered. My very best to you all:heart::heart::heart:

[ufe]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

lenaleed;520214 wrote: Well it's nearly 6:30 pm and at 6 I took as close to 1/4 tab Naltrexone as I could manage. Just slightly over. I honestly don't feel like a drink but am trying to do a faithful daily Sinclair program.

Hi, I'm :new:, but pretty well experienced in the "Sinclair method", and can assure you that you will most probably get used to the 50mg NX if you work up to it from 25, but it is important to get to the full dose to be effective. The way the system works is only when 100% of the alcohol prompting endorphin gates are locked, then you can unlearn your addiction. if there are unlocked gates, you are effectively "not taking" NX, or as my astute psychiatrist says, may as well return to drinking.... not a very nice proposition.

[lenaleed]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Thanks Ufe -- Yes, you are right. I did look through Eskapa's book and there is no mention of less than 50 mg dosage. So I will slowly work up to that. He does say that in some rare cases higher dosage is required, but the dosage seems tied to the # of opioid recepters in the brain, rather than the usual body weight. I am very grateful for your advice and will work up to 50 mg. Fortunately I am getting some benefit from the 12.5 mg dose and kept it at 2 again yesterday with no effort. I'm going to try 25 mg today.


Oceana -- I don't know what all this means for you, except to remind you the name of this site is MY way out, and whatever you are doing it seems to be working. That is what matters. Your hubby is not addicted to alcohol and he cannot understand. Sounds like the divorce threat is a sincere act of love, to help you, "save" you in the only way he knows. His heart's in the right place. So he probably is willing to be educated? Sharing the books with him (both Sinclair and the baclofen French guy) could help him understand. Sounds like his commitment to your sobriety is a commitment to you, and I find that quite touching.

I am sharing my journey w/ no one but these boards because no one I know would support a non-twelve-step approach (alcoholism is incurable, you are powerless, abstinence only, etc). Besides, I've done a pretty darn good job of keeping my drinking a secret, so why start sharing now?

[aurora borialis]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Hi Thanks Lenaleed for the comment. I do get frustrated but I also have a solid commitment to keep hanging in there. Hi Oceanocean, good to hear of your success. I do think it will take longer for me. My las tday of alcohol was the 13th. Tonight will likely be the night I start to get all "cravy" . That is my pattern anyway. I am headed to a friends later to play Wii and see if that distracts for a while. I am going to take my Nal with me just in case. Oh yeah I have always taken 50mg. I don't have any bad reactions to it either. I'll check in later. Thanks again and best of luck to you all. Potato

[JohnR]

drinking on Naltrexone (sinclair method)

Good morning friends. I'm at 3 nights of nal and happy as a clam. No hangover! I am going to stay at 12.5mg for now and maybe sometime work up to 25mg but I honestly do not see myself at 50mg as I do not think I can tolerate it. I had one glass of wine last night and am still on the same bottle I opened 3 nights ago which is unbelievable. That has never happened, at least not in the past 10 years. I am a nightly drinker and typically switch between wine, vodka and tequila, (1-2 bottles of wine one night, the next night vodka martinis, the next night margaritas and so on). I do not have any hard stuff in my house right now and normally I am well stocked but now I do not even care. I havent even thought about it until now. I want to stay in the space I am in now for a while. I am happy.

Oceana, I agree with what Lena said. Your husband's heart is in the right place so hopefully he is willing to be educated on something that he cannot directly relate to. I just hope his loving supportive side is coming out and not just the threat of divorce. That's a hard ultimatum to be up against while trying to get a grip on alc. Hang in there!

Potato, hi!!! If tonight is your cravy pattern night, you should definitely take your nal. I hope your Wii night is fun and look forward to chatting with you again soon!

I am heading to Mexico for a while but will take my laptop and stay in touch. I wish everyone luck, strength and determination.

xo John