Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

[sylvia1]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hi Red

Have you had a look at thesinclairmethodforum , there is a wealth of info there and plenty of weekly progress threads.

Ive been on tsm since early Feb and its been a God send. I really believe that Ive found the answer to my alcoholism in tsm.

[scot98]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

red67;847374 wrote: Hi All, just looking for input from those of you taking NAL. I am on week 9 and have definately noticed my desire and units are decreasing. I used to be consumed with thoughts of AL all day long till I got home from work and then I would drink til I fell asleep. Weekends were tricky, if I had something planned I would be ok during the day but still drink at night til I fell asleep. Today is Sunday and in the past I would drink starting at about noon and drink til I fell asleep then wake up about 4 or 5 and drink again til I fell asleep. Today I have no AL in the house and really don't feel any urge to go get any. Between taking NAL and reading the posts here and on TSM forums my thinking is definately changing. I would love to read more from others who are on the NAL journey. My goal is to be completely indifferent to AL and hopefully never drink it again.

Thanks for sharing!:thanks:

Hi Red, Great to hear you are getting some great results from TSM, it is quite incredible how beneficial it is in reducing consumption and cravings.
I am on week 14, I think? Started on the 22nd of January. The first 10 weeks were great, I was drinking about 1/3 to 1/2 less than before I started taking the naltrexone. Sadly my units started creeping up to a level which is still less than before starting TSM but unfortunately more than I would like to drink.
I am hoping it's only going to be temporary and that my units start decreasing again. I have given myself until September with TSM and then I may start Baclofen on top of the Nal if my consumption doesn't go down.
Please don't be discouraged from my post, everyone is different and your results certainly sound very positive indeed.

Keep at it, good luck

[cguest29]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

trying out the sinclair method

Howdy. I have not posted here for many months, so forgive me if I am too wordy. I finally went to the psychiatrist 3 weeks ago. He is awesome, 10 minute visit and you are out of there with a prescription. I call him my drive thru shrink. He gave me campral and naltrexone. The first week, I simply did not want to drink at all, so did not. Took full dose of nal at bedtime as prescription said. I was so dizzy and sleepy the next day all day I could barely function at work, so I tried breaking tabs in half. For the past week and a half, my drinking habits have been exactly as they were before starting the meds. I was worried by the change to heavy beer drinking again, so I looked up naltrexone on the net and read all I could about the sinclair method. I consider myself a fairly intelligent soul and the reasoning behind the method made pretty good sense to me. (If something brings you no pleasure, eventually you will stop doing it). Tonight I tried a whole tablet 1 hour before my normal evening beer drinking routine. So far I have had only one and 1/2 beers and do not feel possessed with the familiar demon that demands I have more. So I am optimistic. Don't feel particularly intoxicated either.(I always stay inside when drinking and refuse to drive if I have had any alcohol-cause I know my intoxication meter is probably way off). I am gonna start a drinking journal. Can you do that here? When you speak of units of alcohol, how much beer would that be? I have always just thought in ounces. I am gooing to try to find the book. What is the actual title? Any help would be appreciated.

[Emcee]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hi cguest29---I was just looking online myself. I believe this is the book.

The Cure for Alcoholism: Drink Your Way Sober Without Willpower, Abstinence or Discomfort

Hopefully a seasoned TSM'er can confirm it.

I do have a question with this though for everyone who is on this method..as I am a beer drinker mainly and want to train myself to know when to "say when" or rather drink responsibly and not just drink until it's time to go to bed....so right now I am on Topamax and one of the worst side effects I have is that beer tastes AWFUL, I mean AWFUL! But I don't want to quit, just cut back. If I move over to using NAL, will I still enjoy a few beers or does it give you a bad taste too? Do you still get any bit of a buzz or does it make you stop because you are getting nothing from it?

THX,
MC

[sylvia1]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Ok Ive been on tsm for about three months. Some nights my wine can taste a bit off but mostly its ok. Yes I still get a buzz when I drink but I have a ot more controll of how much I drink or how I behave when Im drinking. I would never ever drink without nal again.

[scot98]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hi Emcee, I have been on Naltrexone now for nearly 4 months. To be honest it does change the taste slightly, at least that is what I experienced initially. Now I don't notice it anymore and the wine still tastes good.
I am with Sylvia1 in that I will never drink again without taking the Naltrexone before. My life is so much better since I started and have never drank the quantities that I was consuming before TSM.

Good luck if you decide to give it a go.

[scot98]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

A bump here for us on Naltrexone.
4 and a half months on for me now, my consumption is still on the high side after the initial 2 month "honeymoon period" and trying to stay positive. I have not had one AF day yet sadly, but despite the increase in drinking over the past few weeks, the benefits from taking Nal are still very positive! Very little hand tremor, no restless legs, a definitely more stable mood and a reduction in cravings......all good!
I am well aware that the sinclair method may well not work for me long term,but trying to hang in with it. I am looking at adding BAC in at some time, not sure though as I would prefer to stick with what I'm trying. I will see how I get on in the coming weeks.

best wishes to all

[judangel]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Can anyone suggest a reputable online source for NALTREXONE?

[hoping4better]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Emcee, I did TSM for 11 months (unfortunately it did not curb my drinking) and topamax. I didn't do topa for very long but I do remember that diet Coke tasted awful. It was if the "fizz" from carbonation was gone -- so I imagine it would be a similar experience with beer. I did not notice any real taste difference while on nal. However, I think it did help me be more in control of my behavior when I drank but it also wreaked havoc with my sex life. I'm on baclofen now and am pushing through the side effects but feel close to the "switch." TSM has worked for many people so don't be discouraged.

Judangel, I have not gone online for nal, but I have heard good things about River Pharmacy and alldaychemist.com -- tho I'm not sure allday still stocks naltroxene.

[scot98]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hi Judangel, I get my Naltrexone from River Pharmacy and they provide a good service. I noticed yesterday that Alldaychemist do now stock Nal also, under the brand Naltima. River P stock Nodict and I find it just as effective as the REvia I used initially.
Good luck

Update, I have never bought Nal from alldaychemist, I got mixed up with inhousepharmacy! umm ok %-)

[Ketchikan1]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Today is my third day using the Sinclair Method. I cannot wait to be free of my brain--completely held hostage by a big bully of a craving. I wonder just how long it will take before a real shift occurs, particularly one that is not drinking every day. That, in itself, seem like a true miracle. Today is Saturday, my day off work-- yet I am experiencing a day that I call a "Vampire" day. I don't to see or be seen outside my front door. And, you guessed it: I just took a 50 mg Nal 45 minutes ago. Pinot (stupid) Grigio..... here I come.

[Ketchikan1]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Brand New to the Method, Tired of the Madness

So cool is this forum!!! I have been taking Naltrexone for three days, as instructed: an hour prior to drinking, in my case-- Pinot (stupid) Grigio. Everyday, the same old thing. Sometimes going to work buzzed... my brain is ABSOLUTELY HELD HOSTAGE! I'm sick of it. And my hope is true: I want freedom from this holding pattern from hell.

Looks like I've stumbed onto a forum of kindreds. I am thoroughly thankful. AA sucks. Sorry to be blunt. I don't want to label myself an "alcoholic," I just want to FIX my biochemistry, thank you very much. I am also keeping a video diary. Can't wait to look back at myself a couple months (years, decades...) from now. I know I'll find my current self horrific, red-ruddy faced, fat, bloated, stuck.

Mostly, I can't wait to meet the true me at the end of the Sinclair Tunnel. You know, if this really works, and I've bet my bottom dollar on it, we should collectively write a book or tour... there I go getting ahead of myself! It's only day 3, afterall.

Nice meeting you all. :h:new:

[bleep]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Hi Ketch,

Glad you're having a gas, and feeling positive about the whole affair. There are a few people here who have tried the naltrexone route, so hopefully one of them will be along shortly to give you a helping hand.

There is also a dedicated forum for the Sinclair Method, I'm sure you have seen it already though.

Home

Hope it works for you friend! Good luck.

[INTHEBEAM]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Ketch,

I'm on day 4 with TSM. I have no desire to pick up a bottle today like most other day's. I haven't felt like that in about 6 years. My normal intake was about 12-20 oz of Jim Beam. I know too much time to reel it in with TSM. Good Luck to everyone!

[sylvia1]

Strictly Sinclair Method Weekly Thread

Ive been using tsm for just over a year now and I credit it with giving me back my life. My mind is completly free from that awfull circle of thoughts- plot drinking, plan to drink moderatly, inevitably overdo it, make all kinds of a fool of myself, wake up full of guilt with no memory of the night before. Even writing about it now makes me sick to the stomach.

There are many up and down days in the earlier months of tsm but for the majority of people who try it it has huge benifits. I dont know if I would describe what I have now as a CURE as Im absolutly sure if I quit naltraxone I would be back to where I started in a matter of months. In fact when I was on holls recently in the US I stopped taking nal for close to a week because my whole system was funny ( not alcohol related) and I was bloated and couldnt eat. I thought the nal might have something to do with it as normaly at this stage I only take two a week at home. I had a couple of drinks without nal a few nights and the last night of my holls though I didnt get very drunk I could feel a difference in the craving another one at the end of the night.

I dont know a lot about Bac but from what I can gather from once one hits the switch one stops wanting to drink. I dont see this happening for the majority of the people on tsm though some have quit completly so really if we decide to go down the road of tsm we must really commit for life to taking a nal one hour before drinking.

All the best