Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

[WaitingToExhale]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Amazing how lost I feel with the other board being down. Any updates guys?

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Sinclair Method Does Lead to Abstinence!!!

No updates.

[Cinders]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Lenaleed,

My only "problem" with the Sinclair method is that a year ago I tried it for 2 months.

Apparently, I am in the 20% it doesn't work for. I never had a honeymoon period, or any period. I drank the same on it. My psychiatrist said that it works that way. For some people it works and for others it doesn't. In my case, it was detrimental because it was only adding to the liver damage drinking was causing.

Thank God there are other options for people like me, such as Baclofen, but if Nal worked for me, I would probably do both to be quite honest.

However, I am still in the early stages of Baclofen and cannot say it is "working" for me as I am nowhere near an "off switch" point.

I am grateful that so many have found their way out with Nal, though, I hate this addiction with a passion.

Cindi

[WaitingToExhale]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Two months is not enough time to come to any conclusions of "success" with TSM. It's a 4-6 months program.

I'm on Week 11 and it has only been the last couple of weeks that I have had some glimpses of success. Very slight changes - but they ARE occurring!

If you follow the program correctly, there is a very slight chance that it won't work. But it does take time and with that patience.

[Goin4More]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Cinders;636191 wrote: Lenaleed,

My only "problem" with the Sinclair method is that a year ago I tried it for 2 months.

Apparently, I am in the 20% it doesn't work for. I never had a honeymoon period, or any period. I drank the same on it. My psychiatrist said that it works that way. For some people it works and for others it doesn't. In my case, it was detrimental because it was only adding to the liver damage drinking was causing.

Thank God there are other options for people like me, such as Baclofen, but if Nal worked for me, I would probably do both to be quite honest.

However, I am still in the early stages of Baclofen and cannot say it is "working" for me as I am nowhere near an "off switch" point.

I am grateful that so many have found their way out with Nal, though, I hate this addiction with a passion.

Cindi

Cindi, I'm with you on that last sentence: whatever it takes to get rid of this beast, it's worth it. Congrats on trying the baclofen - I hope you are as successful with it as you hope.

As far as your naltrexone story goes, you didn't give the process nearly enough time to work. On pg. 118 of Dr. Eskapa's book, he clearly states that three to four months is the minimum time frame for the process to work. On the Sinclair Message Board we discovered (thank you, Nettie) that Dr. Sinclair's research participants drank significantly less than most of us, and were screened in such a way as to eliminate people with other factors - taking prescription benzos for anxiety, for example. Many of us have come to the conclusion that given these circumstances we may not experience success for six months, or more. But if it worked for 100% of the rats - some of whom were no doubt also suffering from anxiety disorders - there's no reason our brains won't eventually respond to the chemical barrier that naltrexone sets up in our receptors. It's just likely to take awhile longer.

And as Marbella points out, it took us years to get this far in our addiction - so a few months' of following the One Rule (take naltrexone one hour prior to drinking) seems a small price to pay to be actually cured!

[Cinders]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Waiting,

I read on the Sinclair site and I have seen so many people have early on success.

Have you only started to reduce your intake after almost 2 months?

Interesting.

I think I will get titrated up on the Baclofen to the point where I start to feel something from it. Right now I don't even get tired like everyone else does. If it helps but I am not AF, I will ask to add the Naltrexone back into the mix.

Only other problem with Nal is the tummy upset and being a gastric bypass patient, that can be a significant issue. However, there is always Tums. :-)

I can't wait to see how you progress on the Nal.

It is exciting to read about people's successes. It gives great hope.

Cindi

[Cinders]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Oh, and an hour before I drink would be pretty darned early in the morning. Like before my first cup of coffee. I am definitely not a binge drinker. I am an all day, everyday, drinker.

However, I do see where there are others like me and they simply take Nal twice a day.

I see no problem in taking it if you don't drink, just not taking it if you do.

Is that a correct assumption?

Thanks!!
Cindi

[happy4once]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Hi guys - I feel very lost without the site as well. Very strange - I actually went on Facebook instead for awhile (about different topics, obviously)..I may start twittering soon if this goes on much longer

I think TSM is one of the best tools to achieve abstinence, actually, if that is your choice, as it cuts down or eliminates the alcohol deprivation effect (can't remember the exact term...but the increase in cravings when we stop drinking that drive us to relapse so consistently). That is a distant goal of mine, but actually the modding is working so well I may not go that route. So lucky that this helps us have a choice.

Bob - sorry about the sleeping. Hope you do well with the AF tonight. BTW, Ashl is the only one that I know of that is doing both TSM and Baclofen - he posted at TSM and I believe cautioned others prior to going that route. I'm so happy you are tapering off Benzo's, which I would imagine was a huge decision. If Baclofen is a potential next step in your journey, I would just hope that you research it thoroughly and think about it before jumping in, which it sounds like you are trying to do. I don't like meds, but I don't have major anxiety, bi-polar or manic issues. When those underlying issues are present, I will leave it at I wish you the most painless recovery you can find.

For the majority of TSMers, I would hope that we stick with the protocol - but, again, my point is I think there are some of us with pretty severe issues that may require additional help and perhaps we should at least start collectively coming up to speed on impacts of adding add'l meds for those users.

Edit: I was responding to 3 or 4 posts ago...didn't realize the thread was so active this morning - everyone came online while I was typing : )

[bob3d]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

2 months is not enough time

Cinders;636191 wrote: ...My only "problem" with the Sinclair method is that a year ago I tried it for 2 months...

Not to be critical, but two months is not within the 3 to 6 month window for the cure to take effect. However, since you stated that you have liver damage, I can understand your reluctance to continue.

Do you take other psychoactive medications, such as benzodiazepines that could have interfered with TSM?

Bob

[Goin4More]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Cinders;636202 wrote: Oh, and an hour before I drink would be pretty darned early in the morning. Like before my first cup of coffee. I am definitely not a binge drinker. I am an all day, everyday, drinker.

However, I do see where there are others like me and they simply take Nal twice a day.

I see no problem in taking it if you don't drink, just not taking it if you do.

Is that a correct assumption?

Thanks!!
Cindi

Nope, you've got it backwards. You take the naltrexone ONLY when you DO drink, and never when you don't.

I also had GP, four years ago, and naltrexone has not caused me any problems. At just under four months, I'm down from an average of 75 units per week, to just over 50. Do I wish it were less? Hell yeah! But progress is progress. . .and drinking 2 1/2 bottles LESS of wine every week is definitely progress, from my point of view!

[happy4once]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Cinders - most of us are seeing progress but it 'hits' at different times...and many have not 'hit' until after the 2 month mark. I had a honeymoon and spiked up, and am now downspiking again at week 14. It's all over the place. The one constant is that we are all seeing glimpses of progress - some have stronger glimpses but it's there. It is working. The hardest part is being online with everyone daily but progress taking months. I think if we only checked in once a month the progress would show up more - but we all like posting so much that doesn't seem possible!

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Misperceptions About Sinclair Method

I've bounced around the board and I notice there's a bit of inaccurate or misleading information about The Sinclair Method.

-It is NOT a moderation method. I keep seeing that all over the board. Many choose abstinence as they lose interest in alcohol.

-It does Not take "too long." We took a long time to get here, and three to six months is a reasonable time to be truly de-addicted.

Here's an interview with a young woman who had great success with TSM, along with some comments by Dr. Eskapa

Home

[happy4once]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Lena - Are you saying that you do not feel it can be used for moderation?

[bob3d]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

TSM is used for moderation OR abstinence; your choice

happy4once;636219 wrote: Lena - Are you saying that you do not feel it can be used for moderation?

She's saying it can be used for moderation OR abstinence; your choice.
Bob

[lenaleed]

Strictly Sinclair: Naltrexone Done Right

Sinclair Nuts & Bolts

elbell -- Here is a post I wrote from a few months ago on this thread. Maybe it will help your partner understand. When http://thesinclairmethod.com is up again, there is an abundance of info -- especially posts on the Concerned Spouses thread. All the best and I hope this helps.

lenaleed;546893 wrote: Hi -- I posted this over at thesinclairmethod.com; Index page

It's not a comprehensive explanation but it will give you a general idea of whether you might be interested. Although it's quite simple one you get going, it is vitally important to learn all you can because it is so different from other methods. Here goes:

Some of you may wonder just what life is like using the Sinclair Method. We strongly advise you to read the book, The Cure for Alcoholism: Drink Your Way Sober Without Willpower, Abstinence or Discomfort, by Roy Eskapa, PhD. The book is packed with far more information than we can impart on this site. Here is a summary of what we do, from a lay person who is using the Sinclair Method:

We use Dr. Eskapa's book as our manual. We take the medication naltrexone in a manner that will weaken the neural pathways in our brain that have been built and strengthened by years of drinking alcohol. This process is called pharmacological extinction.

We take 25 mg naltrexone for the first two days, then 50 mg. We take naltrexone one hour before we begin to drink. If we do not expect to drink on a given day, we do not take naltrexone. But we always carry naltrexone with us on non-drinking days, just in case. Dosage is based on the amount necessary for a blockade of all the opioid receptors in the brain. They all must be blocked for pharmacological extinction to take place.

Many of us notice a reduced desire to drink during the first few days. This is fleeting and NOT the Sinclair Method at work. The method works gradually, without our feeling it, over several weeks' or months' time. We know the method is working as we gradually lose interest in alcohol. We do NOT expect any meaningful effect to take place in a few days.

The Sinclair Method does not include meetings, self-help groups or counseling. If we were being treated by a mental health professional before we began the Sinclair Method, Eskapa says of course we should continue. I find it helps to view alcohol addiction as a separate and distinct issue from mental health problems, with each requiring different approaches. Many of us became addicted simply from long-term, regular alcohol consumption and find we regain control over lives as we regain control over our drinking. Many of us who suffer from depression will find our depression symptoms resolve after about three months into the Sinclair Method.

We drink as we normally do and track our drinking units and the level of our craving. Each week we review our tracking and will notice our drinking and craving trending down after a few weeks. After three to six months, we will have lost our preoccupation with drinking. We will have become de-addicted.

At that point, we will choose whether we wish to be abstinent or continue as the moderate drinkers we have become. We follow what Eskapa calls the Golden Rule: We will continue to use naltrexone one hour before we drink for the rest of our lives. Even if we are abstinent, we will carry a dose of naltrexone, just in case.

The fact that we are de-addicted does not mean we are immune from alcohol addiction permanently. Should we start drinking without naltrexone, we probably will become addicted again in a matter of weeks. But there is very little of chance of that, because, as one of us put it, "Taking naltrexone is easy, easy, easy," due to the absence of side effects after, at most, the first few doses. While other treatment modalities have a poor long-term prognosis, Sinclair Method followers continue to see a long-term reduction in craving and in consumption, to a mean of nine drinks per week after three years.

Eskapa advises working with a physician; naltrexone is a prescription medication. Not all of us have followed this advice (due to privacy issues or an uncooperative m.d.) and some have chosen to order naltrexone from an on-line pharmacy such as River Pharmacy. Eskapa's book contains a chapter for medical professionals. Many of us have provided our physicians with a copy of the book, as very few are familiar with the method.

The Sinclair Method is not for those attempting to use naltrexone as an anticraving med; the drug is not very effective when used that way. Besides, success on the Sinclair Method depends on indulging our cravings by drinking, so any anti-craving measure would be counter-productive. The Sinclair Method is not for those who presently are abstinent; if you are able to maintain abstinence, it does not make sense to start drinking, which is required for the Sinclair Method. It is not for those hoping to attain immediate moderation; the process takes 3-6 months.

I hope this helps. Members her doing Sinclair are doing the bulk of our information-sharing over at thesinclairmethod.com; Index page but as you can see we still "hang out" here as well.

Thanks Karl for your interest and BecomingMe or your continued support. Lena