New to forum, new to Naltrexone

[bigtex]

Hi everyone,
I just started Naltrexone 8 days ago, not knowing what it was just taking a doctors advice. I finally decided to see a psych after years of depression and alcoholism, watching myself damage a marraige and slowly detaching myself from society.

Since I started on Naltrexone (and Lexipro), I googled around and found this forum. So I'm just introducing myself and plan to share my story on Naltrexone, whether it's successful or a complete failure. Man, I really hope it's the former.

I'm 31 years old, and I've been a binge drinker since 18. The last 5 years have been significantly worse, and the last 2 years have been downright out of control. I drink everyday, usually 8-10 drinks, although I never count. On average, I'd say 60+ drinks a week, usually vodka and 12% malt liquor from the gas station on my way home from work. I black out regularly, but somehow have managed to keep my job and wife. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do that at this rate.

I'm taking 50mg of Naltrexone every morning with breakfast. I'm not making it a point to quit, I'm just seeing what happens. My willpower is so shot at this point, trying to fight any urges is useless anyways. Since starting 8 days ago, I've been alcohol free 5 days, 2 days of ~6 drinks, and 1 very heavy day. I'll keep this thread updated with my progress, and I'm open to any advice or feedback anyone has to offer to me.

Thanks for all the information in this forum!

[tiptronic_ct]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

Hey, Tex

I know next to nothing about Nal or TSM. Just wanted to wish you good luck

Baclofen did the trick for me, but we all have to find what works best for us.

What I can say is this: do your research carefully before taking Lexapro or any other SSRI as a long-term med.

Take care
Tip

[brightlite]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

Hi Bigtex,

Did your Doctor prescribe you to take it every day in the morning? It sounds like you are doing good, however the TSM method requires you to take it 1 hour before you know you are going to drink and not take it on Alcohol Free days. 5 days AF out of 8 sounds like your way is working. Good luck. Keep us posted.

[DisEase]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

Hi Bigtex, I started taking Nal a little over a week ago myself. And I am with brightlight on the dosing. I don't take any if I am not going to drink or I take 50mg 1 hour before drinking. It has really cut back the amount I drink, it is like the Nal has taken the fun out of the drinking for me. Not a hangover or blurry morning since I started, which is wonderful (just ask the kids who have to deal with me in the AMs!). I won't drink without the stuff. It has given me amazing peace around drinking. I don't really obsess about drinking anymore (it use to be all consuming trying to figure out daily if I could, how much, what time I had to stop etc) because I know I can drink anytime I want so long as I take Nal 1st. I swear just knowing I CAN drink has freed me from having to worry and plot about consuming it! On the nights I have decided to drink, I have had to almost force myself to finish my glass (3 at most). And I pour the next one not really wanting it but more as a challenge to myself that I CAN drink more - my drinking is so slow and moderate now. I may get a very slight buzz, but never slurring or out of control or blacking out. And as I said, I wake up feeling like I did not even drink the night before. So nice not to lose my mornings being hung over or with an aching head! I swear this is what I think it is like to be everyone else out there who does not have a problem with al. They can take it or leave it, they never drink so much that it interferes with their next day, and they don't have to finish a bottle of wine, simply because it is open. I love Nal!

[bigtex]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

Hey guys,
It seems like the Sinclair method is pretty popular on these forums. I'm curious, was this actually prescribed by your doctors or something you took upon yourself? I was told to take it everyday so that's what I'm doing now. I'm seriously wondering if I should just switch to the Sinclair Method n my own.

It seems weird that there is such a disconnect on the correct protocol for Nal within the patient and Dr. community.,

Thanks,
tex

[Old Vine]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

Stay strong BigTex! You made it more than a week -- I just started and gosh its hard, but we can do it!

[DisEase]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

I don't think a lot of American Drs are really all that familiar with Nal (I am assuming with "tex" in your name you are from the states, though I could be dead wrong!). I scoured these boards and the TSM board (don't like that one near as much) and the Nal spoke to me because I live with an alcoholic hubby who does not want to quit drinking so there will always be alcohol in my home. That and so much of our social life revolves around drinks and drinking friends and drinking events! I have often thought if I were ever to really quite the drink - I'd end up divorced, it is just such a HUGE part of our lifestyle.

So the Nal seemed right up my alley. It has allowed me to drink responsibly when folks are over or I am out. Now, instead of drinking way too much and trying to sneak in a drink when no one else is looking, on the nal I am finding I totally forget I have a drink in front of me IT IS SO WEIRD! But my desire for al is totally changed. Maybe because I know I can drink (as long as I take my Nal) maybe it has made it less desirable or something but I swear I find myself trying to talk myself in to finishing my wine. Never ever ever before can I remember that. I stop drinking when there is no more wine in the house - really! Once I start, that is the only way I stop. Slurring, stumbling, knowing I am too far gone, makes no matter, if there is wine in the bottle it is as though I could not leave it. But not anymore. Every night I have had a glass of wine since I started the Nal I have gone to bed with at least half a bottle left. Isn't that what normal people do? I feel like I am drinking like a normal person now, someone who can stop when she wants to, who can take it or leave it. Someone who does not wake up hung over anymore.

[crown86]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

Big tex

Check out the book " The Cure to Alcoholism" by Roy Eskapa...it will give you all the info you need on the sinclair method. The prtocol is simple always take naltrexone one hour prior to drinking and it will reverse your brain to a pre-alcoholic state. It is a receptor blocker so when drinking the endorphins realeased have no to go because you receptors are blocked from the Naltrexone.

It worked huge for me my friend in a period of 2.5 months...a lot of other anywhere from 4,6 9 months. Check out the site thesinclairmethod.com • Index page
It will give you more info

Man I know what saying about will power...LOL I was bad off my friend

Good Luck in your fight

[brightlite]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

DisEase,

I am a wine drinker also and I know exactly what you mean!! If there is wine in the bottle...I'll be drinking it. I've been on Nal about 1 1/2 months and I was queasy the first few times taking it (the morning after), but now no side effects and really didn't think it was working until two nights ago when I drank really slow and only had two glasses. I wasn't even trying to do that and normally I would finish off the bottle. The next night I did finish the bottle, about 3 glasses and could of had more, but didn't have any in the house and I was not going to drive anywhere....I am big on "No drinking and driving rule"! Last night was AF.

So...it is giving me some hope that it may work. I would love to be just a social drinker and drink no more than 2 glasses in an evening. Oh...the things we dream about!!! I'm glad you are experiencing some of the same effects and feelings that I am. Good luck.

[bigtex]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

@tiptronic: thanks for the warning on lexapro. I'm a dumbass and I took it without research because the doctor told me to try it and i was desparate. But after many hours of reading nightmare stories of using the drug and also trying to wean off it, I'm gonna run like hell from it. I'm only a week in, so I'm going to begin weaning off immediately.

As for the naltrexone, I'm excited about this stuff. I had a few drinks last night with nal, and i didn't get the euphoric feeling like i usually get within 2-3 minutes of my first drink. ironically, not getting that euphric feeling brought on it's own euphoric feeling that maybe this stuff really works!

I'm debating whether I should keep taking it daily as the doctor prescribed or do TSM. Has anyone had success with a daily dose?

[eight days a week]

New to forum, new to Naltrexone

bigtex, it seems it's not working the way it was prescribed for you (for abstinence, right?) but it does seem to have affected your drinking already, and you are still drinking, so you are already practising TSM!

If you're taking Nal and still drinking (i.e. TSM), it's best to take it between one and one and a half hours before you start drinking wherever possible, rather than in the morning. That's because the peak of having your endorphin (pleasure receptors) blocked from drinking by Nal will be around an hour plus after taking the tablet. After that it slowly wears off (though theoretically one 50mg tab should block your endorphin receptors sufficiently for up to 24 hours).

I'd say read the book. Take the time-frame it reports for a cure with a huge mound of salt (most people seem to be around five or six months plus) and take great heart that it's already had an effect when you do drink, as lots of us TSMers see that as a very positive sign indeed