Meds with a goal Abstinence

[Sunnyvalenting]

I would be interested in a thread for people using or considering using medicine who are committed to the goal of abstinence rather than moderation. Anyone up for this?
Sunny

[sapphire1]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Sunnyvalenting;980431 wrote: I would be interested in a thread for people using or considering using medicine who are committed to the goal of abstinence rather than moderation. Anyone up for this?
Sunny

Yes Sunny i would most definitley be interested. I am going for complete abstinence,as I have tried moderation many the last ten years only to fail dismally and progressivley become sicker. I have tied Topomax, Naltrexone, Campral and now have Antabuse for emergencies.

[Sunnyvalenting]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Your story sounds like mine. Many attempts to abstain but failure despite deterioration. I have learned so much and now am abstinent for 9 months thanks to bac. I lost a 29 year marriage that I desperately wanted to survive. I spent lots of time and money trying to get better. It finally paid off. I now know a lot more about this disease and one thing I know, is that for many of us abstinence is the best and possibly only alternative.
Welcome on board.
Sunny

[sapphire1]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Sunny, I have been sober for about 86 days now (hooray). I started with Topomax and lasted about 34 days before the SE got the better of me. It got to the stage where I couldnt remember the names of my children!!!! It did help kick off my sobriety though and for that I am thankful. I am currently not taking any meds but would not hesitate to try something new if I start to struggle too much. Same here, lost a 24 year marriage....my own business.....health...self respect etc. etc. I have an enormous motivation to stay sober now and this site is helping me to the enth degree. Saffy

[Sunnyvalenting]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Congrats on your 86 days. I too tried topa and noticed that I would drive to the wrong place and had word loss. I also still drank! I tried AA, RR, topa, nal, outpatient intensive, will power, prayer, meditation, exercise, moderation, information, hypnosis. Nothing worked like the bac. But I also know that if any of them HAD worked I would have been singing their praises instead of bac's. I am not a "true believer" in anything but results. This is one of the reasons I want the thread to focus on abstinence as I think the likelihood of ultimate success as defined by a happy and successful life is better with the commitment to abstinence. I believe we use the meds, if needed, to do what we have learned is in our best interest.
All the best. I hope others join the thread
Sunny

[tiptronic_ct]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

I'm definitely on board w.r.t. abstinence.

With bac, it's not even an issue - I simply don't want it, but I've put thoughts of possible future moderation out of my head. It's simply not worth it. I would also not want to be in a situation where I might have to titrate up again. I'm in a comfortable space right now w.r.t. alcohol - i.e. there is no space for it in my life. I intend remaining there.

[havefaith]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Hello,
I too have been on Topa for 90 days now AF(but the side effects are starting to get the better of me)
memory loss, lack of concentration,etc....
Now don't get me wrong, the very fact that I've stayed sober is worth it, but I want to try the Bac.
My Doc won't perscribe..... Any suggestions?
Thnx

[Topsy-Turvy-Tracy]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Congrats on you 86 days, Sapphire.

Drinking stopped being fun for me a long time ago, so I would rather just quit altogether. I think of the time, money, calories, health complications, etc., that I would save. If I can be free of it without still wanting it, that is the best of all possible outcomes, and it is an easy decision for me to make. Trying to do a balancing act would be misery to me. I'd rather just let it go. In my case bouncing around on dosages is just too physically difficult to keep attempting in the long-term. I'm a wuss in that regard.

I tried topa too, and AA, RR, SMART, antabuse, individual therapy, group therapy, inpatient treatment (three times, once in Canada) anti-depressants, and pretty much everything else, except nal. I'd like to think that this miserable, expensive road can end here, with bac.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Havefaith you can try Dr. Levin. He's prescribing for me and others.
I don't really know if my goal is abstinence, because the TSM and bac combination makes sense to me. My goal I suppose is to be completely free of the need or compulsion for AL. If that means abstaining forever on bac, so be it, and I look forward to it. But I wonder if the chances aren't better using NAL to extinguish and bac to curb craving? I don't know the answer, so not positing it as a fact. But I'm seriously considering starting NAL next week after my next titration up.

[Sunnyvalenting]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

neva,
you make a good point w respect TSM. It might be possible to extinguish the joy w nal and then use the bac for cravings. I have done a lot of reading and as I understand there are 3 main reasons people relapse (from abstinence to out of control binge or drinking) and in this order (most likely to least)
1, The substance itself
2. Cues to use
3. stress.
Knowing that my only rational conclusion for me is 1. never drink at all. 2. avoid as able drinking opportunities and 3. learn how to healthfully manage stress.
The very fact that I might want to mod indicates that I am likely having trouble doing so ie. I am alcohol dependent and am on the point of the curve where my use is toward more and more not less.
Also from reading I now realize that while at first I may have drank for the way it felt it slowly became that I drank to avoid the way I felt when I didn't. This is the nature of dependence and abuse.
The bac, for me has been a life saver. I might be in jail or dead by now and certainly was going to loose my job, driver's license etc if I continued because it got to the point where I would drive drunk to pick up my next bottle. I knew in my head that was wrong but the compulsion, addiction won out over judgment as it always will for me once the cycle starts.
Better for me to get off the cycle entirely.
Anyway that is my rational for the thread and welcome all. I was just having to restate these concepts too many times in some of the other threads that endorse/embrace/tolerate the goal of moderation.
I also hope that where conflicts arise, if any, we can agree to avoid attacks on the person. let's try to discuss the concepts and strategies rather than picking on the messenger which I have seen in other threads.
I know I am not the boss of you! But I would like a place where we can all feel safe and be honest in our struggles or successes.
I am impressed that Dr. Levin will prescribe over the phone with a phone consult. That is just a great option. I know the bac is quite reasonably priced with a prescription. I pick up 240 tabs 10mg each for less than $30 at target with a prescription.
There is also a doc in the Atlanta area who prescribes this but I don't think he'd do it over phone. Ideally one would at least be able to talk to their doc and get some basic lab done before starting the rx.
All the best

Sunny

[airam]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

I'm taking topiramate and I think it's working for me. Although it's too early to tell.
SE have not been too bad.

My goal is abstinence, not moderation.
I don't like what alcohol does to my mind. I'm not talking about a lot of alcohol. Just after a single drink.
I don't like how I think, how my brain processes emotions and infromation, it's like I'm a whole other person. A person I don't like.

I was a non-drinker for more than 30 years of my life. I haven't been that person for years , I want to be like that again.

[havefaith]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Ok sounds good ,
So how do I get ahold of Dr Levin?
Thank you for all your Help.
PS- What is NAL?

[sapphire1]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Gday Guys,

Reading back, I am not sure how much of a contribution to this thread I can make as I am currently not taking meds. That would change in a millisecond though if I started to struggle again. I will stay here to gain the collective experience/wisdom from others who are and continue to gain knowledge. I can offer encouragement and an empathic ear for those who need to vent! My antabuse sits in readiness for a fall in my resolve.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

Your points are very well taken, Sunny. And I'd agree. I don't want to mod. I just don't want to care about it anymore, either. I wonder if the combination is more bullet/AL proof? I figure that the answer is hypothesis/personal experience as I've not seen or heard anything else. (Powerful personal experiences on here, though! About that and everything else!) That said, I'm on the bac, still drinking and will cross that bridge at some later date.
I have valued your opinions very much in previous posts. Thank you! And thank you for this thread. I suppose I respect the idea that others can/are looking forward to a glass of wine with dinner. I'm not that woman. I know what the goal is when I pick up a drink, and frankly the only time I can pretend to pass on the booze is when I know I can't finish the job.
Much, THAT IS AWESOME! I'm so looking forward to some cessation. It makes me want to jump right in, which was what I did last time, which is really not a good idea for me. So thanks for the slow and steady update.
Air, don't dismiss small victories.
I'll pm you the info, but I also highly suggest going back into some of the older info, you'll find out about Dr. L there. I don't know where to post about him? Or even if I should?

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Meds with a goal Abstinence

NAL is naltrexone, TSM is the Sinclair Method.
Sapphire, not my thread, but I'd think abstinence is the main theme?