For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

[coalfire]

I dont take Naltrexone but I found some new research on it today and I thought I would share it.

Gender And Genes May Determine Effectiveness Of Treatment For Alcohol Dependence

[doyourdream]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Thanks for sharing. This was interesting and I am considering nal.

[Greg]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Thanks very much, I'm always interested in studies like this!

[bleep]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

I think you should write a limerick summarizing the research for us.

[coalfire]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

bleep;1084552 wrote: I think you should write a limerick summarizing the research for us.

Ha dee ha dee ha.Very witty. Someone has had their porridge in Zim this morning!

[Ne/Neva Eva]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Excellent, Coal. Thanks for taking the time!

Imagine, all those men skewing the data??? (it's a joke, ftr. sort of.)

Actually, I was very close to taking Nal and chose bac because there were so many that it simply flat-out didn't work for. Interesting.
I'm glad bac worked for me, but it's good to know as much info as possible for the what-ifs. (also, for the newbies/lurkers...Nal is readily available.)

[bleep]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Funny you should say that Ne - it was naltrexone I was originally researching before stumbling across baclofen.

[spacebebe01]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Thanks for that coal, I have dcided to start bac I saw my doc yesterday who refused me (as I expected) so I ordered some on-line, but I also heard about TSM with Nal and came on here to check that out, I decided on bac because of the amount of people it seems to be helping and also I have managed to get AF first.
The past week has been hell tho with cravings its only the thought now that the bac is in the post and a possible answer thats helping me get through the day AF.

[Bruunhilde]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Coal, that's very nice of you, I'm thinking about using Nal at some point, but I have a question to pose to the group - have you ever drank and not been able to catch a buzz time after time? But you kept drinking? I have. It makes me wonder if the opioid receptor blocking would work for people who drink despite the lack of a high. This is clipped from your link Coal:

"Alcohol stimulates the release of the brain's natural opioids, which conveys a feeling of euphoria in individuals when drinking alcohol. There seem to be individual differences in the magnitude of that effect as well as in the sensitivity of the receptors to those natural opioids. "In other words, an opioid receptor blocker, such as naltrexone, might be an effective treatment for people with alcohol problems by decreasing the euphoria of drinking," explains Ms. Elaine Setiawan, first author of the study and PhD candidate in McGill's Integrated Program in Neuroscience. "

I guess if I use it, I won't be one where the placebo affect necessarily works, although I have been duped before! My bad attitude, you know, Doubting Thomasina.

[coalfire]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Thats an interesting question Brunn. I have spent some time reading about this today.

The gene that causes some people to have a high dopamine response to alcohol is the

mui opoid receptor gene 118G. Here is a light article that explains it quite simply.


NEWLY IDENTIFIED GENES, NEW DRUGS, SPELL HOPE FOR ALCHOLICS | Lawyers Wellbeing Blog


Now it turns out that the same gene could explain why some people suffer from social anxiety and find social rejection very painful.



Understanding Genetics: Human Health and the Genome

FuturePundit: Pain Gene Variant Increases Social Rejection Pain


We were talking about social anxiety/avoidant personality recently. I think this is very interesting. It would be great if people could find a place to get tested for this gene before they started Naltrexone. I wonder are there any clinics that would do it?

[Greg]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

I'd say I definitely have an abnormality that causes social anxiety, since it's been part of me since I was a kid. Until the alcohol there was never much else "wrong" with me however, aside from depression as a result of feeling socially isolated and inept. Thanks, I will read that in more detail.

I can also now say more openly that I tried naltrexone and it didn't appear to exert any beneficial effects; it was hard to say this before because I was worried about sending a negative message to newcomers. Now I can say it because I'm a guy, so I'm not dashing the hopes of 50 percent of people (ie. women) by saying it didn't help me. Also I didn't try it for the many months that others have done.

I'd say nal is still a great option for those who react abnormally to alcohol because of their excessive natural opioid/dopamine release. I also have to say that alcohol gave me a real mellow dreamy protective sort of buzz/high, which is way different to a GABA-only feeling (eg. benzodiazepines), so maybe some guys react like women in this manner...maybe nal would have helped had I persisted longer.

[coalfire]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Its funny really because a former MWO member called Crown(male) was one of Naltrexones biggest fans.Hmmm.Interesting in a confusing type of way.

[Bruunhilde]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

Interesting to say the least. You need a blood or saliva sample to test for the gene, I wonder. If it was the latter, it would be easy to poll a few labs.

Thanks Greg, that's a good comparison point for me, your childhood anxiety. I was apparently the reverse, they couldn't shut me up in class and when I was a toddler I'd make friends in the grocery store while sitting in the little basket seat, I was always talking to anyone. When I was a little older, I'd sit at the end of the driveway and try to rope in anyone walking by to talk to me. When I wasn't eating ants, that is.

I developed an aversion to school when my family relocated, and in high school I was always afraid of rejection and anxious. I remember all these people saying "you came out of your shell Saturday night!" to me after my first wild drunk at a high school boy's party, where I brought scotch stolen from my folks. I had no memory of the evening. So apparently my personality in high school was repressed by social anxiety, and not earlier. Thus I might not have the gene. Sorry for the long long post about me.

Interesting.

[Noelle]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

coalfire;1084467 wrote: I dont take Naltrexone but I found some new research on it today and I thought I would share it.

Gender And Genes May Determine Effectiveness Of Treatment For Alcohol Dependence
Thanks so much for finding that article. This obviously describes me perfectly as the Naltrexone works so well for me.

From the article:

"We were quite excited to find that our results supported that naltrexone was specifically effective in women and in people who carried a gene related to the brain's natural morphine system called the mu opioid receptor gene (OPRM1)."

[spuddleduck]

For those who are interested in Naltrexone-new research

thanks for this. i am considering asking my doc for naltexone. one thing i have wondered is if it blocks the 'pleasure receptors' does this affect pleasure from other things, such as exercise buzz. i dont quite understand. is it just in relation to al. i take ssri's for anxiety and depression. would one cancel out the effect of the other