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A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

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    A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

    Hi all,

    I have visited this site many times over the years but only recently sat for a few hours and read some amazing threads. It was early last week and I was nursing a particularly bad hangover and feeling depressed and sorry for myself. I had taken Naltrexone some years ago but I didn't adhere to the daily dosage and they simply did not work.

    I was googling for where I could get the Naltrexone implant in my country when I opened Crowns "My Naltrexone Journey" on this site. I sat and read the entire thread. I was overcome with inspiration and motivation that I haven't had before. I made an appt with my GP and started this "new journey" (I have started and failed too many times to count) last Friday and I am amazed. Now a bit about me...

    I have been a binge drinker since having my first drink at 17. I would drink to get tispy so I could have a good time. That's the way I saw it at home and at family gatherings. You drank if you were happy or sad, excited or just relaxing. Rather than come over for a coffee or tea and bickkies , people came over for a drink. That's the way it was...

    I then started buying a bottle of wine every now and again and drinking it at home from the age of 19. This progessed significantly and before I knew it I was a 39 year old with 3 young kids and a raging alcohol habit! binging every few days then spending days feeling so sick and depressed that I could do nothing. I couldn't keep a job until I was in my late 20's and started to try and keep my drinking down to a bottle a night and only binging on weekends. This didn't always work but I led a relatively normal life or so it seemed. It was not a well kept secret and I have said and done things that I am ashamed of. I try not to hold on to the memories and guilt as this will only drive me back to the lifestyle I am trying to leave. I am also 28 kilos overweight due to binge drinking then binging on junk food in the vain hope that it will cure the hangover. Ha!

    Righto then.

    I drank 3 bottles of wine last Friday night. I cannot tell you in words how sick I was following that binge! Even water was making me want to vomit.

    Saturday I started taking my 50mg Naltrexone at 4.30pm. This is the usual nightly ritual of my mental obsession of whether I should buy a bottle of wine - only one - yeah right!

    Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I had no desire to drink. There was no mental weighing up of should I or shouldn't I? Breaking out in a sweat trying to ignore the craving. No saying to myself 'Ok just this one more and I'll stop tomorrow". It was amazing!

    On Wednesday my mother came over and brought a wine for her and a wine for me. I had asked to her bring me one on the way over. I think it was more out of habit because I really didn't feel like it. I struggled to drink it but I did finish the bottle. I felt a little icky all day Thursday so I think the Naltrexone really does make hangovers worse.

    The pleasure of those first few sips have gone. It is like the alcohol has been removed from the wine and I don't have any desire to drink non alcoholic wine!!

    Thursday was zilch then yesterday I went back to my GP for the results of a full checkup. To her and my astonishment there was no problem with my liver!! My GP has seen me right through the last 20 years of dealing with this terrible disease and she looked me in the eye and said "I can see on your face that you have had enough". I adore that woman. She has never judged me and is always happy to help my try drugs that may just be the magic bullet. My cholesterol and trygliceride levels was slightly over and so I must also stop my love of cured meats and soft cheeses!

    So as we all know the brain works in bizarre ways. I headed home stopping at the local deli and stocked up on white crusty bread, Camembert, hot salami's and 2 bottles of wine. Why? Because I was going to stop everything that was slowly killing me from the inside out and I needed a last hurrah. Strange old brain, no sensibility at times...

    By sharing this journey in a public forum I feel that I can not only help myself but anyone else who stumbles along it looking for a way out this alcoholic crap hole.

    So here I am Saturday afternoon and nursing a shocker of a hangover but I am now set to get back on track.

    Naltrexone has already proved itself to me and it certainly helps my motivation so this is my shiny brand new start with Naltrexone and becoming the lovable sober healthy person I know is hidden inside.


    :welcome:

    #2
    A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

    It's almost 4.30pm and I've just taken my daily 50mg and realised I forgot to add my alcohol units. I found this extremly helpful when reading other threads.

    2 weeks ago before Naltrexone: 84 units
    Last week after starting: 21

    Comment


      #3
      A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

      Hi Danabe, and welcome.

      It's very encouraging you are seeing results so soon. I'm unfamiliar with naltrexone, but it still strikes me as a very positive start! Please keep posting your progress, it's always interesting to hear how people are fixing themselves.

      Best of luck.

      Comment


        #4
        A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

        Welcome.

        I just started too.
        ------------------------------------------------------------
        "Alexander The Next" 's Experimental Combo Journey with TSM (Naltrexon) and Baclofen -- Progress Diary
        https://www.mywayout.org/community/f20/alexander-next-s-experimental-combo-journey-tsm-naltrexon-baclofen-49307.html

        Comment


          #5
          A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

          Hello Everyone! I am waiting for my naltrexone to arrive. Just started reading, "The Cure to Alcohol" book. Wish I would have had it last night. Bit of a hangover this morning after 5 days of AF. Dang, back to day 1 again (story of my life).

          I hope you will continue to post your progress on the naltrexone journey. I look forward to sharing with you all!

          -db

          Comment


            #6
            A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

            Hi Danabe good to meet you on here. I've never used naltrexone but I'm glad to see it seems to be helping you.

            Good Luck

            Comment


              #7
              A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

              Welcome Danabe. Wow I can so identify with your description of how it started for you with AL as a teen, and how things progressed. Can also relate to that "last hoorah" with food and alcohol - been there done that MANY times LOL!

              Anyway, just wanted to say hi and wish you the very best on your journey to sobriety.

              DG
              Sobriety Date = 5/22/08
              Nicotine Free Date = 2/27/07


              One day at a time.

              Comment


                #8
                A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                Danabe, I hope Naltrexone works for you like it did for me. I've no desire to drink at all.

                Good Luck!
                Noelle sez "Do want you like, like what you do. Life is Good."

                Comment


                  #9
                  A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                  Still here!

                  Hi Everyone and thank you so very much for your warm welcome!

                  I couldn't find my thread LOL!! Took me a bit of searching...

                  I've filled in my drinking chart & I'm liking the yellow days!

                  So far so good. I still don't have that immense, "breaking out in a sweat" craving that I always get. I find though that I am eating more than usual so I don't know if this is a side effect of the Naltrexone or me just being that little bit bored.

                  I had bottle of wine on Sunday night and felt like crap the next day. I don't normally get a hangover with just 1 bottle! But boy was it a doozy. I think the Naltrexone makes them a lot worse than normal. Even so I had another bottle Monday night mainly due to the kids all being home on school holidays and terrible weather so we were all stuck in the house and I was hung over from the Sunday night and feeling cranky. Just an excuse I know...

                  I haven't felt like a drink these last 2 days. I think it is more breaking the habit of putting the kids to bed pouring a wine and settling in front of the telly or laptop for the night, drink in hand. My mum came over and we had soda water instead of the usual wine and I didn't even miss it.

                  It's nice to wake up and not be groggy, shitty and short tempered. I try to remember the shocking hangover I'll get if I do buy a bottle. I haven't yet been able to stop at the 1 glass and keep the bottle in the fridge but I haven't had the urge to open a 2nd bottle when I have finished the 1st. Quite miraculous really....

                  I need to get my butt off to the gym but I don't want to pressure myself just yet. I'm worried about me packing it in if I fail at something, you know the "oh bugger I've stuffed up, I may as well do everything and start again tomorrow". Nope I'm not going to do it. Easy peasy, a little at a time. Let's get this drinking under my belt first.

                  I have found that the wine just doesn't taste as good as usual, I'm not getting a hit as well. Hmmm.....

                  I'm not doing my unit count until Saturday, it will be interesting.

                  I wish you all the very best and please, never stop trying

                  Comment


                    #10
                    A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                    Congratulations Danabe!
                    Good to hear that you are hanging in.
                    I started Nal about a week ago as well. I notice the taste effects as well.
                    I have always had a love affair with beer. Now it just tastes "okay" at best. Any other alcohol borders on undrinkable. Which is unthinkable.
                    I still get "relaxing" and "pleasant" feelings from drinking, but not the outpouring of joy and confidence I used to get. Better yet, on Nal I am able to sober up without going to sleep. The feeling that the Al is wearing off is no longer emotional and frightening.
                    Very reassuring!
                    Keep it up, and please keep posting your progress.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                      im thinking of trying nal and am very interested to follow you guys.
                      terry oh you made a point that i am very interested in, about the sobering up. that feeling of panic when the al starts wearing off is what makes me always drink till i pass out. if i could get rid of that feeling it would be a huge step along the way for me.
                      Today is the tomorrow i worried about yesterday and it turned out fine
                      Keep passing the open windows

                      Comment


                        #12
                        A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                        Thanks Terry Oh and hello spuddleduck!

                        I don't have any awareness of the Naltrexone wearing off. No feelings of anything but then again I haven't experienced any side effects.

                        I'm not sure about the sobering up also as I always drink at night (and then late into the night!) so I don't feel a "sobering up" as such....

                        I would give it a go spuddleduck, no harm in trying and I've tried almost everything :-)

                        I found Topamax was very helpful in removing the craving but I had very sore eyes and cognitive probs. I am self employed in the science field and found I could not get my words together, to the extent at times that I would either stutter or get a complete blank on a basic word. Not good for presentation time!

                        At least with Naltrexone I can drink whilst taking them. Some people may not agree with this and that we should all abstain but I find this the most helpful part. I am not obsessing over the drink. I can finish a bottle (still not good but better LOL) and not freak out if there is no more in the house or my husband refuses to go out and buy me another. Or worse still, me drive up.

                        We've found this site for a reason

                        Comment


                          #13
                          A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                          19 Units

                          19 units this week. That is Sat to Fri.

                          I'm very happy with this. Normally I'd be drinking this in one night!!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                            Wow. Danabe. That is wonderful. I am happy for you. If a "unit" equals one drink, you are averaging less than three per night. WTG!

                            Do you take it in the evenings, like TSM?

                            Comment


                              #15
                              A shiny brand new start with Naltrexone - my journey

                              58 Units

                              A huge 58 units this week!

                              Thanks for the encouragement Winks, you are correct I should average it out over the week and I won't feel so guilty! 58 units would just under a bottle of wine a day. Still a lot but a lot less than I was drinking. I was averaging over 2 bottles.

                              I take the Naltrexone at 4/5pm everyday unless I am going to have a drink then I take it an hour before as per TSM.
                              It hasn't been a good week all round :upset:

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