Naltrexone Works!

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Naltrexone Works!

jackied;1156959 wrote: Hi all,

Been following this thread and others for a while now. Started on nal a week ago and maybe I am expecting too much too soon but have had no reduction in cravings or units drank as a lot of people seem to have from the start. Will continue on taking it one hour before drinking as I am determined to do something and am heartened by the success stories.

Also wondered about propranolol. I take 40mg once or twice a day. Would this make any difference?

And how do you measure your drinks? I tend to drink at home and trust me the measures are a lot different from the pub!! Plus the next morning I am lucky if I can remember going to bed never mind how many drinks I had. Sad I know.

Jackied

Welcome and thanks for posting. Not everyone finds TSM to work right from the off, sometimes it can take weeks or months for a difference to be noticed. The important thing is that you give it chance - from what I read it's those who give up thinking it's not working that end up regretting it.

I'm a units queen and over here in the uk most bottles & cans have the units written on them. I'm the type who will drink full bottles, or half or 3/4 so can estimate from that. I tend to leave the bottles out on the top and usually have a count around if I'm not sure in the morning! Also there is a formula too which is;

strength of drink (not proof)% x volume in mls divided by 1000

So a 750 ml bottle of 12% wine would be

12% x 750mls / 1000 = 9000/1000 = 9 units

Not sure how it's worked out from non-metric units though!

My experience with Propanolol was to lower my stress levels when I was trying to abstain. All I can say is that I did drink again, and did still get quite anxious with it. Apart from that I don't know how it's used with other meds sorry.

[jackied]

Naltrexone Works!

Thanks UK, I have been following your posts for a while and take great hope from them. I fully intend to carry on and have taken confidence from this site that it will work. Just a bit disappointed I haven't even had the 'honeymoon' period that other people have talked about it. Didn't even have any side effects! Don't feel any different when drinking after nal than I did before. Surely I should feel something different?

I am also in the UK and tend to drink either wine or vodka. Wine is usually easy to keep check of providing I keep the bottles but vodka not so easy, especially if guests are around and drinking too. LOL maybe there is an 'ap' on my phone that would help me to keep check. It seems important to keep some sort of record.

Been taking Propanolol for a while now for anxiety although down from 3 x 40mg a day to mostly one a day. My reduction coincided with my husband leaving. My stress levels dropped but unfortunately my drinking levels didn't. Was worried that it would affect the nal working properly.

I had liver tests done recently which were slightly high and also a b12 deficiency and my doctor told me to stop drinking for two weeks and be checked again. Yeah, I wish! Didn't tell about my problem.

Thanks again for your help. Any further help and encouragement greatly appreciated.

Jackie

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Naltrexone Works!

jackied;1156999 wrote: Thanks UK, I have been following your posts for a while and take great hope from them. I fully intend to carry on and have taken confidence from this site that it will work. Just a bit disappointed I haven't even had the 'honeymoon' period that other people have talked about it. Didn't even have any side effects! Don't feel any different when drinking after nal than I did before. Surely I should feel something different?

I am also in the UK and tend to drink either wine or vodka. Wine is usually easy to keep check of providing I keep the bottles but vodka not so easy, especially if guests are around and drinking too. LOL maybe there is an 'ap' on my phone that would help me to keep check. It seems important to keep some sort of record.

Been taking Propanolol for a while now for anxiety although down from 3 x 40mg a day to mostly one a day. My reduction coincided with my husband leaving. My stress levels dropped but unfortunately my drinking levels didn't. Was worried that it would affect the nal working properly.

I had liver tests done recently which were slightly high and also a b12 deficiency and my doctor told me to stop drinking for two weeks and be checked again. Yeah, I wish! Didn't tell about my problem.

Thanks again for your help. Any further help and encouragement greatly appreciated.

Jackie

I drink mostly alone, or when in company I find it easy to control for some reason - so did wonder if you had people around then it's more difficult to keep a track. By the way I still had the same cravings for the first few weeks, I think it was only from about week 4 they started to abate.

I do know that Nal doesn't work for everyone and I will not pretend that it does. The one thing I do know is that I did use other tools as well along the way, the spikes are happening when I decide I REALLY want to get trollied and have also let myself miss meals on purpose (usually in anticipation).

I'm not sure if not having a honeymoon is good or not, we'll just have to wait and see. I presume it is Nal you have in your box!

[jackied]

Naltrexone Works!

UK, it's interesting that you find it easier to control in company. Unfortunately, I have the same problem whether people are around or not. It's helpful that you said you didn't have any reduced craving for the first few weeks. Like I said I am maybe expecting too much, too quick but I really did think I would feel a bit different.

You talk about using other tools, do you mean other drugs? And do you find skipping meals affects things because I do that all the time. I don't have a big appetite for food at the best of times and have to force myself to eat sometimes.

[Guest]

Naltrexone Works!

jackied;1157029 wrote: UK, it's interesting that you find it easier to control in company. Unfortunately, I have the same problem whether people are around or not. It's helpful that you said you didn't have any reduced craving for the first few weeks. Like I said I am maybe expecting too much, too quick but I really did think I would feel a bit different.

You talk about using other tools, do you mean other drugs? And do you find skipping meals affects things because I do that all the time. I don't have a big appetite for food at the best of times and have to force myself to eat sometimes.

No I didn't mean meds, I meant techniques I learned during abstenance in the past.

HALT

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired

Things I do try to avoid because I know they encourage me to drink, or drink more. I do know that hunger is a trigger for me, so I do try not to miss meals but sometimes I do in anticipation of drinking and I think that's when it's worst. I've also heard from other drinkers that drinking takes the edge of their hunger - so a bit chicken and egg. Katie has mentioned eating with Nal seems to be helping but she has been using Nal for a while. Before I tried meds I also used to often sometimes go to bed early, go to sleep with a book or watching DVD to get through an evening AF - and I have used this whilst following TSM to avoid drinking if I simply don't want to. I know drinking makes me feel tired, does affect me the following day so sometimes I prefer to avoid it entirely. I'm also lucky in that most of my friend don't drink, or at least not a home so I'm not surrounded by drinkers.

Exercise also helps, and sometimes it's an incentive not to drink. I know TSM involves drinking, but it doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to do it - well not in my book. If I don't fancy it I won't. Definitely feel better waking up after an AF night.

[KatieSmiles]

Naltrexone Works!

Hi jackied

I didn't have a "honeymoon" either. I am on week 14 and my units are up and down week by week but overall I see a downward trend. I typically range between 35- 45 units, however this week will end up in the mid 20's. This doesn't mean I won't spike back up into the 40's, it can and probably will happen... it's all about the extinction process taking place. Patience is key as it can take any where from 5 months to a full year to work.

Keeping track of your units will help
Nal-on
K

[jackied]

Naltrexone Works!

Hi Katie,

Thanks for your advice. Well I had five large vodkas last night but unbelievable I poured most of the last one down the sink. Never done that before!!!! Although to be honest I was really tired. But it has given me a bit of encouragement.

I joked before to UK that I could do with an 'ap' on my phone to keep track of units.... turns out there is such a thing!!!! Think I might get that.

[KatieSmiles]

Naltrexone Works!

Yay! Get the ap, start tracking and buckle up for the roller coaster ride!

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Naltrexone Works!

Jackied

Did you know that feeling tired whilst drinking, can be an effect of Nal(well apart from the usual effect of alcohol!)?It's that point I find I can easily talk myself out of carrying on, and just go to bed.

[jackied]

Naltrexone Works!

Thanks UK for that. I did feel more tired than usual to be honest and when it came to deciding on finishing the drink or going to bed, the bed won!! Like I said, cant remember the last time I threw a drink away. Happy days.

JackieD

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Naltrexone Works!

Hey! Had another couple of evenings where I struggled to finish a drink. Last night, as well as this evening I decided to open a bottle of beer and watch a dvd. Took 1 x 50mg Naltrexone over 60 minutes beforehand(think it was 3 hours this evening), started the bottle and didn't finish it. Had to pour the remainder down the sink because it was a cap top, and didn't have anything to stopper it with.

Naltrexone works, and boy am I glad after the recent spike scares. I've had 3 drinking occasions this week, each time I stopped after around 1 unit - 2units maximum. Not had any problems with cravings, or anything else to do with alcohol.

[KatieSmiles]

Naltrexone Works!

Uk, it just keeps getting better and better for you! Great stuff!

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Naltrexone Works!

This needs to get back to the top of the forum because I had another very successful night last night. Went out socially with a friend, then onto a club night to meet with another set of friends. Anyway drank 2 halves of beer, to their 2 pints and only then managed another 2 half pints when I got to the club, danced for a bit before deciding I was tired and going home.

So in the last week I've drank on 4 occasions;

(1) 1 x 500ml bottle beer
(2) half a 500ml bottle beer (other half left in the bottle and poured away in the morning)
(3) half a 500ml bottle beer (other half poured away)
(4) 2 pints beer drank in half-pint measures over 3 1/2 hours

Total 8 units for the week. So I've appear to have gotten through my spikes, and everything settling down. No real cravings to speak of and had 3 AF days without any wrestling, or wrangling at all.

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Naltrexone Works!

Hmmm, another 'social' night where it was appropriate to drink. Felt quite woozy during my second glass of red, and was wondering if that was going to be the point where I lost control. Nope, within the hour my head was clear and I was happy to sip and stop shortly afterwards. Approximately 2-3 medium glasses of red drunk over 3 hours, woke up without any cravings nor burning desires to continue.

Nal on!:H

[spuddleduck]

Naltrexone Works!

uk you are our nal poster girl. well done