NALTREXONE/vivitrol

[gateway]

QUESTION FOR ANYONE::::::

If anyone is currently taken or has taken this drug ....could you please share your experience with me?

I am interested in this particular drug and would like any information.

Thank you very much

[lucky 2.0]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

Hi Gateway,

I know someone not affiliated with MWO who is taking naltrexone and he has been 100% successful with abs since starting it about 9 months ago. From what he says, he has had no side effects. My understanding is it takes the high away from drinking, where Campral takes away the desire.

I read a study where Natrexone and Campral were used in conjunction also.

Hope this helps.

Just curious why you are leaning towards Naltrexone instead of Campral?

[ihavebeenherkind]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

vivitrol/campral combo

Here is a link to a good article that explains how both Vivitrol and Campral work and why they work well together.

COMBINED THERAPY: WHAT DOES ACAMPROSATE AND NALTREXONE COMBINATION TELL US? -- KIEFER and WIEDEMANN 39 (6): 542 -- Alcohol and Alcoholism

You can print off a .pdf there for free and take it to your doc which is what I think I will be doing. It sounds VERY encouraging.

[ihavebeenherkind]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

And this article compares the two (haven't read it yet, so i don't know what it comes up with)
NALTREXONE VERSUS ACAMPROSATE: ONE YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE TREATMENT -- Rubio et al. 36 (5): 419 -- Alcohol and Alcoholism

[gateway]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

thank you

[two.be]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

I took Naltrexone aned felt it had absolutely no effect on my drinking or desire to drink. I hope and understand it does work for a certain subset of drinkers but my drinking went on unaffected.

[scrapedelbows]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

I also tried Naltrexone and it did nothing for me. I wanted to drink so I experimented with how much I could drink before I felt something... so I'm pretty sure I was drinking MORE....?

[mangroval]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

Well the problem with ANY kind of meds are that you have to actually take them to got any effect (for quite long time). I took Naltrexone for about 1/2 year and found out that it did indeed have effects... So I started to cheat. After talking to quite many people having problems with A and taking N for some time found out they were doing the same. Only thig what worked for me was to "just" stop using alcohol alltogether. And the scariest part is that it was SO easy. ()

[lucky 2.0]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

Very interesting Mangroval that quitting was SO easy. I agree with you. It is easy. No one puts a gun to our head and forces us to drink so it really is easy to quit. We want quitting to be hard to avoid doing it. I sooooo believe that. Thanks for the reminder. I will remember tihs when the next struggle sets in- or maybe it won't!

[Ezra Pound Dog]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

Im taking Naltrexone for a week and think that its my own desire to quit drinking that is working the best but I have yet to do the hypnotherapy , that happens next week and i will also be doing some acuppuncture, anything that will help I will use, but I don't agree with not feeling the alcohol with the drug, ive been taking this for a week nowwith total abs. then had a few G and ts last night and it felt jus t the same. and Im really sluggish this morning, enough incentive to get back on the horse again, no no wrong analogy! but you know what I mean
Im intereested in some others experiences as well, its seemed to be the only one available to me in Australia.
ezra pound dog

[pete7131]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

Follow up

Hi Gateway. Did you ever end up trying the Naltrexone or Vivitrol shot?

[DeafGirl]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

VIVITROL

My husband had a Vivitrol injection 6 weeks ago and has a golf-ball sized lump on his -- uh -- cheek. Has anyone else had the same? And if so, does it simply dissolve or must it be removed? He's reluctant to take another (at $765 a shot!) for fear of another lump on his rump.

Help!

[pete7131]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

the lump

It does eventually go away. It does not need to be removed. When he gets this next one, massage it in and it'll break up a little. The lump is normal as it really is just a "pouch" of medicine.

I am lucky that my insurance covers the shot but to anyone considering it, whether you may have to pay for it or not, it has completely changed my life.

Combined with counseling and picking up some old hobbies, this has been scarily easy to quit. I'm at 37 days and have only thought of a beer one time. The urge passed in under 5 seconds.

[kendrita]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

Vivitrol

Hi there,
I've been getting the Vivitrol injection for the last two months and have had remarkable results. I've been struggling with my drinking for 15 years and have tried pretty much everything. The Vivitrol shot has literally taken away the obsessive craving voice in my head and has made me downright blase about drinking. The effects of the shot have truly made me realize the biochemical/physiological nature of this disease - something I've always struggled with in the sense that blaming myself has often led to denial, and hence, relapse. As for the lump from the injection, it can be given a bit higher up on the butt (I found that this is a less irritable place) and yes, it does go away after a few weeks and is nothing serious. I tried naltrexone orally before getting the shot but it upset my stomach a lot. The shot, I'm happy to report, has produced no nasty side effects and I am typically drug sensitive and loathe to trust drug companies and their products. I hope this helps and best of luck to everyone. Hang in there.

[spindy]

NALTREXONE/vivitrol

i have been taking naltrexone for 3 weeks. its a miracle for me. my relapses used to land me in rehab or a detox facility or dui jail. now i can moderate , dont black out, and quit the next day or so again but i have the desire to abstain and 2 years of aa everyday under my belt. what are others experience? im new to the site also.