Long term efficacy of Sinclair Method

[treetops]

Lex for me it was 1 and 2 but I didn't persist long enough to get to 3. It was so awful I gave up. Thankfully I found other ways out but ended up with a lot of very very expensive Nal that I never used. I think I also depressed in general at the time and the Nal certainly didn't help.

[Spiritfree]

Outside this forum its the go to, in my experience at least. However in this forum its mainly baclofen.

Another reason why naltrexone doesn't stop drinking completely is that it only blocks activation of opiate-mu receptors in the brain, thats only one of the feel good effects that alcohol is responsible for. Dopamine is probably the main one followed by gaba-a. Baclofen works on dopamine and seems to be the ticket. I base this just on my own musings, nothing scientific behind it.

In the states, Naltrexone is the "go to medicine" -hands down. Nal, is becoming the industry standard -unfortunately.

[sunshinedaisies]

Lex - after I had been on Nal for many months, it too got to me - but by then I was having some AF days in there without too much trouble - so taking a break form the nal really helped - and after 2-3 days, I felt just fine again. To me, it was worth it for the end result - if SE's are bad, a lot of people start out on 1/4 of a tab then when SE's abate, go up to a 1/2 and so on, until they are at the full 50 mg.

Hugs, sun

[nicnak68]

It's funny how meds affect people so differently.On Baclofen I had every se you could think of and I felt awful and out of it.
I've been taking naltrexone for a week now and I have no se's at all

[nicnak68]

I'm feeling the same but definetly drinking less.I know this can be the honeymoon period but feeling positive

[nicnak68]

Do you mean do I feel better off the Bac?....I've been off it since way before Christmas so yes,feel back to myself

[nicnak68]

Not that I'm putting down Baclofen,it worked for me but I had issues with my doctor about it so had no choice but to stop.I know if I had persevered the se's would have got better

[guapo]

After a few years of TSM, I can say it works very well. no need to go into details, but I went from extremely heavy alcohol use, out of control, to alcohol being no problem whatsoever



It's much more than abolishing cravings, it is finding other ways to deal with the misguided urge to drink, and substituting good behavior.



For me, it was understanding how pointless and self-destructive it was to drink, and how little if anything I got out of it. Relaxing?



Is losing your job, getting a DUI, going to jail, losing your relationships relaxing? I think not.



TSM helps to get away from alcohol, and fix it in other ways. On the infrequent occasions I do drink, even if I don't have any naltrexone, I don't find it really makes much difference.



So if I'm using naltrexone rarely at a very low dose, 12.5 mg, i'm not taking a medicine daily, or even frequently.



Anyways, there are no cravings , no forced abstinence, no problems. What there is, is no real interest in drinking except on occasion, and no interest whatsoever in ever getting drunk again.



With baclofen, I understand it is to reduce cravings, and get you past problems in that fashion. The titration and side effects were not a selling point for me either.



Perhaps it is better to unlearn past behaviors, and find alternative good behaviors.



Takes craving, and white knuckling etc. out of the equation.





That's my take on it and my story,



YMMV

[Otter]

What about people who drink a liter of vodka a day, starting as soon as they wake up in the morning and losing consciousness by 10 am? Then they sleep all day and wet the bed, wake up and continue drinking and do this until they become psychotic and their stomachs are so raw from drinking that they vomit blood and end up sleeping in their own piss, sh.t and vomit. How does Naltrexone work for them?

[guapo]

Dunno. My guess is no therapy will work without a commitment to seeing it through and doing the work.

The scenario you described above, likely needs inpatient management, and would not be suitable for people getting their medical advice from an online forum.

Let's be glad there are at least options, and we're not all forced down a pseudoscientific 12-step path.

It appears people can find success with both baclofen, and NAL. Boils down, to which would you prefer to do.