NALTREXONE

[Wagoneer]

NALTREXONE

Hi Spuds - was just thinking about you and wishing you the very best. Hope things are working for you!

[K9Lover]

NALTREXONE

Hope you're OK Spuds. Thinking of you!

[YouKayBee]

NALTREXONE

LibraryGirl;1312523 wrote: I'm sorry Spuddleduck to you and anyone else I offended. I was not myself on Saturday, and was suffering terribly from a stomach ailment. No excuses, but just an explanation and NO I was not drinking.

It just hit me wrong that someone was talking about drinking and how they couldn't hardly wait to open another, and also asking for advice...I don't know anything about Nal...? but I have read where others have taken it, and just continued drinking. It seemed, at the time, to be a way around doing the difficult thing and that is, to quit, give it up, stop drinking. I drank every single day, a half of a gallon and I quit without using drugs. I guess it just hit me wrong while I was sick as a dog. It still does, lol.

I'm not going to post in this thread anymore. I apologize.

LG

I can understand your view point.

When I decided to use Nal (or in fact any medication) I had tried everything else, and was prepared to give Nal a good go. I didn't want to continue drinking at all, alcohol was wrecking my body and my life and the last thing I wanted to do was continue drinking it. I knew however that TSM requires you to drink in order for it to work (some do take nal and go straight to abstenance but it's via TSM that most acheive success), and because I was willing to go to any lengths (as AA puts it so well) I did what was required. Success with TSM is measured as removal of cravings and either the ability to drink normally, or a decision to go abstenant. I can tell you that once the cravings are gone you do start to question why you drink the stuff anyway. All I wanted was the end of being sick in the morning, not being able to work or function, removal of the crippling cravings, and a stop to the damage I was doing be it physically, legally (yep I have a criminal record because of alcohol), and mentally. I was a horrific, and dangerous bore when drinking.Drinking on Nal removed all of this.

Up shot is that I rarely if ever drink now, all the cravings which plagued me for years are gone and I find alcohol pretty repulsive most of the time. Occasionally I'll have a drink for a special occasion but usually put it down after 1 glass, wondering why on earth I am drinking it in the first place.

I was desperate to do anything to remove alcohol from my life, drinking it was the scariest thing I had to do in order to get the effects of TSM. It was a massive gamble and it worked, and I am so grateful for this.

Hopefully this might help you understand what it's all about. Oh and I rarely take the 'drug' Naltrexone now, because I simply rarely drink and thus it's not required (perhaps 1 tablet twice a month!)

I personally don't give a stuff what approach people take so long as it works for them, and I also understand fully what denial is all about - denial caused me to lose virtually all my adult life so far to alcohol.

[LibraryGirl]

NALTREXONE

Thank your for the lengthy and thorough explanation UK Blonde. I said I wouldn't post here again, but I felt the need to apologize once again. I have deleted my insensitive posts, and I don't feel like they should stay and perhaps trigger more responses that aren't helpful to Spuds or anyone.

I agree with you all about one thing. Whatever works to get you AF is good. It's difficult to see things from others perspectives in any aspect of life, but especially for addicts. I admit now that I was a bit jealous, because I thought it must be so much better to be able to drink and have a medication that actually makes you want to quit drinking. Whereas, I quit while still salivating at the thought of AL. However, I recognize that what works for one may not work for another.

Again, my apologies.

LG

[Rusty]

NALTREXONE

Hi LibraryGirl:l,

Please stop apologizing! Like I said earlier, I have been following your journey, and I am so impressed and amazed by your honesty, strength, and your compassion and willing to help other people here. We are so glad to have you.:l And oh, how I can relate to the evangelical Christianity shoved in your face as a child. My mom ramrodded Catholicism down all of our throats (I'm the youngest of five) and I'll tell ya what...when I went off to college, my first thought was..."Thank God I don't have to go to Sunday Mass ever again!! YAY!!!!" Hence, no Mass for me for the next 4 years.:H

For those of you who are new here and have not yet followed LG's journey, click on her name and you will get a few options. One is to Find All Threads by LibraryGirl. Search and find the Forum, "Tell Us Your Story." Her story is incredibly compelling. You feel like you are reading the most intense novel, and then you realize that the lead character is someone you have actually "met." I have re-read your thread many times.

Ok, back to the purpose of this thread. Nal...ok, I've taken it...and yup, it works. I had to take it with just the right amount of food because it upset my stomach. But then, I tried Baclofen, and it was the answer for me. Why? Because it addressed the root cause of my drinking.....anxiety....I've battled it since I was 4 years old. Baclofen takes the edge off that anxious-child personality, and it takes away the compelling urge to drink when I am finally done with my work day. And because I live alone....weekends are a huge trigger because I could think, "what the hell...I'm not driving, who cares if I get wasted?" I used to be quite the arrogant jerk...thinking Antabuse or any other med was a crutch. Not anymore. Whatever works to help you quit drinking and stay AF is a good thing. I still do take NAL just to give me an extra boost of confidence.

Spuddly one....please check in and let us know how you are doing.:l

[NoraC]

NALTREXONE

Really interesting reading about the Nal stories. I just started taking it but I've had to stop for a week because of some medical tests that I'm having done. My doctor has me taking it everyday so I hope that it will still be effective for me.
Anyway, just wanted to pop in & say thanks for the info.

[YouKayBee]

NALTREXONE

NoraC;1312949 wrote: Really interesting reading about the Nal stories. I just started taking it but I've had to stop for a week because of some medical tests that I'm having done. My doctor has me taking it everyday so I hope that it will still be effective for me.
Anyway, just wanted to pop in & say thanks for the info.

I took Nal everyday at first, just to be sure in case I did drink. Didn't affect my progress at all.

[YouKayBee]

NALTREXONE

LibraryGirl;1312927 wrote: Thank your for the lengthy and thorough explanation UK Blonde. I said I wouldn't post here again, but I felt the need to apologize once again. I have deleted my insensitive posts, and I don't feel like they should stay and perhaps trigger more responses that aren't helpful to Spuds or anyone.

I agree with you all about one thing. Whatever works to get you AF is good. It's difficult to see things from others perspectives in any aspect of life, but especially for addicts. I admit now that I was a bit jealous, because I thought it must be so much better to be able to drink and have a medication that actually makes you want to quit drinking. Whereas, I quit while still salivating at the thought of AL. However, I recognize that what works for one may not work for another.

Again, my apologies.

LG

That's ok.

Growing up and as a young teen, I knew of someone who was an alcoholic and also read about a girl with an eating disorder I couldn't understand why on earth anyone would get themselves into such a mess and why they just didn't get a grip and quit.

Then I ended up getting in to my own mess with one, then the other.

I didn't understand why anyone would want to carry on drinking, in order to get well I thought it was AF without any meds all the way. Then I had to admit I couldn't do it that way. It's not an easy way because you have to actually get through more bad times, and you start to doubt it all (as do your supporters).

I have read bits of Library Girls story, remember you posting about your bad days when intially AF. Hope it's turned out ok for you.

[LibraryGirl]

NALTREXONE

Thank you Rusty.:l That evangelical upbringing must have brought lots of kids into therapy, or put them in a bottle like us, eh?

UK, I am doing well. I'm not so arrogant to say that I've "turned out" ok, because I know this is a journey, and one not easily overcome. With the help of this site and my other tools I trust I can continue to be ok.

LG:h