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Selincro - just started 3 days ago

Posted , 9 users are following.

harvey1971
harvey1971

Hi I am 44 year old female, I drink a bottle of wine a night and maybe 1 or 2 beers aswell. I have been drinking for the last 25 years Id say. I have tried to give up a few times but I dont really want to give up , I want to be able to be  like normal people and decide to have a glass of wine with dinner and just leave it at that. I remember when I gave up smoking I used nicotine replacement therapy for about 2 or 3 months and it worked it weened me of smoking 30 cigs a day. So I have been dreaming about finding a therapy that might do the same for my drinking, and I think Selincro might help. I started it last Thursday and was amazed that I only felt like havin 1 glass of wine and didnt need to go for another and was quite happy going off to bed without more. Friday I was happy to have a glass or 2 or wine because hopefully this will be the new me just a glass or 2 a few times a week and not everyday. So Friday I had 2 wines and was happy with that also, amazed I am. So Saturday (last night) was a bit of a disaster I went to my sisters house for dinner and drinks and I knew I was going to have a drink and I didnt want to beat myself up about it, this is what I want to be able to do, have fun at the family partys have the drinks and not keep going the next day at the same level. So I had 6 cans of beer last night, in reflection, my sister just kept giving bloody me a refill when my can was empty, (as she normaly would) I guess I made the mistake of not telling her to just leave me to the task of fetching my own drink. I just wonder would I have slowed down as 6 cans is quite normal for me at a family get together. So a litle lesson learned there. So now I feel like I  let myself down and drank too much last night , and that bloody guilt is nearly as bad as the drink. But I wont give up I have a really good feeling about Selincro. So I will take my pill this evening at 4pm,, Sundays are a day I usally drink quite a lot as I usually start earlier in the day. 

Just on the side effects of Selincro, as I usually want or crave a drink everyday I am taking one everyday at around the same time. I didnt sleep at all the first 2 nights and I read here someone describing the effects as - feeling slighty stoned, and that fits with how I felt after taking them, No bad side effects thank god, I slept last night but I would after 6 beers. 

I just have a question, if I usually crave a drink everyday, should I take the tablet everyday even if I plan to have a no alcohol day. Say like Monday and Tuesday I plan to have free days. Or should I just take it everyday for a month or 2?

Thanks smile

 

3 likes, 21 replies

21 Replies

  • Lulu900
    Lulu900 harvey1971

    Posted

    well done,,you seem to be do really well..i have been given the same thing but at moment on home dwtox with nurses so bit fuzzy at moment but I have only had librium to detox & reallly dont want to drink but will try it if fall off wagon xxxgod luck mate xx
    • harvey1971
      harvey1971 Lulu900

      Posted

      Hi Lulu thanks for your encourgement. and well done to you too,  not an easy road we are on at the moment, but we will get to other side with a little help. Good luck to you on your journer too.. smile xxx
  • ray21540
    ray21540 harvey1971

    Posted

    Hi Harvey,    I started Selincro about two weeks ago.  I had really bad side effects the first week so have been lucky. You can read my story about that in other threads on here. I didn't want to drink at all the first week as I felt so bad. Then made the mistake of thinking I should stop the tablets on the days I wanted to have a drink. I soon got back on track and have been averaging about 2 - 3 small wines each evening at home. Usually it could be 6 -8 large glasses.( maybe an occassional beer and / or spirit. )  One night we went out with friends for a meal. I wondered how I would be. I enjoyed a good drink 1.5 beers, about 5-6 small wines. Then continued the next day at home with a coupl;e of wines ( small ) on an evening. Yesterday, Saturday, I decided I would have an alcohol evening. Unheard of for a Saturday. I didn't take the tablet and managed without a drink without having all the feelings of wanting one. I was quite relaxed.  Over the last week I have felt more in control of my drinking. Like you never a massive drinker but a regular drinker on a daily basis.

    With regard your question, I am no expert on this but can just tell you how I felt .

    I continued to take the tablet if I felt that there was a risk of drinking ,( well after my first misunderstanduing the first week )  even if I planned not to drink.  Last night was the first time I felt comfortable about omitting the tablet knowing I was not going to have a drink. Today maybe a different matter and I will not know until later today . It is early days for me and also for you. All I can say is I am feeling better about myself..   

    My understanding is that it takes 2 -3 months on the drug to have the full effect and then you have to continue on the tablet at times you will drink. Some people don't want to continue to drink and will abstain. I like you want to enjoy alcohol sensibly but that will probably mean continuing on Selincro at the times I do plan a drink.

    Ray

    • ray21540
      ray21540

      Posted

      Saturday should have read , an alcohol free evening  !
    • harvey1971
      harvey1971 ray21540

      Posted

      Hi Ray, yeah I was thinking I might have to stay on the tablet for 2 or 3 months before stopping it on an alcohol free day. smile It must be a great sense of achievement to be able to sit through a Saturday night without the blasted booze filling up all your thoughts, well done. It must sound to others to be such a normal easy thing to do, but I know exactly how hard it is. Thanks so much for you reply this is my first time doing something like this. smile 
  • PaulJTurner1964
    PaulJTurner1964 harvey1971

    Posted

    Don'r feel guilt. As long as you had your pill, it is fine. Your body will be learning that it is no longer getting that additional reward that problem drinkers get and you will reach (over 2-3 months) pharmacological extinction, which is when you have 'unlearned' your addiction. Even after that, however, you will still need to take a pill before drinking but you shouldn't feel the urge to drink so often.

    ONLY take the pill on drinking days but ALWAYS take a pill if you are going to drink. There is no point taking a pill if you are not going to drink and it will diminish the pleasure of other, more healthy activities.

    • harvey1971
      harvey1971 PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Hi Paul

      thanks for your help. I have been doing ok on it so far. Have definatley cut my drinking down by more than half so hopefully that is the way it will keep going. So I will need to take the selincro for life if I continue to drink? I guess it is a small price to pay if it will stop me from returning to drinking everyday. thanks for help smile

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 harvey1971

      Posted

      Yes, Harvey, even after you reach the point when you have unlearned your addiction, you must protect yourself when you drink or you would very quickly relearn it.

      For now, this is the best treatment option in the world. Maybe a better one will come along at some point.

    • Lulu900
      Lulu900 PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Hi Paul,

        Am so happy you have medical knowledge & hope its ok to write to you..Ive done a detox at home with a carer & librium which went well & the doctor has given me campromell but havent started yet as have already mesed up & had a drink as soon as i was alone..my life was perfect till a terrible family loss of my brother & sis in law & all I want to do is not drink as its killing me..but the doctor said take them for a year & it should take cravings away? but what happens if I do drink on the please? I get very bad anxiety too & am very isolated & living on my own so any advice would be really great thanks marion  

    • Lulu900
      Lulu900 PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Hi paul sorry did send you a message but its gone so sorry if you get this twice..have done a home detox with nurse & libriuam but as soon as she went had a drink but the doctor wants me to take camprell & says should take cravings away? but what happens if I drink on them  Im on my own & had a perfect life till 3years ago when my brother & sis in law died in terrible way & found drinking makes me forget pain for while but its killing me now..any advice would be amazing thankyou marion
    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 Lulu900

      Posted

      Hello Marion smile I think I know you but you may not remember me. I am the person who came to see you at the beginning of your detox. If you are, give Shaun a call. If not, tell me here and I'll answer your message.

      There are a couple of options you could consider for moving forward.

    • Lulu900
      Lulu900 PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Hi Paul oh how weird!! I just wanted to know will Camprell stop my cravings & what happens if I do drink on the..but I really want to stay off booze as much as I can..also Yyone the carer was so incredible such a lovely girl & she made me feel safe..am surounding myself with sober people and doing aa but the one we went to was so depressing..but im going to go bacj to london ones as have mates thee..thanks for reply..oh what ar the couple of options & thanks so much for replying marion   
    • Paper_fairy
      Paper_fairy Lulu900

      Posted

      Hi. So sorry to hear of your loss and pain. Unfortunately camprell doesn't take away cravings and I drank on it ( about half bottle of wine ) and immediately face went went red/flushing and fast heart beat(very scary). Was sick a lot and very ill the next day. I was lucky as it can be fatal. Please don't ever take that risk. I definitely wouldn't repeat it. Good luck with your detox :-)
    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 Lulu900

      Posted

      Hello Marion smile I thought it was you from what you said smile Campral is one option. It reduces cravings. It doesn't have any reaction with alcohol so you wouldn't be ill if you had a drink on it but, of course, if you were drinking on it, that would mean it wasn't working for you.

      The other option is Nalmefene. If you have a look around this forum, it has been discussed widely. You could also search the web and find plenty of information. A fairly new method of treatment called The Sinclair Method uses Nalmefene. You could search 'The Sinclair Method' too. When some people drink, they get an additional reward over what most people get. This is due to the way the opioid receptors in the brain react to alcohol. People with drink problems get a far greater reward than everybody else when they drink and this leads to them craving more and being unable to stop drinking. This is not their fault, it's a physiological difference.

      What Nalmefene does is block those receptors so that if you take a pill 90 minutes to 2 hours before drinking, you will only get the same reaction to alcohol as everybody else. Over a period of 2-3 months, you reach a point of 'pharmacological extinction.' This means that you have 'unlearnt' your addiction. After this, you should no longer have cravings. However, you would still need to take a pill before drinking in order to avoid re-learning your addiction.

      This method has a 78% success rate in Finland where it is being widely used.

      I normally tell people these things face-to-face when I see them but, as you know, we were unable to have a proper conversation when I saw you smile

      I am sending you a link via a private message which gives you more information.

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 Paper_fairy

      Posted

      That is not a usual reaction, Paper Fairy. It IS with Antabuse which desgned to make you feel ill if you drink, as a deterrant. Is it Antabuse (Disulfiram) you mean? Campral doesn't react with alcohol in any way really.
    • Paper_fairy
      Paper_fairy PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Yes, sorry meant Antabuse( these meds all sound the same!). Actually wanted to ask you another question Paul. I'm going to have a drink tomorrow. Have taken naltrexone in the past and have loads left. When I went to the Cygnet hospital in Harrogate they put me on it for months even though I wasn't drinking to stop cravings. Didn't work just made me tired so stopped them. Have taken them a few times when had a binge. If I take one 2 hours before I drink and carry on when I have a binge every few weeks, will they help. Dr won't prescribe me nalmefene so would have to buy it on line. Thanks for your advice as always :-)
    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 Paper_fairy

      Posted

      Yes Paper Fairy. Take a Naltrexone 2 hours before drinking and you will be protected and should find you drink a lot less. Taking Naltrexone (or Nalmefene) does NOT prevent cravings unless you go through the process of taking it before you drink to retrain your brain that it will NOT get that additional reward when you drink.

      Naltrexone is the drug that was originally used for The Sinclair Method. Nalmefene is a newer drug which does the same but has slighly less impact on the liver. NEITHER drug has as much of an impact on the liver as large amounts of alcohol do.

      I am sending you a uselful link by private message.

    • Lulu900
      Lulu900 Paper_fairy

      Posted

      Hi Paperfairy

        Oh your a sweetheart to write back &  dont know what to do detoxing is almost the easy bit & thankyou it was a terrible shock & was ok re drinking before it..& now drink just to stop the pain..yes had a weird reaction on namprephene so have no idea what to do...how you going now..? better I hope lulu xx

    • Paper_fairy
      Paper_fairy PaulJTurner1964

      Posted

      Hi Paul. I have finally watched the link you have told me about a few times. I am blown away by it and thank you so much for helping me and so many others. Took my naltrexone 2 hrs before drinking 1 bottle of wine. Nothing would have stopped me starting on a second bottle in the past. But I didn't. Today I have a hangover but nothing like the usual ones as I'm not feeling nauseous at all. No cravings today so won't be drinking today. Will keep you posted on my progress,. Massive gratitude :-)
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