Stopped alcohol...developing small gambling problem!

Lol...I only won 5 dollars today and spent 30!

Have fun on your trip.....being sober it will be wonderful.

I was going to say you deserve it...but we all deserve a "trip"....I really havent been anywhere EVER....drunk or sober.

So I'm happy for you...and congratulations on the 5 months...THAT IS HUGE....BIG....AWESOME!

Thank you very much 😃

vickylou!  HA...I haven't really won much of anything...much days I'm a "loser"....LOL....I already lost about 25 dollars today!

AND I'm going back out because i have to go to my boyfriends mothers to pick up eggplant...and instead of stopping at liquor store..I AM sure I will get more tickets!

The pocketbooks...I used to have that problem.

And FUNNY you mentioned makeup....I'm going to buy some makeup today that should compliment my skin more.  I always wear BLACK mascara...but I have BROWN eyes...and I read that BROWN mascara is a better choice for me.

I'm pale..so I always feel washed out..the brown may help me look better

I'm glad I'm not alone in being SUPER addicted to anything I DO!

 

HI Girls. I am not an addictive shopper but do LOVE guy on get one and that means sometimes products we may not need.....all cheap stuff. My wife has 39 pairs of shoes but she keeps them for many years since she has tiny feet and cannot find nice ones in the shops! All the best to all of you but I am putting a cautious note about overspending on different matters than alchohol......but but at least your health is improving.

Yes, Robin... My health is improving but my bank account is not..LOL.

Your wife can get "girl" shoes too if her feet are small....they make cute "girl" shoes now...I got a pair of "girl" boots and they are great!

The store clerk will tell her what size she is equivalent to in girls and then she can check out those shoes too....but maybe you don't want her to know that....LOL

:0 everything stimulates my opiod receptors!  For real.....anything that brings me satisfaction has to be done to excess!

I was going to do a post about people being careful of taking opiates when they are trying to abstain from alcohol.   I am having stomach/bathroom problems.  My Dr. prescribed a medication that reliefs pain in the gastro tract and stops the frequent trips to the bathroom.

I didn't want to take the pills after I read they had opioid in them.  But, it got so bad I was willing to take 1 pill...AND...that night I took my tranqualizer as prescribed (and the medication did warn me that it could intensify effects of other medications)...but since I have read that many times on many meds...I paid no attention to the warning.  I was WASTED....stumbled to bed like a drunk.

Thank GOD I only took 1 pill and 2 were prescribed 2x a day for 5 days.  The room was spinning...I woke up in the middle of the night...and my tongue felt swollen....dry mouth....felt like I drank....really thought I did.

I woke up the next morning with a hangover...and felt like I drank AGAIN.  I wanted to drink so bad that morning because obviously those opiate receptors were stimulated....it was a close call.

People who have alcohol problems should NEVER take medication with opiates in them!  Ever.

I should add to this that people who are taking nalmefene or naltrexone should be aware that after taking a pill (within the active period of the drug) opiates will not work, while the opioid receptors are blocked.

Ask your doctor for some non-opiate pain relief instead.

AND I did mention this on another post.  In th US...it is suggested if you take one of those medications to carry something on your person that tells people that in case of an emergency.  Say a car accident and pain meds are given or heart attack...heart attacks..they induce morphine (protocol here)...and the parmadics and Drs need to be aware that  patient is on an opiate blocker.

In 1998 and 1999, case studies were undertaken that showed 'naltrexone helped decrease impulse-control disorders' in the cases of gambling, compulsive shopping, bulimia and kleptomania amongst others.

In 2001, another study for naltrexone treatment in cases of pathological gambling showed that 'Open label, naltrexone was safe and effective in treating gambling'.  This also included double-blind trials which are the top level in testing, I understand.

In 2002, further studies showed a 90.9% success rate for naltrexone treatment in respect of gambling.

In 2003, studies showed that nalmefene was also an effective treatment for pathological gambling vs placebo, using 200 subjects.

In 2006 studies, 'naltrexone produced significant reduction in severity of pathological gambling.

In 2007 studies,  ‘Pharmacological intervention may be an adequate treatment alternative in pathological gambling.’

In 2008, 'Among 49 completers, naltrexone did better than placebo on all measures.'

Sorry I can't put the link to this on here, but the results of every clinical trial are shown on one page on the C Three Europe Bibliography page.

Yes, Missy, a card to keep on your person is included in every box of these medications. Remember that this is only relevant for the period of time that you are using this treatment, though.  Once they know, there are plenty of other medications they can use if you are in an accident and they will always check your personal belongings first since you may also be allergic to some medications..... 

 

Hi joanna..I love research..you put alot into this and seem to be a big supporter of these drugs. I do not like taking any drugs...but have been taking 2 of them for many years...an antidepressent and an anti-anxiety medication. 

However, I stopped drinking for 8 years...with no drugs...none that would stop cravings...or allow me to drink a "little" bit...because I just for myself do not like any side affects even thou I know some of the side affects pass...but because I also know I can abstain from drinking without drugs....I prefer to not take them.

Take them for gambling? No...I have recognized that I have this "small" problem right now..and the first step of recovery is to "recognize" you have a problem.  I have a certain amount of $ I am willing to spend on gambling a day...I went over that yesterday! So I acknowledge that today.

And today...I have 4 dollars of winnings left from yesterday..so I will ONLY gamble that 4 dollars today.  That 4 dollars on "Keno" can win me 410 dollars with just using 1 dollar. 

I will not gamble more than that 4 dollars today as I can have discipline with this issue...much more than I can with drinking!  I believe in whatever works for people.  If the drugs work for people...than they should take the drugs.  For me it is recognition and working at change.

I have in my head - I didn't drink for 8 years....without drugs...so I can do anything I set my mind to. I'm also the type of person that if I take the pill or any pill and I really WANT to do the thing the pill is preventing me from doing...I'm going to get rid of the pill and do what I want.

I had that experience with the "stop smoking" pill.  That pill helped my friend quit.  All it did for me was make my cigs. taste like crap...so I stopped taking the pill...instead of quitting.  She hasn't smoked in 8 years...due to THAT pill....For me...I'm just too impulsive...and not a believer that we need pills for everything.

In the subjects you mentioned above where a pill therapy has worked.  I believe...they were WILLING and DESPERATE to stop their behaivors...I believe they believed the drug would help them...and that is why they used it....And that is great for them...everyone has to do what works for them.

Today my only goals are to not drink #1.  And to not go over my 4 dollars for gambling...if I go over the 4 dollars...I will have to recognize...that this little problem needs working on....

 

ps...and if I win on gambling today...I would probably do something else impulsive...like go out to dinner or go shopping....I just always want immediate gratification and I have been told by my Doctors and my therapist...that my "impulsive" tendencies are due to behavioral issues that I have to work on changing...no pill is going to change me...I have some work to do on myself.

Absolutely right - everyone is different and it is whatever works for them

I think one of the major issues we deal with is that information of what may suit them isn't often easily available.  That is why I think this forum is excellent because it allows people to read and then investigate further if something takes their interest.

Your so right...I learn about so many things that I can try for different things...not only on this website but on others.

I also think for the alcohol issue and ME personally...I DID try Antabuse one time - it wasn't a drug like Naltraxone...(to help with cravings).  It specifically was intended to give the user a BAD reaction if they drank to curb their desire to drink.  YEA....I took it...and I drank on it, ended in hospital....and it was a horrifying experience. 

So I think that experience is really influencing me on taking Naltraxone for cravings or minimizing drinking.  And as I said before over and over....If I want to drink..I want the full effects of drinking...I don't want Naltraxone giving me any weird feelings or lessing the effects of the drink. I see many people describing uncomfortable feelings while taking this drug....and I wouldn't take it if I were going to drink....

I fully respect your decision to abstain from alcohol, Missy and wouldn't wish to persuade you to do anything but what suits you best. However, I feel I must point out, for the benefit of other people, using The Sinclair Method (which involves drinking) is not only done to allow continued drinking. The alcohol is NECESSARY along with the Naltrexone or Nalmefene to achieve Pharmacological Extinction. Using either drug without alcohol will not control cravings. The process involves re-conditioning the body to not crave alcohol. Although alcohol is necessary for this process, once extinction has been achieved, plenty of people decide that they are not bothered about having a drink and abstain without a problem (no cravings). Others decide they would like to keep the option of drinking if they want to, at any point, and carry a pill, just in case.

Hi

Yes, when it first came out my Dr. was telling me it was for cravings.  But reading about it recently since many people on this site are trying the "Sinclair Method" I see that studies have shown...just as you said Naltrexone is not effective in stopping cravings as orignally thought and is used now in the method (SM) for better results.

So since I am not going to drink because I do not trust myself EVEN on a pill that has research for this purpose (doesn't work for everyone). 

And research has also proven that only 25-30% of white people have the gene that makes this method MORE "effective" and 60-70% (high numbers) of black people do not carry the gene at all.  Therefore, Naltrexone really isn't as far as research helping many people. 

So its not helping 70% of white people with an alcohol problem as well according to research because of some "gene" ..and not helping even more black people. 

So GOD BLESS the ones it is helping....But, I believe if I tried to drink again....(not believe)..I know if I drank again..even using the pill...I wouldn't be successful.  Again...it BLOCKS the opiate effect.  I drank FOR the opiate effect .