Due to start Naltrexone

So glad you posted, Tar4!  I am sure many will respond over the coming days to explain their experienes of how naltrexone worked for them.  You have a two-week wait so it's a great idea to learn lots of actual experiences before the appointment, then hear what the doctor has to suggest... after that you can make a really informed decision about which way you think will be of most benefit to you, having heard lots of experiences for yourself.

For others reading, Tar4 experienced the 'usual' barriers put in the way of her obtaining help via the ARC!!  I guess not many are not at all surprised to hear this....

Via PM, I have been helping Tar4 get the apointment with the doctor, after she encountered the same uniformed 'opinions' of her keyworker.  It actually took a lot of bravery from Tar4 to contact the ARC back and ask to speak to the manager of the ARC before things finally got sorted.  I am sure that some keyworkers are worth their weight in gold, but I hear some horror stories.

Firstly, her keyworker told her that they don't prescribe naltrexone.  Then when we countered that with the evidence from the local health authority to confirm that they do, Tar4 was refused an appointment to see a doctor.  When we countered that with evidence from the ARC's own website that confirmed that users can request an appointment to see a doctor there,  the keyworker told Tar4 to go back and see her own doctor for either the medication or a new referral as she was no longer a patient of the ARC as she had been removed due to being sober for some time (8 weeks!).  All this happened within 24 hours, and I believe it happened because we were countering everything the keyworker said with actual facts, and the keyworker realised she was out of depths and panicked.

During these discussions, Tar4 was also told that she would have to get naltrexone privately at a cost of £7000 per year (what??? totally untrue!).  She was also told that in order to get naltrexone someone HAS to be suffering from liver damage (what??? totally untrue and naltrexone is NOT prescribed to those with liver damage).  When asking to speak to the manager, her keyworker refused to give her the name of the manager, instead she has spoken to a few managers there and they all told her this.  Honestly, I don't beleive that she did speak to a single manager about anything she said.

And various other things...... too numerous to mention, what I mention here are the worst examples, as well as being the most commong.

The point being that Tar4 persisted and complained.  She was totally strong and I am so proud of her for doing so. I don't advocate complaining when it is unwarranted, but in this case contacting the manager WAS the correct thing to do and she now has the appointment that she should have been granted when she very first asked.  According to her keyworker, naltrexone was never an option because she simply did not know their own procedures, and that is wrong - but sadly what many of us face when we are asking for help.

Now, maybe it turns out that naltrexone will not be the correct solution for her, but my advice to anyone attending ARCs is to fight for what you deserve - and that is to be treated as per the local NHS guidelines.  Had the keyworker looked into this when Tar4 first mentioned it to her, and made the appointment, then none of the ensuing confusion and anguish would have occurred.  I am glad that Tar4 didn't end up relapsing over this stress (well done to you!) but it could've happened.

I hope those using naltrexone here will help Tar4 with information about their experienes and then she will armed with lots of information before she talks to the doctor about it.

Thanks everyone!

Hi Tar4,

You will receive a lot of help and information on here, my story is very new as I started Naltrexone a week ago today. I'll literally just answer your questions as they are clearly important to you, but just to say I'm not a binge drinker, more a drink every nighter! I was drinking between 1 and two bottles a night, most often recently, the latter!

It started working for me the first time I took it - I drank approximately half what I normally would and that has decreased slightly over the week .

I took it daily half a tablet the first four days and full dose since then. An hour before drinking.

I did as instructed and took it after eating a large meal and several glasses of water and was lucky enough to experience only a slight wooziness after the first dose - I admit that the possibility of side effects worried me a lot but if you follow the advice you're given to the letter it clearly makes a huge difference.

I didn't get drunk but as I lost interest usually by my fourth glass, that was likely why - my tolerance is quite high as I've drunk for a good few years . And yes, it literally does take that desire away or at least with some mindfulness makes you realise that actually 'you've had enough/don't need it ... it's a really strange sensation and so difficult to explain because I could never have stopped at four glasses a week or so ago!

Hope this helps and good luck with starting - you'll receive so much help on here it makes you feel almost excited to start!

Well done for taking the first step and good luck x

Hi, We'll done for persevering! I'll answer your questions as that's what you need/want right now. As usual it sounds as if Joanna was an amazing help.

I took 1/2 tablet for a few days with little if any side effects.

I then only took it before drinking. I consciously had days when I drank..my poison dry white wine....so that I could use TSM and retrain my brain. 

I would say it took a few sessions of this to feel a definitive effect (others say they experience it straight away). I soon realised that you really did have to employ mindfulness when drinking. 

I also found that waiting a little over the hour worked even better for me.

It didn't take long for me to resalise that I wasn't getting the same kick from drinking and it didn't even taste that good. This obviously led to drinking less and less.

This is followed by a very significant decrease in my desire for drink. I didn't think of it much whereas before it was on my mind every day. The struggle with alcohol disappeared. Every now and then I will think "oh I could really do with a large cold glass of wine" but it passes unlike before.

To summarise I have had a few blips over the last months since I started Naltrexone. This happened firstly because I did not mindfully drink. The other couple of occasions I obviously hadn't waited the full hour (although I thought I had)....so I now consciously wait a little over the hour to make sure I have calculated it correctly.

TSM works and I think it took me 4-5 months to say this with real conviction. I continue to mindfully drink after taking Naltrexone and as Joanna says never, ever drink without taking the tablet first.

Hope this helps.