Naltrexone a year on
Posted , 12 users are following.
So I’ve been taking the pill exactly as described for a little over a year now.
I haven’t been being mindful at all but I have been entirely compliant.
I just wanted to post in case there is anyone like me out there- or who in the future looking into this method -can see my experience which has been different to the others here I’ve seen.
My change has not been miraculous- but I haven’t made any psychological changes to my approach to drinking at all- so this may be why. However, it has reduced. It is stilll too much- but much less than before and over the last few weeks - with no effort or change on my part- there have been several nights where I have drunk as little as a glass or two of wine. Just over a year ago this never happened. I never drank less than a bottle a night, rarely less than two, usually 3 or more.
I’m still not sure what’s the pill- whether this will work for me long term- whether it will be enough etc. Maybe these last few weeks have been an anomaly for other reasons. But I’m still going and still observing myself and still compliant. I’m not recommending others do it the way I am- but sharing my experience as part of the growing evidence base for anyone looking. I have been sceptical as well as hopeful about this method. I’ve never been a believer in miracle cures and this seemed too close to one. But although for me not quickly- there has been a difference. And let’s see where things are in another year.
Again- I have made no effort other than total compliance - Maybe this won’t be enough- maybe it will. Let’s see.
3 likes, 25 replies
Cisorium secondslong
Posted
Hi, I've just done my first week on Nalmefene and I'm blown away I was drinking a bottle and a half every night it's like magic. Out last night with the girl ( cocktails ) I didn't say what I'm doing so went on a normal I had 5/6 drink all night normally I wouldn't remember coming home. Just back from dinner with my family I drove that never happens I always need wine!! So happy it's working such a relief. Poured my husband wine I'm having water with a smile on my face. This drug should be sold over the counter it would save lives and families.
secondslong Cisorium
Posted
It’s sometimes hard to know what’s true.
Joanna-SMUKLtd secondslong
Posted
With total compliance, it will be enough :-)
The only issue as to not employing the mindfulness is just that when someone isn't mindful, at some point they are more likely to perceive it as not working and stop taking the tablets. It makes it more of a 'smoother' process, that's all.
As long as you do remain compliant with the tablets, you will be just fine.
Well done!
secondslong Joanna-SMUKLtd
Posted
Guest secondslong
Posted
For me tonight was a true test. How can one eat dinner of lasagne, garlic bread, and drink red wine?? I thought for sure I'd mess up big time... it did not happen tonight for the first time in at least 10 years. After dinner even watched a cooking show but had a fruit salad from local Florida fruits and so not sure whether the fruit (sugar) put a stop on the drinking, maybe BUT this has never ever happened before. Pasta dishes and red wine for me go absolutely hand in hand...tonight, I'm good. UNREAL....I am shocked and happy. Mindfulness was of course needed. One tip I read on our site is that for cocktail hour, I left the martini in the kitchen and went back and forth to take a sip while the lasagne was in the oven.
I pray this is my saving grace. I'm only on day 19 tomorrow.
Without being negative, TSM is not 100% successful...I thought for sure I'd be in the unsuccessful 20%....hoping I'm wrong, praying I'm in the 80% that it works for.
Joanna-SMUKLtd Guest
Posted
Awesome!
That 20% is not actually 20% by the way. When the clinical trial results were analysed, about half of that 20% weren't compliant. They either skipped tablets, or drank before the waiting time was up, or stopped taking the tablets for whatever reason (maybe high side effect issues).
But that means that although for double-blind clinical tests results, they clearly had to go down as unsuccessful...... what can be taken from this information is that - with compliance - TSM is actually nearer the 90% success mark
Guest Joanna-SMUKLtd
Posted
Now that makes me feel even better as a person born in Finland (carrying the genes, oh boy do I carry them!) and having lived there for about 13 years in the mid to late 80's and 90's!
Guest Joanna-SMUKLtd
Posted
Joanna-SMUKLtd Guest
Posted
Everything we do is completely free as we are a UK registered charity.
Please google C3 Foundation Europe then go to the Contact page and drop me an email. We can take it from there.
vickylou Guest
Posted
Please google C3 Foundation Europe and see for yourself what help is available.
Good luck
merrydeath secondslong
Posted
Thanks for this post. I've tried the Sinclair Method twice but gave up after 3 or 4 months and wasn't 100% compliant. I'm wondering if I stopped too soon and/or if I should just take the pill every day like you and stop stressing about whether or not I'm going to want to drink.
So here are my questions: Do you take the pill every day and at the same time or does it vary? Are you taking 50mg of Naltrexone? 1 hour before drinking? What happens if you want a glass of wine during lunch on a Saturday and then plan to drink again in the evening? Do you ever feel uninterested in drinking but have some wine anyway *because* you took the pill? This happened to me a lot.
Lately for me it's been an all or nothing situation. I can't seem to have just one drink - the only time I could ever do that was when I was on Nalmefene/Naltrexone. So I'm interested in giving it another try but maybe in a more automatic way, with less analysis...
Thanks for your response
Cisorium merrydeath
Posted
It's all new to me but as I've always drank everyday I take a pill everyday. I guess if I'd planned to drink at lunchtime and the evening I'd take pill twice as it would wear off. Rule is never drink without pill it's the 9nky way to stay in control. For me it's such an amazing feeling I'm in control not the bottle. You should try again stop thinking about it so much. I'm on Nalmefene it's 18mg.
Joanna-SMUKLtd merrydeath
Posted
This treatment works best when the pill is taken 1 hour prior to drinking, every time you drink. It's as simple as that and that is The Sinclair Method - you are targeting the endorphins released from drinking and allowing endorphins to stimulate your brain with reward when you are not drinking.
Non-compliance will stop it working. You' ve already found that out, sadly,.
Taking it every day whether you are craving a drink or not is not TSM and in clinical trials, doing that turned out results that were little better than placebo.
You should work on getting the compliance sorted and TSM will work for you, since you already said that you stop when you are taking the tablet.
If more than 6-8 hours has passed since taking the tablet at lunch and then you want to drink again later, you treat it as a separate session since the protection from the 1st pill might be wearing down. Take the pill, wait the hour, and then drink in the evening.
Cisorium Joanna-SMUKLtd
Posted
Hi, I got a bit stressed last night it's only a week on the pills for me 1hr before yes it works but I couldn't even enjoy one glass that made me cross and it shouldn't it didn't taste nice, will i never enjoy a glass again or is ot me still getting used to the drug. Just feeling low today.
Joanna-SMUKLtd Cisorium
Posted
You will, yes, don't worry.
This is your brain coming to realise that the end might be on the horizon. Naturally, it will (on occasions) fight back in an effort to get you to drink without the tablet first.
This is a treatment process, and like most all treatments out there, there can be a few ups and downs along the way.
Consider, when you have an infection, you may need an anti-biotic to fight it off. The infection and anti-biotic will be fighting in your body for a while, but hopefully the anti-biotic wins out and kills the infection.
This is similar, but on a neurological scale rather than an actual physical germ running around your body. It takes compliance, time, patience.... and being good to yourself and cutting yourself some slack a little bit.
But you will get there and feel so, so much better for it.
Cisorium Joanna-SMUKLtd
Posted
Thank you so much my GP had to get her book out when I asked her for Naltrexton and she gave me Nalmefene she hasn't been free to discuss the difference. My first few days/ nights I was out of it terrible dreams, sweating.... but I was determined to keep going. I'm so pleased your explaining it better as my Dr has no knowledge I even heard the doctor in the next room say it dosent work but give it to her if she wants it, hardly filling me with confidence.