Partner struggling with Nalmefene
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hi. My journey with Nalmefene is pretty well recorded on this forum. My partner also struggles with alcohol but drinks very differently to me. She is a binge drinker and as she has got older the way alcohol affects her is different. She used to drink a lot blackout and go to sleep. Now the alcohol brings her to life and she sits up all night alone drinking and smoking...she doesn't normally smoke. She goes to the local shop to buy more wine or fags at 4am....The shop is 25/7. Obviously she is putting herself in danger.....I am normally fast asleep but there is nothing I can do to stop her. Tried locking her in once but she got out of a window.
She was prescribed Nalmefene last year and took it twice. Both at totally silly times. The first time we were going to a dinner party and sleeping over and the next day we were at a 60th birthday party in a pub. She hated it and stopped taking it.
Her drinking is now out of control and impacting on her job and relationships.
I have persuaded her to try the Nalmefene again and she did last night. It knocked her out a bit, made her a bit spacey, stretching, restless legs and impacted on sleep. She drank a bottle of wine but was happy to stop.
She has just seen a different counsellor to the one who prescribed the Nalmefene and was told "just take it when you want to drink". I have been telling her she has to take it every day for at least a week before she can do that to overcome the side effects. She has taken the Nalmefene tonight but is reluctant as she doesn't want to drink every night for a week or longer. She often only drinks once a week....I think she can go back to drinking occasionally but she has to go through the initial taking of Nalmefene everyday until the side effects go away.
Any advice or clarity??
1 like, 7 replies
Robin2015 alison77260
Posted
It seems out of control for your partner. Too much drinking and for too many years. I drank very heavily for many years but has never walked out at 4am to get more! Extreme, for certain. As before, i cannot give advice on medication but do stick to the prescription guidelines. 😁
alison77260 Robin2015
Posted
Robin2015 alison77260
Posted
Joanna-SMUKLtd alison77260
Posted
One thing I missed though is that I would strongly encourage your partner to contact me privately, too. I can certainly help her but it really needs to be her I communicate with so that she can be totally honest with me, and I can get a true evaluation of how she feels about the treatment.
alison77260 Joanna-SMUKLtd
Posted
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Misssy2 alison77260
Posted
You suggest..you hold her hand while she tries to take the drug....you really can do no more than you are already doing.
She has to become sick of what she is doing on her own.
The only other choices you have involve yourself....Do you want to stick around and watch her do this to herself? Are you prepared for the many nights of continued drinking and going out and endagering herself by being out and drunk at those hours of the night?
She has choices to make for her life...You have been a good friend/partner in supporting her efforts to get well...but you can do no more. You can only make choices for yourself...
The #1 choice is...are you going to stick around thru this? And if you ARE...than you have to let the alcohol take its toll on her and live the up and down rollercoaster alcohol causes in relationships.
If this is not how you want to live than you must start thinking of other options for yourself because she is only going to stop IF and WHEN she is ready.
alison77260 Misssy2
Posted