SECRET DRINKER UPDATE

Thanks sharon

yep, things are going well, had both boys over Easter hols. Knackering but good. Still have sleep problems. Four hours a night is good..

went to gp and asked for different sleeping tablets. Take 5mg nitrazapam, but they no longer work. I've got used to them! He wouldn't prescribe anything else, even though I told him I'd had had milk and whisky twice. Don't want to go there again.

The Alan Carr book didn't really do much for me. I think it's because at the end of the day it's down to me, and me alone, if I drink to excess again. A book won't make any difference. But that's just me. It's obviously helped a great many people, you included.

Hi, sleep is so important isn't it?! Since I swapped to Mertrazapine (antidepressant) I have been sleeping so much better.....not great but much better! I swapped to this as they are SSRN's and I discovered, after years and years of being on them, that the SSRI's had caused my alcohol cravings to develop (I was practically a non drinker before). I don't know if you are on medication like this but worth a try. X

Thanks Sharon, will look into this. Yes I'm on 50mg sertraline once a day. Interesting topic, will get researching this. Thanks again.

Might try that book...sounds good

 

Thanks for the info ADE. Will try anything and I've already got some in the fridge

I have kiwi in my morning smoothie, with blueberries and banana maybe I should switch it to supper as my sleep is rubbish.  I manage 2 hours a night.  Let us know.

Yes, 2 hours... not nearly enough! Perhaps consider having the kiwi alone an hour before bedtime? The smoothie might have too much sugar/fructose and that should be avoided. 

Lately I've been leaning on an OTC sleep aid with doxylamine succinate in it, which gets me 7-8 hours but has it's own hangover effect. Some don't get that and find it's perfect for them, so it's peculiar to the individual. 

Something else that's helped in the past is chamomile capsules, so I'll have to do a bit of experimenting. I think part of my problem is missing my sleep window and running into a second wind. 

 

I am with my daughter and youngest grandson at the moment and just looked at my phone. She asked if she could read the discussion.

she has asked if I will thank people for their concern and good wishes. She was amazed that people I've never met would be interested in her mum.

She read your posts, particularly the one about the mortuary and said OMG the blokes a genius!! Thank him so much, it certainly worked it did give mum hope and something to fight for.

thank you

tell you daugher that it is never too late to change and improve AND do NOT think of the past just up and up and forward ...Great story! rgds Robin

JulieAnne, yes long may it continue. She's been told in no uncertain terms by her consultant that one drink would probably kill her.

My DIL has also said if she drinks again that's it. She's not prepared to put the whole family through the ordeal again and she'd end up dying a sad, painful and lonely death. A bit dramatic, but understandable.

She'd be an ideal candidate for Campral. As she will not be drinking, but once she gets better, alcohol may come calling. It did for me, I went a year without alcohol after coming out of hospital, wasn't interested and didn't feel up to much, but once I was fully fit, the want kicked in again.

Exactly my thoughts. You won't be surprised that when my DIL asked the consultant for campral, prior to her discharge, he'd not heard of it!! She made him look into it, as like you, I relapsed before taking campral.

Unfortunately he informed her the next day, that her liver wouldn't be able to cope with it!, neither would her kidneys!  DIL informed him that it's not metabolised (not sure that's the right word) or affects the liver. Long disagreement which resulted in the consultant suggesting referral to ARC. She's now looking at online pharmacies or seeing a dr privately for a prescription.

Totally ridiculous, when you and I both know how well campral works when taken properly.

Utter dribble, but no more than I would expect. Your DiL is correct:

Metabolism

Acamprosate does not undergo metabolism.

Elimination

After oral dosing of 2 x 333 mg of CAMPRAL®, the terminal half-life ranges from approximately 20 - 33 hours. Following oral administration of CAMPRAL®, the major route of excretion is via the kidneys as acamprosate.

Yes, it is ridiculous, but doctors and consultants seem to have some sort of tunnel vision. It seems to be an ongoing fight with them. I'm helping somone in the liver forum at the moment, who is going through a similar thing and surprisingly, it is her mother as well. She was getting no information at all and was totally lost. Why people should have to turn to a forum like this, to be told what is going on and how to deal with it, is beyond me.

I suppose vickylou its about maintaing this through herself (she has proved that so far which must have been so hard) and having support behind her. Things will change and yes the will again might kick in but she has proved an aufal lot so far, which can not have been easy. She will have been thinking all the way through this. It can happen with the right support and determination that the peron chooses not to rather than thinking shouldnt drink. The shouldnt drinking is more so that  you want to but are either told not to or just still really want one. Choosing not to i believe is different because that person who has done it is so much more in control.  She has done so well and clearly your happier and i am sure she does too, for her that is hard in different ways but she has proved a massive amount so far. Its hard for you all also, we are all here to help xxx

Yes it is understandable. Hope her Mum is strong enough to fight the cravings. As we all know, they are very hard to manage and illogical to the non drinker.

Good luck and best wishes to your family xx

I have just read about the lady on the liver forum and how difficult it was for her to find information from Drs with regard to her mum.

My DIL seems similar to you in that she won't just accept what this consultant said. I find it incredible that a liver consultant could spout such bxxxxxxs about campral affecting the liver.

Shes asked me to ask you which online pharmacy you'd recommend. Money is not a problem and would her mum need to see a dr privately first. Rather warped to me, but she's thinking of seeing this consultant with her mum privately in his consulting rooms. She wants to know if he would still say the same! She's armed with loads of info and as she's paying him, he'll have to read it and come up with a good reason as to why campral can't be prescribed for her mum.

As far as I know, no company based in the UK, sells Campral anymore. The one ending 2U, used to, but they wouldn't do the online prescription for me, because of my condition and they would refuse the same for the DiL's mum.

They don't have it listed anymore, if you search online, there is one pharmacy that starts chemist and shows it, but then comes up with a message saying, our sister company 2U now handles all medications.

You can buy abroad, which is perfectly legal, because although they are a prescription medication, they are not a controlled drug, like say diazepam, which is illegal to possess without a doctor's prescription.

It works out at about £120 a month, 168 tablets. I bought from two companies, one that sent me some stuff from a well known Indian pharmacy and one that does Merck Serono, the proper stuff that is exactly the same as I was prescribed at the ARC.

You will have to PM me if you want the name. The alternative is to find a private doctor, pay a consultation and get a private prescription.

As for seeing the consultant, I have to ask, what is she trying to achieve.

Does she think that the consultant will break down and say, I'm terribly sorry, I let you down, I was WRONG. You yourself know, that consultants think they are god, second only to neuro surgeons (arrogance doesn't cover them). They are never wrong and if they are, they are not going to admit to it.

I can't second guess what he might say, but my thoughts would be this. He will say, he still doesn't think it is the right medication, but having re-read it, he is prepared to prescribe it and monitor the outcome and here is your bill.

Myself, I'm more pragmatic, I gave up starting battles that even if I won, I got nothing for it. My thoughts would be, if she wants to pee her money down the drain (this works better with a bloke, remember we pee in a bowl on the wall), then go to the pub tonight and have eight pints of lager. After the second or third pint, you will go to the toilet and at that time, you will be peeing your money down the drain and you can actually watch it happening.

Both drinking the eight pints and paying the consultant will probably make you feel a bit unwell the next day, but at least with the pub, you will have enjoyed your evening.

My advice, is either abroad or a private doctor. Bear in mind that even with the private prescription, I think a month's Campral is something like £45. So, if the doctor consultation an written private prescription is £80, it isn't really a saving, unless you get him to prescribe for two to three months. Even then, you have to pay £45 per month, it isn't like the NHS where your £8.50 covers however many tablets you are given.

Thank you for your detailed reply, very helpful as usual.

I don't know what she is trying to prove by paying someone who she thought was cxxp. I've told her it's stupid and not worth the hassle. With age comes wisdom, bit late with me!

Am off to Spain next Saturday, so will try and find out if I can get some there.

Two years ago, you could walk into most famacias and walk out 5 mins later with a few boxes of diazapam.

Canaries are different, belong to Spain but technically not part of EU, so couldn't get anything there without a prescription.

I was only getting a months supply at a time with my meds. At £8.50 per item, doesn't take a genius to see that £103 per year is much cheaper, I know you pay yearly too.

At the moment prescriptions are free for over 60s, but no doubt that wil change when I reach 60.

Will keep you updated and many thanks

I doubt they have any plans to change it in the next few months, so you'll be okay for your free prescription and other NHS services.

Plenty of info at AgeUK dot org