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Selincro - going on holiday

Posted , 5 users are following.

debsJS
debsJS

I have been taking Selincro for not quite 2 months. Have definitely felt that it has started to work but sometimes feels less effective so not really sure what that means! I am worried about going away in a few weeks with friends. My husband knows I am taking Selincro but my friends don't. I'm not sure what to do because it will be hard to predict when we might have a drink. I think we will drink each evening but lunch time is difficult. Some days we probably won't have a drink but another day someone might say ' oh let's have a beer'. Of course I could just decide not to drink until the evening but I'm worried I will not be able to resist and will ruin everything because I haven't taken the selincro. But if I take it and we don't drink then there will be a long time before the evening drink. Ridiculous I know but just not sure how to handle this!!

0 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Radley13
    Radley13 debsJS

    Posted

    Hi Deb

    So are you still drinking at the moment?  I would still take your Selincro there is no need for anybody else to know and avoiding the drink - you could make the excuse that you are on anti-biotics for an infection to avoid questions being asked or confidently say you dont want alcohol at lunchtime as it gives you a headache.  It's not rediculous you just need support.

  • keith02
    keith02 debsJS

    Posted

    Hi Debs, if it works the same way as the naltrexone I'm taking, it's going to work best between 30 mins and 6 hours after taken. Maybe Paul will be able to shed some light on when it works best?

    If it was me, I'd reckon that evening drinking is a cert as daytime drinking might just be the odd day as you say. I think you're still better to take it at night. Drinks during the day might just be one or two whereas if you go out for the night, it could be a long time so best save the best effects of the selincro for the evening.

    If you take it around 6pm-ish or before you go out then you're sorted for the night and there should hopefully still be a residual effect the following day at lunch. I know that personally, although I feel it at its strongest at night (take it around 6pm), I'm able to avoid lunchtime drinking now.

    Even when I wasn't taking the tablet, I mostly liked afternoon drinking on my own. If I was in company, I could persuade myself to have a soft drink....quenching thirst in heat of the day and all that.

    Not sure I've made my point that well, but I hope you get what I mean. Good luck and happy holidays!

  • PaulJTurner1964
    PaulJTurner1964 debsJS

    Posted

    Debs, I would suggest that you ensure that you have a pill with you and aim to take it 1.5 to 2 hours before drinking. Try to pin your friends down to set arrangements each day where possible. I understand this is not easy. See if your husband can help you come up with some delaying tactics which are not too suspicious smile

    The other option is to say 'it's a little early for me', take a pill then have soft drinks until 90 minutes has passed, then allow yourself an alcoholic drink.

    Selincro's effect will last about 8 hours, after which you would need to take a second pill to stay covered. Although there is no evidence that two pills a day are harmful in any way, I would have a chat with the person who prescibed it for you before you go away.

  • linda85269
    linda85269 debsJS

    Posted

    Hi debs, what I've done if caught on the hop so to speak is take a tablet as soon as I can even if it's only 5 mins before. Regarding the lunchtime drinks I will be in the same situation in June when I go on holiday. Like you my friends don't know I'm taking selincro but my partner now does. Maybe just take one at lunchtime because it does last for a few hours and by then you will have another month under your belt. Hope this helps?
  • debsJS
    debsJS

    Posted

    Thank you very much everyone, very helpful. This for me is the main problem with Selincro, the fact that you can't have a spontaneous drink! Ideally I would just like to make the decision not to drink until the evening and if the others do then just have a soft drink. However I am worried that I won't be able to resist and that would be disastrous.

    I can only say this to people who will understand as it is a really crazy suggestion but I even thought about taking a small measure of maybe vodka in a water bottle and taking Selincro before lunch and then drinking that discretely if no-one else has alcohol.

    I think it is difficult in that it isn't exactly clear how long Selincro lasts in the body. I don't think I want to risk taking 2 in one day as that is against the guidelines but maybe it's worth it. I could ask my doctor but actually I don't think she would know. Going away 1st May so will let you know what happens. thanks again.

    • PaulJTurner1964
      PaulJTurner1964 debsJS

      Posted

      Debs, Nalmefene has a plasma half-life of almost 11 hours. This means that the amount in your body has halved 11 hours after taking it. After two half lives (22 hours) there is only a quarter of the dose taken left in your body and after three half lives (33 hours), there will be one-eighth of the dose left in the body. This means that, even if you only take one pill daily, there is a cumulative effect over days. However, this is taken into consideration wthe the recommended daily dose of 1 tablet.

      It really is best to work out your drinking times and the time you take your one Nalmefene tablet. It is certainly a small price to pay to be able to drink in a controlled way when compared to having to abstain completely and suffer the cravings. As time goes by, while on Nalemefene, you will find that it is no big issue to have a soft drink even when everyone else is drinking alcohol.

       

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