selincro/nalmefene and alcohol

Hi boo,

I'm taking mine around 19.30 Hrs at work, and take my first drink around 21.30.

I used to take them at 07.00 in the morning, but desided agains this, because I was aware of all the Side effects.

I prefer to take them later, so I at least have the oppertunity to take a kip and sleep over most side efects.

When doing this I'm feeling better during the day hours.

Now  almost 7 weeks of Selingro,

Up from yesterday, I'm actually starting to think, that I feel better when I don't drink.

This was allway's the other way around.

It finaly is starting to work as discribed.

 

 

Hi do the side effects actually go or do you still have the stretching and yawning after 6 weeks. Do you take it daily or just when you are going to drink?

Boo, Nalmefene has a half life of 11 hours so it is certainly still in your body at almost the full dose after 2.5 to 3 hours. Taking it more than 11 hours before you sleep may help, but then it is most important that you take it before you drink. The side effects DO subside after a few days so I would advise you to keep going as you are.

The side effects start wearing off in the 2th week.

After around 10-14 I had almost no side efects left except a little restlessnes and I could realy still feel a preasure on my head.

This was the time for me to deside to take my Selingro in the evening.

This way, I slept over the side effects and the day after I had no problems at all.

I experemented a lot, broke the pill in half, time of intake, stop drinking coffee etc etc.

I found out, that coffee was one of the triggers to make the side effects worst.

So what did I do to this.

I desided not to start the day with coffee.

I started eating breakfast with tea, then take a shower and after this my first coffee and my first cigarette.

This, for me, had the best result, changing my daily pattern in total.

I was so bussy keeping to the new routine, that I hardly had time to think about the side effects.

So triggers are, coffee, cigarettes and time of intake, thats it for me.

Now in the 7th week (in two day's I start week number 8) I have no side effects at all.

I actually start to feel that I feel better when I do not drink.

This means, the medicine is 100% adopted, and I can swich to the 2 hours before drinking schedule.

Good luck,

Escar

 

I wanted to say after 10-14 days ;-)

 

Hi Paul,

I am a bit confused. What do you mean a half life of 11 hours ? I am still having very bad broken nights. I week today, so I am hopeful it will get better. If I took itthe pill at say, 3 and drank at 6 30 or 7 and went to bed around 11 or 12 does that work ?

The half life is the period of time that a chemical takes to halve in quantity. So, after 11 hours, left in your body will be half a tablet. 11 hours later, it will have halved again to one-quarter of a tablet.

It is recommended that you take the tablet one or two hours before drinking, after 4 hours, the dose would have reduced but, like Escargot did, you may find it useful to experiment with the time that you take it to try and minimise side effects at a particular time of day.

 

Hi did you take them every day of the 2 weeks even if you weren't drinking or were you drinking every day ? I am trying to abstain during week but on Sunday I starting drinking without taking tablet and after a bottle I had the enough recourse to take one and basically it stopped me in my tracks but did I feel strange all evening and had an awful night but it did stop me drinking another bottle or two

Until thoday I'm taking the selingro every day, I didn't had a non drinking day until yesterday evening.

Today I also have a non drinking with Selingro, and If my GP tells me I'm save, I'll have a non drinking day without Selingro.

I think I'm ready for the 2 hours before treatment, I have no side effects and only after coffee or after a drink I feel a bit strange.

In the 7 weeks (today is the last day of week 6) my consumation went from 67-70 units of alcohol back to 4 units.

Today is a 0 units day, and actualy happy and looking forwarts to it.

Selingro did for me, I gave up a long time ago, I tought I would die drinking and was facing the most horible way of going.

My life is brighter, my problems I solve in the apropiate way's and I'm starting to work on my friendships again.

 

Hi Paul, Another sleepless night last night ! So if I took a pill at 1pm and went to bed at 12, would I be likely to sleep better ? But if I did that and start drinking around 7, would the drug be as efficatious as it would be if I take it at the ususal time of 4pm ? I am assuming there is nothing I can take to help me sleep ? Its such a shame as I am doing really well on the amount I have cut down by but don't feel well because of the sleep deprivation. I lie there all night and it's as if my brain can't switch off, even though I am not actualyt thinking about anything. Also by 11 if I am on the sofa watching TV I cant keep my eyes open, go to bed, sleep well for a couple of hours, wake up and then that's it pretty much for the whole night. I think I go into strange dozing state, which is neither sleep nor fully awake. Certainly not ready for a day without booze or Selincro, only a week and a day in.

How much are you drinking now Boo? That falling asleep for a couple of hours then waking and being unable to get decent quality sleep after that is also common with alcohol so maybe you are getting the side effect from both alcohol and Selincro.

You probably would be likely to sleep better if you went to bed a few more hours after you took the Selincro, but then, as you say, its effect on your drinking may not be so good.

HI Paul, I am drinking about 3 biggish glassed, max, of wine between say 7 and 9. 30 (down from 1 to 1 half bottles every night ).  Just so tired at the end of the day having not slept properly for over a week, so I fall asleep ok but why oh why do I wake up a couple of hours later and that's it...no more proper sleep all night.

You could try taking the Selincro at an earlier time so that it was effective for when you were drinking but not so effective for when you wanted to sleep, but you have to be careful that you don't risk drinking more by doing that.

I'm pretty sure this is your body getting rid of the alcohol debbi, Selingro does give a lot of strong side efects.

What you are feeling is a combination of the two together.

The first week of Selingro is the most difficult one, in the seccond week the side effects ar wearing off.

 

I agree with you, I think it's a combination of the two. It's sounds mad but I took a tablet and have made myself have a drink tonight even though I feel so ill and I'm going to persevere with it, I don't want to live my life that this anymore, lying to everyone, hiding drink, making excuses not to socialise so I can stay at home alone with a bottle. It's not fair on the people who love me and it's not fair on me. I hope it works.