Triumph at the ARC

Thanks RH. My old man is not usually one for taking meds. Has Campral made a difference? Has it worked for you? Hope you don't mind me asking

Kind Regards

JulieAnne

Yes, well tell him he's got to take them this time. The reason you have to take two, three times a day, is that the bioavailability - the absorbtion rate is low. Personally I suffered no side effects, it is just about the most harmless medication I know, like taking multivitamins.

It took about a week for it to kick in for me. I then found myself not thinking about alcohol. I took it for about seven months, the usual recommendation is six to twelve months. And yes it worked for me, I started taking it about this time last year.

For the people it works for, which is a high percentage, it stops them thinking about alcohol, it returns their mind to normal where they are not thinking about having a drink, from the moment they wake up.

For the first few days he won't feel any different and it doesn't change your mind, he will not notice it. One day after about a week, he should comment late in the evening, do you know, I haven't thought about alcohol all day.

Thank you RH for that valuable info. I will pass it onto him. When his mind comes back I will get him to come on here. He needs to start talking and exploring! Will show him your post x

Kind Regards

JulieAnne

Your description of taking campral is better than mine! I found it hard to put into words how it worked for me. The realisation that I'd not thought about alcohol all day was awesome, as was not thinking about it when I woke up.

Yay! That's so good to hear that it works......I am on day 6 of being sober & currently in a 14 day outpatient program.....I start Carpramal this Friday.....they took my Ativan away since I am out of w/drawl period. I started a journal yesterday which I am finding very therapeutic & bought some nice inspirational stickers & other artsy stuff to make it look pretty.....kinda like a scrapbook of my upcoming journey.....I totally recommend......have a wonderful day everyone! We can all do this 💪🏻.....

Yes, once you are out of the withdrawal period, there is no advantage to keep taking benzos (Ativan in your case).

As you are an outpatient, try to keep yourself away from any routine that would lead to alcohol. If you can bring forward the start  of the Campral, then please do, but I understand that most medics are set in their ways and routine and will not deviate from schedule.

Remember to take the medication as prescribed. Which is two tablets, three times a day, unless you are under 9.5 stone (as you are American I think, that'll be 133lbs) and then it is four tablets in a day.

I second everything RHGB has just said. The sooner you start taking campral the better. It worked for him and it worked for me.

you must keep taking the tablets 2 tablets 3 times a day. It's a bit like a course of antibiotics, you feel much better but you must complete the course. Just because you are no longer thinking and craving alcoho, doesn't mean you don't need the tablets. I took them for about 11 months. I think RHGB  stopped after 7 months

Hi Oceanbreeze. Let us know how you get on with Campral. Am crossing everything for you. Keep talking to us x Hubby has taken his first dose no side effects so far x

Thanks Joanna. Hubby still wants to start Naltrexone or Nalfemene. Just needs to heal his mind and body first. Any queries I will mssge RH x

So pleased that your hubby has got a prescription for campral.

I would recommend campral to anyone who wants to stop drinking. I took it for just under 12 months and like RHGB, it worked. Two tablets three times a day. It takes about a week to kick in, but taken correctly and regularly it does stop cravings.

Its hard to describe the way after a short while, you suddenly realise you've not thought about alcohol all morning, before you realise it you've gone hours without any cravings or images of drinking. For the first time in ages, I felt normal, no cravings or thoughts about drinking. After a month I started socialising again, and was quite happy not having a drink. Before the tablets I felt hard done by having soft drinks when all the rest were drinking. However once the tablets had kicked in, all thoughts of drinking had gone.

I didn't notice any side effects, and the only problems I had was remembering to take the tablets!.

I still enjoy a few drinks when out, or share a bottle of wine with my husband. Campral gave me stability, the opportunity to explore why I needed alcohol. I realised I didn't need a drink to give me confidence, or help with sleeping. I started eating better and felt a lot healthier. Before cam

Sorry

before campral, I was buying ready meals, anything that didn't need much attention. I utilised my time better. I didn't need to stay in bed for hours with a hangover. I started cooking from scratch and stopped the junk food.

campral should be taken straight after detoxing, or ideally at the same time. I think when people say it didn't work was because they relapsed in the danger zone, i.e. they finished detox and then had a gap before starting campral.

am glad you've managed to get campral for your hubby and that it works for him. Anything I can help with, just ask

Thanks vickylou. He finishes detox on mon starts Campral tomorrow. I am praying that it works for him. He is having CBT too. Reluctant to use AA as its not been working for him just lately x we try and cook from scratch asap as I follow Slimming World which is low fat low sugar and he benefits from it too. Unfortunately coz if the booze the weight has dropped off of him so now he is underweight x hosp have given him Fresubin (I think they are foul) x Cross everything . Thinking of you all x

Bless you both JulieAnne ..your hubby is blessed to have your strength and support ...Let's hope the CBT and Campral work for him now and it's onwards and upwards for you both ...AA never worked for me either ... was never sure who or what my higher power was ...lol

Take Care xxx