hereigo

Hello All,

I am a longtime alcohol abuser. I do not dig AA, and I have tried Naltrexone and the Eskapa method, but the side effects of nausea were intolerable. I took Nal orally for 60 days, but did not experience decreased craving, only decreased drunkeness. I still drank the same. As I understand it, one has to be on Nal for 6-12 months to gain the benefits. That is according to The Sinclair Method web site.

I have recently heard of a shot that can be administered that would reduce craving for alcohol 30 days. But I do not know what this could be. Now, this cannot be Antabuse, because that is geared toward aversion therapy, not reduction in craving (it makes you ill if you drink while on it). It cannot be Campral, I think, because that only comes in pill form. (?)

Does any informed person know about the medicine of which I am speaking? I believe it costs around $800 per shot, and works for 30 days to greatly decrease craving for alcohol.

God Bless

Dee74

Welcome hereigo

it's probably a vitamin thing, but I'm guessing
I have no idea.

Is this the one where you take these shots for 30 days and then BAM no more cravings ever?

Based on my experience on cravings, I'd save your money - seriously - or at least get a money back guarantee

I put in a lot of time and effort - and had a lot of support here - and eventually my cravings ceased to bother me.

Took a lot longer than 30 days, but it didn't cost me a cent, and I know it's a skill I have for life now and I can trust my recovery, it's not dependent on any shots.

But hey...different strokes - best of luck with whatever you decide
D

Impurrfect

(((hereigo))) - Welcome to SR! I was curious, so looked it up and all I could find was that there is an injectable form of Naltrexone that is supposed to help "some people" with alcohol cravings. If you've already tried the Naltrexone orally, getting it in "shot form" would make the side effects a bit more potent (I would think), but honestly have no first-hand experience. I used to be a nurse (lost that career to addiction) and read through the side effects and risks - if this is something you're considering, you really need to talk to a dr. and be totally honest about your drinking and any other medications you may be taking.

Alcohol wasn't my "thing", crack was and I had cravings for a while, but the bigger distance I put between me and my last use, the better it got. It wasn't easy, probably one of the toughest things I've ever gone through, but I have a nice chunk of time in recovery.

FWIW, I don't go to meetings (though have in the past and still use what I learned there), have spent a lot of time on SR, and have tried things that others tried. Some worked, some not so well, but I wanted NOT to have my life ruled by a substance bad enough, that something clicked. I know I'm not "cured" but for today, I don't want to use.

Hugs and prayers,

Amy

suki44883

Unfortunately, there is no magic shot or magic pill to cure alcoholism. You have to do the hard work yourself and the most important part of that is do.not.drink.no.matter.what. It only takes a few days to get past the physical withdrawal from alcohol. After that, it's all mental. You have to be strong enough to face the cravings and not give into them. Having a good support group can help tremendously, but in the end, you have to be willing to do the work.

Marcus

The shot I think you are referring to is Vivitrol. I was offered this for opiate dependence, but I think it is used more for Alcohol (and was told without insurance it was around $700-$800 a month). Vivitrol and Naltrexone are one in the same. I have never taken the shot and have no experience with it.

soberdude70

The naltrexone shot is made to be slow release so it probably is about the same dose as the pill you just don't have to remember to take it every day. Side effects probably wouldn't be worse, nausea 'might' actually be better because the medicine is not going through your stomach.

I'm pretty sure that in theory naltrexone only blocks the euphoric effects of alcohol while drinking. It prevents reinforcement; I don't think it has anything directly to do with lowering cravings. Of course if you drink on it and don't feel good, that might decrease future cravings.

AA4life

Never heard of these meds before. Hmmm, tried Campral but didn't stick with it for very long. Oddly enough AA has been the only thing that has ever worked for me.

freethinking

I believe it is Vivitrol. My psychiatrist gave it as an option but I didn't want it and took a pill instead for a while (I think it may have been Revia). None of these have ever helped me though because my "urges" were all out of habit and emotional....and less about anything chemical. This is just my experience only, and I know others who did well with a combo of this and even Antabuse.

RV GTO

Yes, it's Vivitrol, an injectable extended release form of Naltrexone.

I guess I'm one of the few who has taken Naltrexone and it has reduced my cravings significantly. Also, if you drink while taking it, you can still get drunk, but the euphoria is significantly reduced.

Campril did absolutely nothing for me.

hereigo

Thanks to all who have responded. I feel desperate. I cannot stop drinking for more than a day or two at a time, and my usage is heavy. I agree that after the physiological withdrawal passes after a couple days, it is then a mental challenge in order to exert the power to resist the cravings. I have not given up yet. I have tried several times to go to AA over the years, but I just don't get it. I won't go deeply into the philosophical reasons why, but I have never been a joiner. I cannot admit I am powerless, because I obviously have the power to choose to drink or not to drink. Every action one makes is a result of a choice that one makes. I cannot believe that "God" will save me, but rather, I must take the steps to save myself. But I have not taken those steps. If I thought I was being controlled by an evil spirit or a witch or Satan (or whatever you want to call it) that was making me drink, then I might be able to ascribe to AA. But that mindset does not jive with me. I do believe "Creator" gave most of us the power use our will to make decisions and take actions. How can I say I am powerless? Seems more like I am just weak-willed, not using my will power to quit using. Seems like a grim outlook.

Thanks again

Dee74

If you're convinced AA is not for you, there are other alternatives if you haven't considered them - like SMART or LifeRing:

http://www.soberrecovery.com/forums/...formation.html

There are also a few Rational Recovery threads here on SR in our Secular Connections forum, which you might like to look at:

Secular Connections - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

D

nvrbeentospain

Yeah, the only show I know of is long-acting naltrexone, which it sounds like wasn't super helpful for you. Do you have a psychiatrist? I would suggest checking with them about these types of medications. From my understanding, they can help, but you usually need some other tools to use along with them.

I agree with checking out other programs like SMART, which adopts the opposite view as AA about this powerlessness deal. However, while not an AA person myself, I think lots of people have similar reservations as you and find ways to make AA work. The big advantage of AA is that it's everywhere, and there are tons of meetings to check out in almost any town of any size. I live in a fairly large city, and we have very few SMART meetings and no Lifering meetings locally.

Also, about the powerlessness deal, I read Sober for Good recently, which is a book that profiles several hundred people who were able to successfully stop drinking. A slight majority used AA but powerlessness itself didn't appear to be a particularly useful construct for even the people who used AA. Instead, they saw this powerlessness thing as acceptance that you can't drink, which is true for all of us. So in the end, it's kind of semantics. I guess what I'm saying it that I wouldn't rule out AA right now. It sounds like you've got a very serious addiction and stopping on your own isn't working.

NYCDoglvr

I couldn't get or stay sober on my own so I went the AA route. Here are a few ideas that may help:

You don't have to drink. (I was shocked to learn this, it never occurred to me).

You just don't drink TODAY. That's all, stop projecting about the future. None of us have any power outside today.

ForeverDecember

I relate with this 100%.

My theory is, though, that while I am in control of taking the first drink, once it's in my system the alcohol seems to take control of me. How else can I explain the things I've done while under the influence that I would never do while sober? So that's how I accept that I have no power over the stuff.

I sort of looked at sobriety like something that was going to (basically) suck a lot in the first month. I don't know why this helped me, but I've always had a sort of "grit your teeth and get through it" attitude to unpleasant things (pap smears.... *shudder*). So I figured the first month of quitting was going to be just like that. No matter what I had to just grit my teeth and deal with it. The funny part is, that if any one else told me that I would have been incredulous at how oblivious and rude they were.

So I won't tell you to grit your teeth and bear it, because that's not something ANYONE else can tell another. But I told myself to do it, and it worked.

Dee74

The thing I had to ask myself when I was still drinking was - if it's a choice - why do I keep making the wrong choice?

D

langkah

Wow hereigo, hope you can find a Doctor who will understand and can give you a drug which will enable you to go more than two days without having to drink again. It sure sounds like you've tried a lot of them, but there's still many left to go through.

Hang in there, as new ones are offered every year. Looking on the bright side, with the steady stream of new drugs coming out you may not have too many years left to wait.

abbynorml

I felt the same way about AA, the God concept, and I didn't have time for the meetings and I could not relate to the people. I wrote AA off as "not for me"...
Well two dui's and a ton of misery later and I am suddenly desperate enough to realize I cant do this on my own, I NEED the help of people who have been where I have been and are now sober living productive, happy lives. Im an AA fan now.

Peter G

...

Just sayin'.

hereigo

You make a very good point.

Impurrfect

(((hereigo))) - I had the same problem, admitting I was powerless. It wasn't until I spiraled down further into addiction and had to deal with a whole lotta consequences, that I had to admit it. I saw it, initially, as a sign of weakness.

Admitting I was powerless didn't make me weak, it just helped me to realize I needed help. SR has worked for me, along with a few f2f friends/family, but I think when we really get miserable enough, we find our way to recovery.

Hugs and prayers,

Amy