Selincro
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Norway
Posts: 39
Selincro
Have anyone tried Selincro? It is supposed to be a drug that helps one moderate ones drinking as opposed to subutex that make it impossible to drink pretty much at all. I am gonna try to talk to my doctor about giving it to me. What do you guys think?
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
I'd be very wary of any drug that promises you can drink in moderation on it.
Personally my recovery started when I cut alcohol out of my life Good Fortune.
Trying to keep it in there just bought more and more misery.
I've never heard of selincro, or subutex being used for alcoholism, I;m afraid.
It's best to check with your Dr, I think about your options if you're determined to go this route - what works for someone else may not be suitable for you...best to be safe
D
Personally my recovery started when I cut alcohol out of my life Good Fortune.
Trying to keep it in there just bought more and more misery.
I've never heard of selincro, or subutex being used for alcoholism, I;m afraid.
It's best to check with your Dr, I think about your options if you're determined to go this route - what works for someone else may not be suitable for you...best to be safe
D
Member
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,090
For me, I drank to get drunk. If I was in a situation where I had to "moderate", I just didn't drink. So there was no desire for something in between. Either drink to get trashed or not drink at all.
Moderation? Why? Pfffffft. I'd rather drink swamp water.
I just don't drink, ever. Much easier and a heck of a lot cheaper.
Moderation? Why? Pfffffft. I'd rather drink swamp water.
I just don't drink, ever. Much easier and a heck of a lot cheaper.
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Norway
Posts: 39
Thanks for your input. Norway approved Selincro just a few days ago, being the first country in the world that approves it. This new pill reduses the need to drink more and more, and makes it possible to stop after a few glasses. It curbs the release of dopamine, that alcoholics get an excess of when we drink. It is of course not recomended for those that have alcohol related physical problems, or that shouldn`t drink at all for other reasons. I think no matter what I am definately going to give it a chance. I have never drank every day, but excessively in social situations a couple of times a week.
I didn`t mean Subutex, I meant Antabus! Sorry
I didn`t mean Subutex, I meant Antabus! Sorry
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Getting to where I want to be
Posts: 502
Originally Posted by GoodFortune 
Have anyone tried Selincro? It is supposed to be a drug that helps one moderate ones drinking as opposed to subutex that make it impossible to drink pretty much at all. I am gonna try to talk to my doctor about giving it to me. What do you guys think?
Edit: ooops, I see you beat me to it!
now's the time
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 2,181
That's very interesting. I guess if it curbed the excess dopamine then theoretically it would cause us to experience alcohol the way others (non-alcoholics) do. If it were me, I wouldn't try it, just because I'd be nervous about taking a brand-new drug that affected my brain chemistry. But if you do decide to take it, let us know how it goes... it's a fascinating idea and I'd be very curious to hear about it.
Keeping it simple!
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Surrey, BC
Posts: 3,282
I've never heard of this but I wouldn't take it. I am more into getting drunk to get the buzz rather than moderating and not getting the buzz. That is why I don't drink anymore. I drink to get drunk.
Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Denver
Posts: 27
Not to hijack this thread, but question: alcoholics release more dopamine when drinking? I had heard about a physical difference being that we don't tend to get as bad of a hangover, enabling us to drink more. But more releasing more dopamine? I hadn't heard that. Iiiiinteresting.
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Norway
Posts: 39
The pill wont be available for the regular consumer untill next year, but I will definately tell you about how it goes after I go on it. I don`t say that it`s for everyone, but for someone with a "moderate" addiction, with that I mean that I have never drank every day or alone. I drink solely in social situations, but I just can`t seem to limit the alcohol intake because as soon as I get one in me I just want more and more. I will definately be willing to give it a try!
I have never heared that alcoholics doesn`t get as bad hangover as other people. My hangover have gotten worse and worse as the years have gone by as my liver has been less able to process the alcohol correctly. I have other friends that never seem to get hangovers, but that doesn`t abuse alcohol. It`s an extremely complex matter, but they have proved through brain scans that the brain of an alcoholic responds way different to the alcohol than a "normal" brain would. Strengthening the belief that it is a disease. This might not be the case of all alcoholics, but it seems pretty well documented. The release of dopamine in the brain is the thing that makes alcohol feel so incredible good for us and this pill curbs the release of dopamine so that it doesn`t trigger the want for more and more alcohol.
I have never heared that alcoholics doesn`t get as bad hangover as other people. My hangover have gotten worse and worse as the years have gone by as my liver has been less able to process the alcohol correctly. I have other friends that never seem to get hangovers, but that doesn`t abuse alcohol. It`s an extremely complex matter, but they have proved through brain scans that the brain of an alcoholic responds way different to the alcohol than a "normal" brain would. Strengthening the belief that it is a disease. This might not be the case of all alcoholics, but it seems pretty well documented. The release of dopamine in the brain is the thing that makes alcohol feel so incredible good for us and this pill curbs the release of dopamine so that it doesn`t trigger the want for more and more alcohol.
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 4
Hi, I found this thread because I have taken Selincro (nalmefene) for the first time today, about four hours ago in fact. I felt rather odd for the first couple of hours. It reminded me of cannabis, which I haven't touched for years, but not as much fun. In fact I found the experience quite unpleasant for a while. The soles of my feet were itching badly and I was what I can only describe as a bit zonked. It struck me that maybe the way the drug worked was to make you feel so uncomfortable you just went to bed.
Anyway, I am not being fair on it because it is the first time I have taken it and I was rather foolish because I was working at the time doing remote work for an employer on my computer. I was able to complete what I was doing and then requested a break - the reason I had taken the pill was that the instructions tell you to take a pill 1-2 hours before you intend to drink.
I went out and had one pint of lager where I would normally have had two pints (in the UK a pint of beer counts as two units of alcohol). That was partly because I was woozy, partly because I was moving quite slowly and carefully and partly because I had to be back at my computer in half an hour.
I have since returned and the wooziness has reduced somewhat. I have just finished my shift and am now going out again. To drink between 20 and 24 units of alcohol would not be abnormal for me. I am going to try to stick to no more than 10 units today, which is probably about twice what I think is sensible and about three times what the UK Government recommends. Tell you later how it goes.
Selincro has just been licensed for use in the UK (it is May 29, 2013 and it was licensed about two weeks ago). By the way, I would not recommend trying limited drinking to anyone other than someone who is already drinking heavily and wants to reduce or stop or who wants to reduce at first and then stop. It would not be a good idea for an abstinent former alcoholic to try to treat it as a route back to "moderate" drinking.
Anyway, I am not being fair on it because it is the first time I have taken it and I was rather foolish because I was working at the time doing remote work for an employer on my computer. I was able to complete what I was doing and then requested a break - the reason I had taken the pill was that the instructions tell you to take a pill 1-2 hours before you intend to drink.
I went out and had one pint of lager where I would normally have had two pints (in the UK a pint of beer counts as two units of alcohol). That was partly because I was woozy, partly because I was moving quite slowly and carefully and partly because I had to be back at my computer in half an hour.
I have since returned and the wooziness has reduced somewhat. I have just finished my shift and am now going out again. To drink between 20 and 24 units of alcohol would not be abnormal for me. I am going to try to stick to no more than 10 units today, which is probably about twice what I think is sensible and about three times what the UK Government recommends. Tell you later how it goes.
Selincro has just been licensed for use in the UK (it is May 29, 2013 and it was licensed about two weeks ago). By the way, I would not recommend trying limited drinking to anyone other than someone who is already drinking heavily and wants to reduce or stop or who wants to reduce at first and then stop. It would not be a good idea for an abstinent former alcoholic to try to treat it as a route back to "moderate" drinking.
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Originally Posted by cantata
I would not recommend trying limited drinking to anyone other than someone who is already drinking heavily and wants to reduce or stop or who wants to reduce at first and then stop. It would not be a good idea for an abstinent former alcoholic to try to treat it as a route back to "moderate" drinking.
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Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 2,937
Was it prescribed for you in the UK?
Have you tried anything else like vivitrol or antebuse?
Was it recommended to you by someone - healthcare professional?
Sorry if I am asking too many questions, I am just interested.
I'm in the UK too and work with the NHS so I would be interested to learn more.
My best to you
x
Have you tried anything else like vivitrol or antebuse?
Was it recommended to you by someone - healthcare professional?
Sorry if I am asking too many questions, I am just interested.
I'm in the UK too and work with the NHS so I would be interested to learn more.
My best to you
x
Member
Join Date: May 2013
Posts: 4
Hi, I’m back and am heading for bed soon but may return in a day or two if anyone’s interested. I have managed to get by today with just 4 pints of lager (8 units of alcohol) no wine, no gin and tonic and no cognac. During my second session in the pub I did think about how I felt and what I wanted. I didn’t feel as though I would like to plan my drinking night ahead, as I might normally. I didn’t feel like going out and buying sweets and chocolate. I didn’t really feel like cooking the sirloin steak and other stuff I had in the fridge at home. Nobody was offering me sex, but if they had been, I’m quite sure I would have passed. I didn’t really feel like anything at all much. So the drug must have been acting on the part of my brain that normally goes into death drive mode. The beer was quite pleasant and the music was so laid back that for a while I nearly wondered with the illogical part of my mind if it was really on the speaker system or just in my head.
Anyway, I came here only looking for some info on how nalmefene worked but since a couple of people are interested...
doggonecar - I have been a heavy drinker all my life (in my youth I was also a very heavy smoker and finally I managed to give that up nearly 20 years ago). With me, I think excessive alcohol consumption is something to do with my body’s craving for easy sugars because every time I stop drinking I get a strong desire for sweets and chocolate bars etc (I’m late onset diabetic by the way).
Unlike cigarettes, I’ve never managed to ditch alcohol. I hated cigarettes, coughing, smelling bad, damaging my lungs, but until I really tried hard I couldn’t quit. When I did really quit (for the second time) I developed such a hatred of smoking that I’m a pain to be with if you’re a smoker. I can’t stand it.
With alcohol, I can’t face stopping altogether because I don’t hate it in the same way as cigarettes. I don’t get embarrassingly drunk, fall over, talk loudly or pester people. I really enjoy good quality wine, aperitifs, cocktails and cognac after a meal and I look forward to those things particularly in social situations and when travelling and on holiday. But the trouble is that my drinking easily escalates into solitary downing of beer after beer in dreary pubs with people I generally dislike, followed by quadruple gin and tonics and cognacs until I collapse into bed and don’t get up until it’s time to start again. It’s very bad for my health, my weight and my pocket.
But I function. I reach a level and stick there unlike the character Nicholas Cage plays in Leaving Las Vegas, where it consumes everything and gets worse and worse. I won’t drink myself to death although my risk of dying of some things is a lot higher than many other people’s.
In the past, I’ve been to AA, but I’m a not a joining sort of person nor a religiousy sort (yes I know). I have stopped drinking altogether on my own from time to time though and for most of my life I’ve operated this way. I drink, it gets out of hand, I stop. I drink, it gets out of hand, I stop etc. Usually I can stop without too much anguish since discovering a drug called acamprosate, which my doctor prescribes.
When it’s time to stop, I start taking the acamprosate and watch videos for a couple of days. If I don’t get stressed and I can keep it up for more than a week, I can usually manage to remain abstinent for four or five months while I lose the weight I’ve put on and restore my health.
Last year though, due to financial problems, I had to uproot and head back to London to work in July/August and I’ve been pretty stressed ever since and haven’t managed to get back on to the wagon as I need to do. So that’s the background to my taking nalmefene (Selincro), which is newly licensed in the UK and parts of Europe (but not in the US). Because I’ve found it unusually difficult to get on the wagon this time, I’m seeing if I can lower the bar a bit by reducing my drinking for a week or two in order to make the jump.
I’m sure that many people on this BB would advise me to remain abstinent for good if I make it, but I doubt I can manage that.
Sasha4 - I have not tried vivitrol and don’t know anything about it. I have in the past tried antabuse. The problem with antabuse is that if you really want a drink, you can put up with the unpleasant taste. I used to take it at the same time as making an “acamprosate jump”. My GP used to prescribe it but refuses now because it is contra-indicated with some of my pills (I think the Metformin). I find it also helps if I check into a health farm like Champneys for a few days to stop (but it’s expensive) or even just a quiet English hotel with a badly stocked bar. The last few times I have just done it at home with videos.
Nalmefene was not recommended to me. I am a national newspaper sub-editor and I edited a story about the licensing of the drug. The newspaper I worked for only used a couple of paragraphs but I read the whole press release about the tests and the reduction in consumption achieved, then did some more background reading on the internet and then asked my GP to prescribe it as an experiment, which he did, stressing he had no experience of the drug.
There were some raised eyebrows at Boots the Chemist, as well, as it isn’t in any of the UK drug manuals yet and they hadn’t heard of it, so they finally had to open the packet and read the instructions before they could advise me how to take it and then give it me.
My experience so far is that the instructions should really advise people to take it first on a day when they are not expecting to work or operate machinery or drive a car or take on much responsibility for anything much as I found the effect quite powerful. I think it has more or less worn off now. Thanks. Time for bed. Will report how it goes.
Anyway, I came here only looking for some info on how nalmefene worked but since a couple of people are interested...
doggonecar - I have been a heavy drinker all my life (in my youth I was also a very heavy smoker and finally I managed to give that up nearly 20 years ago). With me, I think excessive alcohol consumption is something to do with my body’s craving for easy sugars because every time I stop drinking I get a strong desire for sweets and chocolate bars etc (I’m late onset diabetic by the way).
Unlike cigarettes, I’ve never managed to ditch alcohol. I hated cigarettes, coughing, smelling bad, damaging my lungs, but until I really tried hard I couldn’t quit. When I did really quit (for the second time) I developed such a hatred of smoking that I’m a pain to be with if you’re a smoker. I can’t stand it.
With alcohol, I can’t face stopping altogether because I don’t hate it in the same way as cigarettes. I don’t get embarrassingly drunk, fall over, talk loudly or pester people. I really enjoy good quality wine, aperitifs, cocktails and cognac after a meal and I look forward to those things particularly in social situations and when travelling and on holiday. But the trouble is that my drinking easily escalates into solitary downing of beer after beer in dreary pubs with people I generally dislike, followed by quadruple gin and tonics and cognacs until I collapse into bed and don’t get up until it’s time to start again. It’s very bad for my health, my weight and my pocket.
But I function. I reach a level and stick there unlike the character Nicholas Cage plays in Leaving Las Vegas, where it consumes everything and gets worse and worse. I won’t drink myself to death although my risk of dying of some things is a lot higher than many other people’s.
In the past, I’ve been to AA, but I’m a not a joining sort of person nor a religiousy sort (yes I know). I have stopped drinking altogether on my own from time to time though and for most of my life I’ve operated this way. I drink, it gets out of hand, I stop. I drink, it gets out of hand, I stop etc. Usually I can stop without too much anguish since discovering a drug called acamprosate, which my doctor prescribes.
When it’s time to stop, I start taking the acamprosate and watch videos for a couple of days. If I don’t get stressed and I can keep it up for more than a week, I can usually manage to remain abstinent for four or five months while I lose the weight I’ve put on and restore my health.
Last year though, due to financial problems, I had to uproot and head back to London to work in July/August and I’ve been pretty stressed ever since and haven’t managed to get back on to the wagon as I need to do. So that’s the background to my taking nalmefene (Selincro), which is newly licensed in the UK and parts of Europe (but not in the US). Because I’ve found it unusually difficult to get on the wagon this time, I’m seeing if I can lower the bar a bit by reducing my drinking for a week or two in order to make the jump.
I’m sure that many people on this BB would advise me to remain abstinent for good if I make it, but I doubt I can manage that.
Sasha4 - I have not tried vivitrol and don’t know anything about it. I have in the past tried antabuse. The problem with antabuse is that if you really want a drink, you can put up with the unpleasant taste. I used to take it at the same time as making an “acamprosate jump”. My GP used to prescribe it but refuses now because it is contra-indicated with some of my pills (I think the Metformin). I find it also helps if I check into a health farm like Champneys for a few days to stop (but it’s expensive) or even just a quiet English hotel with a badly stocked bar. The last few times I have just done it at home with videos.
Nalmefene was not recommended to me. I am a national newspaper sub-editor and I edited a story about the licensing of the drug. The newspaper I worked for only used a couple of paragraphs but I read the whole press release about the tests and the reduction in consumption achieved, then did some more background reading on the internet and then asked my GP to prescribe it as an experiment, which he did, stressing he had no experience of the drug.
There were some raised eyebrows at Boots the Chemist, as well, as it isn’t in any of the UK drug manuals yet and they hadn’t heard of it, so they finally had to open the packet and read the instructions before they could advise me how to take it and then give it me.
My experience so far is that the instructions should really advise people to take it first on a day when they are not expecting to work or operate machinery or drive a car or take on much responsibility for anything much as I found the effect quite powerful. I think it has more or less worn off now. Thanks. Time for bed. Will report how it goes.
Administrator
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,444
With alcohol, I can’t face stopping altogether because I don’t hate it in the same way as cigarettes. I don’t get embarrassingly drunk, fall over, talk loudly or pester people. I really enjoy good quality wine, aperitifs, cocktails and cognac after a meal and I look forward to those things particularly in social situations and when travelling and on holiday. But the trouble is that my drinking easily escalates into solitary downing of beer after beer in dreary pubs with people I generally dislike, followed by quadruple gin and tonics and cognacs until I collapse into bed and don’t get up until it’s time to start again. It’s very bad for my health, my weight and my pocket.
But I function.
But I function.
The great dream of every alcoholic is a pill that will give us control.
I've seen people proclaim various medication based methods - the common denominator is they all work, maybe, for a little while.
Then the status quo returns.
The problem is alcoholism is progressive - you keep feeding it, even just a little, and the progression will continue apace.
There's no pill for that IMO.
Reads to me like your con list for drinking is longer than your pros. I reckon you'd be far better off biting the bullet and trying abstinence.
I'll gladly eat my words if you come back in, say, a year and tell me I was wrong tho
best wishes
D
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