Sober due to Naltrexone
 

Hi!

I'm Greener. I live in Valdosta, Georgia pretty much all my life. Normal childhood. Normal experimentation growing up including alcohol. Didn't think much of it until I got into middle age. I was drinking every day. Not much at first, but it was more and more year after year. My doctor said I had to stop because it was interfering with my other mediaction. I figured, OK I'll stop.

Then I realized, I couldn't stop. I tried and tried so many times. I was an alcoholic! I tried AA, RR, psychlogists, stress training courses, meditation and none of it seemed to work. The doctor that told me to quit told me AA was the best way, but I told him that I relapsed so many times and didn't think I had it in me. So he prescribed me Camparal. I took that drug and it didn't do anything that was noticable. I tried Antebuse for a week, but the side effects were unbearable. I asked him about baclofen, because I read something on that, but he wouldn't prescribe that.

He then suggested Naltrexone, but he wanted me to take it differently than how other doctors prescribed it. Instead of taking it every day and trying to be abstinent, he said take it only before I drink if I felt that I had to drink and not to take it when I could stay dry. After 5 months of this seeming endless treatment, my drinking got easier and easier to control until finally I could say no and mean it! I am now free of alcohol and it is easy for me to stay dry now.

I am so happy now. I realize that I should have joined this site earlier, but I thought it was only for those who were ex-alcoholics. I was mistaken now that i read a lot of the material here. There are many ways to get to be sober. I am glad my doctor had a way that worked for me.

I mistakenly posted my first few posts on a sinclair method thread that I found because I was searching for others who used Naltrexone. The folks there said since I was new I should post here first to introduce myself. So here I am. Happy to share my new-found happiness and freedom from alcohol.

RG

I got a prescription of it today, and have been doing a lot of reading on the subject. Sinclair method worked for you?

Hi and Welcome,

I'm glad you found something that works for you.

Hi :wave:
Welcome again.

I found out later that was what its called. My doctor never mentioned the term and still doesnt. to answer your qestion, yes it worked but like I said it took 5 long months.

RG

I'm wondering about the long-term effects. I read a lot about it, but most were similar to you.

I was prescribed it to help with cravings while I didn't drink. I actually learned about that here on a chat and asked my doc about it.

That's great Greener!

Do you feel that you have quit alcohol for good and all?

Those first few months are real hard and it's good to know there are some alternative ways to get through them.

Mark

Welcome to SR Greener :c032: Thanks for sharing your story with us.

I look forward to reading more about your recovery.

Take Care,

NB

Yes I feel in my heart that this is it. It's different from the times I have quit in the past. I don't have any desire for that horrible liquid anymore. When I quit when I was on counseling style methods I still wanted alcohol and that buzz real bad. Its gone now. I will post if I have any rough patches because life is complicated and who knows how I am going to feel in another few months.

RG

What did your doctor say? Take it while not drinking or take it only when you thought you had to drink?

RG

Yes it did, but my doctor didn't call it that. I only found that people were calling it Sinclaire here. Also, I raed something about it on Wikipedia I think. My doctor never said anything about the continue drinking as you usually do I read on the other thread. He said take it if I thought I had to drink and not to if I felt I could make it through the day.

RG

Greener,

How long has it been since your last drink?

2 months just about, so I'm still new to sobriety. I have to start somewhere :)

RG

Take it to help me stay not drinking - ie every morning while doing the other things like therapy and AA

other people have told me thats the way most doctors prescribe it. Mine did it a different way which people tell me is close to sinclair method. But sinclair method sounds like a way to gain control rather than a road to abstinence. I dont see why a person couldnt use it for abstinence like my doctor had me do.

RG

Welcome Greener. After seeing this post, I went over and read the other. I'm kinda shocked by the reactions. Anyway, I'm only on day 3 and am using abstinence only but am intriged by Naltrexone. The first time I ever heard of it was from PurpleCat the other day. Personally, I'm all for ANYTHING that helps get through the pain of trying not to drink. I'm not sure why a drug can't be part of a recovery process in conjunction with other programs if it help you not drink. Sounds like that is what PurpleCat is doing and it is working for her.

Again welcome.

Welcome to SR Greener! There are all kinds of methods for getting and staying sober (I chose the M&M method...massivie quantities... yes chocolate) whatever works for YOU is what matters. SR is a great place, hope you keep posting.

Not yet - I can start to report on it next week. I haven't taken it yet - will start on Tuesday.

Greener glad to hear that Naltrexone is doing the job for you, when it was prescibed to me I was told Naltrexone is only helpful when it is used as part of an addiction treatment program like AA.

I was one of those folks that it did nothing for, (I wish it had) but I know a lot of people that it really helped them get through thier first month or 2 sober in AA.

Just to verify that what I was told was correct I went to the following site Naltrexone: MedlinePlus Drug Information and found the below quote from it:
So are you doing anything except taking the Naltrexone?

I assume your doctor is not going to have you use it long term because there are some really nasty side effects according to that same site.

The medication is now a generic, so the company that originally produced it... I forgot who it was... came up with the original directions which are still in use. The directions do not reflect other off-label physician's directions that reflect recent studies and research. They are unlikely to change them now. My doctor had me taking it only when I felt like I had to drink and not to take it when I didn't drink. So now that I'm not drinking any longer I am not taking any more Naltrexone. So I dont have to worry about any side effects.

Oh, I had no counseling or support group at all. It really helped me not to focus on the addiction because I was doing other things.

Still, I think, whatever works, do it!

RG