Hi there
Am going to my GP tomorrow to get my counselling approved and while I've got a fair amount of Nal left I was wondering if I should tell my GP about TSM. He prescribed me Nal but on a daily basis for Cravings and I don't get it covered by medicare- its private so costs me $A140 for 30 tablets. I'm fine with that but am wondering if I should tell him about TSM since so far its been pretty successful for me. On one hand maybe he would convert and then he could be added to the list. On the other hand he might decide not to keep prescribing Nal to me if I tell him the truth?
MD

Hi there - personally I would say that the Nal is really helping - and ask for a continued script - you are very early days yet and could be having a good honeymoon period - but I would probably not assume yet that you are 'there'. It would be great if you were - but I am confused as to when you started - in your signature you say 6/1/2015 - is that June or Jan 2015? Or did you mean 2016? If you meant 2016 then you are such early days yet! You know your GP - do you think he/she would be receptive to TSM? why do you have to explain it all - maybe for now just ask for a repeat RX and carry on as usual? Down the road, I would possibly show your GP the pages from the back of the book for professionals - and explain the way that you were taking it - but only way down the road - but of course all this is just my opinion! Let us know what happens .....

hugs, Maggie

Moderatedrinker,

I agree with Maggie.

Just keep getting the script for now and maybe in six months to a year explain the process to him. Again, this is just an opinion.

Most doctors have enough patients that they would have a really hard time getting more patients just for AUD especially since that is not their specialty; however, it would be nice for doctors to have a couple of copies of the book in the waiting room if they do prescribe nal for TSM, but that is another issue.

I did tell my doctor, but she is a lot younger and very open to alternative medicine. She believes in using herbs over medicine for a lot of things. I told her last appointment and she said she will have to some research, but she did tell me she believes patients need to be their own advocate and find what works for them. I did tell her that a couple of clinics use this method here in the US (so I don't sound crazy), and how it isn't popular because it isn't profitable. I explained how a lot of abstinence based rehab facilities would close because they would no longer have repeat customers. I also told her about C-3 and C-3 Europe, and them approaching congress to help spread the word and in hopes to change the way doctors see AUD.

If you decide tell your doctor, go in with more than just the copy of the book or the pages for the medical professional. Go in with studies that have been published, the websites of C-3 and C-3 Europe, and the clinic names that actually use this methods here in the US and other countries. The more that you have to back up this method the better. Otherwise, your doctor may think TSM is like Atkins. Sure Atkins works but who can live without carbs or low carbs forever...it is really hard.

I compared being abstinence to Atkins and TSM to healthy eating and counting calories. For both work, but no one has to suffer with TSM (take away all my carbs or alcohol and everyone suffers) and there is never a craving once cured and no worries about binging if exposed to alcohol (expose me to carbs after a no/low carb diet and I binge...just like alcohol).

Jaba

P.S. I had no clue that medicare doesn't cover nal! What a load of crap! It makes no sense to me, for they will pay for the high BP meds, diabetes meds, etc, because of the side effects of AUD, but not a drug to help you stop drinking....go figure.

I think Nal is covered on Medicare in the US (I may be mistaken), but MD is in Australia.

It's odd, I can't find a single doctor's website talking about TSM there. There are a couple of listing in C3's Find a Physician page, but they're not verified. I wonder if it's the attitude or if there's some huge liability involved.

There's a tri-fold for physicians on the C3 website, maybe put that on top of the packet. There's info on C3 Europe's site too, like NICE guidelines for Selincro, which is prescribed per TSM (though the docs there mostly don't know of TSM). Maybe some material from the Contral clinic website? I know they have a chart there showing drinking levels vs. weeks on TSM. Might be interesting to rattle the cages of the local universities, especially if they have an addiction studies department.

Hmmmm thanks friends . I think you're right early days and it is 2016 Maggie. I think I'll just ask to renew .

Regards
mD

M.D.,

I am sorry I didn't realize you are in Australia, for I didn't catch an accent.

Maybe things will change in time and the government/medicare will realize that it would be worth covering nal in the long run.

Jaba

Ha Jaba you didnt catch my Aussie accent. I lived in the UK for many years maybe that's why

Well I went to my GP this morning. He is out of his depth with all the form filling he's got to do. I think he made a mistake with the prescription last time so it should be cheaper this time. He was very pleased for me that the Nal was helping with the cravings. I didn't want to push him so I didn't mention the TSM. Addictions are not his specialty and I think if I told him he would get more overloaded as he would feel he would have to research it all. Poor man - he couldn't get the printer to work and he said no wonder his blood pressure was so high!

Thanks JSP, Maggie and Jaba for your advice. I will leave it a while before I think about raising TSM with my GP again. For now Im happy to be able to get the Nal on prescription. Save the world later.

M.D.,

I do hope the nal is cheaper, for that would be one less cost for you.

I am glad your appointment went well.


Jaba

MD,

I recently had another gp doctor visit and for the second time told him how great the TSM was working. And for the second time he just nodded his head and went about his business. Which is very unusual for him. My wife and I laugh at how he just sits down and chats away about anything you ask him about. Hmmmmm maybe I should ask him if he has anyone else using the TSM method and that will get him to talk about it. But it seems strange that a caring Dr has no interest in something that is working so well for one of his patients.

So I agree with the rest of the crowd just go about your business for awhile until you are further along. No reason to upset the apple cart.