I am new to the forum, today actually, I just posted a question elsewhere but this seems the place to retell the story. I have experienced several periods of sobriety and when i went back to drinking I was right back where I left off. I made it 8 years and returned but was doomed because I had an alcoholic friend and we were too dangerous to drink together, then afterward I stopped for periods of up to one year and when i started again I found myself back in the same place. I must admit that my lifestyle then was such that drinking was the focal point of my existence, I lived in South America and the expatriate community I associated with consisted of drinkers. So finally I quit for the last time 9 years and 3 months ago. I only discovered the The Sinclair Method while reading an article a week ago and have since found several discussions of the drug Naltrexone. I am intrigued because unlike many people on this forum I do not need to stop, I am sober. BUT, as all alcoholics do I would like to know if it is possible for me to take Naltrexone and have wine with a meal, go to visit a vineyard and sample a few wines, maybe have a social drink now and then. My situation now is different to the times I tried and failed in that I am now married and living back in the USA and do not have any alcoholic friends to associate with. I am retired and under no stress but we are planning a trip to Italy and I wondered if it would be possible to take with me the Naltrexone and enjoy wine with meals and the visit to a vineyard. Any ideas or thoughts will be appreciated. Please do not ask why, after 9 sober years I want to risk it, I just sincerely want to know if it might be possible to take Naltrexone and drink a little like a normal person. Please reply, anyone.

Hi Sailorbox!
That's my game plan: to drink a little bit now and then: like a "normal" person. But frankly, will I ever really be able to do that? I hope so but......

I can tell you this about Naltrexone: it has many bad side effects for some, little to nothing in others. I'm one of those who is experiencing "Nalovers" even on a small dose after 2 units of wine. It has made drinking a burden because I know I will feel crappy the next day - sometimes all day. And, Nal seems to take away my pleasure in enjoying things. Kinda strange. I feel MUCH better NOT drinking because I can feel stuff. Including sex.

I might just be unlucky but maybe it's a good thing because I have quickly reduced my drinking by 80%! That said, it was brought up on the forum about Post Acute Withdrawal from alcohol. It takes on average 2 years for a brain to rewire. Read up about all of it before you decide.

Frankly, if I had been AF for over 9 years, I don't think I'd risk it. Italy is great;love Tuscany - what I can remember of it since I drank like a fish when I was there! But there is SOOOO much more to do in Italy than drink.

It's a choice only you can make, but do not take this lightly. Naltrexone is a wonderful tool but it is not a magic cure no matter how much you would like it to be. Self discipline, healthy eating, exercise, emotional stability all factor into this.

Good luck no matter what, FA

Fresh Air, thanks for the reply. Believe me I have a great deal of knowledge about this addiction, I have studied it for more than 20 years but only recently discovered the Naltrexone phenomena most likely because I have not been actively concerned about drinking. I got sober and have remained so without any assistance from any outside source. As for taking a chance on drinking one more time I am very reluctant to try it again but still, the idea of a wine tasting in Italy is pretty compelling. I actually lived there for more than two years some time ago but was at that time on my first sober time of 8 years so i did not sample anything with alcohol. I will continue to look on this website for assistance but in the end the choice to try Nal and drinking will be mine and not taken lightly if I consider the risk to be too great.

Hi Sailorbox...we've had people w/ similar situations as yours - coming off a time of sobriety, in order to finally get "cured" of the craving, and also a desire to feel like a "normal" person re: alcohol. One person of that description is Ellpee, who went thru a rehab and then was sober 9 months and then started TSM. Here is a link to his thread - I think he has been pretty successful in meeting his original goals, to be able to drink moderately.

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2887&hilit=ellpee

The other person that comes to mind is CuriousOne. You can do a search for that name and look for her thread in Weekly Progress. She gave up 3 years of sobriety and was very successful w/in a few months, now drinking "2 or 3 times a week, 2 - 3 drinks".

As for your willingness to give up 9 years of sobriety, I DO understand that. I was not sober when I started TSM, but I had had patches of sobriety (one of 5 years), but I always felt restless and resentful that I couldn't drink normally w/ my friends...I reasoned I had a bad habit. True that! For me, Nal knocks down the overwhelming effect of alcohol to a manageable level, such that I can now drink a few, enjoy them, and not worry that I won't be able to stop.

So...what you're asking is NOT an unreasonable question, but one that will garner different opinions from readers, from "no way!" to "go for it!" You know your own history and self better than anyone and know just how slippery the slope might be for you. But if you CAN give the extinction process of TSM a chance to work, the effect is pretty rewarding for most (making alcohol either manageable or completely uninteresting).

Chrissie, thank you for your reply, I really do appreciate people taking an interest in this topic and our well being as we try to defeat the devil. I will look up the threads on the names that you mentioned. So can you or anyone answer a question about access to Nal without searching for a local doctor that will write the prescription. I have read that so many doctors just outright refuse to do so and instead want you to continue in some conventional program. I see that Canadian pharmacies offer "no prescription" Nal but it is usually pretty costly, I guess it is cheap considering the alternative, but also I saw a link to an online medical consulting group called MeMD that can perhaps issue a script to a regular pharmacy. I have also seen conversations about NoDict offered at Riverpharmacy. and that it is not working well but Naltima is and so on. Any suggestions in that area? Also if you can answer this, would a person in my situation, completely sober, that decided to try Nal just take ONE tablet 1 hour before taking that first glass of wine? Is that all there is to it if you are already sober? Seems just way too easy. But I do like easy. Please reply if I am posting this correctly so that you will read it . Thanks.

Yup, that would be pretty much it...simple, indeed. Whether you've been sober a long time, or one day, the only rule is to take Nal one hour before any occasion of drinking. The only adjustment to that would be that most "newbies" start @ 25 MG., to see how they do w/ side effects.

I trust you saw my answer re: scripts. in your other thread...

Yes Chrissie, thanks for the help. I have left a couple of questions all over this forum because I was not sure how it worked. Some places seem to just end while others continue to have postings. Just covering all bases. One more request, if I order the Nal from Allday should i go for a larger supply to cut down on the delivery cost or just forget about the cost aspect. I guess the financial side of my brain kicks in even on this sensitive type of subject. I will take your advice on the 25mg. but should I take it and NOT drink just to see the reaction i have. I do not want to chance drinking on anything less than the recommended 50 mg. dosage. Thanks.

To keep track of people's posts, you can click on their "profile" button below their post, and then in the next box, "search user's posts" (on the right hand side, small type). Often people don't stick to their own "progress thread" but tell what's going on w/ themselves in other threads, so that's a good way to follow someone.

If you're uncomfortable drinking w/o the full 50 mg. coverage, yeah, that's probably a reasonable idea: to take 25 w/o drinking to see how if affects you.

Speaking only for Alldaychemist, yes I order 3 months @ time, as the shipping is the same for one month or 3. Ends up being, what? I think about $1 per pill, though I haven't ordered for a while. Cheaper than booze, at any rate!

Signing off for tonight - best to you! You have lots to think about, and read, I know.

Hi, sailorbox, hope you got my EMail. About that head work -- one thing I've tried to remember since day one of TSM, six long months ago, is this: when I NEED a drink, that's when, more than ever, what I REALLY need is an AF. There are NO circumstances, NEVER, EVER, when I actually NEED a drink. If I think I do, it's a clear signal there's some bad feeling going on that I need to tackle head on. And I can only do that when there's no AL messing with my thought process.

Yes I got your update and am pleased to see you are still successful with TSM and are taking care of your needs in a positive manner. Are you still taking the Nal daily, only on drinking days, or when you feel that you may drink? Thanks. Oh, can you tell me what a unit is? I have read conflicting amounts, is a regular serving of wine 2 units, is a 12 oz. Bud Lite, 1 unit or two, a mixed drink ? Thanks again.