Alright, after a month of trying to get my insurance affairs fixed, and then a troublesome doctor that didn't know about Naltrexone, I got my prescription filled for Naltrexone 50 mg. I took one, waited and hour, and have made December 10th, 2009 as the day I began TSM.

Now, I was just wondering if you guys could let me in on anything that you think I should be doing other than just taking the pill and continuing to drink as usual.

Questions:
1. I got a prescription for Naltrexone 50 mg. Is the 50 mg the right dosage? Does it come in 100 mg or 25 mg or any other dosage other than 50 mg? I'm 6 ft. 4 in. tall and about 300 lbs. Do I take the same amount of Naltrexone as a 5'3" 110 lb girl?

2. Is there anything I should be keeping track of other than how many drinks I have? I've been keeping track for the past month, so that I could have a before-and-after picture. But I'd like to know what all you guys keep track of, and how?

3. How long does Naltroxone last in a session? I normally don't but on football game days, I can sometimesw start drinking at around 11:00 am and keep going until 2:00 am. At what point should someone re-dose with the Naltrexone to make sure the full effect is achieved?

Thanks guys, for all your support. Wish me luck!

Yes. Even 25mg will provide a sufficient blockade for a drinking session. I've tried 25mg, 50mg and 100mg; they all have the same effect, although 100mg may make you a bit queasy at times. The Naltrexone is attaching itself to opioid receptors in your brain, Your brain is probably a similar weight and size as any other adult human and probably has a similar number of receptors. So 50mg is good for every adult.

Dr. Eskapa's book suggests #of AL units and craving on a scale of 0 to 10. I found the craving was too subjective for me to rate, so I never recorded it. However, recording AL units consumed is the most objective way of measuring progress especially on a weekly basis. Once you get past nine months, monthly numbers may be more meaningful.

Daily drinkers, like I used to be, and binge drinkers are good with one 50mg dose assuming their drinking session is less than 12 hours. It has been suggested by the Doctors that a second 50 mg dose be taken if you are a 24 hour drinker. Considering the length of time you personally are talking about, if it were me I'd take a second dose at the half way point, just to be sure.

Wishing you well,

Bob

AhaaaAAaaa! This explains why I have to take doses of 50 grams instead of milligrams! I thought it was strange that I had to inject 50g right into my ear to get any effect. not rly...

I also find it helpful to note anything special about the day/week you are recording. Things like vacations, holidays, general mood, etc. may explain spikes as you look back at your numbers down the road. I also suggest you keep a notepad or something with you to track your units when you're out somewhere and drinking for several hours. Things can get murky after many drinks, so it's easy to lose count. However you track your experience with TSM, I wish you the best of luck!

I would add that there's no need to get too worked up about results right away, whether negative or positive. Lots of people have a "honeymoon" period soon after starting TSM, but some don't. Some people find their drinking increasing. Either way it doesn't seem to mean much in the grand scheme of things. It can be a long process, and sometimes you just have to follow the protocol and go on faith.

Good luck Pisces!

I have had a major set-back on freaking day #2!!!

I met a friend for lunch today, and had not taken my Naltrexone, because I wasn't expecting to drink anything until my usual 5:00 or later. My friend, is an old friend, and I hadn't seen him in a while. At lunch he ordered a beer, and I, without even thinking ordered one too. I realized that I had not taken my pill, nor did I have them with me. I was too embarrassed to blurt out the whole story about The Sinclair Method. So I just drank the beer, and felt guilty.

Six hours later, I did take a Naltrexone, and have had a few beers tonight. Now, I am sure that I haven't caused some "damage" or anything. But for the future, what happens if, in 6 months, I forget or run out of pills or something, and I "fall off the Naltrexone wagon" for a night?

That is not a major setback, it's inconsequential. Just don't make it a habit and you'll be just fine.

Easy fix for this - keep some Nal EVERYWHERE! Just in case, carry some with you at all times. I have some in my purse, in my car, in my kitchen cupboard, etc. Better safe than sorry, and even though you think you're not going to drink, it's always a possibility when the opportunity arises out of the blue. It's difficult, if not impossible, to turn down a drink when you're in a social situation, especially if you don't want to draw attention to the fact that you're doing TSM or trying to "cut down", or whatever. Just pop the pill and then you're free to drink without having to explain anything. The key is to never venture out into the world without Nal by your side. No need to worry this early in the game, but don't make a habit of drinking without Nal - it's like shooting yourself in the foot. You've just started, so give yourself a break while you're getting used to TSM. You'll get the hang of it, and we're all here to help you.

I agree, esp. in the first few weeks or months, keep Naltrexone everywhere. SR & Q used to keep a tablet in their wallets until it turned to dust, then replaced it.

Since I was prone to the bad habit of drinking while driving (major sin I know and I have no excuses), I only kept the Naltrexone at home or in my travel bag if I was traveling on business. That way, once I trained myself not to drink until I took the Naltrexone, I always had access within to one within 30 minutes no matter where I was, but I was never tempted to drink unless it was at home or at the hotel. Now I can't even remember how I ever drank like I used to. It is just not part of my life any longer. If I feel like a drink, I know where my Naltrexone is and make the decision if I want to take a trip to get it, or just stay dry. This last 2 months, the decision has always been "it aint worth the trip".

So, no major setback. It's new to you. It'll become a habit shortly. Even when your craving is strong, you'll know that a Naltrexone is close by and you can have a drink shortly after taking it. That in itself, takes so much burden, pressure, and anxiety off of your mind.

Bob

Jeeze... does this stuff REALLY work as well as you guys say it does? I can't imagine that just by taking this pill before I drink, that eventually i will just not feel like drinking. Drinking has been all that I'm about for 13-15 years. This little pill is going to undo that without me having to do anything?

On a more important note, the side effects that I've read about include slight nausea and maybe headache. But when I got the pill it had warnings about increased anxiety and depression.

Now, I am a total self-medicated because I've had TERRIBLE anxiety attacks since I was 11 years old. I am through day two with Naltrexone, and I have to say that last night while laying in bed, I felt like I couldn't breathe well, and I was very frigidity trying to fall asleep, and I had weird dreams like the one's I have whenever I try to dry out cold turkey.

For me the battle for stopping drinking has always been waged in the bed when trying to sleep. I can handle the boredom of drying out. I can handle the aches and pains of detox. And I can handle the "What do I do with myself now" feelings that come with cold turkey. But the tossing and turning, increased anxiety while trying to fall asleep, and the HORRIBLE HORRIBLE dreams that plague my half-awake-half-asleep nights of drying out, those are hard to handle.

Does anyone have any experience with this?