I've only been TSM since 3rd of September this year. I have noticed that if after taking my Naltrexone if I drink beer, no matter how good a beer it is, I cannot finish it - no interest in it at all. However if after taking my Naltrexone I drink wine or Gin it has very little effect on how much of those I drink. Why?

Is it because being stronger drinks one can slam a few more in more quickly? Is it because I was somehow more addicted to them? Or what?

PLEASE help!

I think I've realized beer just doesn't really taste that good, when I'm not getting the alcohol rush, that pre-TSM made it take DELICIOUS.

Mixing with vodka and/or the canned very sweet Malts are definitely tastier.

Hi Dave

Was thinking about posting this question myself , I started 4 weeks ago , drinking 2 bottles of wine every night and I am still at the same level , I have noticed a sour and bitter taste off the wine by the second bottle for obvious reasons it tastes ok I am thinking about switching to beer this weekend and see how I feel then . I am very interested in other people take on this topic . Thanks for posting and best of luck.

J.

Hi Dave,
I don't know the scientific answer to your question but I do know from reading over lots of posts from the "old timers" on this board this seems to be quite common. Many people choose to switch to beer from the stronger stuff simply because it helps them to drink less. Maybe because they're stronger the brain gets a bigger hit of endorphins? Or maybe it's just that shots are smaller and so the body is able to tolerate more of them without getting bloated? I normally only drink wine and have resisted the temptation to switch to vodka. The book says to drink what you would normally drink as it needs to get extinction from your usual tipple.
Good luck.
Ruth.

Well my usual tipple is Gin or Whisky, so in that case I should continue with them to get extinction. If that's what the book says, I have read it but can't remember that part but it is logical. I always drink lots of water during a session for health.

Dave,
I'm in my 12th week now, so I'm far from an expert and I hope that other people will chime in if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that you drink as you normally would. These are the bits in the book that I got that from....

Chapter 9 page 111 "You continue drinking as you normally do except that now you are sure to take naltrexone an hour before every drinking session."

Chapter 9 page 113 "Many people think that there is a difference between drinking beer, wine and spirits but it's all the same as far as your brain is concerned -alcohol is alcohol"

Chapter 11 page 137 "Over several years, she had come to associate drinking with many situations. The therapy would require that Julie drink while on the medication in all the situations in which she normally drank -privately at home, in social situations....whenever she was accostomed to drinking. She had to use naltrexone to extinguish her addiction with every drinking situation"

Chapter 17 page 206 Information for Patients " Patients should be instructed always to take naltrexone before drinking. They should not be instructed to abstain. Instead they should continue drinking in the manner and in the locations in which they are accustomed to drinking"

There are a lot of threads from people on here to read over, and I know that some people change from spirits to beer over time in order to reduce their intake.However, my understanding has always been that as wine is my tipple then it's wine that I need to extinguish the reward from (but I could be wrong!) Hope this helps.
Ruth.

Thanks Ruth. I understand the point that alcohol is alcohol and ones brain cannot tell the difference, but all I can tell you is that my interest in beer dropped to zero, my liking of wine has dropped about 30%, Gin has dropped about 30% but Whisky only about 5% so far. Having an alcohol free day today!

I think it's easier to 'drink' through naltrexone with stronger drinks.

I remember reading on here many moons ago wine drinkers were finding i harder but I'm not sure thats true as a right few have gotten things under control.

The wine still tastes good but I don't drink it as fast as I did before taking Nal and after a glass or two, I lose I interest. I drink sweet wines. I don't seem to have the really intense craving I had before Nal. But I'm only on day 4 and took 25Mgs today. I only had one glass at dinner which was great because it's normally three and wanting a 4th.