I drank too much over the holidays and decided I needed to quit. After Christmas I started to go to AA meetings, usually one a day. I still drank but my business was slow so I had nothing better to do. I had been to meetings before but relapsed a couple years ago and I stopped going. I figured that sooner or later something would click and I would be able to work their program. January 15th I felt like crap after drinking my usual 375 ml (how many units is that?) of vodka a night. I didn’t drink for ten or eleven days. During the last 3 weeks I’ve drank my usual 3 times. Each day I don’t drink the compulsion grows more intense (sound familiar?) and I relapse. I read about Naltrexone (thank you TSM.com) and I called my HMO and made an appointment with a family practitioner. He refused to give me Naltrexone and referred me to the HMO’s psychology department. They contract out their chemical dependency clients. I go to an evaluation session at the contractor and she tells me I need intensive group sessions 3 days a week. I ask about Nalproxone and she tells me it doesn’t work. I say “It’s approved by the FDA and she replies that it is not approved. I tell her I’m not sure I want to go to the sessions and she tells me I have to and I also have to go to a lot of AA meetings if I want to stop drinking. What a scam!
My copy of The Cure for Alcoholism arrived yesterday and I got to page 92, Last week I ordered 30 of the 50 mg Naltrexone tablets from River Pharmacy. Reading the tracking info I see that they were shipped from Madras India. I can’t wait they get here to Seattle and I can start working the Sinclair method. I will keep you posted.
Thanks for listening
Bob

Hi, Bob. I'm new too. We're going to do this!

Free advice: Probably if you get started on the Nal and decide you're going to continue with it, you should order more ASAP. My order came from India as well and took a long time. Probably best to have a good surplus once we're going as running out means no safety net (how's that for a mixed metaphor).

I'm on my third day of Nal + alcohol = cure. I started a thread in the Weekly section about my experience. Glad to see you here!

Bob, I waited about two weeks for the Nal. I ordered it from River Pharmacy. Others have gotten it faster.

Welcome both of you. AA is crap -- you are in the right place. TSM does work for the vast majority who try it but it takes patience and longer than 3 to 4 months, for most of us. Beware of side effects when you start, including nausea and sleep disturbance. THEY GO AWAY almost immediately -- within a week or so for almost everyone, but they do suck at first, for most of us. Take 25 mg the first time to get your body acclimated.

Welcome to you both!

Nick

This board.
I need to put down the keyboard and pick up the book.

My primary care physician was the opposite. I asked him for Naltrexone and told him what I read on the website. He left for a few minutes and looked it up on the computer and came back and said, sure, let's try it. He prescribed it for one daily rather than one one hour before drinking because he said the insurance company probably wouldn't cover it written that way but to take it one hour before drinking. He told me go to a counselor if I wanted but it wasn't any type of requirement and come back in a month and tell him how it's going. I guess I'm pretty lucky! I started about 10 days ago and so far it seems to turn off the "I want more, more, more" thing that was going on so I'm pretty happy. Good luck to you.

I want YOU to follow the program to the tee. Keep close notes and stayed logged in. Do not fear your failings and reports them. You have an excellect MD!

Look this is not a magic pill. A good pill but not magic. We need your honest data. It is rare that we get a patient with such support. PM me if you have ANY issues.

any we all hope that we are part of the 80% and fear that we are part of the 20%. It is the TSM curse.

Thank you for the support. The Nal arrived yesterday. I bought it through River and it took 2 weeks to the day. I took 25mg last night. Let's see what happens. I leave for Mexico next Tuesday. I will find out if is available there.
Bob