I've been wanting to try this method for a while now, and I just ordered my meds. I'm pretty excited-the things I have heard on this forum seem very positive. I hope this works out better than my Topamax experience.

Hi Firebird

Good job in ordering the meds- I hope they arrive quickly and you can be on your way!

I look forward to reading your progress

I have not heard many good things about topa. The COMBINE study gives it a thumbs down. Nal will work is you follow the SM.
Welkcome.

Thanks for the encouragement. My meds arrived today, 10 days before I thought they would! I just started reading the book, and I am positively STOKED. I believe this will work for me. I can't wait to begin, although I won't be drinking tonight, as I'm spending the evening with my girlfriend who quit drinking three years ago using the "I don't drink anymore" method.

I'm a little confused about the method for keeping track of progress - units, craving rating, etc. Can anyone describe how the system works? Or will the book explain it?

Thanks all,

I can't wait . . .

Hi Fire

I am glad your meds arrived early

To keep a track of your drinking is very easy, and I also think it is very important- I just posted about it- I don't really want to repeat myself as my typing is horribly slow, so it is here- viewtopic.php?f=7&t=175&start=0
second post down!

I just made a word file on my computer with three columns, the first is the date, the second is how many drinks and the third is craving.

If you are not sure how many units is in your favorite tipple have a look here-

http://www.cleavebooks.co.uk/scol/ccalcoh3.htm

It varies quite a lot from country to country but that doesn't matter as we are only comparing against ourselves, not each other, so just enter your country, and find out how many units are in your drinks.

If you always drink the same drink e.g Bottles of Becks Beer, you can just count bottles and don't have to work out units.

Then at the end of each night, or every morning fill the sheet out. (Don't leave it a few days then try to catch up, it is very hard trying to remember exactly).

For cravings I just think- "How much did I really want a drink before going to take the Nal?"
Was I gagging, not even sure if I could last an hour? That would be a 10- or was I looking forward to a drink, but quite happy to wait the hour? That might be a 6 or 7. Or was I not even sure if I really needed to take the nal, as I thought maybe I could have a day without drinking? That would be a 2... Just try to put a number on how much you really needed that first drink.

At the end of the week I look at the cravings and try to get an average feel for how strong my cravings were over the week- not the easiest of tasks because sometimes I might have a day I am desperate and a few days later I can take it or leave it- but I do manage to come up with a number which I think is fairly accurate.

Good luck with starting (remember to start of at 25mg for a few days)!

O.K. here goes, I've read the book, followed the threads, ordered the meds, prepped myself, and I'm ready. I took my first Nal about an hour ago (feels kinda wierd), and I'm on my way to the bar! I have someone to keep an eye on me just in case I start to act screwy.

This feels like the first step of a very interesting journey . . .

Hiya, Firebird. Congratulations on finding this. I'm sure that it's going to be a huge step up over anything else you've tried.

Did you catch the part about stepping up your naltrexone dose? As I understand it, most people don't have a problem with it, but if hitting 50mg right off gives you issues you might want to try 25 for a couple of days first. Others on this board have also suggested more gradual stepping up.

With the craving thing, the advice I got from Dr. Sinclair was to imagine yourself being in your favorite place to drink. How much do you feel like drinking? Apparently the "imagining" part is important because they were mostly asking the question in the doctor's office, and the patients sometimes just didn't feel like drinking in a doctor's office.

Glad to have you aboard! Hope to hear how things are going for you.

All bases are covered. Hey hey whaddya say get that ball and fight! (Sorry I'm watching the final four)

Keep us posted!

Hi Firebird, welcome aboard. I think this Message Board is nearly as important to ultimate success as TSM is, so don't neglect to come on regularly and join in the conversation. Makes ya feel a lot less alone in the process! (And feelings of aloneness plague us drinkers, dontchathink?)