Good Morning (Re-posted in this section)

I'm a 63 year old male and 4 days into taking Detoxican (Portugese Nal @50mgs) again after non compliance for a couple of months and although I wasn't drinking in excess I did fear that maybe I would revert to my previous drinking levels.
It does seem that I am drinking more in the few days that I have been back on Detoxican than I was prior. Having read the forums I believe this to be not too unusual when starting the programme.
My problem now seems to be what feels like a severe depressive feeling after having had a couple of drinks. It's quite debilitating really and I now find myself drinking (self medicating) through it which in itself is depressing.
It's hard to determine whether it is actually a "depression" or just a craving, if that makes any sense at all.
I'm drinking maybe 3 beers (bottles) and a bottle of red wine over the course of the day/evening which I guess is not overly excessive compared to some, but more than I did when not taking Detoxican.
I'm not really sure what my question is but I suppose I would like to hear that the depression, like the other s/e's, will dissipate after a while. The depression was the reason I stopped taking the medication in the first place. (Only took it for about a week)Having been depressed for many, many years in the past I really didn't want to suffer again.
I have asked this question before from an eminant source before and had her opinion so this is just "putting it out there" to you guys to see if maybe this is a more comman s/as thank I perhaps think.
I am living in sunny Portugal and would be interested in knowing if there are any other TSM members here
Thank you
Regards
Eddy

I have seen several posts about depress or just feeling "blah" and not wanting to do a lot of the things that they used to do. I am sure it has to do with the endorphins but I will let one of the other more scientific people explain. But I know that the most depressed I have ever felt was waking up after a bender wondering what I did, where I did it, and why did I do it again. So there may be a little bit of trade off at the beginning - if one of your side effects is depression - compared to the joy of getting control over AL

Best of luck

Many thanks for your reply Reboot.

I totally agree with your post re:depression v hangover. I definitely agree with which I prefer.

Having spent considerable years in AA/NA I'm finding the shift in philosophy from abstinence to encouragement to drink for TSM to work efficiently a bit hard to "get my head around".

However, I'm beginning to now think that I'm misinterpreting the "depressive" feelings for those of cravings and that the AA/NA teachings is still influencing me NOT to drink on those cravings. I now know if I were to drink on those cravings rather than fight them then the "depressive" feelings will hopefully disappear.

My apologies if that doesn't seem to make sense.

I have to do my part in all this and that includes trying to forget that which has been ingrained in my brain over the years if I want TSM to work for me. (Nal+1hour=drink: It doesnt get any easier than that!!!)

In no way am I putting AA/NA down in this post. Like all recovery alternatives it has it's place out there for those for whom it works.

Regards
Eddy

Hang in there with it, Eddy! It sounds like you're getting a confirmation that the Nal is working for you and that your brain is missing it's "old friend". Do keep a log of your drinking, it does help.

Have you been a daily drinker up till now?

Are you taking any other meds?

Hi Joesixpack,

Thanks for your reply.

Yes I have been a daily drinker.

Its 1900hrs:

Took Destoxican (Portugese Nal) at 1030hrs

First drink at 1230rs at home (bottle of beer 330mls)

Second drink 1330hrs in local cafe/bar (bottle of beer 330mls)

Third drink 1415hrs in local cafe/bar (bottle of beer 330mls)

Came home at 1530hrs (large glass red wine 250ml)

Second glass of wine @ 1700hrs (250ml)

Third glass untouched in front of me now @ 1900hrs

I'm still getting cravings even while I'm drinking but trying to be mindful of my drinking habits. My brain is still telling me to drink to relieve the cravings even though I feel nauseous when I do drink. I really don't feel like drinking this glass of wine but as I'm still craving a drink I have to !!!

I know it's very, very early days but I don't want my drink intake to go up too more because I'm already drinking more than I was pre Nal.

My mood is now very low and really don't feel very comfortable in what I'm doing right now.

I am on no other medication.

Starting to feel a little desperate,

Regards

Eddy

No problem, Eddy! Thanks for bringing us along on your journey.

Try slowing the pace and make your brain work for the next sip. You only need one drink to move the extinction process a notch forward, so if you crave more beyond that, slow it down and take breaks, letting the conscious part of your brain intercede and challenge the automatic "unconscious" part. Watch for the feeling/notion that you're done drinking for the night, even if it's only a faint voice in these early days. Take a sip of the wine, then get it away from you and out of your sight, glass, bottle and all that go with the habit. Walk out the door, even for 15 minutes. Get up to some small task you can easily dispatch.

As for the depression, you might try having a meal before the Nal and use 25mg instead of 50 to see if it makes a difference. If you do ok with that after a few days, then go back up to 50.

Oddly enough, when I first started (pre -TSM) to cut back my drinking by substituting non-alcoholic beer between alch beers, I found it rather depressing. I guess I was just used to that constant feed of endorphins plus the effect that alcohol has on the GABA and Glutamate receptors and how that eased anxiety overall.

I do remember going through a period of time that I felt really depressed with the nal. I am not sure exactly when during my journey that happened but I did think about giving up. I felt no joy in my daily life and didn't feel like myself at all. People on this forum were very supportive and urged me to continue on and I did. The depression ended just like all the other side effects I experienced did. Hang in there!

-Deena