hi everyone-i've been following this site for awhile but haven't ever posted. it's been really interesting and helpful to read about everyone's experience with the sinclair method.

after poking around, i just wanted to know why people seem to be kind of against baclofen as an alternative to the sinclair method? i could be totally misreading some of the posts, but i kind of get that impression. i tried the sinclair method for 8.5 months and had NO RESULTS at all. (yes, i took naltrexone 1 hr before drinkng--i truly did follow the method). i started on baclofen a few months ago after reading the dr ameisen book and now am totally sober and finally happy for the first time in years. also now have zero anxiety which i think was part of the reason why i drank in the first place. i was told by many psychiatrists that i would need to be on anxiety meds for the rest of my life--etiher paxil or some benzo but i never wanted to take them (benzos are pretty addictive & ssris dont work for me). i tried lots of holistic anxiety supplementse & strategies (meditation, etc.) and other therapies (like cognitive behavior therapy) but didn't they didn't really help. so now i ihave to take baclofen for the rest of my life but whats the diference between having to take baclofen & having to take some other anxiety medicine, especially when some (like benzos) are addictive? i know you can't just stop baclofen w/out tapering off but its not the same as taking a benzo b/c you don't keep taking more and more of it throughout your life. at least thats my understanding.

i don't want to start a big controversy or anything. i'm really happy for everyone who has had success with the sinclair method. just wondering if i'm missing something? thanks.

I'd rather be cured from it than mask my addiction. But other than that I'd say whatever works. If TSM fails me I think I'll try that next. I very happy for you.

edit: and I think its high time they find out for sure if it is that different form of opiate receptor and develop a drug that covers it up.

oh-i just wanted to add a few things that might help solve the puzzle. i don't like sweets and i understnad theres something about that that is related to the sinclair method not working.
also ssris do work for me, i just hate the side effects

thanks. i just read up on the sweets thing on this board and i see what your saying. maybe people are just desperate to find something that works. i sure was. so now i look for any reason why the sinclair method didn't work for me. but yeah it probably has nothing at all to do with having a sweet tooth.

it was just such a sad long process and now with baclofen i'm a totally different person inside and out.

I'm sorry TSM didn't work out for you. Sometimes folks who choose to participate in this community and share their progress -- or lack thereof -- are able to fine-tune what they are doing and start geting results. In can take several months longer that the subjects in Eskapa's book, and you are familiar with the various possible reasons for that if yo have been reading for awhile. I hope you didn't quit just before you were successful.

I disagree that there has been any significant criticism of baclofen here. There is a thread here on Dr. Amiesen's book. A few here are using baclofen for anxiety and no one has criticized them for it. Some have mentioned it as a backup plan if they need one. We are finding that TSM is working as a cure for our alcohol addiction and no one here would begrudge anyone a treatment that works for them. There was was a kerfuffle over at MyWayOut this week over someone who made too much of speculating why TSM does not work for 10% of those who appear to be truly compliant. Someone cut and pasted, out of context, a post by someone here about the "baclofen hoopla" over there. As that post's author later explained, she simply was referring to the fact that suddenly there are sixty or so active threads on that have baclofen as a topic, and did not intend the comment as a criticism.

Baclofen has suddenly grown popular on that site, although there are beginning to be reports by some who do not tolerate the drug well. Thankfully, TSM is an alternative for them.

The chief concerns I have about baclofen are 1) Its use in treating alcohol addiction has not been studied long term, as has TSM (although anecdotally it does seem promising). 2) I would be hesitant to commit to long-term, possibly lifelong, daily use of a psychoactive drug like baclofen. 3) I am not presently able to abstain, and many report bad effects from drinking on bac; in any event it is a cns depressant and it could be dangerous to mix the two.

Probably the chief reason baclofen is not discussed much here can be found in our name at the top of this page: "A Community for Users of The Sinclair Method". We have chosen our path to a cure and this site is a tool for TSM users.

If baclofen is your treatment of choice, you will find much valuable information and support at MyWayOut.org. Someone there did start a thread about using baclofen together with naltrexone. I wrote a long post there on the pros and cons as I see them. You doubtless underwent de-addiction (which you would not "feel") from your months of naltrexone, you might consider keeping that benefit by continuing nal as you try baclofen, keeping in mind that TSM requires drinking, which could be dangerous with baclofen.

Again, sorry TSM did not work out for you (yet). If you have been drinking heavily for years, then it may take a few more weeks. If you want to keep giving it a shot, we are here for you. If not, we certainly wish you the best in whatever you choose.

thanks for your reply. i just discovered the mywayout board a few days ago and am slowly reading through the boards. your right--there are a lot fo people with success on baclofen over there. and it looks like there a lot of people here too who have had success with sinclair.

i guess i just don't understand how long your supposed to try the sinclair method until it works. i mean 8.5 months is a really long time!!! and i held out hope the whole time. it got very painful at the end. i don't see how it could start working if i just waiting another couple of weeks or something. i know everyone takes a different amount of time but what i stayed on it for 2 years and hten it still didn't work, would people say i should have tried for a few more weeks beyond 2 years? sorry i just don't understand. i'm not trying to be obnoxious it just seems like maybe it makes sense to think that it just doesn't work for some people.

You're probably right. All the best with your Plan B. A board always can be helpful, so I hope you participate over at MWO on the baclofen threads.

Oh no the Sweet Tooth issue again!

Cant someone get Dr. Eskapa or Dr. Sinclair to put this issue to rest once and for all? Seriously, it seems like just when it is about to die, someone says something that re-ignites it (at least in my mind, and presumably, in the mind of others who are thinking of starting TSM).

In any event, Looking, what dose of Bac did you hit the "off-switch" at?

I am at 150mg and cant go higher on bac, so i have order Nal and plan on doing TSM, while continuing at 150 on Bac.

Wish me luck.

I do wish you luck Zman , and welcome over here glad to see you'll do tsm .

Oh , one more thing ..... don't worry about the sweet tooth be or not tooth be

I agree with Elfern. And if you'd quit raising the subject of this inaccurate info, others would not worry about it either.

Seriously, keep us posted on your progress. It can be a wild ride and the support here helps.