Good morning,

(For Jaba and any others unfamiliar with Campral)...Campral is acamprosate. Aside from naltrexone it is probably one of the most tested medications for alcoholism, and also one of the most tested in combination with naltrexone.

“Naltrexone has been shown to reduce the positive reinforcing properties of alcohol, and acamprosate reduces the negative reinforcing properties,” (such as craving).
(from "Combined Pharmacotherapies for the Management of Alcoholism: Rationale and Evidence to Date" by Leggio Lorenzo 2014)

(i just want to help out and put some 2 cents in once in a while, not be a big shill for the book, so I apologize in advance for the next statement)

.... but for acamprosate maybe I can just point out that if you do go to the book website (aprescriptionforalcoholics.com) and sign-up for the newsletter it'll send you a link to a free book excerpt. If you have any trouble with that then just email me and i'll email it to you - linda@aprescriptionforalcoholics.com

The excerpt has 21 pages at the end that specifically cover acamprosate and only acamprosate (it was the drug I decided to use as the example in the excerpt). I think it probably contains everything and every piece of research related to acamprosate and alcoholism you'd ever want to know about. (and if it does then let me know! )

Thanks

Linda

Mum,

I do not think it matters what you drink as long as you follow that golden rule, but I believe you should drink like you normally do and what you normally do. Drinking vodka will make your numbers increase and seem higher, but if that is your go to drink you need to extinct that in your brain. I think you are doing what is best for you, and just keep at it. There is no weakness in TSM, it just is, and you just are. You like vodka, it is not your weakness, and you do not need to be strong, for you just like vodka and that is your go to. Do not beat yourself up because that is your drink of choice.

My biggest issue was with wine, and once I got a handle of drinking wine I tried something stronger. I could down a bottle (or 2) of wine in about 1 to 2 hours and that was my go to. I had to learn how to drink slower, I had to measure (my glasses could hold about 9-10 oz of wine) and I had to use a smaller glass. I had to give myself rules: never drink standing up or next to the bottle, never have the bottle too close by, never drink without water next to me, etc., and those helped me start having a healthier relationship with alcohol. I believe if I avoided wine it would have taken me longer, for that is what I wanted to drink. If I switched to beer, but I really wanted wine, what would happen when I did drink wine? I do not know, but I do know that the first time I tried liquor I downed it like it was water and I could have drunk a pint without a problem. It took 2 times drinking hard liquor before I started to have control, and I was about 6-7 months into TSM, and I thought I had control. I am unsure if the way I responded would be true for everyone, for TSM is a personal experience, and everyone is different, I just wanted share what happened to me.

I think Joe has made an excellent point about reaching out to JoAnna and Paul for we need to use the resource that are available to us. Whatever it takes to help us have a healthy relationship with alcohol. Reaching out to others that could make a difference WILL make a difference!

Please do not stop any medicine without talking with a medical professional first. The meds you are on may be helping you and/or may need to be tapered off.

A.P. and Mum,

I did look up Campral and realized that it is used with abstinence and most doctors will prescribe naltrexone and Campral with the rule of being abstinence; I was unsure how Campral will effect the result of TSM.

Maybe JoAnna can ask Dr. Eskapa if Campral has been used with TSM and if it will hinder or help with the process.

Jaba