Okay, I bombed out with my PCP getting a prescription but I managed to get naltrexone online. I started taking it on July 2 and, just because I want to document things, I'm posting today (13 days later).

Already, I'm seeing a distinct difference with the naltrexone in terms of its impact on blackouts and hangovers. My baseline drinking was about 72 drinks per week (10/day average) and that slipped nicely to 68 per wk/10 per day during the first week. Also, no blackouts or hangovers, but I do get tremors which I never had (or realized) before.

I know the reduction in drinking is a "pink cloud", so I'm not taking any of this too seriously and is one reason why I'm going to focus on 7-day averages rather than daily progress going forward. Just putting it out there "for the record". Also, don't plan to monitor "cravings" much as I'm more of a "Mediterranean" drinker and don't have cravings because I'm drinking most of the time.

Also, I am having great difficulty anticipating when the first drink each day will be. Since I'm retired/unemployed (depending on how I feel), drinking time is very flexible and irregular.

I'm wondering (since Dr. Eskapa doesn't address this in his book, I don't think), if I take naltrexone more than one hour before I drink, will that obviate its effect? Under my circumstances, would it be better to take naltrexone regularly everyday, say at noon, so that it is in my system when I start drinking at 1:00, 3:00 or 5:00?

Thoughts on this from experienced TSM'ers would be much appreciated.

Sante

50 mg of naltrexone is supposed to maintain receptor blockage in the brain for 24 hours. If you take the nal in the morning and finish your drinking before midnight that day, you are covered. The disadvantage to taking nal later in the day is that receptor blockage will go into the next day and runs the risk of blocking positive reinforcement for positive behaviors, like sex and exercise. This may be irrelevant now if you drink every day and take nal every day, but hopefully in the future you will have some AF days and it will become relevant.

Th anks Minn and W2E,

If I understand you...I can take naltrexone at, say, 10:00 in the morning and be covered until 10:00 at night and still get the maximum benefit of TSM? This would be perfect for me, as I rarely drink before noon and never after 10:00 PM.

Thanks if you folks can confirm this for me.

Also...I am having major problems counting drinks. My husband and I think that is because I drink box wines (cheaper, but harder to count) rather than bottles of wine and beer. Maybe I should pour box wine into bottles to help??? Do you have issues in this area?

Sante

Yes, since you take the nal at 10 AM and are done by 10 PM -- that's 12 hours -- you are fully covered by 50 mg of nal. In fact, you would be covered for 12 hours more -- until 10 AM the following day.

Five ounces of table wine equals one drink (or one unit). Assuming that you are in the US, just figure out how many ounces you are consuming and divide it by 5. For example, 20 ounces of wine consumed divided by five would be four drinks/units.

Sante - welcome & good luck! Just pour your wine into a half cup measure (4 oz. is 1 US unit) and then into your stem glass or whatever you want. It will seem really teeny, but there it is. Pretty soon you will able to eyeball the 4 oz pour into your wine glass.

Actually, it's 5 ounces per unit, not four.

It's Saturday, July 18, and my drinking resumed pre-TSM, despite taking naltrexone. I think a lot of the problem is "life" stuff and lack of structure/discipline, so I'm not doubting TSM or naltrexone. Also, I had one blackout this week, something that really surprised me since I thought the naltrexone would "block" that. Oh well. I'm not giving up, I'm just disappointed...and so is my husband. Seems like we have more rough days than good ones, and that our "interest" in one another (if you know what I mean) is waning. I'm taking naltrexone around Noon, as someone suggested -- that way I'm covered whether I start drinking at 1:00, 3:00, or (best) 6:00.

Importantly, I'm "watching" my drinking much more than in the past. I pick up when I'm bored and/or stressed and when there is no outside/social reason not to. Since I've retired, everyday is a weekend which is bad, bad, bad. Too much time on my hands and not enough activity (yet) to occupy me. I'm working on this, but it will take time to put a structure in place. Until then...

Would love to have insights from others on TSM who have had to deal with the adjustment that comes with retirement. I never thought it would be this hard...and I thought I had expected/planned for it!

Pre TSM: 10 units/day
Week 1: 9 units/day
Week 2: 10 units/day

I was cracking up at us, WTE & Nick, nit-picking on poor Sante's thread. Ok - if you insist - 5oz is a unit! LOL My AA fanatical ex-therapist was insistent it was 4oz. GACK - he made me crazier!

Anyway - Sante, I am not dealing with retirement, but as a teacher, I have a few weeks in the summer free. My retired father & I often compare notes on how we "structure" our days. Mine goes something like this: wake up whenever I feel like it, usually between 9-10. Get on the computer a couple of hours (here and searching match.com looking for my next boyfriend LOLOLOL) Drink a couple cups of coffee & eat a lite breakfast. I get dressed for the gym & go work-out 1- 2 hrs. Then I run an errand or two, go to the bookstore, resale shops, grocery store or whatever for another hour; and then come home. By now it is middle to late afternoon. I take NAL around 3-4. I get on the computer again, or maybe go to the pool and read w/ a styrofoam cup o' wine. I have done this once.

A couple of times/wk I go to the driving range or out to the country club where I work weekends and either hit balls or play. It's hot as **** here in TX and that dictates a lot of what we do. Gotta wait til late afternoon/early evening to do anything outside. Whenever I am in the car, I turn the stereo up real loud and sing like a rock star. I do alot of daydreaming...thinking about this method we are following, among other things, wondering how we peeps are doing here. Seriously, I think about everyone & how far-fetched we all are all over the world & yet united here. I wonder about the various people on here & how and what they are doing. I think about how grateful I am to be alive and that I am doing exactly what I want to and how lucky I am not to have to go to work this day!! I try NOT to think about how frustrated I am in my love life...'nuff said. :-) I am a Pollyanna, glass half-full, kinda gal.

I have 2 teenagers who factor into the mix of my plans for the day. I often lure them over for a home-cooked meal. I sometimes invite a couple friend I have for dinner - my best friend and her dweeb husband I have endured for the last 30 yrs...but they are my homies.

Mostly I come home from whatever around 4 - 6. I have my first glass of wine anywhere in there. I am addicted to this computer and spend many hours at night on this site, Facebook, match or IMing. I get up & pour 5- 10 glasses of wine every night. I pretty much suck them down depending on how late I stay up what I am doing the next day. Oh. That would be nothing. LOL (Unless it's the weekend when I actually do have a little job at a country club where I have to get up early...anything before 8 is practically barbaric to me) I finally go to bed about 11 or 12 at the earliest in summer, wake up the next day and do it all over again.

Nest week I am taking my kids to a la-dee-da resort in San Antonio for 5 days. It's waaaaaaay expensive but I have worked many hours in summer school and weekends and figure we deserve it. Swim, golf, roller coasters, lounging & hopefully upping my doseage will ebb my consumption. I am very high functioning, so not worried, but they don't see me hammering down 5+ every night so need to be discreet...

Talk about hijacking!! Sorry, Sante - "structure to your day"? I'm sure you will find some structure even in your leisure. Enjoy! :-)

Sante,
Hello and welcome.
You are way, way early in the process to start searching for results. TSM takes at LEAST 3-4 months to start kicking in, and oftentimes longer. I'll be starting week 12 on Tuesday and I still have not seen any headway, except for less craving (but I still drink the same amount pre-TSM). I would be lying if I said I wasn't hoping for the "miracle" to happen in a couple days, but I know it won't.

My husband is also a little impatient with TSM. I've tabbed pages/chapters in Eskapa's book for him to read (doesn't have time to read the whole thing.) That seems to help.

As far as having a lot of time on your hands, how about volunteering? Animal shelters, hospitals, schools, Habitat for Humanity, soup kitchens, whatever. It would not only make you feel great, it would occupy some of the time you might otherwise be drinking. I have 4 kids, the youngest being 3, so I don't have much time to volunteer, but I wish I did.

Hang in there and try to trust in the process. Many people here are starting to have remarkable success with TSM. Look to their inspiring stories when you need some encouragment.

Hi Everyone,

I finished Week 3 yesterday. Had 3 great days of way-less-than-normal drinking and 4 days of above normal ones. The total for the week was less than baseline levels, but I can't say I'm feeling/seeing any great changes other than fewer hangovers and blackouts.

My husband and I are going away for a couple of days (good thing) and will be spending Sunday-Monday with nondrinkers (good thing) so I'm hoping the combination of these activities + naltrexone will yield a much lower than average drinking week.

Also, I'm trying to get back into the exercise thing. Walked 4 or so miles yesterday and again this AM. There are bear in our neighborhood and yesterday I ran into two of them at different junctures of the walk. Tonight, no sitings...thank heaven. besides, I 'm seeing that when I walk regularly, I bump into people who are doing the same thing and I'm finally meeting some of my neighbors!

And my hubbie and I are making a concerted effort to up our "extracurricular" activities. Tonight we're taking my 97-year-old father to hear the state symphony orchestra. And Monday we go hear a free concert in an outside amphitheater. Plus on Sunday we tried out a new church. It was very positive and we plan to go back this Sunday, maying taking in the adult Sunday school class. Would make a huge difference to me emotionally if this worked out...and we made some new, local friends.

Still hunting for an appropriate volunteer opportunity. Have my eyes on a local soup kitchen that serves hot meals at lunchtime every day. Its connected with the ecumenical community and has a great rep. Figure even I could be of help chopping veggies, etc.

Sante

Baseline Drinks Per Week: 72
Week 1: 68
Week 2: 66
Week 3: 64