Lenore this sounds interesting. So you gave your body sort of a shock the first day.
When exactly did you do this 100mg spike - since how long do you have no craving - since you say it is long enough that it should not be the honey money?
Thanks a lot for your answers

It's been a month, so I think that I'm past the "honeymoon" stage. It was August 2 that I bumped it up to 100 mg, and I could tell the medication had a stronger effect on me. I dropped down to 75 mg to see how I felt, and it seemed the same as at 100 mg, so I stayed there. For me, bumping the dose up worked right away as far as cravings. Exactly why, I don't know. I'm just glad I decided to try it at the higher dose. I hope it works for you too!
(eta) I wish I had not let taking baclofen along with the nal my first couple of months keep me from joining here sooner. It's really exciting to see the progress being made.

I do not know how long a "honeymoon" period can be considered - or how I call it now "get adjusted to the drug" phase.
I am now on 75mg - lets see what it brings.

All the best to you Lenore and thank you for all your answers!

[quote="craving"]
I do not know how long a "honeymoon" period can be considered - or how I call it now "get adjusted to the drug" phase.

I sure don't know either, but it seems like things have clicked. I hope so.

........Mon, 31.08. 5 units (switched to 75mg)
........Tue, 01.09. 5 units
........Wed, 02.09. 5 units


so far this week with switched to 75mg I am kept to 5 units.
The increase has so far made me clear that 5 is the absolute maximum I can do, as I feel a little nausea.

I think I am not having any honeymoon of the increase - which I consider good.

I will keep on drinking to the maximum until my body tells me reduce it. I will not force anything, neither am I frustrated to go ahead to reach 35 units (5x7) this week.

In the end all this will turn out well, and I think I will just need some weeks (who cares of few weeks if we talk of years on a graph of addiction?) of spike to get my body to understand that this is totally useless for him.

Great attitude Craving!

No point in stressing out about the number of units or timeframe - just continue to go with the flow, and eventually you'll glide right through the finish line!

If I would be alone it would be easier. It seems I take all this a lot more easy than my gf.
I know I need to keep on drinking my 5 units a day - until my body tells me drink less. More than 5 units will result in puking and automatically would reduce my units (like seen in the past). So either way I stay at my max 5 units a day or I will have a peak and drop down naturally.

Probably many people on this board would be happy to "just" drink 35 units a week (5x7). So I think we are not talking of a such huge number. Although it is a bit health damaging it is in my opinion only temporary and will resolve itself in the next weeks (lets say 6 weeks?)

lets not forget that Nal introduced this block of 5 units per session to me. I can simply not drink more - or I end up kissing the toilet!

I noticed today a strange desire to eat - especially sweet things. My guess again, my body tries to get an endorphine rush.
Also these days I wanted to empty the refrigirator after drinking my 5 units. I thought I got rid of this feeling that made me add up quite some pounds!

today 5 units

........Mon, 31.08. 5 units (switched to 75mg)
........Tue, 01.09. 5 units
........Wed, 02.09. 5 units
........Thu, 03.09. 5 units
........Fri, 04.09. 5 units
........Sat, 05.09. 7 units

Saturday 7 units.

I usually drink at night, without eating. I was drinking on Saturday together with a huge lunch (4 courses!) ... so even after 7 units I did not really feel drunken.
I felt sick at night from all the food, that is why I did not follow my usual pattern and drink at night. In any way this is an exceptional case and doesn't mean that my max 5 units a day have been broken!

summary

Week 1
........Mon, 20.04. pre-SM AF
........Tue, 21.04. pre-SM AF
........Wed, 22.04. pre-SM AF
........Thu, 23.04. 5.7 units (SM Start 25mg Nal)
........Fri, 24.04. 6 units
........Sat, 25.04. AF
........Sun, 26.04. 5 units

........Total units : 16.7 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 5.6

Week 2
........Mon, 27.04. 5 units
........Tue, 28.04. AF
........Wed, 29.04. 5 units
........Thu, 30.04. AF
........Fri, 01.05. AF
........Sat, 02.05. AF
........Sun, 03.05. 1.5 units

........Total units : 11.5 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 3.8

Week 3
........Mon, 04.05. AF
........Tue, 05.05. 1.5 units (switch to 50mg Nal)
........Wed, 06.05. AF
........Thu, 07.05. 1.5 units
........Fri, 08.05. 1 unit
........Sat, 09.05. AF
........Sun, 10.05. AF

........Total units : 4 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 1.3

Week 4
........Mon, 11.05. 1 unit
........Tue, 12.05. AF
........Wed, 13.05. AF
........Thu, 14.05. 3 units
........Fri, 15.05. AF
........Sat, 16.05. AF
........Sun, 17.05. 5 units

........Total units : 9 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 3.0

Week 5
........Mon, 18.05. AF
........Tue, 19.05. 1 unit
........Wed, 20.05. 4 units
........Thu, 21.05. AF
........Fri, 22.05. 4 units
........Sat, 23.05. AF
........Sun, 24.05. AF

........Total units : 9 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 3.0

Week 6
........Mon, 25.05. 5 units
........Tue, 26.05. AF
........Wed, 27.05. AF
........Thu, 28.05. AF
........Fri, 29.05. 4 units
........Sat, 30.05. AF
........Sun, 31.05. 4 units

........Total units : 13 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.3

Week 7
........Mon, 01.06. AF
........Tue, 02.06. 5 units
........Wed, 03.06. 4 units
........Thu, 04.06. AF
........Fri, 05.06. 3 units
........Sat, 06.06. AF
........Sun, 07.06. AF


........Total units : 12 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.0

Week 8
........Mon, 08.06. 4 units
........Tue, 09.06. AF
........Wed, 10.06. 4 units
........Thu, 11.06. AF
........Fri, 12.06. 5 units
........Sat, 13.06. AF
........Sun, 14.06. 5 units


........Total units : 19 units
........AF days : 3
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.5

Week 9
........Mon, 15.06. AF
........Tue, 16.06. 5 units
........Wed, 17.06. 4 units
........Thu, 18.06. AF
........Fri, 19.06. 6 units
........Sat, 20.06. 7 units
........Sun, 21.06. AF


........Total units : 22 units
........AF days : 3
........avg. units per drinking session : 5.5

Week 10
........Mon, 22.06. 6 units
........Tue, 23.06. 5 units
........Wed, 24.06. 5 units
........Thu, 25.06. AF
........Fri, 26.06. AF
........Sat, 27.06. AF
........Sun, 28.06. 5 units


........Total units : 21 units
........AF days : 3
........avg. units per drinking session : 5.3

Week 11
........Mon, 29.06. 5 units
........Tue, 30.06. 6 units
........Wed, 01.07. AF
........Thu, 02.07. 4 units
........Fri, 03.07. 4 units
........Sat, 04.07. AF
........Sun, 05.07. 5 units


........Total units : 24 units
........AF days : 2
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.8

Week 12
........Mon, 06.07. AF
........Tue, 07.07. 6 units
........Wed, 08.07. 5 units
........Thu, 09.07. 5 units
........Fri, 10.07. AF
........Sat, 11.07. 3 units
........Sun, 12.07. AF


........Total units : 19 units
........AF days : 3
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.7


Week 13
........Mon, 13.07. AF
........Tue, 14.07. 6 units
........Wed, 15.07. 5 units
........Thu, 16.07. AF
........Fri, 17.07. 6 units
........Sat, 18.07. AF
........Sun, 19.07. AF


........Total units : 17 units
........AF days : 4
........avg. units per drinking session : 5.6


Week 14
........Mon, 20.07. 3 units
........Tue, 21.07. 4 units
........Wed, 22.07. 1.5 units
........Thu, 23.07. AF
........Fri, 24.07. 2.5 units
........Sat, 25.07. 3 units
........Sun, 26.07. 2 units


........Total units : 17 units
........AF days : 1
........avg. units per drinking session : 2.8


Week 15
........Mon, 27.07. 6 units
........Tue, 28.07. AF
........Wed, 29.07. 3 units
........Thu, 30.07. 3 units
........Fri, 31.07. 2 units
........Sat, 01.08. 4 units
........Sun, 02.08. 4 units


........Total units : 22 units
........AF days : 1
........avg. units per drinking session : 3.6


Week 16
........Mon, 03.08. 4.5 units
........Tue, 04.08. 3 units
........Wed, 05.08. 3 units
........Thu, 06.08. 4 units
........Fri, 07.08. 5 units
........Sat, 08.08. 4 units
........Sun, 09.08. 4.5 units


........Total units : 28 units
........AF days : 0
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.0


Week 17
........Mon, 10.08. 3 units
........Tue, 11.08. 4 units
........Wed, 12.08. 4 units
........Thu, 13.08. 5 units
........Fri, 14.08. 1 unit
........Sat, 15.08. 1 unit
........Sun, 16.08. 4 units


........Total units : 22 units
........AF days : 0
........avg. units per drinking session : 3.1


Week 18
........Mon, 17.08. 5 units
........Tue, 18.08. 5 units
........Wed, 19.08. 4 units
........Thu, 20.08. 5 units
........Fri, 21.08. 3 units
........Sat, 22.08. AF
........Sun, 23.08. 5 units


........Total units : 27 units
........AF days : 1
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.5


Week 19
........Mon, 24.08. 5 units
........Tue, 25.08. 4 units
........Wed, 26.08. 5 units
........Thu, 27.08. 5 units
........Fri, 28.08. 5 units
........Sat, 29.08. 2.5 units
........Sun, 30.08. 3 units


........Total units : 29.5 units
........AF days : 0
........avg. units per drinking session : 4.2


Week 20
........Mon, 31.08. 5 units (switched to 75mg)
........Tue, 01.09. 5 units
........Wed, 02.09. 5 units
........Thu, 03.09. 5 units
........Fri, 04.09. 5 units
........Sat, 05.09. 7 units
........Sun, 06.09. 5 units


........Total units : 37 units
........AF days : 0
........avg. units per drinking session : 5.3



I switched on monday (31.08) to 75mg ... my units are now at 37 units, mainly because I had no AF days.
I consider this a sign that the treatment works now finally. I have now on the increase of Nal an initial spike from which I might lower in the next weeks to months, which is in my opinion the extinguishing process.

I have not set any rules for myself anymore. I have drunk to the maximum and I am waiting for my body to tell me drink less.
Before I used to force it too much ... that is why I artificially created pressure on me that should not have happend.

I am positive that this is the road to resolve my alcohol problems.

5 units today.
I did not expect anything else for now.

I am thinking if I should reset my calculation to make last week "week 1". It actually makes more sense, as I consider the increase in the dose and removing all the pressure that I have put on myself to return to zero.

I am not having any euphoric feelings when drinking. I am drinking to get numb - but I am not feeling euphoric about it.
Keep in mind I drink my 5 units pretty much on an empty stomach - with enough food I am probably able to drink as much as double that amount!