Hi all,

I am back from Morocco, and have had a very moderate week with alcohol. However, this weekend when I came back I downed one and a half bottle of wine in one day and felt terrible afterwards, also because I had a really bad dream, in which I dreamt that I would have to struggle with trying to control this problem forever, for the rest of my life.

However, I should believe in TSM, and know that it will take a long time and journey before one can consider oneself cured, with a lot of babysteps in between.

Hi Girlamsterdam!

I hope you enjoyed your holiday ... from what you posted about your units consumed - considering you were on holiday - I think it looks like you are doing pretty well! good for you!! Great start

In UK units - a bottle of wine is about 9 units (going on 12% volume) 1.5 units for a small 125 ml glass .. (but who ever drinks that size of glass!!)

I'm only 4 months in ... and sometimes don't think its going too well - but Ive been using an app on my phone to track units pretty accurately .. and now I can have 4 AF nights a week (without too much effort) and my units have gone down to between 1/2 and a 1/3 of what they were pre-TSM .... so TRACK your units carefully - and don't worry if you have a few wee ups .. as long as the general trend is going down

Good luck Lorraine

Hi all, i don't know what it is, but the naltrexone, even 25 mg that I am only taking, makes me so nauseous! I feel like throwing up every time i take it. I try eating and swallowing with à lot of water, but it does not seem to help. Will this go away? I am taking naltrexone now for two weeks.

My units have gone down, but one day I had almost two bottles and that worries me. As long as I stay compliant however...

GirlA,
I definitely had the same issue of nausea. I look back at my log and see the first two weeks was the worst. I had to carry around a bottle of anti-nausea medicine in my purse for awhile. I stuck with it and it finally went away. I definitely had to eat something in the mornings and that helped, even though I felt a little sick. I take my pill around 11:00 or noon and wait an hr. before I drink. My units are down from 50 per wk. to around 30 per week. I am happy with results so far. I have been taking the Nal for about 3 and 1/2 mo. Hope this helps. Hang in there.
Linda

Hèy Bigkimo, good to hear it went away! What kind of antinauseous medicin did u use? And How is your experience so far with TSM?

GirlA,
I don't know if you are from a European country but I just bought a generic "Walmart "equate" product called anti-nausea liquid, a phosphorated carbohydrate solution.

I think I am doing very well with the TSM.. Three and 1/2 mo. in, I can at least stop drinking. I could never do that before. I just started drinking and didn't stop until I went to bed (passed out). Now I drink daily but can stop and eat dinner and not have any more. Very unlike my past! I have not had very many AF days in the last 40 yrs. Yes I said 40 yrs. Very sad but I am keeping the faith and taking my Nal every day and I do see progress and do does my Hubby. I stop drinking and don't get argumentative. I have dropped from 50 units per week to around 30 now. Maybe because I am a little older (64), I have a little more patience. I'am hanging in there and hope for less than the 30 units and some AF days but I am not pushing it.

Keep the faith and don't be hard on yourself.

LindaM

Thought I would post an update here. Have been using my Nal every time before drinking, only with the sleeping I have one problem that will probably lead to being less compliant; if I take my nal let's say at 1700 or 1800, drink, go to bed later and wake up in the middle of the night (which happens often, mostly 3 or 4 times a night), I cannot sleep anymore. Then I have the habit to drink to get me to sleep again.

Only, I am afraid that by that time the Nal has run out because it is too long ago I have taken it. And if I drink again at night, when nal does not do its job anymore, I'm afraid it will take away all the advantages of not having the endorphines anymore in the afternoon. Does anybody know how long it works? Plus it is not very handy to take a Nal again at night and wait an hour to drink and go to sleep again. How do others do that? Who have also problems with sleeping?

Also, being nauseous is still bothering me. Although it has become less than before, it still causes me to feel bad and have problems with my stomach as well. Hope this will ameliorate soon.

I should track my records more conscientious, I am in the process of moving to my new house right now, so I have a lot going on and this causes me to be slacking...

Compliance, compliance, compliance!!

I need to check in here to get myself more motivated. Because I have had the flu, I have been very nauseous and because of that, I have skipped the nal a few times. However, I get anxiety attacks the day after drinking and feel even more bad physically.

Please, if you read this, I need some extra encouragement! Yesterday I drank 1,5 liters of wine in one day, which is really a lot, so I feel awful today, very jittery and even more nauseous.

Hi Girl. I'm sorry you are feeling so lousy. The flu is no joke - and then to drink so much wine on top of that is not such a good idea as you found out

I can only urge you to let that go, and pick yourself up and start again. Don't let this bother you too much. We all do stupid things, drink way too much even though we have promised ourselves we wouldn't. And we do it over and over again. That's what we are like. Even though we know better we repeat self defeating behaviour. The BEST part is that you are using the TSM program and have a great future!!!

So just be glad you have done that. Be proud of yourself. Start TODAY, again, to work the plan. Take it easy. Once you start to feel better you can build on that. I wish I could reach out and give you a big hug....

Babs

Hi Girl.

Just read through your journal and I just poped in to say that compliance is the only way to get cured. Alcoholism is a baffling disease and will use any excuse ie. moving house, job, stress, as an excuse to skip taking the nal. Im ashamed to say that I considered myself cured at one point but allowed myself to start messing about with the one hour , every single time rule and Im back to the beginning. Please make a commitment to yourself that no matter what else is happening in your life that you will always take your nal. As regards to waking at night and drinking, how about taking 25mgs of nal an hour before you go to sleep for a while so that if you wake its still active and should over time sort that problem.