Week 0: 72 (before TSM)
Week 1-4: 63, 57, 69, 50
Week 5-8: 73, 43, 57, 56
Week 9-12: 47, 59, 55, 61.5
Week 13-16: 59, 65.5, 58, 57
Week 17-: 59.5, 69

Last week was rough. I have gone back down to 50 mg/day because the increased dose didn't really bring my numbers down after three weeks. I am still interested in moving up to perhaps 75 mg/day but I want to get my liver checked out first. To that end, I have found a reference for a local doctor who prescribes naltrexone and am planning to set up an appointment.

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

If 75mg doesn't do it, could you take your dilemma to Roy Eskapa? He's been quite generous with his time for people who are having trouble finding success.

I can see why you're concerned. It's still quite possible that you just need 75mg, though. Some do.

Week 0: 72 (before TSM)
Week 1-4: 63, 57, 69, 50
Week 5-8: 73, 43, 57, 56
Week 9-12: 47, 59, 55, 61.5
Week 13-16: 59, 65.5, 58, 57
Week 17-: 59.5, 69, 71

I switched from Naltima brand to Nodict a couple of weeks ago on a whim and I am convinced that it does not work nearly as well. My intake has spiked and I am averaging 10/day now. Actively looking forward to drinking each day. I am still getting very little reward but I am drinking just as much as I did pre-TSM. I definitely need to order more Naltima.

I am still taking the pills and still trying to follow TSM as strictly as I can but it is getting very disheartening that 19 weeks into this process I am drinking at the same level as before. Still compelled to drink at least 8 drinks before I can get to bed. Hung over at work every single day. Life continues to revolve around the cycle of drinking, sleeping, being hung over, and then getting drunk again just when I'm getting over the hangover. I am experiencing all of the negatives and almost none of the positives and yet nothing is changing. Really feels like this is just not working, and the little devil on my shoulder suggesting that I just give it up already is louder than ever...if my drinking is not decreasing, and I'm still suffering all the bad parts, why deny myself the good parts? This is about the point where I threw in the towel two years ago. I don't intend to repeat history, though.

Traveling on business next week. Absolute misery. Will hopefully get an appointment with the doctor I referred to previously the week after that. Priorities: Order more Naltima. Make appointment. Get liver tested. Get prescription and hopefully increase dose to 75 mg.

I really don't know what I'm going to do if it turns out I'm in that small fraction of the population that doesn't respond to TSM. Baclofen didn't work. I'm NOT doing aversion therapy. White-knuckle abstinence is a non-starter.

Sorry to hear that you're having a tough time of it. It can be disheartening sometimes. I'm sure this won't make you feel any better but some people just take a long time...some a really long time...to get results. I read someone's thread (can't remember the name) that it had taken them two years to see an improvement but they'd made it in the end. Keep plugging away. After your liver test you can up the dose to 75mg...who knows you might even need 100? In your numbers there are a few weeks at 43, 47, 50. What was going on then that helped with reduction?

For now, you've got a plan but as for other options you said a few weeks ago...



Just don't listen to the little devil on your shoulder!

I absolutely hate opiates. If i werent such a wuss in regards to pain, id never take any.

You know, sideeffect2, you are a really interesting case. You should maybe volunteer to be a test case for researchers or something.

"Interesting case."

Hehehe. Thats one way of putting it.

Ives,

I was in a similar position as you at around the same length of time. Thinking I had been at this several months and I wasn't making any progress and still consuming the same amounts. Well, I think I have had a bit of a breakthrough and much of that is due to your coaching. Your recommendation to increase the dosage has worked for me and I have had some real success over the last three to four weeks. I've been at this for 30 weeks now and I am getting to manageable levels. So the message is to keep at it and don't give up before the miracle of extinction happens!

LOL at the AA parody.

Survived the business trip. This was my first international trip since re-starting TSM. Last time I was doing TSM, I lapsed when I was traveling, and this time was the same. Traveling is hell for me and makes me cling to alcohol more strongly than anything else, and the "devil on my shoulder" declared that if I was going to handle this trip, I was not going to rob myself of the one thing I know can make me feel good when I am abroad. So, unfortunately, I went three days without taking any naltrexone and consumed 3, 5, and then 7 drinks on those days. I felt great those first few days, minimal jet lag, really just felt great in general. Was working 10-12 hour days and amazed at how well I was handling it. Excellent appetite, positive attitude, really actually enjoying myself which was totally unexpected. And I wasn't drinking myself silly despite the lack of naltrexone.

On the fourth day, I came to my senses and took a pill when I woke up. Boy, what a mistake all of that was. When I finally took a dose, I got absolutely slammed with side effects. Three days with no naltrexone followed by a full dose of 50 mg...that day was HELL. Chills, irritability, inability to stay focused, bad mood, lack of appetite. And then I had about 9 drinks that night. Ugh. I haven't taken any naltrexone since then.

It's hard to tally realistic daily drinking totals when crossing 8 time zones and back, but as far as total drinks consumed over the last 7 days, I've averaged about 8.5. The seven days prior I averaged 9.

Tomorrow I will take 12.5 mg. And then 25 mg the next day. And so on until I am back at my regular dose. Need to make that doctor appointment Monday. I will take whatever dose is necessary, I just don't want to kill my liver in the process.

Also, an interesting thing I am noticing is that it seems like naltrexone hangs around in my system for a very long time. Even without having taken any for several days, I still don't get the rush I used to get when I drank. It's still a heavily-dulled response. I haven't had any naltrexone in about 72 hours, but the alcohol I am drinking now is really not doing much for me.