Sorry I dont have any charts or units per week measurements, just a rough sketch of how my brother has done with the TSM method over the last 6 1/2 months or so. He doesnt care about communicating any of this to anyone, so I'm doing it for him.

My brother had been drinking for about 22 years. Its been relatively manageable till about 3 or 4 years ago when it seemed to worsen. We had been familiar with Nalterexone since that time and he did use it for a few months as an aid in abstinence. It did help and he abstained for about 3 months. But he went back to drinking and it seemed to worsen from there.

I heard about TSM since early this year, so I suggested it to him and he took interest. He ordered a 12 month supply and began around the 26th of March. He lives next door to me and we have a system whereby I ration out his alcohol supply. I give him a fixed amount every evening which is about a third of a bottle or around 250ml. He can always get refills if he asks, but if it gets late, he hesitates to ask for more. On weekends though, he may drink up to 400ml.

The first 2 or 3 weeks, he had cut down his drinking a little but then it went back to the pre-TSM levels. At around the 5 month point, I noticed something interesting in his drinking behavior. Whereas before, he would finish off his 250ml portion in less than 2 hours, it was now taking him up to 6 hours to finish that amount. So I knew something was going on, that maybe the TSM was having an effect.

At around the 5 1/2 month point, he went off on vacation with his wife. I had mentioned to him that some people here at the TSM community had experimented with dosage levels and that some found a slight increase effective. So he began taking taking 2 x 50mg doses (one every 12 hours) to covers his day/night drinking.

After about a week or 10 days of doing that, he called me up from Bali Indonesia and told me that the TSM had kicked in. In fact it kicked in so strongly that he lost all cravings and stopped drinking. But he had forgotten about his physical dependence on alcohol. 2 days later, he developed withdrawal symptoms. I told him to force himself to drink which he did and became alright. But he also reduced his dosage back to 50mg. His drinking then went back to the way it was before his dosage increase.

Back from vacation, and still on the 50mg dosage, his drinking seems the same. He drinks the same amount as before, just much slower. On weekends, he does take 2 50mg doses to cover day and night drinking. He is now at around the 26 or 27 week mark in TSM.

So its was quite interesting to see how powerfully the TSM effect worked when he increased his dosage and how it sort of 'fizzled out' when he reduced it. I dont know how effective a dose increase would be if ones drinking is only within a 5 or 6 hour period every evening (during workdays), but I've read someone here mentioning that Eskapa says 50mg is enough especially if the drinking is done in the first 12 hours. But if drinking is anticipated beyond the 12 point, then another dose at around that point may be useful. And thats what my bro is doing. So there are hopeful signs, but still concern that on some days, his drinking is as it was pre-TSM.

Any comments on dosage experimentation and those whom have had success with it is appreciated. Thanks.

I don't have any experience increasing my dosage as my drinking always occurs within a span of a few hours. That being said, your analysis is spot on. 50 mg definitely covers you for twelve hours and may cover you for up to 24 hours. However, people who drink 24/7 would be wise to have a second dose after twelve hours to ensure full coverage. What a considerate person you are, helping out your brother like this.

BTW, your brother's history of drinking and length of time on TSM is yet another example that the three to four months noted in the book as the typical cure period is far off the mark for heavier drinkers with a long history of drinking. But there are clear indicators that TSM is working and will work for him.

My best to you.

Nick

Thanks Nick. I see quite a few people here who passed the 6 month mark but have not had the sort of dramatic results as some of the others. I was really excited to read Springriders success a few months ago and thought that the 80% success rate of TSM would be like that. But I guess its more like 80% of widely varying degrees of success rather than all 'dramatic success' as I thought it may be.

You are welcome. I still think the 80% efficacy rate is probably accurate but the average time frame for achieving it is off the mark, IMO.

My brother is at about the 29th week mark now and an unusual turn of direction in his drinking, for the worse unfortunately. Last 2 weeks his drinking has gone up to more than pre-TSM levels and seems to drink at a faster rate as well. I reported that around the 5 month mark his rate of drinking has slowed considerably to where it would take him about 3 times as long to finish the same amount. Well its gone back to what it was before. So a dramatic swing from what appeared to be TSM working (the high point when he lost all cravings for 2 or 3 days during his vacation) to the point he is at now. I can understand that occasional spikes may occur in TSM, but is it bucking the trend when a sharp uptake in drinking continues for a few weeks?

Its been exactly 10 months now since my brother started TSM. Despite some very encouraging signs around the 5-6 month mark, it sort of gradually went downhill from there. Not sure what happened. I thought if TSM began to work, it would continue to work. I dont think I've seen cases of 'reversal' here, but this is what it seems like in his case. This has not been a good week either, he is drinking more than before starting TSM.

Awwww - I'm so sorry! I know you're worried & concerned. Is he still on 50 mgs & is he still taking NAL before drinking? If he has stopped, that may be the issue. He has to want it and believe and be faithful to the method. Upping his dose at this point may be moot, but some of us are looking into and taking Baclofen...a thought. He has to be master of his domain tho :-)

Good luck - you sound like a great sister!

Mimir,

how many pounds does your brother weigh?

Time for action. Look into baclofen. Do it, trust me.

I second that.

-Ned