Weekly unit totals since beginning TSM June 11:

(No AF days. Cravings at trigger hour after taking nal using TSM guidelines: Consistently 10. But no cravings before trigger hour, i.e 5 pm.)

Wk 1 56
Wk 2 54
Wk 3 54
Wk 4 56
Wk 5 44
Wk 6 53
Wk 7 54
Wk 8 54
Wk 9 56
Wk 10 52
Wk 11 48
Wk 12 69
Wk 13 65
Wk 14 67
Wk 15 64
Wk 16 74
Wk 17 60
Wk 18 53
Wk 19 45 (current)


Still bouncing around, yet there seems to be some small progress looking at the numbers. However urge is still a strong 10 at 5 pm and no AF days so far.

Tomorrow evening (Thurs) I head for the Great Unknown, flying to Cape Town via London--a two day trip counting layovers--arrive there on Sat., overnight with a friend, and then board the 40-foot sailboat half an hour south down the eastern side of The Cape of Good Hope. There I'll organize my gear and we'll wait for a suitable weather window to round the stormy cape and head northward off the western African coast for a two month trans-Atlantic crossing including a few ports of call.

My drinking pattern as of late has become very self limiting in the sense that after six to eight U.S. units of wine I just can't keep my eyes open any longer. I'm usually in bed by 8-9 pm and sleep very soundly until around 7 the next morning, with no hangover or anything else. The evening wine still gives me the same old buzz, though it takes longer and a bit more before it kicks in--but when it does, it's like a delayed reaction timebomb. If I felt the effects earlier I would probably quit sooner. But I don't usually feel it until AFTER I've had too much (judging my my bedtime habit) and by then it's too late put things in reverse although I always wish I could at that point.

As I mentioned before, I imagine there won't be much to drink nor the desire to do so when there are only two of us on a rolling and pitching 40 foot sailboat crossing the South Atlantic from South Africa to Brazil.

Mike

Yes you have Mike, it is working like you said it's subconscious and you can't tell that it is. Hang in there buddy - E

I appreciate the encouragement, Evan. I certainly will hang in.

I have a semi-annual checkup with my doc coming up Mon. Oct. 5. Fasting blood tests, Lipids, LFT, etc. I'll ask for a Rx Nal refill contingent of LFTs being OK. The Rx he gave me initially, and skeptically--fortunately he's a sympathetic friend--can be filled for the last time on Oct. 11 and expires on Nov 11. I'm sure he'll ask if it works. I'll have to make up a story, or be very straight about the time it may take. Any suggestions on how to effectively frame those issues would be very welcome.

The problem is I leave the country on Oct. 22 for two months, maybe more. I ordered two months' worth of Naltima-50 from Alldaychemist. They arrived in about three weeks. I'd like to make sure I'm covered if I'm away longer than planned or if it runs out before I return. It's probably too late to order another batch from Allday.

Hopefully, I won't drink at all, or very little during much of the 40 days at sea since we're a two-man crew with rotating 4-hour watches in the South Atlantic. But there are breaks in a few ports that concern me. ["What shall we do with the drunken sailor..."] I simply want to be Nal-armed and am trying to figure out how to juggle all this. Somehow, eventually, I know it will happen.

Any additional advice and support deeply solicited.

Thanks,

Mike

Mike

Hi all

long time since Ive dropped in. Ive been struggling with the wine - more or less the same as before I started in feb. However, I am a very fast drinker - of all sorts of drinks alcoholic or not. I have also noticed I'm the same with food these days. However, I decided to try and wean myself off wine by switching to lager or ale. This is a typical 'alkie' behaviour Ive been told. Anyways, I have discovered (this time round) that I do not have any compulsion to binge when I drink these drinks. I drink five to six UK units and then have no problem stopping at all. For me the wine sends me over EVERY time and I rarely drink less than 1.5 full size bottles of wine - sometimes almost finishing the second bottle. I don't like lager as much but I am going to perservere with it as it may prove to be my 'passage' to control. Honestly, I have absolutely no compulsion right now after 6 units taken slowly over a few hours. It seem like my binges are totally dependent on a critical blood alcohol concentration which I hit easily with wine.

I would be interested in others experience on this.

Camelia

Camelia, exactly!

Hi Mike,

I'm not sure I understand the situation with your doctor. Do you just need to convince him to renew the prescription? I believe you said he's a sympathetic friend. If so, can't you just be honest with him about how long it might take? I don't know if having him read some of the stories here would help or hurt. Some have had the desired outcome rather early, but others are still plugging away. At over 7 months, it might seem like it's 'not working' for me, but that's not true. My life has drastically changed for the better since starting, but the process is just taking a long time. I'm not sure what approach would be best for you, but as a friend, I would hope he'd believe you when you say it just might take longer for you. Either way, I wish you the best of luck. Let us know how it goes.

I just had a follow-up check-up with my doc. since I'll be out of the country for two months. He asked about the naltrexone, and I said it seems to be working, but slowly. I didn't ask for a refill, since he's still skeptical--I'm the only one he ever encountered who has tried it--and is not entirely convinced by the literature. He said we'd discuss it when I return which is ok by me because I have one month's refill left from him, plus two months' supply received from AllDayChemist. That's plenty to last until I return and I see no need to ruffle his feathers about it at this point.

Mike

I think that's right. Because, I couldn't get crazed unless I was at that certain blood level point. Then, out of control, do incredibly insane stuff. And you're a scientist, so I take that as critical thought applied to our situation..,..Wow, thanks Camelia. I just found your thread and thought it important to pop it back to the top because of my recent episode.

Mine is vodka and wine. Very easy to hit....I have a meeting with my organization that I play music for tonight. I will keep with beer and wine. Especially because i have to drive. Best, Jim