drink2much I'm so sorry. i don't know nor does it seem that anyone else knows why some people get cured after 3-4 months and others after 8 months or more, i wish I knew too. Did something happen out of the ordinary during the spike you experienced? We're all complexed people with a lot of baggage that we carry around with us that I think Nal is not the answer to all our ills. It's just my opinion. Keep going don't give up it's just around the corner!!

I am l approximately at 34 weeks, so discouraging. I just decided to stop drinking, I am fed up with AL. I miss it, and when I think of a party, oh I can not take it, but.......I did start wellbutrin, so I think there are too many things in the mix here. Maybe I will retry if I really can not persevere with AF.
I hope you have better success. I am so glad for the people who have had success, just wish it were you, and all the other fine people who are battling this affliction.
ART

Im over one year out and still not cured as well. It is very discouraging. I don't know what else to try. I'm better than I was a year ago, but still drinking everyday.

I can imagine the frustration must be many times that of folks who have no change after several months before a decline happened. Sometimes I wish we could fill out a big questionnaire with all the different aspects of our lives; food intake, beverage intake, routines, age, meds, etc., to see if there is something common for those whom TSM works for and for whom it does not. It is really puzzling.

Cynic that I am, if I were one of the ones that it did not work for (yet), I would have attributed the cure to be a form of placebo affect. But since I tried 22 times to quit with a vast variety of techniques, why would this particular one work even when I didn't think it would work? I was actually planning my next treatment method after 4 months. So from this experience I must conclude that TSM is a valid treatment regimen that works in "most" people. I often wonder what the real percentage actually is. It certainly is much greater than AA's 5%, but is it really as high as 78%? Is it "most" people? I think that it is, but is it?

Bob

I guess we can only wonder what the 20+-% that were not successful with Dr. Sinclair did after going through his program.
With all the talk about baclofen here and "at the other place" why not try that - you folks out there who have been on nal for months with no much to show for it? I know I would have if nal had not worked for me. And now that I think of it, if I had heard of baclofen first I would have gone that route.

Yes, Baclofen is the next step for most of us that NAL did not work for. Can't tell you how rocky & slippery this sloping road is. I also want to add that I had Campral that I took on those rare days I was AF. The combination of NAL & Campral really seemed to make a difference in a way...in other words, I went that 2nd day no problem and had I been in a situation not to drink, I remembered feeling fractionally blase' about drinking...

Ehhhhh, I know that makes little sense, but NAL in combination w/ Campral is the latest standard Rx for alcoholism. And I think it could work - probably esp. if TSM is involved. Anyway, am nervous but hopeful about trying BAC. Am doing it w/o a DR's care which worries me...I'm afraid of being on high doses and then something catastrophic happens, I suddenly don't take it for days on end & go into shock...die....all the extremes scare me. How do I cover my ass??

Just thoughts -

houtx, you won't die because like having any disease you will be mindful of taking your meds as directed, remember what you have a disease of alcoholism. High dosage BAC is for total indifference to AL but as you tritate up AL becomes less and less a factor in your life and it all depends on you which level you want with the BAC, abstinence or low consumption of AL.

I'm with you houtx,
corkit

What dosage do I start on for the baclofen? Im already taking topamax. I want to be able to consume low dosages of alcohol not total abs. What a sad place to be!

sillygrits, go with this if you're going the BAC route.

Days 1-4 take 5 mgs/day (lets your body get used to it)
Days 5-7 take 10 mgs/day
Week 2: take a total of 30 mgs split 3x/day
Week 3: increase @ 20 mgs/week, total 50mg split up 3x a day
Continue to increase 20mg each week until you have no desire for AL.

corkit

When I no longer have desire for AL. And decide to have social drink at a party or something. Do I take my Nal one hour before and then take the BAC again. Will I be on the BAC for the rest of my life if I want to be a social drinker like I will always be on nal?