Hello folks,

About 8 years ago, I took Naltrexone in conjuction with the abstinence protocol that was recommended by my physician at the time (my ultimate goal was moderation, even though I had to agree to the abstinence goal in order to get a presciption). I discontinued use after a short period of abstinence (20 days), and immediately returned to my old drinking patterns within a month (I'm now aware that scenario is consistent with the "Abstinence + Naltrexone = Failure" equation). Currently, I drink at least a 6 pack of beer each night (over a period of 4 - 6 hours), which I've pretty much done for the last 30 years, (except during my two pregnancies -- when I found abstinence very easy -- must have been those endorphin producing female hormones -- the real cure for alcoholism

I've never had any alcohol-related problems, except a general undercurrent of self-disgust because I can't control my drinking at what is considered moderate levels for any period of time -- I always drift back to my 6-pack a day habit, and I'm very unhappy if I have to eat dinner at a restuarant that doesn't serve beer! In fact, I do my best to avoid any vacations or dates that would require my having to forego my daily, cold draft beers.

Although I'm otherwise extremely healthy (I eat well and exercise regularly, have low blood pressure, have never missed a day of work due to drinkng, have never blacked out, can count the number of hangovers in my life on one hand, and have a great relationship with my husband and a not-to-bad relationship with my teenage girls) -- I can honestly classify myself as a "High-Functioning Alcoholic" (there's a new book that's just been published called "Understanding the High-Functioning Alcoholic" if anyone is interested). It's possble that physically, I may be able to continue drinking at these extraordinarily high levels without affecting my physical health (my family includes many long-lived, vibrant, functioning alcoholics) -- but that's really not an excuse to continue to drink at levels that exclude other life-affirming activities from my day to day existance. As I approach my 50th birthday, the gift I'd like to give myself is to throw that disparaging "HFA" self-classification out of my vocabulary for good. Consquently, I started the Sinclaire method last night, and plan to follow it diligently to see if it will turn out to be the "cure" to get this nasty monkey off my back.

Hi Netty - Welcome!

I too am a female who loves beer (my favorite!), but had to switch to liquor becase I couldn't hide the beer cans/bottles from my family. I've supposedly been trying to be abstinent since last summer, but that's a joke!

I was also given Naltrexone, but was told to use it with abstinence. Now that I understand the Sinclair Method, I'm trying to start over. I'm off to a rough start, but many others have have made great progress. I'm hoping it will just take longer for me - I'll NEVER give up!

Hi, I'm Bob from Florida. If there's a "method for curing alcoholism", I have tried it. I only asked my psychiatrist for Naltrexone during my last visit, because it was the only med I had not tried for abstinence. He told me to detox and take the Naltrexone 50mg/day and don't drink. I started that last Saturday. On Sunday, when I was researching Naltrexone side-effects, I stumbled uopn the Sinclair Method. It really made sense.

I started my deliberate drinking following the Sinclair Method on Monday one hour after 50mg of Naltrexone and found my beer was tolerable, but no buzz; same with the second; and the third I couldn't even finish. Unusual for a 6-pack-a-day man, like myself. Tuesday was similar, and so was Wednesday. I immersed myself in research on this method. It must work. I can feel it when I drink. No euphoria. Just some warmth and relaxation that "normal" people feel. I understand that I am in the "honeymoon" period with the drug and that I have months to go, but what a difference already!

I am so glad I stumbled on this method and this forum! I am looking forward to taking this journey with you.

Bob

Hi Netty and Bob

A big welcome to you both!

Another beer girl here- pre-Sinclair I averaged around 7/8 cans of 5.4% ABV beer per day for nearly 30 years- I am 44 now, my longest break was 2 years.

A lot of my drinking has been done through socializing and there were lots of shots thrown into the mix, too, not to mention wine too (I live in Spain) but beer has always been 'my drink'.

I guess to outsiders I also have been 'highly functioning'.
When I was hanging over the toilet bowl every morning and struggling to get through a day without collapsing I knew I was anything but 'highly functioning'- I was hanging on in there by the skin of my teeth.

I have been on the Sinclair method for 5 weeks now, to be honest when I started this, I had given up hope. You can see my current results from my signature and more about what is has been going on with me in my thread on the 'Weekly Progress' thread. I put my pre-Sinclair units at >40, but that had been very recent- for years my average intake was around 70/80 units a week.

Since starting the Sinclair Method for the first time in years I actually feel like a human being, and wake up in the morning feeling happy

Here's wishing you both the same success, and I look forward to reading of your progress!

Hi guys. Welcome to the forum. It's going to be very interesting to follow each person's progress on this journey. Today I'm just starting my fifth week, and it has been an up and down journey for me. My consumption was gradually decreasing, and last week I even had an AF day (first one - except for sickness - that I had in months.) But then this week it's back up to almost where I started. Somewhat discouraging. But I have confidence in the studies and the statistics, and know that four weeks is only the very beginning of a 3-5 month process.

It helps to have others on here to reflect experiences and offer encouragement.

Thank you all for welcoming me! I'm on day three of the program -- the first two days my drinking level has dropped 50% from pre-NAL. I'm not sleeping well (serious nightmares), even though I'm really tired after I take the medication (that's why I'm not drinking so much -- instead of getting energetic and jazzed after drinking, I just feel like going to sleep). I'm also feeling very anxious during the day -- but not unbearably so. Today I let my husband know I had started the program a couple of nights ago. Since he's not in the habit of counting my drinks (and my behaviour hasn't changed), he didn't notice the reduction over the past few nights. He pointed out that the last time I used Naltrexone I didn't stick with it (as mentioned in my intro, I used it 8 years ago in conjuction with attempted abstinence, and then a couple times thereafter to moderate my drinking, but certainly not every time I drank. I explained that both the abstinence protocol and the intermittent use protocols I previously followed were incorrect (both inadvertently heightening post-NAL cravings), and that I was going to go about it a completely different way this time -- taking naltrexone 1 hour before each drinking session for the next 4 months. He looked skeptical, to say the least, but that's ok. I plan to make him a believer!

I'm going to start a weekly progress thread as soon as I get through this first nervous week. Good luck to all of us on our quest for a cure!

Starting week 3, I think. Drinking is higher than pre-treatment, but there is no buzz, no reinforcement. We'll see how this goes.

I got my book "The Cure for Alcoholism" by Roy Eskapa. I am enjoying reading it, other than it is extremely repetetive. The book could have been a pamphlet.

Bob

The book may seem that way at first, but there's a gem on every page. I started a Sinclair thread on MWO and quoted something different from it every day, for weeks on end.

Here's a point that bears repeating, that Eskapa himself has quoted on this board (I'm paraphrasing as I don't have the book handy):

Be alert that very early on, you may find you have a diminished desire to drink. This is a welcome but meaningless artifact of the pharmacological extinction process. A real cure does not happen in a few days or even weeks; it takes around four to six months.

We need to continually remind one another (as you all have been while I was out sick) that whatever happens in the early weeks is not a true cure. Conversely, we do not need to get frustrated (although feel free to talk it out here if you do) if our drinking does not go down in the first weeks and months. My drinking shot up to beyond pre-nal levels for a couple weeks as I stopped fighting cravings. Eskapa says this happens, and it's okay.

It has helped me to chart my craving (weekly average on a scale of 1-10) along with my units. Some of you might try that. Sharing here (including venting frustration) seems to be an invaluable tool, so keep coming back.

Yes.

Page 117, in the last paragraph: "...this decrease in drinking and craving is merely an artifact of the treatment."

It is a result of the loss of the "first-drink" euphoria that is blocked now from endorphins by the naltrexone.

The extinction effect takes months. But it is SO encouraging, at l least to me, to feel that first effect. I know that in just a few months, I will finally, after all these decades, finally be free!

Bob

Welcome Netty,
Glad to have you aboard. I am approaching three months. I went through a honeymoon and then my drinking upticked a bit. It leveled out and then began to decrease with periods of not drinking. Give it time and let it work naturally. You are fortunate in that there is a reasonable population here ahead of you to guide you through the hoops.

I do think we have stumbled upon a pretty exciting thing here. We are pioneers to a Brave New World of Sanity.