Had doc appointment today. I was a little stressed at the thought of trying to convince a doctor to prescribe something that is new to them. Took printouts of the JAMA article and the CNN article and NYTimes article and NIAAA faq's on nal, etc. etc. Didn't need it though. She took my word for it. She said she didn't have a problem prescribing something for hub's alcoholism but we were going to need more help than that. She spent some time on AA and Al-Anon. She would really be a good spokesperson for them. We were mentally prepared for that thanks to the good folks here on this forum.

I am so relieved. She looked up nal and said if I had any problem finding a pharmacy that could get it, to let her know. We're in a very rural area; she's a country doctor and very personable.

Cutting down to 25mg last week to make it last till the appointment seemed like a disaster. I wish I had paid closer attention to how much beer we bought before the nal. I have no idea if he had ever been up to that many units in the past or not. It was a lot though. The clarity was GONE and the conflict was back in full force.

But that was last week. Today starts a new and better week.

Yes, it does and you are an angel of a spouse.

YAY!! Good luck - keep us posted!

This last week was better as far as getting along and keeping the clarity. Saturday night was weird though. Hubs sat down and said he was feeling aweful. Said he thinks the nal is making him sick. I said it wouldn't be the nal at this point. He had been drinking pretty much constantly all day and I started worrying about alcohol poisoning and said so. I think he saw the possible truth to that statement and was scared enough to stop drinking for the night. But not scared enough to keep it in mind the next day.

I'm ok with sitting back and letting the nal do it's slow job. But I sure will be glad when the numbers go down some.

tbloom, do you think your husband would be against waiting until a specified later time at night to drink?

I ask this because I noticed that there are times, especially after the first month or so, when I decided to start drinking earlier than normal and I would tend to drink more. It wasn't neccessarily that I couldn't stop, it was more like it wasn't time to stop. I now tend to wait 30 mins to an hour later than normal to start drinking so I'll be right at a good stopping point around midnight, which is my normal bedtime. If he usually crashes out at 10 or so, maybe he should wait until 7 ish to start drinking.

It's never all that bad when you know it's in there and you'll get to drink it eventually. It may not even work, but it could be worth trying a few nights to see.

I was hoping last night would be that way because we spent the whole evening at the girls' softball games. But he just stayed up even later drinking, trying to get to that point where he felt sleepy. I've made a cammomile tea and had him take a melatonin with it before, which seemed to do the trick. I just didn't think of it last night; too tired myself.

He'll come to the conclusion that it isn't doing anything for him eventually. It's something even I went through for a while - experimenting to see when/if I could get that old buzz back.

Just hang in there, if he is taking the nal he's still doing a good job.

sounds like it may just be the habit. I know for me I sometimes don't even want another drink on TSM but have one anyway because I think I should or I won't sleep (starting to see that isn't true) and because I tell myself I might as well get my money's worth out of the NAL I took that day

Another week of conflict-free behavior while drinking levels are still up. Lots of thoughts on behavior/boredom/habit running through my head and what could be done about it. But will just let the process happen on its own for now. We're only 6 weeks in. As long as there is peace in our home, just let it ride.

Isint it nice to not have the wacky BS behaviour that comes with booze? I am pretty sure that has to be from your husband experiencing that "clear" buzz that many of us have felt. It's like a greater control when drinking. After some time on nal hard liquour started to make me sick which I welcomed with open arms. Crown or any blend was my drink or a shot of Blackhaus or rummplemintz and a beer. I hated beer alone because it would not give me that buzz I wanted that only rocket fuel can give. The last time I had a shot in january was my last shot and it was highly embarrassing. The shot was the obligatory shot with the boys..it was only my second drink of the night. I took it and within moments I ran to the nearest men's room - THANK GOD IT WAS EMPTY - and heaved my guts out. I caught all kinds of crap from my buddies but my one friend said hell I'd rather see you puke than down 20 of them and have to carry you out after you have been kicked out the bar for being too drunk.

That was my last shot...I can not, will not nor have a desire to drink hard liqour or be drunk. Thats a 180 turn because it's all I used to drink and like 15-20 something in a night. I admire you for standing by your husband and not doing the usual of forcing AA which would never have worked for me and quoting alanon and such. He is a lucky man...hang in there it keeps getting better with time.