Dear Dr. Eskapa,

I am new to the Sinclair Method and so far, things are going well. I do, however, have a question for you about benzodiazepines and naltrexone. I have anxiety issues and the occasional panic attack, so my doctor gave me a prescription for Diazepam. I'm not addicted to it--it works for me on stressful days but I can go without it most of the time.

Will taking benzodiazepines interfere with the extinction process that occurs with the Sinclair Method? I've tried to do some internet research to track down info on this. I found one study, "Naltrexone plus benzodiazepine aids abstinence in opioid-dependent patients," but as you can see the participants weren't alcoholics, but rather addicted to some opioid. The study found that benzos aided the naltrexone group in terms of reducing anxiety, etc. and didn't interfere with the effectiveness of the naltrexone. I found another somewhat relevant study, "Naltrexone effects on diazepam intoxication and pharmacokinetics in humans," which didn't really answer my question either.

Any guidance on this issue would be much appreciated. Thank you!

Very good question and mine too!

I've taken valium this week while on the NAL and it seems to work the same for me. I think the benzos work on different receptors in the brain than opioids.

But I'm not a doctor.

Hi Tori75

The benzodiazepines will not help you with the Sinclair Method - they will hamper, slow, and weaken your de-addiction or extinction progress. Avoid them if at all possible. There is both scientific research to support this and also clinical cases ....

Hope that answers your question.


Best wishes - wishing you well

Dr Roy

interesting!

I posted this query for the good doctor on the other board days ago. How timely. I guess it was time anyway to shed my .25mg daily diazapam.

Darn... I don't take many but I take a couple a week.... However I must say, the need and desire to take them has greatly increased since I usually take them to relieve anxiety when hungover and at night after when I have been fairly dry because of a hangover. Now since those things have not happened in weeks... I have pretty muched stopped except on a rare insomnia night.... In light of this, I will cut that out almost totally.
I

I take .5mg of klonipin to sleep at night have for years long history of needing them. Will this interfer with my taking naltrexone? I have yet to get a doctor to prescribe it for me...wondering if it is a waste of my time since I have to take the klonipin.
help!
bizi

Welcome Bizi,

Dr. Eskapa is no longer active on this board and your best bet is too ask this over at the Options Save lives forum, for they do have Dr. Eskapa's ear.

With that being said, Klonopin is a class of Benzos and could hamper your progress from what I have read on this board (I am not a doctor nor an AUD counselor).

I have seen one person on TSM while here that struggled with TSM because of the use of Benzos, and that was Retread. He is no longer participating on this board and the last I spoke to him he is trying to be sober, and I believe gave up trying to use TSM for recovery.

Are you saying that you have not found a doctor to prescribe nal? Or the Klonipin? If it is the nal, a lot of us either tell our doctor that we will use it for cravings or order it from the list of pharmacy on the C-3 list. I have yet heard of a doctor not or refusing prescribing the nal when you have an issue; however, I have heard doctors refer their patients to a psychiatrist. If you live in another country beside the U.S. that is a different story.

I wish you luck on your journey,

Jaba

Thank you jaba.
I have a psych doctor who is unwilling to prescribe nal for me, she referred me to a new psych who is trained in abuse disorders. I am awaiting a responce back from her nurse as to whether she prescribes nal in her practice. I don't want to waste $200 to find out that she won't prescribe it for me.
I looked into getting it on line but you needed a script for it. sigh
bizi