Hey I created an account here as my Mother recently began using Naltrexone with the Sinclair Method after a month or so of study on it, after examination to me and her boyfriend she encouraged both of us that it was a good idea. Though there are a few questions which I'd like to ask without seeming rude to her so that I can help
To begin though it's best that I give a small idea of the situation, mum has been an Alcoholic for 15 years and has begun to binge drink of recent, and due to the binge drinking she's upset family, so in pro-action to this mum decided to try AA two years ago which ended up with her believing it was wrong, next she tried a psychologist who made her depressed, after which she studied the Sinclair Method and began to use it after convincing the local doctor (Which he was against it), however she's now been on Naltrexone for a while and seems to have been improving till last night where she had a mini binge, now she's asleep and extremely upset. So my questions are:

1. How long does Naltrexone last in the body while in effect, for example I've read some say 4-6 hours while others 6-8 hours, which makes me curious if it's still in effect and not just generating new receptors for the addiction to manifest on?
2. How can I be more encouraging to Mum, I'm still in school so I'm around her most of the time and I'm curious of how I can support her during this, as I understand addictions are an extremely hard issue to try to overcome?
3. How can I try to get others to understand that she needs support, and what can I tell them is good advice for supporting her??
4. What is a good way to regain B12 into her body, as Alcoholism causes the body not to absorb B12.
5. I'd like to also know more basic facts about the drug, like does it have side effects beside creating more opioid receptors? Can it cause permanent damage?

I'm sorry if these have all been asked in other places, but I'm a bit tired right now (Bad night sleep) and I'd really like to gain more information on this as I really want to help Mum through this. Also thank you in advance for responding to this. It means a lot to me.

'Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success - Henry Ford'

I'm sure other people might want to pipe in, but here's what I would say...

1. How long does Naltrexone last in the body while in effect, for example I've read some say 4-6 hours while others 6-8 hours, which makes me curious if it's still in effect and not just generating new receptors for the addiction to manifest on?
The official half-life of Naltrexone is 4 hours, meaning at 4 hours, half of the drug is metabolized. Based on clinical evidence, after about 1 hour the drug is fully functioning in the average adult, occupying the maximum amount of opioid receptors. This would begin to wear off within 1-2 hours. By 8 hours, the drug would be mostly metabolized by the body, and presumably not very effective. Personally, I can "feel" Naltrexone in my system for well over 12 hours on some occasions. Remember, though, that these are just averages and people have different reactions to Nal and metabolize it differently.

The IV form, Narcan, works almost instantly and wears off quite quickly (e.g. if you give Narcan to someone who has OD'd on Hydrocodone, they will almost instantly regain consciousness, and then will begin to appear intoxicated or drugged after about 30 minutes, requiring another dose).

2. How can I be more encouraging to Mum, I'm still in school so I'm around her most of the time and I'm curious of how I can support her during this, as I understand addictions are an extremely hard issue to try to overcome?
Without knowing much about the situation, I'd say it's important to encourage her to take the pill, but also hold her accountable for actually following the TSM golden rule (Nal+ 1 Hour = Cure). Encourage alcohol free days and help find other ways to occupy her time other than drinking. When she's sober, help her enjoy it by taking part in fun activities, having witty conversations you just can't have when drunk, and avoiding drama that can lead her back to drinking. It SHOULD be more fun to be sober than drunk. As many around here have noted, not wanting to disappoint or set a bad example for a teenage child is a major motivator for drinkers (especially women, it seems).

3. How can I try to get others to understand that she needs support, and what can I tell them is good advice for supporting her??
Same as #2, and let others know about TSM and how it is based on clinical evidence. For me, the more people that know I'm trying to drink less, the less likely I am to drink because I don't want to let people down.

4. What is a good way to regain B12 into her body, as Alcoholism causes the body not to absorb B12.
Chronic, full-blown alcoholism can lead to all sorts of health deficiencies. B12 deficiencies are not necessarily going to occur in most consumers of alcohol (I always picture homeless winos as the ones most likely to have a true B12 efficiency). Abstaining from alcohol (or at least drinking in moderation), eating healthy, exercising, and maybe even taking vitamins should help any average human to have adequate levels of all necessary vitamins and minerals. If someone is truly low, they can get a Rx for daily B12 injections, but most people don't need to go to that extreme unless they have a disorder that prevents them from having sufficient levels.

5. I'd like to also know more basic facts about the drug, like does it have side effects beside creating more opioid receptors? Can it cause permanent damage?
The whole "creating more opioid receptors" is hardly a "side-effect," may not even occur in most people, and does not produce a noticeable difference for most people. Personally, I wouldn't worry about that. The drug itself has all sorts of possible side-effects, most notably dizziness, brain fog, nausea, and increased hangovers. Some people never experience any side-effects, some (like myself) only have side-effects under certain conditions (my main one is brain fog and dizziness). There is no evidence that Naltrexone can cause "permanent damage," but lots of evidence that alcohol can.

Thank you so much for your response, I'll try my best to follow the advise and give her the support she requires, thank you very much for your response and the detailed information.

A note on the B-12 issue: eating beef more often can help a lot with B-12. So many people leave it, and other meats, out of their diets because of "fat" issues that many people become deficient in B-12.

dothework,

That is so true, people avoid meat and other healthy foods because we have been brainwashed into thinking fat is bad for us. It is NOT and our bodies need fat to function. Remember people.......fat does not make us fat. What makes us fat is eating too many carbohydrates (yes, sugar) that cause our blood sugar to spike and fall, leaving us wanting to eat more. I have done my research on this and find that eating a low carb diet increases my energy levels and reduces cravings. Check into it I know this is kind of off subject, but we are all wanting to get healthier so I figured I'd post. Here is to healthy (alcohol reduced or AF) new lifestyles!!!

Cindy

Hi everyone,

I found this thread where Dr. Eskapa answers this question (scroll down; his is the third post):

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=118

Sorry, I didn't know how to do a better link.

Here is a link to the PDF of the chapter from Dr. Eskapa's book, in which he says (see dosage, page 3):

http://www.thesinclairmethod.com/downlo ... m-Ch17.pdf

The naltrexone pill should be taken approximately an hour before the first drink of the day. It can be taken in the morning (there still will be a block- ade of opioid receptors that evening) but at that time patients may not have an accurate perception of whether they are likely to be drinking that day or not. It is, therefore, generally recommended to postpone taking naltrexone until an hour before the first ex- pected drink.

Hope that helps. Best wishes to your mother. She's lucky to have your support and understanding. It's starting to work for me, really kicking in this week, and its been an emotional one for me!