Hi there

Charlie , London based heavy binge drinker and cocaine user, can't go ten days to two weeks without having a major blow out, huge consequences insue.

The benders are becoming truly terrifying, huge amounts of money blown, the 'devil' gets in me and all rational thought out the window, just give me that high right now, **** the consequences . I usually get a couple of nights when I get away with it and usually the third night I am off and away with seemingly no chance to control it

I started on nal in jan but 're-started' in feb as I had been taking the pills at random times of day on drinking days, not an hour before - so the week just gone I drank two drinks Tuesday, 2 drinks weds and then Thursday ..... You guessed it. I am writing this from hospital after 24 hours straight partying Followed by serious abdominal pain and severe anxiety - hence hospital

So, including jan and now in feb, I am seeing no change in my vicious cycle

I know it's early days but I am finding myself very scared and wary of continuing to drink - I have done AA numerous times starting off with heartfelt desire from every inch of my body only to be back out there 'partying ' within weeks and straight back to another horrific bender .

Anyone in a similar/same boat ? Ie this kind of pattern ? Really looking to find a similar story, I need reassurance that this can really work for this kind of drinking/addict ?These benders are really scaring me, the behaviour and the money I blow is utterly horrific. I am 36 and becoming painfully aware that I'm way too old for this **** and it's surely not impossible that I could keel over at some point - to be honest, I thought I was about to explode with pain before I came to hospital !

Yep, I'm a bit scared - and getting increasingly desperate to really find the best way out - would love to hear from you, I really want this to work and would be encouraging to hear that others have maybe not noticed results early on but have got there in the long run

Thanks alot

Charlie

Wow.

Benders that prolonged aren't the usual TSM circumstances. For a binge that lasts even six hours or so, we take "booster" nal after four hours. For one that lasts 24 hours or more . . . I really don't know.

What differences did you notice while you were on the naltrexone? Did drinking feel different? Was your drive to drink lessened or strengthened?

Oh, one more note -- have you looked into baclofen? People with really high consumption sometimes combine baclofen with nal-before-drinking, to curb craving short-term while also extinguishing it in the medium-to-long-term.

Baclofen has to be taken at pretty high doses, so there are side effect issues and dependency issues, but you sound pretty desperate. It might be worth investigating, if your body just doesn't have enough time left for the gradual, gentle approach of the Sinclair Method.

I think the problem, though, is the cocaine. I assume that's where the "huge amounts of money" are going, unless you're buying some expensive hootch. Naltrexone does nothing for cocaine, so it really won't help on that end of things. Could you be more specific on the amount you're ingesting in terms of alcohol? Also, what do the doctors think caused your horrible stomach pain -- could be anxiety, pancreatitis, liver problems, etc...?

I feel for you -- you sound desperate. From my understanding, cocaine is a bitch to quit, let alone alcohol.

Hi

Drinking hasn't felt remarkably different although on weds I was pleasantly surprised to hear myself saying no to a third drink - I had had enough

Why I couldn't carry this through to thurs I don't know

Yes the cocaine is a real bitch to quit, for all the hell it causes me, that instant fix and feel good, confidence and freedom is incredibly powerful

Fact is I have never taken it without drinking ...

From reading the answers so far I am not picking up a huge feeling of confidence that nal can work for a case this severe.

I know that only I can really make this decision but would you do me the honour of telling me what you would do in my situation ?

My gut is telling me abstinence and AA, maybe I am ready to get it - but then 2 seconds later a voice is saying - no, AA hasn't worked for you and it won't work for you, TSM will work, you just gotta give it time

I'm very confused - any more replies much obliged

Thank you

Charlie

One thing that I would be tempted to try is 75 mg one hour before and a 25 or 50 booster as recommended ...

Anyway, hoping to clear up the confusion, I know it's difficult to possibly know which will work but because of the cocaine issue, perhaps abstinence is literally my only option

Hoping to hear from someone with a similar backstory and how they tackled it

Cheers again

C

Hi Charlie,
Sorry to hear that you're having such a tough time of things. I have no experience of cocaine so I don't know what to advise you to do but if you type cocaine into the search box on here quite a few links come up. Read through the threads of other people who've taken it...it seems fairly common to that it goes together with alcohol. Pehapes you'll find some common ground in their stories and nuggets of wisdom that might help you to make your decision.
All the best,
Ruth.

Cheers for your response Ruth

Have done a bunch of digging around cocaine on the site and the general feedback I am getting is to do everything in my power to stay away from that drug and just stick to alcohol to allow TSM to work on that - if I can get the alcoholism cured I got a good chance of avoiding the coke (I need to be pretty intoxicated to order coke and can say no on a couple drinks )
However, I did make that exact pact at the end of last week, even drove to dinner on Thursday yet still ended up in an old haunt drinking and snorting .... Does anyone know that one ? U know, those days when you just kinda feel taken over by the addiction , not in charge , your feet literally walk you in the direction of the high like an auto - pilot ?? Any advice on how to overcome this ...? Thanks

Also - seems alot of people experience spikes and frustrations and everyone is different so just keep going ....

So if I decide to stick with TSM I need to resolutely avoid cocaine, friends who do it, old haunts etc and I will pack another pill so I can have a booster if I feel I am getting carried away

Hoping one day I can look back at this as a cure TSM man and thank God for naltrexone !

Cheers again

C

Yikes...I'm reminded of the movie "Flight" where Densel is both a coke addict and alcoholic, and he plays the two drugs off each other. I guess the silver lining is that you don't generally like coke until you're already drunk (this is how Densel did it, also). So, you'd have to pull a double play -- abstinence on the cocaine, TSM on the alcohol. The other hopeful thing is that Naltrexone seems to really work with you, so you may not be as hopeless as you may feel right now sitting in your sad hospital bed (I'm in the hospital right now, too...working). The third helpful thing is that you don't consume every day, so you have more of a binge addiction. You're used to alcohol / coke free days, so your goal is to just add more and more.

One other tip that works for me (and some here might disagree). I take Benadryl one hour before sleep every night, and it gives me that hypnotized feeling that alcohol used to give me at bedtime. And, I take good stimulants upon awakening and sometimes during the day (e.g. Hydroxycut). I actually greatly prefer the energetic type high to the dazed and confused low of alcohol. I've heard some people also have success with Modafinil (provigil) for giving them that wired, powerful feeling. I'm scared to take it, though, so I stick to my lamer stimulants.

What's your "social situation"? Girlfriend, significant other, wife, kids? Who do you have to turn to besides your party buddies? Do you work in a satisfying job? All that jazz.

Hi Barry
Thanks for your response - those stimulants sound promising , one thing that has really been getting me down is that I nearly always feel foggy, tired and just not that well - mainly it seems on days I am planning to go out. It's as if the body is almost anticipating it and maybe warning me (?) but in fact it has the opposite effect , I am so keen to feel alive and energised that I resort to knocking back drinks and esp cocaine just to get that alive present feeling and euphoria back .

No girlfriend(have fucked up with loads of girls cos of my addiction) , run a record label which I love so work is great . I live alone so can defo get lonely . Have recently met a girl though who seems great

You are dead right about cocaine abstinence and TSM for drinkin

In fact, I decided to write and have just sent a lengthy email to a core group of close friends really opening up about my difficulties and explaining TSM and the importance of abstinence from cocaine . I have outlined a plan to have a group email to keep them updated on my plans every week and to endeavour to meet with people on a Thursday night for a good dinner or a couple drinks at a bar who absolutely understand my predicament and my goal - and most of all, to completely avoid all old haunts (unless with said friends to support me and keep an eye) and never be around cocaine or anyone using it. It's my cocaine avoidance plan and it will hopefully allow me to break the habit and achieve a cure through TSM

I have explained it can take 3-6 months and that I need their help - as I know that if I go it alone I can be my own worst enemy . I am accountable to them now and will make sure to be around them when I go out - I find this very reassuring already - I hope their response is positive

So yeah. That's the plan going fwd, gonna stick with it. Do absolutely everything in my power to avoid cocaine and those heavy nights. I know what I am like though, literally hard wired to go mental every ten or so days so I am gonna have to be very diligent and will need the support

I feel confident though .

Cheers

Charlie