Hello all -
I am bouncing around here tonight, just ecstatic to be on finally and happy to have found this wonderful, awesome group of people in the last few weeks...and ohhhhhhhhhh so much more...will try to find the appropriate thread to give a few details...

I have found an addiction psychiatrist in Houston who said he is familiar w/ the Sincalir Method, but today in my consult we really did not discuss it at all...of course the drinking w/ nal w/ a cure in mind, is totally not in the protocol of treating this addiction, as we have spoken of often here...so I nodded my head and was firm in my agreement that abstinence was the way to go...with the help of a few meds. He offered/suggested them all> nal, campral, antabuse, along with freely asking if I needed librium/Xanax or anything else to help w/ the anxiety & shakes...

sheesh - I don't need that but I couldn't help thinking how easily I could have gotten it from him...I was a little surprised at how easy it was & relieved as well. My gyne. did not want to prescribe anything she was not familiar with...I'm down widdat too. Anyway...

I have the names & phone #s of 3 Drs here in Houston who say they are famliar w/ the SM and prescribe naltrexone...but even tho they say they are familiar with the SM, I kind-of question that...it's a matter of playing the game in their office if you want to go thru your insurance, which I did. $10 for nal; $40 for Campral (more pills more often - gack - we shall see)

Bottom line - I am on Day 1!
MMMMMwwwwaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

I also live in Houston. Could you share the names of the doctors? If not on the list, at least privately? Thanks.

Hi Kimmy -
Yes, the doctor I went to is on my insurance and I am including the names of a couple of others. My guy is: Dr. Robert Woodham 713/349-1100. His office is near Bellaire/Meyerland off 610S at Fournace. He claimed to know about the Sinclair Method, but I don't think he really did. He is an "addiction specialist" but I was sort-of underwhelmed, thankfully. More of a whambam, thankyou maam. We talked, he took a history & was on his computer the whole time. There was no drama & very little eye-contact (until I told him my mother married her psychiatrist 40 yrs ago!! LOL)

I was pretty matter-of-fact about "yeah, I think I'm addicted to alcohol and want to try this method,etctetc" - pretty adamant that I thought Naltrexone was the med for me...in the end he prescribed that and Campral, which I don't take. And he recm'd "The Right Step" for group support. Wanted to see me in 2 wks but I am holding out until I need a refill. And trying to figure out a way I don't have to see him & drain my insurance and yet still get the Rx...blahblahblah...sorry -

I also talked to Dr. Edwin Woods (in West U area) whose number I can't seem to put my hands on - but he was int'd in researching the SM and seemed like a very nice man. Altho said he had not had "much success in the past" with NTX...was willing to go there... I also got a call back from a Dr. Falich, again can't find his # but certainly can - whose office is way out west on Richmond near Walnut Bend & Beltway8.

If you want these numbers, I will get on my insurance site and look them up for you. Hope this helps - good luck & would be int'd to hear.

Thanks for the info. No need to look up the numbers, though.
I've been going to an "addiction specialist psychiatrist" named Lawrence Ginsburg of Red Oak Psychiatry Associates near 45 and 1960. I don't think I will be going back. He's truly a self-centered jerk. He is mainly interested in getting people into his clinical trials and putting them on medication that I swear he must get a kickback from.
I never mentioned Sinclair but I said I wanted to cut down on my drinking. He doesn't believe in oral Naltrexone - just the $700 Vivtitrol shot of Naltrexone, which my insurance covered in full. It leaves a big welt at the injection site. ANyway, after two months he wouldn't give it to me anymore because my liver enzymes were not down as much as he wanted. He gave me Campral, which is great for anxiety. I went to my regular Dr. and she gave me oral Nal and I take it with my Campral.
With Ginsburg, you see him for about 30 seconds - just enough time to charge you for a visit with a Dr. The other time is spent with a nurse who does his bidding. I know what you mean about wasting office visits. I knew he wasn't going to give me anything because of my LFTs but he made me come in anyway - a waste of everyone's time and my insurance.

I'm glad to hear your regular Dr. prescribed oral NTX - I think that's the way to go. But if you need any other info or whatever, let me know - altho I am farther south than it sounds like you are, can certainly provide numbers for these other Drs, like I offered before...

I am also interested in forming a Houston "support group" for Sinclair Method people...may be a bit premature, but a thought I am harboring all the same...

A Houston support group sounds great!

If anyone reads this and is interested...post...we shall see...

houtx:

you mentioned 3 Dr's in the Houston..based on what you have said I don't think Woodham is what I am looking for.

Can you tell me anymore about Dr. Woods ? I have located his phone # & address..just curious if you have had anymore

conversation with him ??

The third on mention : Falick, could that be Edward Fallick ?

thanks for your help

I am a "newbie" and I like what I am reading here, thanks everyone for sharing and wishing each one the very best success

Pontiac

Pontiac - so sorry I have not responded sooner as was taking a break posting. Yes, it was Edward Fallick and his assistant was very good about phoning me personally, but he was too faraway for me (I am near Galleria).

Dr. Woods sounds like an old-school psychiatrist, yet he was very int'd in "exploring" the SM with me. I think if you are wanting to really go through some counseling he may be your man. My second visit w/ Dr. Woodham was not much different than the first. Although he actually seemed to know a bit more about the method, I still had to spell out the website again (this one) that I was on. If he visits here: Hello there, Bob!! :-) Luv ya!! :-)

I find him to be a "churner" - in the brokerage biz, one who turns transactions/tickets as fast as possible w/o any real regard to the customer (illegal actually, if you can prove it). I'm sure my insurance is charged for the full $160/hr altho he sees me for about half that time. Pisses me off on some levels, but whatev - I am getting the Rx.

Hope this helps & again, sorry I didn't reply in a timely manner.

I'm brand new today, but yes . . . . . .

(Quote from above)
"I've been going to an "addiction specialist psychiatrist" named Lawrence Ginsburg of Red Oak Psychiatry Associates near 45 and 1960. I don't think I will be going back. He's truly a self-centered jerk. He is mainly interested in getting people into his clinical trials and putting them on medication that I swear he must get a kickback from."

(You can't really call it "Kick-backs" though - MD's are legally paid for, and doing legit, by doing clinical trials) . . . . . but other than that . . .

YES! You are totally right!

Stay away . . . few years ago I interviewed with him and immediately KNEW not to go to work for him . . . .