Bizi,
You can get Naltrexone online without a script from All Day Chemist. Though it asks for script/doc info you can simply skip it.

Hth.

Bizi,

If every appointment is $200 for an Addiction doctor (and they may want you there every month or every 3 months), going to all day chemist is a better bet and will be cheaper in the long run; however, any doctor is allowed to write the script.

Do you have a good relationship with your primary care physician? For he could write it for you.

Going to a specialist could be very helpful; however, if that doctor doesn't like anything but abstinence it could be counterproductive.

If a TSM doctor is not near you, ordering could be your next step. Or if you primary is open minded speak to him/her about it. I was surprised that my primary was open to it (I originally asked for it to be abstinence and then explained TSM later on).

I wish you luck,

Jaba

bizi -

The new doc will know about Nal, for sure. There's also an injectable, slow release form called Vivitrol, that's no good for TSM. Most prescribe oral Nal to be used daily while abstinent, but that doesn't work in the long run. What most TSM'ers do in that case is agree with the doc just to get the Rx, then use it per TSM protocol. If your insurance covers the Nal, then you might be money ahead to use the doc. If not, then you can use GoodRx.com to get a discount on Nal, it's about $40 in my area. I think it's $70 with shipping at AllDayChemist, more at River Pharmacy.

I suppose if the substance abuse doc would lean on your pdoc to write the Rx, that would be optimal because you have to see your pdoc on occasion anyway. Don't know if that's the way it works though...

This is kind of interesting btw, I had thought benzos were GABA agonists, but from what this says they aren't formal agonists like alch is. This covers the Z-class drugs too, which are one alternative to benzos for sleep:

http://www.sleepdex.org/nonbenzo.htm

Bizi - welcome. I do not think you need a script to order from River Pharmacy although the Nal is not cheap so you might want to wait and see if you can get a RX for it.....

Maggie

Thank you all for your replies and support.
The addictions psychiatrist cost $200 initially then $100 per visit after that. and I may end up seeing a nurse practioner which would be fine.
How can all day chemist just fill scripts with out a prescription?
That would be great if I could do that.
bizi




Both bezodiazepine drugs and these non-benzodiazepine sedatives work in the brain on the gamma-aminobutyric acid-A (GABA-A) receptors, as do many drugs used to induce sleep. They may not be formal agonists (in the sense that they don't directly compete with GABA for biochemical sites in the neurons), but they bind to other places near or in the receptors. Benzodiazepines act on GABA-A receptors that include subunits of the alpha-1, alpha-2, alpha-3, and other classes. The Z-drugs are more selective for the alpha-1 subclass which seems to drive sleepiness but not anti-anxiety.

Thanks joe, where does the nal come from? from all day chemist?
bizi

If you order the generic form, it typically comes from India, whether you get it from AllDayChemist or from River Pharmacy. NB, there's a scam going around where someone saying they're from AllDayChemist calls you and asks for personal information, SSN and the like. They're not from AllDayChemist. Just hang up the phone.

Well, might be good to talk to the new doc first. If they're an addiction/substance abuse doc, then they will have prescribed Naltrexone before. Even if they will only prescribe it to be taken while abstinent, you can still use it "as needed" only on the days that you drink, which is what The Sinclair Method is all about. That would give you enough time to decide whether it would work for your particular situation and if the side effects (if you have any side effects in the first place) are tolerable.

So you might bring up TSM with the new doc, but don't push it much if they don't know what it is, you might just nod your head and get the prescription. If they offer a Naltexone (Vivitrol) injection, that's a whole different thing and it's got nothing to do with TSM.

Thank you joe.
Thank you for your kind replies!
Not drinking feels like deprivation.
I love drinking and socializing. Finding a balance needs work.
I ended up going tothe gym and walking on the tred mill for 2 miles and went to whole foods for a quick beer with friends.
And intentionally got there at last call so that I would have to stop at one beer. So that is progress.
We went straight home and I felt good.
bizi
I started taking kudzu, supposed to help with cravings, maybe just a placebo effect but perhaps it helped me feeling more in control last night.

Good work, bizi! You're cultivating a skill that will help you get faster results when you start on TSM. When the Naltrexone gets rid of your cravings, you'll be able to socialize and have just one or two and leave it at that. I'll wager that Jeff will see this and want that kind of control himself, as nursing a hangover just isn't any kind of fun.