Jul,

Dr. Eskapa issued this statement:

"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 ...."

As a layman I understand them to attach to the same opioid receptors as booze. As such they confuse the relearning process by sending rewards unassociated with drinking during times without Naltrexone in your system.

Hth.

Joesixpack may have a better explanation.

Thank you so much for the explanation. It makes sense. It will take me awhile to taper off the benzos. I have an appointment with one of the recommended doctors on June 9th. The last Nal I took was Saturday and I have been nauseous since. It was my first "online" dose so I guess I won't be drinking until I can get this all sorted. Thanks again Bardo for answering. I really appreciate it. I've been lurking for awhile and all of you are such wonderful people. Nal on.

Julika -

Sorry to hear about the nausea, I hope that clears up soon!

Benzo withdrawal can also cause nausea, so that may be complicating things.

Benzos activate your GABA receptors and (don't know for sure) may cause downstream dopamine release that muddies the waters for TSM. I haven't seen a full explanation for it either, but the main action of benzos is indeed on the GABA receptors.

What brand of Naltrexone are you taking? Of the ones you can get online, Naltima seems one the best tolerated, Nodict the least.

Also, it's best to start out with half a tablet and after a meal and take the Nal with a full glass of water. If you continue to run into problems, some have had luck taking an anti-nausea medication (non-drowsy Dramamine would do), half an hour before the Nal.

Thank you Joe. My Nal is from India and is Naltima. I had ReVia given to me by a friend before. I had some nausea the day after drinking and on one occasion felt a bit nauseous the second day. (that was on the ReVia but I felt fine for the most part) I'm back to my full dose of Ativan for the last three days and had no other withdrawal symptoms that are typically from benzos. (I've tapered from benzos before, this isn't my first time.) Here is my concern. My last Nal was taken last Saturday one hour before drinking. I have not drank or taken Nal since. I am still so sick. It gets worse at night. I realize no one on here can give medical advice, but my question is has anyone ever been sick from one dose of Nal for almost a week? I'm curled up in a ball with an upset stomach too. Last time I tapered my benzos I had severe headaches and was sensitive to light. I have none of those. I only have the nausea and the upset stomach. I am wondering if I might be sensitive to the Naltima from India? I am getting nervous about the lasting side effects. Any other recommendations? I've taken Pepto Bismol, and it doesn't seem to help. Thanks so much for listening. I will see a doctor on Monday if this continues.

I suppose it might be a combination of factors. Are you tapering from the same benzo that you tapered from before? They're not all created equal.

I've read about people having nausea from Naltrexone, but I don't remember anyone reporting that it went on for a week from one dose, though I've only been on the boards for about 6 months. I'm kinda wondering if your liver is rather unhappy with you, did you get bloods done before the Nal?

Might be best to call a hospital and check with a nurse if this doesn't lighten up soon.

It very well could be a combo. I did get my blood work done and everything is fine. It is the same Benzo and because of all the weird SE's I upped my dose back to the original. It's a weekend and I am sure I will be fine. This did not happen on the ReVia doses, only with the online order. Maybe I am really sensitive to the Naltima. I will check in later. Thanks again for all of your help. Very much appreciated.

I didn't mean to take over Dave's thread. My apologies. I will start my own. Thanks everyone for being so patient with me.

No problem, Julika! Please keep us up on how you're doing!

Yes I have a monthly script for diazepam. How does this affect TSM? I take it at night usually to help me sleep, also i get a lot of anxiety, and it helps with that too.

summerglow,

Per our aforementioned comments benzos such as Diazapam and TSM are not compatible. That's not to say it can't still work, but it clearly increases the odds otherwise. I was taking 5mg Diazapam for years, but decided to titrate off it to ensure success with TSM. Interestingly enough what I learned is that long-term benzo use has been shown to actually increase anxiety. Additionally, a recent study exhibited a direct link to Alzheimer's.

I actually feel great since eliminating it and haven't had an anxiety attack in six months! If you intend to eliminate it as well it's best to consult a physician as benzo withdrawal can be dangerous. In general though they will instruct you to titrate down .5mg per week (Diazapam). I actually chose to do it faster.

Hth.