G4M,

Looks like you have turned a major corner. Congrats! Once that craving level drops and stays down, decrease in consumption follows quickly thereafter.

I know exactly what you mean by wine just not tasting as good anymore. It is a strange experience, but one that I'm sure we'll get used to quickly.

Q

G4M,

I used to be a heavy wine drinker, my total downfall. When I was on vacation I was in a place where ALL the wine sucked, so I switched to beer (which I really didn't like before). Since coming home I have had only a few glasses of wine and really didn't enjoy them at all. I tried all my favorites.

I am going to up my dose as well to 75 mg since I have had Bypass surgery as well. Dr. E had suggested that but I was scared I'm run out, but now that my doctor has given a script for it and I have left overs from River, I'm going to try it.

Your doing great, and I love reading how those in front of me are doing so great and share the experience.

Yes , yes , yes ! Great stuff G4M .
I so hoped 75 would do the trick .
Now , crack that whip !

I miss the gang here but have had two circumstances that have limited my ability to post for the past week or so. First, I'm on a very tight writing deadline (should not be on the internet even now!). Secondly, we had lightning strike the property and knock out a lot of our electric and service lines, including the internet modem. So I'm having to take valuable time away from the writing to work with the insurance company, repair people, etc. Thank God it must not have been a direct hit (I originally was sure it hit the garage), as there was no structural damage. But man, what a storm! I've never before seen anything like it - and hope I never do again.

Yes, it is "your turn." I was hoping to see some progress coming your way! You have always stayed supportive and positive even when it "seemed" you were not improving. Man, I'm not sure what I'll do on this board when I lose both Eddie Haskell and that orange horse icon. On the other hand, the thought of your continued presence and its implications of ongoing struggles would be far more depressing so it really is a good thing.

You are describing something that is now happening to me for the first time. Last night, I really wanted to catch a buzz after two AF days and one light day. I figured I deserved it because of the moderation and subsequent big, fat trigger. And just having the first two light beers was kind of a struggle but hard to explain. It was almost like the times (pre-TSM) I've been really full and was drinking beer and was frustrated because my feeling of being full made me not want to drink, yet I really wanted to get the buzz. (Which is when I would inevitably quit the beer and move on to shots.) Except in this case, I wasn't full. And at no point did I think to myself that I would do a shot to increase the buzz. It's hard to explain but others here have described the same thing. I think this weird feeling of being "full" may be the next step in my extinction. Tonight I'm going to a wedding of a dear, life-long friend. A close family friend I've known since she was born in 1980, it will be a huge trigger. (Feeling old, feeling that life is short, feeling that I'm alone, etc.) Pre-TSM this would mean a ton of drinking, a certain blackout, and a lot of stupid behavior. I'm really anxious to see how this will play out with naltrexone.

Obviously being on vacation got me lost - am now following your progress here, G4M...after our PMs & my questions about upping your doseage.

I'm going to start 75 mgs myself. Going out of town next week on a little vacay w/ my 2 teenagers & would sure like to feel the switch at least dim some. I maintain very well but I am so ready to see/feel some changes in my numbers. Soooooo ready after all this time and anticipation. I can so identify w/ you here. Keeping my fingers crossed for us all! :-)

houtx, I'm betting the higher dosage will work for you. What would we all have done without this Board? I think many of us would have given up at about the three month mark, figuring it just wasn't working for us. It's been the encouragement from all of you (and my Man Jake) that kept me going. Potato and SpringRider's success stories, and the knowledge that it took them longer than 3-4 months to beat this monkey to death, made me think it just might happen for me as well.

Now you, me, LaBear, Providence, and ART all will be demonstrations to future Sinclairians that some of us - particularly women, and those of us who have had GB surgery - require a higher dose of Naltrexone. I can't recall the screen name, but someone came on here a month or so ago, very briefly, and pointed to a study that indicated women might require a higher dose than men. We owe that guy a huge 'Thank you!' Again, if it weren't for the Board, we'd be stumbling around in the dark on all this. Those who have yet to discover the method now have an incredible source of first-hand experience to fall back on.

Though I'm still not 'cured' by any means, there is a huge difference in my thinking and relation toward alcohol, just this past week. HUGE. Enough that I have not an iota of doubt that this addiction is going to be a thing of the past. Thank God!

G4M - Congratulations - wow...lightening striking for you both figuratively and literally .

So very happy you have found the key and couldn't agree with you more about the board helping us all through - whether we are actively posting or not. The information here has been invaluable. Also wanted to point out I have seen so many since the awful 4th of July weekend suddenly break through. Look across the board to see how many are now at 50% or greater reductions. It's truly amazing. Even those who do not feel like they are progressing are actually at 30% reduction rates...which was likely unheard of in our lives prior to TSM.

Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Keep the downward trend going!

Goin, goin, gone (with the addiction)!

That's where you'll be soon, girlfriend! What a journey you've had. I thank you for all of your support and caring when I was going through my stuff. You are an amazing, strong woman and I'm so happy that you are seeing such progress. Sounds like going to 75mg was a wise decision for you.

We're all cheering you on!