Mad City Guy has become a lab rat!

He was very involved in getting started, and convincing the doctor that this is what he wanted to do to cut back on his drinking. It's been just two weeks plus a couple of days and he says he doesn't feel any different (no side effects at all) or drink less (actually he is drinking less than he was before starting).

MCG is somewhat indifferent at this point, and has settled into a lab rat routine ... I put his Naltrexone pill out with his vitamins and supplements in the morning, and he just drinks as he wants during the day ... usually starting mid-day to early evening. I am hoping the results will be as good as with the lab rats. They weren't mentally or emotionally involved in their treatment ... and it was 100% successful. Still, it feels weird!

Mad City Guy's wife

Wk 1: 69
Wk 2: 55

It sounds like you're doing a good job of supporting him. Keep reminding him that other people have reported results after taking Nal for months, so a couple of weeks is still probably considered to be early in the process.

Haha, that's kind of funny the way you describe MCG and that he's somewhat indifferent to the process.

Sounds like you are doing a good job supporting him. He's lucky. Keep it up. Hopefully TSM will kick in and with that safer levels of drinking.

Merlot

It's good that you are on board with helping your husband. One thing to consider is the NAL may not be quite as effective 10 hours after taking it. So if MCG takes it at 8am by 6pm it may not be blocking his opioid receptors as well as it was at 9am. It might be better for him to take a "booster" dose at dinner or take the first dose later in the day if drinking continues later into the evening.

Thanks for the tip about starting later with the Nal. MCG's morning dose of Nal is usually late morning, but ten hours would still not cover his evening drinking completely ... 14 hours would do it. I thought that the Nal stays in the body for 20 hours. Is it the presence of the Nal, regardless how much, or how recently it was taken that is important????

I discovered that MCG has sometimes been doctoring his ginger beer, which he drinks often during the day, with a hefty slug of vodka ... meaning I have to watch the bottle of vodka to know how much to add to his daily drink tally sheet, along with the wine in the evening. Keeping track is important because even with the lab rats, their keepers had to maintain careful records or wouldn't know if the Nal was working or not until the rats quit drinking completely.

Yes I am a caring wife, even though I am feeling a lot like a lab technician lately!

Mad City Guy's wife

You're doing a great job wife of MCG! Kudos to you for caring so much about your hubby. If he starts drinking early in the day he may need a double dose (I believe most current research supports NAL staying in the system for ~10 hrs). Can you slip a second dose into his evening vitamins or cocktail regimen?
I can certainly identify with doctoring up the afternoon soft drinks as that used to be a favorite past time when on vacation, just before vacation, just after vacation, or between vacations,...(well, you get the idea). It's all considered to be good fun.
I think evening booster dose is a good idea. He already seems to be responding to the NAL despite himself so let it continue to work its magic int he coming weeks and months.

I wouldn't advise giving him and extra dose without telling him. At some point he is going to have to take responsibility for his own treatment. Hopefully if he sees some results he might become more positive, and then the responsibility will not fall on your shoulders. At the moment you're having to act more like his mother than like a lab technician, and that's something that can't continue forever.

Apologies if he has some other condition that would require you to be his care giver.

MCG just finished his first four weeks on TSM. He averaged 9.6 drink units per day this past month. His highest consumption has been 13, 14, and 15 drink unit days, and there were six of those days out of the past 28.

Yesterday, MCG consumed 11 drink units in the afternoon and evening, most of it vodka in mixed drinks out with friends. He didn't eat much during the day ... a common problem. At dinner, in the middle of conversation, his eyes closed and he nodded off. He was unable to drive home but walked to the car OK, where he continued to sleep on the drive home. When he arrived at home, he had a couple glasses of wine before going to bed.

Today, the first day of his fifth week, MCG consumed the smallest amount since he began: 3 drink units. He said he didn't miss drinking more. In the past 10 days, I have noticed that he has also been able to leave drinks half-finished sometimes, which is very unusual for him. He is relaxed about his drinking, not all wound up and tense before the first drink of the day, which is what would happen pre-TSM. I would say that he is more into wanting to drink but not needing it as much as before.

It's still a roller coaster, but MCG is choosing when he wants to have his first drink and when to take the pill one hour before, so he is actively involved in this. I think he's off to a good start.

MCG's wife

Day before TSM: 14 DU
First four weeks:
average of 67.125 DU per week
average of 9.6 DU per day
0 alcohol free days

3 units! Impressive. Also, good to hear he is actively involved. Send him my best wishes and tell him I think he has a great wife.

Merlot

MadCityGuy's 5th week was remarkable. Best so far re: alcohol consumed:

Weeks 1-4 average week consumption = 67.125
Week 5: 3-7-4-6-7-4.5-4.5 = 36

Sunday, 10/31 was the 1st day of week 6, and consumption JUMPED! Total units = 16. So it's still a roller coaster, but MCG can now go an entire week consuming MUCH less than usual, and not suffer any side effects or big cravings.

MCG's wife