Hi Dab,

Sorry to hear about your unpleasant experience at the gym, I guess all you can do is chalk it down to experience.

As with drinking, making love or holding a baby, physical activity releases endorphins in the brain, so, because you took your Nal before you went to the gym, your endorphins were blocked, making it a less pleasurable experience than usual.

As you are in the early stages of TSM you are still feeling some of the unpleasant side effects, it's possible that they were accentuated by physical exertion.

If possible, try going to the gym on non-Nal days, that way you can benefit from Up-Regulation and enjoy it even more. If you go every day, try to go later in the day before you take your Nal, the greater the length of time since your last dose of Nal, the more Up-Regulation you should feel.

Nal-On!

Curi

I experienced a bad few days related to exercise on my first 2 weeks of TSM. I went for a cycle about 10 days in and felt like I was going to die. Didn't think I'd make it home.

I think I'm over the most of it now though.

Dab,
Be patient and try not to get discouraged. I had a good first reaction to Nal and then got over confident and got hammered and made a complete ass of myself. Take the nal, have something to eat, wait an hour and then drink. If you can set a limit to how much you drink and just drink that then good, if not, that's ok too. If you haven't read Ketchican's story I suggest you take a look at her weekly progress and cure posts. Nal is a game changer for most of us and the fact that it doesn't take white knuckle will power or belief in a higher power is a huge bonus. Most people you meet will think you are crazy and that abstinence is the only way, don't believe it. Let the nal do it's job and like other people have said, try not to take it before doing something pleasurable, like working out. I am an endorphin junkie and I can tell you that the high from the increased uptake in endophins the day after taking Nal is awesome!

Good luck, can't wait to see your progress,

Eric

Thanks for the input. I really appreciate it. It's when I go for a run that afterwards I feel nauseous. VERY UNPLEASANT.

I'm cruising into my 5th week now. Overall, since starting the Nal I've been drinking an average of 1 to 2 drinks less per day, but still in the mid-70's for weekly units. My craving level is way down, however, at least half of where it was before. But even just this small reduction in drinks has had a remarkable effect upon my feelings of well being. My mind is so much more clear. My memory is improving. My sleep is better. Life is already a LOT better that when I started out a month ago.

Last night, I barely made it through 3 pints of beer. For the first time in my life since I was a kid, the beer just tasted awful. I felt like I was pouring poison down my throat! I read an excellent book over the weekend, Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Control Alcohol". He's the guy who became famous with his stop-smoking program--very well known in the UK with his clinics. I highly recommend others to read his book about the Alcohol (Only $6 on Kobo) because it has really given me that final push and motivation that I needed to truly WANT to quit drinking. But just the Nal alone seems to be doing the trick. My interest in drinking is dramatically lower. What an amazing and wonderful drug. Thank God (again) for modern medicine!

Ya'll take care.

2nd day into week 6. Tonight, a miracle occurred. I could barely finish my second beer---and didn't, then came home. No desire for more. I've been drinking heavily for 15 years (80 units average/week). Tonight, I couldn't wait to get out of the pub before someone came in who I might know...I didn't want any more to drink, period.

Aside from that, this afternoon I looked at myself in the mirror. 6 weeks ago the reflection presented me with someone I barely recognized. I'm 53---6 weeks ago I looked sixty, I looked tired, pallor, I looked sick. I WAS all of those things. Today, I look younger than my age. Last week I drank 54 units. I'm on track for around 40 this week. My body has started to heal. My skin has a pinkish glow again like it had when I was young. My memory has dramatically improved, both short and long term. My thinking is more clear than it has been in years. Even the depression and anxiety that conjointly plagued me for so many years has dramatically lessened. In short, for the first time in years and years, I feel ALIVE. I feel like I have a FUTURE, rather than living the horror of a daily death sentence by alcoholic suicide.

All of this IS a miracle, thanks to the Sinclair Method and Naltrexone. My goal is to become for the most part abstinent. Reading Allen Carr's "Easy Way" book recently about alcoholism has helped me to look forward to that. Based upon my experience to date, I have fresh hope each day to eventually be....free. My hope and wish is that all those present and future who join me on the Naltrexone/TSM journey will one day see the same. Keep on keeping on people. Bless you all for your marvellous support.

Take care.

Dab,
I appreciated your posts and particularly the mention of "The Easy Way to Stop Drinking"; I'm looking forward to reading it now.

I've placed a lot of hope into this TSM business b/c I just don't think the AA/total abstinence thing is going to fly. I might make 3 months, a year, 18 months (had 2 pregnancies so I know I can do it) but sooner or later I'm going to fall off the wagon. It's just a matter of when. I feel if I can cut drinking way back (reduce the cravings) and use Nal when I do drink, I will be able to function better overall. It seems a more sustainable long-term approach.

Very encouraging to hear about the drop in your numbers and I wish you best as you march on.

And that's part of the beauty and miracle of TSM, Gotthegene, that, if it works for us, we are GIVEN the choice, the freedom to drink or not. No more of the AA dread of the future for the seemingly inevitable relapse. Takes a tremendous burden off the psyche, doesn't it? As long as we take the Nal before we drink, be that 2 months, 6 months, 2 years down the road, we don't need to worry about becoming re-addicted. What a blessing.

Cheers.

Feeling a little discouraged today. The last couple of days I have really over-done it....drinking about 12 units each night...and even drunk-posted last night, which is embarrassing. No particular reason for the drink increase other than being at the pub with friends and just kept pouring them down my throat. Last week I could barely stand to drink more than 3 (6 units). Nevertheless, I still managed to come in at 2 drinks less for the week than the week before. This sudden increase over the last couple of days, however, has me worried. I guess I'm still in the early stages---only 6 weeks in. I have to get out of the pub it seems...which cuts me off from good friends. Well, drinking pal's....

I guess I just need to be patient.

All the best to all of you on your own Nal journey's. Thanks for being here.

what is up my freind dabs. i had the same worry as you. at the end of month 2 i had a spike in my drinking, and that lasted a few days then went away and came back, so i emailed dr. escapa and he said that was normal. so hang in there. as far as im going im starting month 4 and still drinking 8 beeres very night the only thing i noticed in the last month was that even though im still drinking 8 beeres a night its more enjoyable. im able to drink slower and beleive it or not since i started tsm i dont get hangovers anymore.plus my obsesion and craving are not like before(i think) all i know is that im still drinking 8 beers a night but seem to be more relaxe. by the way i use to drink 8 beers and after smoke some *&^%$ all in a hour in a half now i take my time now and it lasts 4 hours( i know this sound strange). anyway hang in there you will be fine just remember the hard part of tsm is how to BREAK THE HABBIT(thats my opinion) keep on posting and have a great day and to al of you great people.




hey dabs here is dr. escapas email.


Hi Larry

Thank you for you email.

I am pleased you showed a response to the treatment. Progress ... For some .. People goes up and down. Normally folks show a decline in 3/4 months. However some require extra time and some report that taking 75 mg naltrexone exactly ONE HOUR before starting a drinking session in a 24 hour period. It is ABSOLUTELY VITAL THAT YOU TAKE at least 50 mg naltrexone exactly one hour before starting a drinking session ... This is the Golden Rule described in the book.

It is not that un usual for spikes in drinking to occur. Stick closely to the program even if it takes 8/9 months.

Please also refer to the section on selective extinction as described in the book. This is where you take 2 days of drinking and not take naltrexone on those days and on the second no drinking no naltrexone days you exerise to release endorphins.

Please keep me posted on your progress.

All the best,
Roy ESKAPA, PhD

On Wednesday, 15 August 2012, larry najor <larrynajor@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Hi Dr.Eskapa, i would really appreciate if you will respond to this email I'm not going to give you my drunk log. but i am a alcoholic that needs help. I am on month three in the TMS. in the first month my drinking went from 8 beers a night to 4 and i was so excited.but now after 3 month on the program I'm back to 8 beers a night. my question is this, in time will my beer consummation eventually go down and will i start to notice it. my mother thinks this is some kind of fraud, i read your book and told her it is supported by trials in Finland. and one more question, how come barley no one has heard of this method in the u.s.a.? i would really appreciate if you would respond to me .God bless you and your family.
> Thank you
> Larry Najor
>

Hi Dab,
I haven't read your entire thread but am wondering if you've tried ordering a soda water in between beers at the pub? You have 4 drinks but only 2 of them are beer. Then you can stay longer at the pub w/ your friends but you aren't sabotaging yourself. Maybe this is crazy talk from me....My big thing was/is wine with dinner. One day I grit my teeth and switched to flavored sparkling water and got thru one meal, then another, then another. Two weeks later, it's much easier to ignore the wine. I'm by no means saying it's easy but found that once I did it the first time and broke the habit (of 15 yrs), it was a slightly easier the next day. I'm still white-knuckling it here (probably need more baclofen) but having gotten started, I feel a bit more self control.

Hang in there.