Wow absolutely amazing. Really pleased and inspired by your post - you are so good with your words and so descriptive. Also glad you recognise the absolute need to wait the hour, when cured there's just no excuse and it's vital in order to keep up the protection from alcohol you've got at this point.

I also agree with your post about AA too, some wise words are spoken in those rooms and if people can get sober without meds, that's fantastic. Meds aren't a magic cure and I know you have to have other things to hand in order to reach that 'cure'.

I just read through your posts since you took the time to lend me some personal encouragement. I appreciate the way you are able to guide some of us newbies without sounding like an "expert" taskmaster. Thank you for journaling your roller coaster ride and I hope that you continue to post your progress. You give us hope. Keek

I'm new here and my NAL is at my local Cali post office waiting for pickup tomorrow, It was in f-ing Customs for 12 days. Our drinking styles are very similar. I'm 100-120 US on a moderately bad week. Just wanted to let you know I'm on page 2 of your posts and wish I would've read them sooner. Congrats on your journey. Your writing is amazing. I hope to accomplish what you have. My woman drinks too so you understand how impossible a balance that is without NAL. Praying it works. Starting tomorrow or Friday.

Thanks UKB and Keek for the kind words. This board has been a big part of my journey and I definitely appreciate that someone is reading and maybe even getting something out of what I write.

SandC - Always nice to see someone else from California on here. My first day on nal was a Friday too. Just remember that this process is different for everybody, so while I hope you get some immediate relief, try not to measure yourself by anyone else. I'm interested to hear if it makes it easier or harder to go through this process with your wife also being a drinker (my wife is a pretty light drinker. NOT an addict at all). They say AA is much harder to go through while you're in a relationship with another addict, and I believe that. The rub of AA is that you always want to drink, but you don't, and you find all these little tricks to convince yourself that you don't even want to. But people in AA want to drink. If they didn't, there wouldn't be so much relapse.

On nal, you may actually find it helpful to have someone who is going through it with you (is your wife going on the pills too?). It's a gradual process, but it really works; it really lessens your urge to drink and your need to demolish the bottle once it's opened. Along the way there will be glitches, but my wife was always a big help in reminding me that I've come a long way. Just don't get discouraged if she responds like BarryB and you respond like me

Awesome progress, generic!

Thanks everyone!

Just more of the same to report here. A couple of weekends - one lighter than the other, but both controlled. Weekend 1 had an early start Saturday and a laaaaate night, so I did not feel good Sunday. This was heavy drinking, to be sure, but kinda "controlled" heavy drinking. I wanted to be out with my old friends. I enjoyed their company and drank plenty but didn't start hammering drinks and blackout or embarrass myself. This is more than I allow myself on a normal basis, but I expected that going in. I think I need to remember to buy light beers to bring to these parties so that I always have something to turn to when the hard A starts flowing freely and those around me are getting sh*tfaced.

Other positives and notes from weekend 1 - I seem to start to lose protection from the nal at around the 7 hour mark. At hour 6 I took a second dose, which helped a ton. I'm not usually very hung over these days, so this was a reminder of how sh*tty I can feel the day after. Nicely, without the reward/rush circuit in overdrive in my brain, when my buddies headed for the hair of the dog on Sunday morning I wasn't tempted to join in. I'm sure it made my hangover worse than theirs were, but my Monday was probably nicer

Weekend 2 - Same group of friends but milder. Had some drinks Friday, had some drinks Saturday, but rested plenty both nights. here I am Monday, clear headed, feeling good.

So there you have it. I am still a drinker, but I kept my **** together, and barring anything unusual happening, I won't be drinking (or really even thinking about drinking) until probably Friday.

Keep up the good work everyone out there.

And one more quick note - I just made an appointment with my Doc to talk about nal. I am hoping for a good response, but I don't know what I would have to lose. I go to a teaching hospital where a lot of research is done, so maybe they will be more open than some?

Anyway, I'm going to try for the script because

1. Maybe it won't taste as bad?
2. I can get regular liver checkups to make sure nothing is wrong.
3. The more Drs who hear success stories, the better.
4. No more worry about customs.

I'll let you all know how it goes.

What are you doing?Sucking the things?

Good luck with your Dr and the script Generic!

Ha Ha .... I'm still laughing at UKB's comment!

Great to read of your 2 weekends .. and your control. You know you mentioned about taking the second Nal and feeling bad the next day? In what way? was it an emotional downer? or just a hangover?

I note your interest in the compliance aspect .. I've only been here since February - but have been totally compliant so far with the one hour an Nal every time I've had a drink. I think it was reading about how even one or 2 experiences with alcohol without Nal can undo all the hard work . . and re set up the reward mechanism thing which has frightened me into compliance. I have been a little curious but feel I'm too far into this now, getting results and - frankly - I've spent too much money on the damn pills to waste it now!

We'll see what happens now I'm nearly out of pills! Lorraine!

Meh, I canceled my appt. I realized that insurance prolly won't cover an off label use, so I'd end up going back to allday anyway. Plus I don't want to switch brands... When something is working why change?

I am trying more new things these days. I won't increase my efforts in self denial, as that generally doesn't work for me... That's why I'm here. I'm going to try rewarding myself on hangover-free Saturday and Sunday mornings by doing something I actually like. Nowadays I end up just going to the lab so that's no incentive to not drink so much Friday. Maybe I'll try doing more writing or get an arduino and make a robot, or do something artistic. Try engaging in some creation as a reward for less self destruction.

Keep it up everyone! Nal is a game changer, but you still have to play to win!