Hi again all,
I was doing well on the 50mg until a couple of weeks ago, then I started to drink quite a bit more. Sure enough Roy Eskapa says in "The Cure for Alcoholism" that it takes about 3 to 6 months for Naltrexone to wear off if it is stopped, & it took about 3 months for the extra 25mg to wear off me until I started craving alcohol again. Fortunately there's an easy solution and that is to go back up to the 75mg! I have started back onto 75mg for 5 days now, and immediately when I took the 75mg my cravings disappeared, and they haven't been back.
All is good now!
Thanks everyone & hope all is good for you!

Hi Paddy - I am not sure that I understand. When did you start Nal and when you were on 50 what happened? then you went up to 75 and it sounds as if you were cured? So you dropped to 50...... and started craving AL again. I am not sure also that I get what you mean by the Nal wears off? Once extinction occurs, then unless you drink again without the nal, the Nal does not 'wear off'. At least I hope not - 'cos I was 'cured' 5th December 2015 and am not having any desire to drink at all. Would love to hear what you mean - and am so happy that you are once again doing well ..... when you get a chance please post and let me know?

Hugs, Maggie x

Paddy,

I think you may have a point about the 75 mg and I am glad the higher dose is helping you; however, please remember that the nal is only a tool.

I have had many of moments when I start drinking to drink more than I want to/need to, but those nal overs are always in the back of my mind which does help me to stop.

One thing that I have noticed is nine times out of ten when that happens I am thirsty and my brain will be just fine with drinking water.

If possible could you start drinking a lot of water while waiting for that hour to expire and to drink a glass of water in between drinks (one glass of water per one glass/bottle/can of alcohol)? This is just a suggestion, but it may make a difference and/or help slow down your intake. If nothing else your body will thank you for keeping it hydrated, for alcohol is very dehydrating.

If you are already doing the water thing, then it is probable the nal is being processed in your body faster than the norm, or other reasons for the need of a higher dose (which may be very possible). I would just hate for your nal to run out and you not have anyway of getting more (I cannot remember how you are getting it), but if that isn't going to be an issue keep doing what works for you.

Keep us posted about how things are going for you,

Jaba

Hi Jaba & Maggie,
Maggie, I went onto 50mg from 75mg just over 3 months ago because I was trying to save money on the Naltrexone. I was experimenting, and it worked for the 3 months but it caught up with me in the end, and sure enough I started to drink more. When I said that the Naltrexone wore off I meant that the extra 25mg that I wasn't taking wore off after 3 months. I didn't go back to full blown drinking because I was still taking the 50mg. Just popping another 25mg has done the trick straight away and I am no longer craving alcohol any more. Don't worry Naltrexone doesn't wear off, if you find the right dose and stick to it.
Jaba, some people need more than 50mg and I'm one of them. It's not concerning though. Although it costs more to take 75mg than 50mg, I'll start having Alcohol Free days again so I'll probably only be drinking a few days a week which will add up to about $8 extra a week, but what I'll save on alcohol will more than make up for it.
Thanks.

Paddy,

I agree that some people just do need more than 50 mg, and I am glad you figured that out (good thing you kept tracking).

I also agree the money thing will balance itself out with drinking less and AF days, for I was surprised how much I saved without drinking as ofter/much.

Thanks for answering and keep us posted,

Jaba

Paddy, when I first talked to my TSM doc he said some get along fine with 25mg, some need 100. Sounds like you found your magic number there!

Def keep us filled in on how it's going for you!

Hi everyone,
Just checking in.
All is going well for me since I went back up to 75mg again! You can see in my signature the graph of my progress. My drinking increased last month due to my going down to 50mg Naltrexone but now it is way back down again, since I increased back up to 75mg.
If you look at my graph you can see that it took over a year for me to really make progress on The Sinclair Method. I'm a slow responder but the main thing is that it has worked!
I had 2 cans of beer last night, and for a Friday night that's real progress for me! Quite often I have Alcohol Free days during the week simply because I just don't feel like drinking at all.
I love the fact that I can socialise and have a couple of drinks with my workmates if I want to. I'm not the least bit embarrassed around alcohol now, either because I drink too much, or because I don't drink at all. I'm now very much a moderate drinker.
Thank you everyone, and for those who have just started on The Sinclair Method, please try and be patient. The results are sometimes slow in coming but they usually do happen, in time. It is true that some people get almost immediate relief with the Naltrexone but for many, if not most, it takes quite a few months.
If you have an Android device, I really recommend the Alcodroid app on Google Play. It enables you to keep track of your drinking and to graph it, like I have done.
All the best.

Well done, Paddy! Sounds like you're in the zone, that's gotta feel great!

What are the main health benefits you've noticed accruing over these many months?

Hi Joe,
The main benefits that I notice are in my emotional strength. I'm much more emotionally stable now, and I don't feel so vulnerable any more. My moods don't swing any more. I used to be on a real roller coaster ride before. Two weeks I'd be feeling great and they'd be followed by two weeks of feeling very vulnerable, then feeling great for the next two weeks etc, now I don't get that. I can stand up for myself much more now as a result. I am getting on with my workmates much better now that my moods are more stable, that is really noticeable. So for me it's a mental thing.
Cheers.

That's excellent Paddy.
Emotional Strength - fantastic.
Its amazing how alcohol increases that vulnerability and moodiness when we are probably using it to try and boost ourselves and feel stronger. It does the reverse doesnt it? I'm so heartened to hear your story. Thank you for posting.
MD