Nalmefene - pleasure from life gone

General health and lifestyle
1

Hi all,

I've been absent from the forums for a while, plodding on as is the case. The weekends are always a huge trigger for me as I don't have to get up for work, but this weekend I managed to drink only 15 units on the Friday and then 13 units on the Saturday - it's a vast improvement from my 20-25 units, but I still am not able to have a drink free day, I still feel I need a drink come 5pm everyday, if only to chill me out to sleep and wake up the following day.

This is my point, having taken the tablet every day for over a month now I feel no pleasure in anything. I distinctly recall someone posting something similar. I know I have to try get two consecutive drink free days - and in conjunction, no tablets - but it still feels impossible and I can't help but feel myself becoming depressed - which is not a good thing for me.

Continuing taking tablet as described, don't get me wrong glad I haven't woke up with a hangover this weekend - which is usually the case, but I can't remember the last time I was genuinely happy about anything?

I went for a drive earlier in the sun - usually something I enjoy - I couldn't have cared less, I drove the scenic route to get wine (I'd taken my tablet two hours before accordingly).

Feeling largely apathetic and fed up. I feel I'm in limbo, trying for a drink free day whilst continuing with Nalmefene, but also wanting to give up the tablets in order to feel a hint of happiness.

2

I completely understand where you are coming from.  I now take the tablet just before I drink because it makes me so grumpy during the waiting period.  I know that it works because like you even if I overdo it I am looking at 20 units max not 25 like it used to be, and boy do I feel rough if I over do it!!  But it does make me disagreeable and it makes my face feel weird.  Have to perservere though and hope that it will get better.

3

This is a short term and temporary situation that is well worth it in the long run.

Not sure where you are getting needing to have 2 consecutive alcohol free days from so soon.  That is pretty hard for a lot of people to achieve in the early days of taking Selincro as most people are in a regular habit of drinking every day.  In the immediate, your goal is to try for 1 alcohol free day, that is all.  On that day, be sure to do something that releases endorphins and you will start to feel the benefit.  I know the book The Cure For Alcoholism talks of two days to wash the medication from your system, but really baby steps.  One day first and you will feel some benefit and build to two days later to get the full benefit.

When I was in the early days, I purposely aimed for one day during a week, and then the next week aimed for another day.  So, only alcohol free for 2 days in 14, but once I had a couple of odd days behind me, it was so much gentler to try for the second... and the third... and so on.

If trying for an alcohol free day is proving difficult right now, then ease it in slowly.  Delay your drinking until 5.30, then 6.00 etc, and if you can, when your delay tactics start to reach 8.30 or 9.00pm, then go to bed early.  Eventually you will find that this gentle and small change to delay your drinking will result in a day when you don't drink.

Once you manage the first one, then more begin to happen.

And on days you are drinking, if you take the tablet ready for drinking at 5pm, then be sure to do something good the next morning.  Even a short 20 minute walk in the fresh air will help lift you.

This really is quite common for those who are drinking every day, and so taking the medication every day.  You are not alone, and I feel sure that when you feel a little benefit from having one alcohol free day, your brain will begin to naturally seek more of them - it will start to lean towards what feels good and away from drinking which is no longer as rewarding as it once was.

4

You do realise that taking the tablet just before you drink is not allowing time for the tablet to be absorbed and do it's stuff?

Until the tablet is fully absorbed, the receptors in your brain are not blocked to the endorphins that drinking alcohol releases - the door is not fully shut and locked - and this is contradictory to the instructions for this medication.

With even some endorphins sneaking through to the receptors in the brain, you are not teaching your brain that alcohol is no longer rewarding in the way it once was. 

The idea of this medication is to break that reward circuitry in the brain and so teaching your brain that alcohol is just pointless.  How can you expect your brain to learn that if you are not waiting and instead allowing the endorphins through?

How long were you taking the Selincro before you started taking it just before you drink?  Did you allow enough tablets (10+) to see if this these side effects wear off, which they usually do reduce and then disappear?

5

I have been taking it for 10 months with the waiting period and about 2 weeks without and I have not seen any change in cosumption (still down by at least 30%) but I have not had the 1 to 2 hours feeling of the blues so although I know this is not as prescribed I will continue as it makes the whole side effects more bearable.  

6

Just in case they might help, take a look at best practise for the method and see if implementing any of these, particularly the mindful drinking aspect, helps...

https://patient.info/forums/discuss/naltrexone-nalmefene-selincro-the-sinclair-method-hints-and-tips-505275

7

I think that I have reached the point now where I always drink mindfully these days, I never chuck them down my neck like I did prior to the medicine and especially at home I always have a glass of water as well as a drink.  Perhaps this is why it is still working successfully as my first drink normally takes at least an hour by which time the tablet has well and truely kicked in.  I just couldn't bear the weirdness anymore and rather than stop taking it I had to find a way that worked better for me biggrin

8

It might be worth you having a discussion with the person who prescribed the tablets, explain that you are still finding the side effects an issue, and see if you can be switched to naltrexone.

Naltrexone is the same type of opioid-blocking medication but the majority of people report far less issues with naltrexone than with nalmefene.  Not sure why that is!  Also, the waiting time before drinking is one hour rather than two, so that is another advantage to it.

 

9

My doctor (here in spain) put me on nalmefene first and I couldnt cope with the side effects. She said all her patients said the same and so she's gone back to only prescribing naltrexone.

Im not having too muchsuccess with either.

But I will persevere.

10

Remember it's a process that can take a number of months. 

As long as you are remaining 100% compliant, 100% of the time and drinking mindfully the chances are extremely high that it will happen for you.

If you would like any one to one support, message me and we can arrange that biggrin

11

Hi BK522,  I am still on the sad old Selincro route too.  I have been depressive for many years, so this situation is just more of the same.

 I have ordered alcohol-free wine, today.  My "habit" is Rose Wine, these days.  My new plan of action will entail ... starting with usual wine, then switching to the alcohol-free version.  I have ordered 6 bottles... so it better bleeping work.

My reckoning is... if the "real wine" is not giving me the "happy hit", I might as well not drink it.  BUT, I AM STUCK IN MY WAYS !   So... let's go with the healthier flow.

I played the lady, today... drank from a crystal, stemmed glass.  Not my usual "BIG GLASS FOR GLUGGING"!  True !

I did the mindful thinking about it.  I still drank it... but by some quirk of fate... I sipped... not ... glug, glug, glug.  Weird, but good.  I am a bit hyper' so everything is usually very fast. 

I understand what you are saying about feeling down.  I think Selincro/Nalmefene may block all happy reactions. Not sure.  I am a Sad Case, whatever.  I really struggle to try for an alcohol- free day.

It takes longer than we want it to.  

Happy will come when this is over.

Hang on in there.

Alonangel 🎇