So I’ve been taking the pill exactly as described for a little over a year now.
I haven’t been being mindful at all but I have been entirely compliant.
I just wanted to post in case there is anyone like me out there- or who in the future looking into this method -can see my experience which has been different to the others here I’ve seen.
My change has not been miraculous- but I haven’t made any psychological changes to my approach to drinking at all- so this may be why. However, it has reduced. It is stilll too much- but much less than before and over the last few weeks - with no effort or change on my part- there have been several nights where I have drunk as little as a glass or two of wine. Just over a year ago this never happened. I never drank less than a bottle a night, rarely less than two, usually 3 or more.
I’m still not sure what’s the pill- whether this will work for me long term- whether it will be enough etc. Maybe these last few weeks have been an anomaly for other reasons. But I’m still going and still observing myself and still compliant. I’m not recommending others do it the way I am- but sharing my experience as part of the growing evidence base for anyone looking. I have been sceptical as well as hopeful about this method. I’ve never been a believer in miracle cures and this seemed too close to one. But although for me not quickly- there has been a difference. And let’s see where things are in another year.
Again- I have made no effort other than total compliance - Maybe this won’t be enough- maybe it will. Let’s see.
Hi, I've just done my first week on Nalmefene and I'm blown away I was drinking a bottle and a half every night it's like magic. Out last night with the girl ( cocktails ) I didn't say what I'm doing so went on a normal I had 5/6 drink all night normally I wouldn't remember coming home. Just back from dinner with my family I drove that never happens I always need wine!! So happy it's working such a relief. Poured my husband wine I'm having water with a smile on my face. This drug should be sold over the counter it would save lives and families.
Not sure you read my post but glad you are doing so well.
It’s sometimes hard to know what’s true.
With total compliance, it will be enough :-)
The only issue as to not employing the mindfulness is just that when someone isn't mindful, at some point they are more likely to perceive it as not working and stop taking the tablets. It makes it more of a 'smoother' process, that's all.
As long as you do remain compliant with the tablets, you will be just fine.
Well done!
For me tonight was a true test. How can one eat dinner of lasagne, garlic bread, and drink red wine?? I thought for sure I'd mess up big time... it did not happen tonight for the first time in at least 10 years. After dinner even watched a cooking show but had a fruit salad from local Florida fruits and so not sure whether the fruit (sugar) put a stop on the drinking, maybe BUT this has never ever happened before. Pasta dishes and red wine for me go absolutely hand in hand...tonight, I'm good. UNREAL....I am shocked and happy. Mindfulness was of course needed. One tip I read on our site is that for cocktail hour, I left the martini in the kitchen and went back and forth to take a sip while the lasagne was in the oven.
I pray this is my saving grace. I'm only on day 19 tomorrow.
Without being negative, TSM is not 100% successful...I thought for sure I'd be in the unsuccessful 20%....hoping I'm wrong, praying I'm in the 80% that it works for.
Awesome!
That 20% is not actually 20% by the way. When the clinical trial results were analysed, about half of that 20% weren't compliant. They either skipped tablets, or drank before the waiting time was up, or stopped taking the tablets for whatever reason (maybe high side effect issues).
But that means that although for double-blind clinical tests results, they clearly had to go down as unsuccessful...... what can be taken from this information is that - with compliance - TSM is actually nearer the 90% success mark 
Now that makes me feel even better as a person born in Finland (carrying the genes, oh boy do I carry them!) and having lived there for about 13 years in the mid to late 80's and 90's!
Thanks for this post. I've tried the Sinclair Method twice but gave up after 3 or 4 months and wasn't 100% compliant. I'm wondering if I stopped too soon and/or if I should just take the pill every day like you and stop stressing about whether or not I'm going to want to drink.
So here are my questions: Do you take the pill every day and at the same time or does it vary? Are you taking 50mg of Naltrexone? 1 hour before drinking? What happens if you want a glass of wine during lunch on a Saturday and then plan to drink again in the evening? Do you ever feel uninterested in drinking but have some wine anyway *because* you took the pill? This happened to me a lot.
Lately for me it's been an all or nothing situation. I can't seem to have just one drink - the only time I could ever do that was when I was on Nalmefene/Naltrexone. So I'm interested in giving it another try but maybe in a more automatic way, with less analysis...
Thanks for your response
It's all new to me but as I've always drank everyday I take a pill everyday. I guess if I'd planned to drink at lunchtime and the evening I'd take pill twice as it would wear off. Rule is never drink without pill it's the 9nky way to stay in control. For me it's such an amazing feeling I'm in control not the bottle. You should try again stop thinking about it so much. I'm on Nalmefene it's 18mg.
This treatment works best when the pill is taken 1 hour prior to drinking, every time you drink. It's as simple as that and that is The Sinclair Method - you are targeting the endorphins released from drinking and allowing endorphins to stimulate your brain with reward when you are not drinking.
Non-compliance will stop it working. You' ve already found that out, sadly,.
Taking it every day whether you are craving a drink or not is not TSM and in clinical trials, doing that turned out results that were little better than placebo.
You should work on getting the compliance sorted and TSM will work for you, since you already said that you stop when you are taking the tablet.
If more than 6-8 hours has passed since taking the tablet at lunch and then you want to drink again later, you treat it as a separate session since the protection from the 1st pill might be wearing down. Take the pill, wait the hour, and then drink in the evening.
I actually wanted to hear from the original poster.
Could you answer my questions? Do you take the pill every day and at the same time or does it vary? Are you taking 50mg of Naltrexone? 1 hour before drinking? What happens if you want a glass of wine during lunch on a Saturday and then plan to drink again in the evening? Do you ever feel uninterested in drinking but have some wine anyway *because* you took the pill? This happened to me a lot. Thank you in advance!
Eight weeks in and my drinking is down by around 50-60% and I'm wondering if that's all that is going to happen or will there be further decreases down the road. Will find out soon enough.
Lucky to have had no bad reactions to the drug but unlucky that I'm not one of those people on YouTube who never drank again after their first pill!
Appetite down, slightly more irritable and now have plot-driven dreams. I'm assuming these could be caused by Naltrexone as they have all happened since taking the medication.
Naltrexone strikes me, at this stage of my journey, as The Two-Step Programme. Step One: Take Naltrexone. Step Two: Do something useful with all the non-drinking time you've suddenly freed up. I think I need both steps to really get the numbers down.
Hi merry,
I don’t take the pill at the same time each day- I often take it before leaving work so that I know I can drink when I get home- if I want to drink in the day (not often) then I take it an hour before that. I don’t take it if not drinking but then there have only been a very few days over this past year where I haven’t taken it - as in I’ve drunk on almost all of the days.
I don’t necessarily crave a drink- but I think I want one- or I’m scared to try not having one. So - like I said- I really haven’t tried very hard. There have been a couple of times i have and it’s been okay- but I’m still I think s way off from doing this with any conviction. I would say I am drinking still out of habit and anxiety of not drinking. But despite this- as I said in the last few weeks there has been a difference.
I’m tentatively hopeful that this might be the start of something more- and it is very different for me- but I don’t yet know. As I said I have always been compliant- as I understood this to have been the only rule and I have stuck to it. As I said let’s see what happens next...
And sorry to answer your other questions- yes I’m on 50mg.
Have I drunk because I’ve taken a pill even if not interested- it’s hard to answer because I think I’ve always clearly had some kind of drive to have that drink. So perhaps my body was less interested but my mind was still... at least not wanting to be deprived.
These last few weeks I haven’t tried any harder or put more effort in- but the drinking has reduced. Last night was the first night in a while when I woke up in the night from alcohol and unable to sleep. I worried that I’d drink two bottles again- in fact I’d drunk slightly under one...
So many ‘as I’ve said’s’... sorryI haven’t even said this out loud much at all!
My story is not like the others posting here- my intake has definitely decreased quite a lot from before I started a bit over a year ago- but nowhere near me saying yet that it’s like a miracle cure. I hope that in another year I might be able to say that.
Do you do on-line counseling? Please let me know and your compensation rates.
Yes, we provide remote counselling for those using TSM via Skype.
Everything we do is completely free as we are a UK registered charity.
Please google C3 Foundation Europe then go to the Contact page and drop me an email. We can take it from there.
Good advice there from Joanna. She’s helped loads of people and not just on this forum.
Please google C3 Foundation Europe and see for yourself what help is available.
Good luck
Hi, I got a bit stressed last night it's only a week on the pills for me 1hr before yes it works but I couldn't even enjoy one glass that made me cross and it shouldn't it didn't taste nice, will i never enjoy a glass again or is ot me still getting used to the drug. Just feeling low today.