Naltrxone..the latest

General health and lifestyle
1

Hi. Many of you know me on here already and thanks for all the advice you always give me.

Im in such a dilemma at the mo. Carry on with naltrexone or go down the total abstinence route with campral( like RHGB). Confused, depressed, very unhappy, feel ill all the time etc

Well you kind of know from my past about my horrendous drinking and consequences re many hospital admitions, cells, rehabs etc. Longest sober 5 months last year but was in a relationship. Been on my own now for 6 months( first time since 1989!). 

Anyway, I've been taking naltrexone now on and off for several weeks. My drinking is now down to 3/4 to a bottle of white wine when I drink, using naltrexone. 

The problem I am facing now is major depression and insomnia when I don't drink. It's horrendous. Major aches and pains, depression like I'm crying all the time, can't face anyone but my parents and kids. I've become a recluse!

Im so happy that I can drink now without more than bottle of white wine but the next day I feel horrendous. I know in the past that if I'd just drink a bottle I would be OK the next day. But now I'm horrendous the next day as though I'd drunk 2-3 bottles.

At the mo my life is not good. As the after effects stink!

Should I keep going or should I try the total abstinence thing? Help!

2

Okay that reply was modded try again.

Google 'post acute withdrawal'

Click on the link halfway down that says alcoholrehab with the words addiction recovery in the link.

Read it ALL.

It will help to explain what you are going through.

3

Hello Paper fairy.  I am sorry to know that you are having such a hard time.  Have you tried Campral, in the past?  It did not help me.  My willpower is a sick joke ! I am just 6 days on Selincro, which I think is similar to naltrexone.  It is too soon to judge.  I am finding things difficult.  We have got to try and take help from each other.  At least we have links, that is a comfort to me now, because I always feel so alone in my battle.  I wish I could be more helpful for your decision, but only you can truly decide for you.  I wish you the very best. 🤔

4

You know, RHGB( the nice person that's always there for everyone) my stomach is beginning to feel, for the last week, quite big and swollen. I'm not a hypercondriate normally but I'm worried. I've been drinking on and off for several weeks now with naltrexone, but haven't had a liver test. Maybe I've just put on weight, I can go on a binge and lose 7 lbs in a week but then put it back on more quickly. I don't have a weight problem or issue but it, the tummy, doesn't feel right. Anyway, there you go !! X

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Really nice we can support each other in our battle xx

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Also to Vickiilou. Sorry but I don't know how to pm unless someone has pmd me! Not good this week as helping best friend who's mums died. But hope to meet up soon x

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Did you read that web page in my other post.

Well, you don't get an enlarged liver over such a short space of time. Ascities will usually have other indicators like swollen ankles, but again, that builds up over a long period of time.

I don't know of any side effects of naltrexone that would cause that problem. It may be something totally unconnected. I can't remember how you got your naltrexone, did you have a blood test prior to taking it? You are probably due another one, just to see there has been no adverse reactions to it.

You can always see your GP, that's what they're there for.

8

Campral only works if you have already detoxed from alcohol and stopped. It helps keep you off the alcohol, but you must have already managed to stop, usually by detox through diazepam or similar.

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Easiest way, is find a post by Vickylou and click on the letter icon below her avatar.

10

Blimey, AWS can last up to 2 years! Long long way to go..

Thanks for your reply x

11

Oh dear paper fairy you really are suffering aren't you?

I know exactly how you feel (no actually I don't as I've not taken  

naltrexone ) but can relate to the feelings you describe.

As you know, I took campral for a year and found it excellent. No side effects and after the first couple of weeks, no cravings.

It gave me a year without alcohol, and a clear head to sort myself out. Only you can decide which route to take.

Naltrexone and carry one drinking or

Campral and no drink

Its good that you've been able to really cut down your alcohol intake, which sounds like the tablets are working. Like many drugs, you take them for thing, but the side effects can be bad.

The depression and insomnia I suffer with, and I only take citralapam. Having never taken Naltrexone, I can't really help with the side effects. The majority of your symptoms I get, so perhaps the tablets aren't to blame.

I know how easy it is to stay at home and not go out. Infact just this year, I've spent a month (apart from food shopping with OH) not doing anything or going out through choice. I'd get up about 11.30am, get dressed without bothering to shower, no make up, hair a mess, unable to eat, have any interest in anything, apart from my grandson. Lie on the sofa and watch stupid programmes I'd normally never look twice at. The trouble with doing that is, the longer you do it, the harder it becomes. I didn't have to talk to anyone, ignore the landline phone as it wasn't worth the effort.

It sounds like you're going through a rough patch, which may  or not be linked with you taking naltrexone.

I was just about to say why not ask your local alcohol support groups, then remembered that would be Addaction!!!

Am sure RHGB will give you his view of your situation. You could always try campral for a few months and see how you get on with it. I think you've lost your self confidence, have low self esteem and are stuck in a rut.

I saw my GP on Monday and told her I can't sleep, her reply was "I've never heard of anyone dying due to lack of sleep!! really helpful that kind of statement

I do hope you can come to a decision sooner, rather than later and am sorry you're feeling so down

Take care, and come back to Lanzarote re-newed and happy xx

12

Sorry, I think I'm going senile! God knows where Lanzarote came from. You've got my mobile no, but I'll pm it to you tomorrow. Am now going to attempt my bed, even a couple of hours during the day helps me.

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Thanks so very much for your reply vickylou..really appreciate your words. We can do this, I hope and pray xx

14

Thanks RHGB. I stopped drinking alcohol a few years ago.  I thought Campral helped, at first... then I forgot to take it...often. Anyway, I stayed off drink without it.  Many months later, I thought I was fine and could just have a glass of wine .....gradually Big Prob Back !  I stopped AGAIN, took Campral, but just could not stay off alcohol. 6 tabs a day and "the drink". The Campral just did not help.  I am trying to do battle again with the help of Selincro, now.  Your info and advice is very calm and helpful.  I tend to get very over-anxious and over-reactive about my situ. 😣

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RHGB (I will 2nd paper fairy's description, the nice person who deals in facts!)

totally free of alcohol for at least 3 days, preferably a week.

16

I've just read that link about PAWS, really informative. I too thought OMG two years

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Take it you're awake too. Managed an hour, woke up at  2am. I hate going to bed. Will put it off as long as possible. Even got my own bedroom now!!

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So sorry to hear you are experiencing such turmoil, PF.  Our brain is used to living with a chemical called ethanol and as we reduce that chemical, it should be expected that things will be uncomfortable as our brains start to adjust to 'normal' life.  RHBG is right that this can take a while and that was a good write up he found.

I do not know much about campral and have never taken it myself so I cannot really offer suggestions on it.

In terms of naltrexone though, by taking the medication and drinking an hour later, it will gradually reset your brain back to it's de-addicted state.  You are already noticing a big reduction in your drinking over a fairly short period of time.

However, the complete process can take some months for most people.  At the end of it, you will feel no cravings to drink and so if you chose abstinence (as a lot of people do at that point) then it will be easy to do so.

By not seeing the process through for the time it takes, if you chose abstinence now then you may experience the same difficulties remaining abstinent as you did before.  Imagine you had a medication that would gradually reduce a tumour over several months..... you are taking that medication and the tumour is reducing.... what you are thinking of here is stopping the medication which is working and that would allow the tumour to not only remain, but to gradually start growing again.

The fact that your drinking has already reduced shows that, with compliance, the naltrexone WILL do what it is supposed to do over time.  But if you don't give it the time to do what it will do, then you are only taking part of a medical treatment.

Your choice of course, and you will have lots of great help on here whichever you chose.  We all take different routes on the journey, but however we do it, we all want to get to the same place and then rejoice in the freedom.

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Hi. Thanks for everyone's replies and support. Yes I'm expecting too much too soon. Since I've been taking naltrexone I haven't had a binge so should feel grateful. I'm going to stick with it and see this thing through. My alternative is living with an addiction I can't control.

so I'm drinking again this evening, white wine an hour after the pill. 

Just one question Joanna, how long was it before you didn't feel rubbish the next day after naltrexone and under a bottle of wine? X

20

I suffered a bit with the usual type of nal-drinking induced hangovers, but it's been so long since I started (october 2013) that I couldn't remember how long they lasted for.....  Sorry.

I do, however, remember being told that when things seem like nothing is happening, to look back and see the positives - for example, as you say you haven't binged since begining, so that is great.

This is an important thing to do because there will be ups and downs along the way, but they 'downs' will gradually get further and further apart.