One week on Naltrexone

General health and lifestyle
1

Hi All,

Been taking Nal for just over a week now everytime I drink. 

I have noticed some things and wondered if this is normal. 

Luckily I have had no real side effects which is great as I put off trying it for too long due to this worry (stupid i know can't be worse than a hangover!!)

The Nal has definaly slowed my drinking, my partner drinks just as much as me and I see him overtaking me to drink my drinks and that desperation to pour another drink whereas I seem to have lost that panic that omg do we have enough to get p*ssed?! 

So far I have noticed: 

Slower drinking - struggling to drink as much, as quick. 

Loss of the kick I get from it, pushing through the Nal feels like searching for the rush but not finding it, just getting drunk. 

Memory loss is a lot less- due to drinking less maybe? slower drinking? Suddenly I can remember the whole night as opposed to blacking out and not knowing what happened (this has caused some uneasiness at my partners drunk behaviours I never remembered before)

Binge eating less while drunk

Hangovers not as bad

I don't feel like I have lost the pleasure of good food while drinking and on Nal, I honestly feel like it has just targeted my drinking kick which is weird but cool :-) 

I am trying to persude my partner to try it too, however the dr only gave me one month of tablets and I fear it might be hard to get more as i have pretty much quit going to the clinic for self help motivation from them as it wasn't helping me. 

I am going to go and see a counsellor however as i feel it might help along side the tablets with dealing with other issues maybe that caused my drinking to escalate. 

Anyway just wanted to post some progress, I can honestly see this working for me over time and can't believe that this is not a regular treatment !!! The doctor said this is normally prescribed for heroin addicts but why wouldn't it work on any addition?! 

Crazy.

 

2

These are all good signs, Natalie, well done.

It takes practise to make yourself not struggle through the drink, but that is the aim.  The more often you see how pointless that is, then the easier it will get and you will stop doing it and be satisfied with what you have.

I think most really notice the lack of binge eating after drinking too much too, and for most of us a nice, but unexpected, result of this method is that we tend to lose a little weight and actually become interested in eating properly again.  As a matter of interest, this medication (in a short lasting nasal spray version) is currently in stage 3 clinical trials for binge eating disorder.

As for your partner, I would suggest there are 2 things very important:

The first is that he must want to do this method because intermittend non-compliance to taking the pill and waiting the time can actually make his craving/drinking worse.  It needs a commitment to it, just like any other treatment out there because it isn't a magic pill.  Many will get a honeymoon period and then find their drinking increases slightly again and that is when the commitment to seeing it through and taking the pill ever time is so very important.  It's a process that can take many months to reach the eventual extinction of all cravings, urges and triggers to drink.

Secondly, if he does want to go ahead, then he really should be assessed for a doctor in his own right.  He would need a trip to the ARC to be assessed.

And lastly, be aware that not attending the ARC may affect you getting your own prescription at some point too.  I know attending is a pain and in most cases, pointless because they don't understand this method, but a prerequisite of getting the prescription for this medication is that they provide you with the psychosocial side of care too, especially for the monitoring of how this medication is working for you..  Stop that and they may stop your prescription.  Just something to bear in mind......

3

I just want to reiterate Joanna's last point and this is about any anti-craving medication (alcohol).

Whether you like ARCs or not, whether you feel that they are of benefit to you or not, they are neccesary for you to carry on getting your prescriptions.

Many of us have been to them (I went to two) and found them a complete waste of time and an insult to my intelligence, but it was the only way to get an NHS prescription. £8.40 Vs £120 (from abroad) made it an easy decision.

She (key worker or whatever they are called) always arranged the meetings for a Thursday and because she knew nothing about my medication (had never heard about it) or really about alcohol addiction, we spent virtually every meeting discussing her Friday morning court/probation meetings. Where either people would be up in front of the judge for breaking their conditions or new people who were given probation by the judge and attending the ARC/Drug side was a condition of that.

One of the earlier meetings, was quite surreal really, we chatted about her having recently moved into the area because of her husband's new job, about her kids and finding a school, what she thought of the area, finding places to go out/socialise and everything else bar alcohol or medication.

My only real complaint was that they never offered you a cup of tea.

4

Hi good to hear you are doing well.

I have also been on it a week! Overall I've done well, but last night I just seemed to go backwards. I took the tablet but drank rather than ate dinner and slept, woke up and drank more- on repeat. (Although still with the naltrexone). I'm really hoping this was just a blip. Like you, most of last week I was amazed- left glasses and bottles which is unheard of for me. So really hoping I get back to that tonight.

It will be amazing if this works for us and glad it sounds like it is going so well for you.

5

Hi,

thanks all, I have asked them not to close my case at ARC. rolleyes Just a waste of time though but i get what your saying, they referred me to a health trainer who told me to drink more water, eat more fruit and lose weight. 

Only reason I have put on weight is due to alcohol, causing binge eating and no excercise due to hangovers..... ARC suggested motivating myself out of it by distraction. If only it was that simple! 

Seems they help drug addicts with nurses/medical help and drugs but AUD patients get told to man up and motivate sad like its all will power alone. 

Drives me mad. 

The doctor was like, this drug is for heroin addict's so I said what's the difference between any addict? people can be addicted to gambling and sex and that doesn't even involve a substance... it's all in the brain and habits

Anyway, the Nal seems to be going well, sure I might have a few hiccups but I'm confident it will help and there is nothing to lose trying! 

Just wish life was less stressful :-)

6

You are doing well Natalie and should be congratulated. Ex drinkers all have a sweet tooth and put on weight....i am too fat by far!! best of luck. Robin

7

RHGB made me laugh as always. I had the same experience at alcohol advisory, the consellor telling me about his problems. Had to go though or couldn't get Campral !

Has anyone on here read This Naked Mind by Annie Grace...it's helped me so much 😀

8

After a good start I am still drinking too much really hope it starts to work soon sad

I have lost the buzz but can still drink 2 bottles of wine in a go

Less cravings and stuff but still 3 nights a a week heavy drinking

9

Natalie,

It IS working for you exactly as it should.

The tablets are intended to stop the buzz, the compulsion that drives you to drink... and then that drives you to continue drinking.

Now, the next stage is to look at chipping away at the habitual way that you drink.  This is where you start working well with the medication.  So, look at why you are drinking 2 bottles a go.  Why is that?  Could you start your drinking later?  Or maybe really be mindful with each drink and try interrupt your drinking to stop earlier?  Put the drink down and do something else for 10 minutes.  You might find that actually during that 10 minutes you actually forget about the drink.  You just need to employ little changes that are suitable for you.  You no longer NEED to drink 2 bottles of wine each time, so look to do something different to interrupt the cycle.  You can always go back to having another drink later if you want one but by chipping away at habits, you will soon be making the decision to have a cup of tea of something instead.  It takes practise but does happen.

The tablets are only a tool to stop the out of control cravings and compulsions, and they work best when you are working with them, so now it is just time for you to move to the next stage.... :-)

10

Natalie- I'm in exactly the same position but like Joanna say below- have been told that's okay.

I know that it's hard to believe. Overall though, even with bad nights, my consumption has definitely reduced so I'm holding on to that.

11

Thanks Joanna.

It makes sense when you put it like that. I kept wondering why I am pushing myself to drink altho not getting that buzz from it.

I am seeing a counsellor too next week as I think addressing certain issues might help too.

My drinking stems back to childhood altho I haven't been a heavy drinker all my life but more I have periods of years not drinking and then years drinking on and off since 16 I feel I need to address these issues too.

I will now try and be more mindful of my drinking smile

12

I like to see the smile at the end of your post.

Some of this boils down to the fact that we expect too much of ourselves too soon.  That's just the type of instant gratification society we live in now.  But TSM is a process that has ups and downs but (with compliance) always works out well a few months down the line :-)

13

This is true I keep beating myself up because I'm still drinking alot but in reality I am drinking 3 nights out of 7 and that's a reduction at least on the amount of time I'm drinking altho the amount of units are still way too high.

I have heard TS meditation helps and I'm hoping to go on a three day retreat there. No alcohol smile and pure foods while learning meditation.

It's meant to be especially good for addictions

14

I'm going on a trek in the Himalayas- hoping for the same thing! (But hoped I'd be fit by then which I certainly won't be!)

15

** TM meditation I meant !

16

You know the weird thing is. I think alot of my drinking is down to feeling lost in life.

I struggled alot progressing from being a FREE happy go lucky child into a troubled teenager with no idea or direction in life. I feel like freedom was taken away from me and suddenly I had to become a sheep and do what everyone else does. I felt trapped by life. Still do really.

I've always felt weird compared to other people like I have a deep sense of being. I'm not materialistic at all and have no need for things.

It's hard to describe but I don't feel free at all ever anymore and that drives me to drink as well as stresses of life.

I've always wanted to do a charity trip somewhere or go find myself smile but it's so hard to do with commitments and kids etc. sad

But it's something I need to do....

17

I dont think its weird at all natalie. While I agree that there are physical reasons that lead to getting into a mess with alcohol, I do think that there can aslo be psychological ones. I dont think this means that the illness is any less real, or any more under an individual's control. I think the horrible thing is the triick that alcohol plays by making it seem as if it brings freedom, when in fact it does anything but. But I hope that naltrexone, by overriding the physical component will mean that psychological needs will have to give up and look elsewhere. 

18

Ooh I like the sound of that TS meditation - can I come along? lol x

I have heard that too.

G.

19

Hi Gwennie good to see you back 😊😊.I too was wondering where you were, we missed you ! What a pain in the butt it is when our technology goes wrong lol

Hope all going well for you and yours , I 'm still ok plodding along with the Nal but still running in circles trying to get it prescribed ! xx

20

Tablet number 16 and I had one glass of wine and left it at that last night smile

Slowly getting there !!