A quick query and an update on my status. So I have been taking Selincro for two weeks now and can't really see a difference in my alcohol consumption. I was told by my prescribed I would notice a change straight away - she informed me that everyone that prescribed the drug to acknowledged an instant reduction, I myself have not.
After reading Paul's and Joanna's advice I have gathered that it can take longer than this, as long as I take the tablet two hours before I drink - which I have been doing meticulously.
I'm just starting to worry that this drug doesn't work for me. Going just on advice on this forum I have a fair way to go before I notice a difference and need to persevere, but after meeting with my prescriber I feel a bit of a failure - why aren't I one of the few who notices an instant change in consumption when taking the first tablet?
I've spoke about this before, asking if I'm doing anything wrong. But it seems as if I'm not.
Has anyone else on Selincro persevered through the first two weeks and noticed a difference after that?
Unfortunately I can't answer your question, but I'm interested in the reply. I would wonder if anyone had tried Selincro, not had it work and then gone with naltrexone and had that work, or vice versa.
Anyway, fingers crossed that it starts to work for you.
In all the clinical testing papers etc that I've read about Selincro, I don't believe I've ever come across any official figures taken in terms of 'immediate response'. Most of the testing seemed to accumulate their data after 4 weeks, 6 months, 12 months... Indeed, two of the most important testings, ESSENCE 1 and 2, mainly focused on the reduction in drinking days per month at the 6 month mark - showing reductions of 23 days per month down to 9 days per month in group 1, and 23 days per month down to 10 days per month in group 2.
Not too sure where your prescriber has got this information from actually. Any ideas, Paul? Read anything different?
In terms of my experiences coaching people through Selincro, some people do have a honeymoon period for the first week or so during which their drinking reduces a lot, but then this is often temporary and drinking resumes at an equal level, or sometimes a little higher, whilst the medication gets to work long term.
The only indicator I have found in those that had this almost immediate reduction (and this is purely my observations and not conclusive) was that it may have been influenced by side effects from the Selincro. Sometimes, in the short term, side effects can be discomforting that people just didn't feel like drinking as they felt too 'out of sorts'. As the side effects settled, their drinking resumed as before.
I value your opinion above all else and it gives me hope to read your post. In essence are you saying it will take at least 6 months to see a markable difference?
I agree with the honeymoon period, at first you don't feel actually well enough to drink more than you should - again this contradicts what my prescriber said, she said Selincro presents no side effects... I can honestly say I experienced quite a few and persevered.
I'll look through the TSM sites to see if any other Selincro users reported something similar, though I've read about people using Naltexone that didn't see much difference at first.
Other meds may have an impact, like benzodiazepines, maybe some antidepressants SSRI's (big maybe there). I know that Naltrexone doesn't work the same way for everyone, especially just starting out (like Joanna was saying).
No side effects would be lovely!! I wish. Sure there will be some lucky folk who don't get anything remarkable in terms of SE's, but if I had a pound for every question/email etc I've answered about side effects on Selincro, I'd be a very rich woman indeed
Improvment is quite often gradual with and downs along the way. Those figures quoted were at the 6 month mark, but are what people reported at 6 months wouldn't have just happened a week or so before. They more likely had some changes happening from a month or so.
Remember to work with it, drink mindfully and ask yourself if you really want the next drink. The 'pull' of the alcohol will slowly loosen and you can gently help it along in lots of little ways - start drinking a little later, finish earlier, put the bottle back in the fridge between drinks etc.
Another little suggestion is to look at which days/evenings you drink most. Then focus on that one night of the week and plan to drink a drink or two less that session.
You will be surprised how much these little changes add up over the weeks!
Most of all, just relax at the moment and let the pill do it's work. There is no rush. This is a treatment that may take months, for some even longer than 6 months. Everyone is different and that is perfectly ok
Hello BK522. I am taking Selincro. This was day 13. Are you filling in the little boxes on the pack re your alcohol consumption? I count it up every day and write down the Units. I have reduced from 20 to 10, but the road is rocky! I have had a 20 day, on route. I wanted everything to be faster, but I now realise it will take as long as it takes. We are all different. I found the 2hour wait, really hard but now...I am fine with it. I had a big blip when I didn't feel the "alcohol effect" at all, one day. I kept drinking more. This stage is very difficult. It is "the effect" that I crave. I want to feel "tipsy". I am sticking with the tablet, though, because I need to keep reducing. My health is poor. I do not want to let alcohol kill me. A few months ago, I was in A.&E. three times. I had drunk a bottle of vodka 40%, each time. No control whatsoever. I had bruises and loss of memory....as well as racing heart and bad temper! Not in the "tipsy" zone, at all. I am desperate for Selincro to help me reduce and gain control. Stick with it. What day are you at, with it? I believe it will work. Joanna helped me to realise that I have to let it do its job. We have to work with it. It has a very good success rate. I think it is our best chance.
It HAS been our experience that alcohol consumption has reduced immediately when we have treated clients with TSM. If this wasn't the case, we would have issues when we detox a person, then start them on TSM, if they went back up to a bottle of spirits a day, as this would mean that another detox would be required.
BK522. I am sorry if you have already answered this question, but you are not drinking outside the window of opportunity are you? I mean more than 8 hours after you had your first drink. If your opioid receptors are stimulated at all, that can affect how quickly your body gets the message that drinking won't give you the same reward.
Do you think this might be anything to do with someone having been detoxed first? For those who contact me, they have a current drinking routine that hasn't yet been broken (if I have explained that appropriately) and I wonder if this is why I have had so few who have had this initial immediate reduction AND maintained it.
Hi again, BK522. I will be at the 2 week stage tomorrow, with the Selincro. I forgot to ask you earlier...How do you "feel", when you drink, now. You might just be drinking on, out of habit. I think I do. Trying to be mindful is hard for me. We have to ask ourselves if we really want each drink. If it is there... I drink it. I am reducing Units by having less available. Then I do battle with my habit of going to the shop for more. I do not go since starting Selincro. Do you keep a stock of drink, at home? I can't. I would drink the lot. How often do you buy drink? Could you buy less, to help you taper down gradually?
Well, when we do a detox with a person, they have a week in which they are not drinking at all while they go through the detox. They then start on Naltrexone or Nalmefene and re-introduce alcohol. In the vast majprity of cases, the alcohol consumption gets nowhere near what it was before detox.
We don't have sufficent data from studies to know if a period (just a few days) of abstinence before starting TSM makes a difference to how the Opioid receptors respond to the drug.
People who require a detox are normally drinking a lot more than those who don't. They are also drinking every day. I wonder if the effect of Naltrexone or Nalmefene is stronger on those opioid receptors which have been subject to higher amounts of alcohol.
A story which some people here might find interesting. I had a client who had undergone detox. She was terrified of doing that first alcohol free day which we encourage our clients to do as soon as they feel they can. She got herself prepared and said to me 'I am ready and will try tomorrow.' She was worked up about it until the time that she would normally start drinking had passed. Then she got watching something on television and completely forgot that she wasn't drinking. She told me the next day that it was so easy that she was going to do a second alcohol free day, which she did that day with no problems at all. This was about 6 weeks ago (6 weeks after she had started TSM)
I spoke to her last week and she had suddenly thought 'when did I last drink?' and worked it out that she had done 8 days alcohol free. So she is now 12 weeks in and forgetting to think about alcohol. She had a serious problem with heavy drinking every day of her life for years.
The point of me saying this is that the first alcohol-free day is very important for those who have a daily drinking habit. It is normally much easier to achieve than they expect it to be and it is worth getting under your belt as soon as you believe you can do it. Once this is done and the belief is there that it is possible, and even 'easy.' Progress can be made much quicker.
I would say just keep doing what you're doing, I was eight months before I noticed a difference.
I was also on Venlafaxine, an antidepressant which was causing the opposite, very strong alcohol cravings. Some people seem to get an instant reaction but there is often a honeymoon period then their drinking increases again before decreasing.
I didn't notice a huge effect when I was actually drinking I just suddenly found after eight months that I was able to decide not to drink at all some days. So instead of having the usual fight with myself "shouldn't drink today", "might drink today", "am drinking today ", I was able to say "do I REALLY want to?" and often found that was no.
I am so inspired by your sharing the success of your client, with the alcohol-free day. I know that it will be a huge step forward, in my journey to recovery, when I can achieve one alcohol-free day. I am at Day14 with Selincro. I did not detox before starting it. My Units were 20 every day, two bottles of wine. I drank them in a short time. As fast as I could, I suppose. I am going to wait until my 28 tablets are taken, until I consider the alcohol-free day. I want to be realistic. I am learning a lot on this Forum. I drink 10 Units most days, now. One bottle of wine. I am trying the miniature bottles now, to try to reduce further. It is so difficult. The habit is so ingrained. 4 miniatures=1 bottle. I had them at home, one day...full of good intentions..... then drank the lot, 20 Units. Taking time to plan strategies is another big learning curve. Thank you for sharing that information about alcohol-free days.
I am on day 45 of taking Selincro, and like you after 2 weeks i did not feel any different in myself, BUT my drinking has gradually reduced from 110units+ pw to currently less than 70 pw. I do not think this is only down to Selincro but also additional will power, with Selincro as a "crutch". I also think my weekly counselling and alchol awareness group meetings, (NOT AA) help. Having read it will typically take 3 - 4 months and possibly 9 - 12 months, I am planning to keep trying. Patience is one of my only virtues.
It might be worth trying to drop the miniature bottle and seeing if that makes any difference to you. One way might be to start drinking a little later.
Yes. Alonangel. We have also discovered that people have a tendency to take their pill, wait the two hours with Nalmefene (1 hour with Naltrexone) and then, the second that waiting time is up, grab their bottle and go for it, big time It's perfectly natural for people with Alcohol Use Disorder to do this as they have grown accustomed to doing that to reach the level of alcohol that hits the spot for them.
However, on The Sinclair Method, you need to allow the body to recognise that it isn't getting the hit and it doesn't matter how much or how fast you drink, it won't get the hit. Therefore, it is worth taking the first drink more slowly and letting the body realise that the same reward isn't being gained, if that isn't what you are already doing.
Definitely Paul, I know that's the next step I have to achieve... Major will power needed though.
I get in from work and the first thing I want to do is start my wine. The thought of not having that extra little bottle is also daunting, I'm not sure if this makes sense but I feel like I don't get "drunk enough" on just one bottle. The bottle and one miniature bottle gives me just that extra inch of drunkedness I'm accustomed too and enjoy.
