Alcohol Use Disorder, Naltrexone and TSM

My first full dose (50mg Naltrexone) was taken yesterday at around 4.15pm and as I wasn't sure how it would affect me, I lay down and read for the hour.  No side effects, not even a crampy tummy. Stretching the 1/2 dose (25mg) over the course of 6 days worked well for me.  Generally, it is recommended to have a 1/2 dose for the first two days but I felt that extra time was needed in my case.   At 6pm I made a drink (scotch/soda) and was in no hurry to finish it and it lasted me an hour. I had a momentary fancy to have another one but made a soda with sugar free cordial instead.  As I approach the end of my first week, I am delighted that I have dropped from around 50 standard drinks per week to 8. I need to add here that I am responding very early to the Sinclair Method but this is not always the case so please be aware that for most people it does take longer.   Sometime in the next couple of weeks I am going to introduce other interests so I can star...

Took my last 1/2 Revia tablet at around 4.30pm this afternoon. Really didn't get around to pouring a scotch/soda until closer to 6.15pm and sipped on that through dinner. No urge to have another and it will be interesting to see what happens when I start the full 50mg doses.  The side effects are now non-existent. I started my drink chart tonight but since I started on Monday night with 2 glasses of wine, since then it's been one drink each night. I've estimated that my pre-TSM intake was around 6 standard drinks per night on average (almost a bottle of wine) with quite a few more drinks when socializing so I've rounded it up to 50 units (Australian). Going from 50 units down to 8 is a pretty dramatic decrease. Discernable side effects have disappeared so the full 50mg dosage starts tomorrow.

Last night I had one scotch/soda and afterwards thought about having a second one but the urge wasn't strong enough. ...so I watched a couple of episodes of Modern Family with my husband. I found it particularly interesting to realize that the character, Clare, has AUD. Or at least that is my diagnosis. I wonder if the writers did that knowingly or just because it's a fairly common thing that middle-aged mums (moms) do. ...Self-medicating to wind down from a busy day of working, houseworking and raising a family and the underlying slight resentment that the man of the family doesn't have the same pressures outside of the workplace. ...and thus the cycle begins. Today, I'm feeling really quite happy and settled. I had a restful sleep waking once but went back to sleep without thinking about it. Frankly, the best sleep I've had in years.  This morning I got onto my old bike and rode with my child to school today. It felt great. ...cold but great. :-)

Last night was better as I managed to eat dinner without losing my appetite but still only had one drink and no urge for more. So amazed and happy and have my fingers crossed (which makes it harder to pour a drink! LOL). I took a 1/2 tablet at 4.30pm and poured a scotch/soda around 6pm. Only had one drink and them moved to softdrink. Got a funny look from my husband but ignored it. He probably just thinks I'm tired or coming down with something. Went to bed around 9pm and read until 10pm. Slept well until 3am and then wide awake. I wasn't stressed about it - just enjoyed feeling a new sense of contentment about my life. Took two paracetamol at 3.45am and must have fallen asleep sometime later. All in all my energy levels have improved and it's so nice not to wake up with a headache. So, today I forgot to take the 1/2 tablet until 5.40pm so am now just waiting until 6.40pm to have a drink.  I'll start on the full tablet on Saturday if the side effects are less by then.  ...

2nd dose of 1/2 Revia tablet last night. I took it at 4pm because I needed to drive my child somewhere and wouldn't be back home until 5.15pm. 6pm I poured a weak scotch and soda. Usually I can chug one of these back fairly quickly while I'm thinking about preparing dinner but I made sure to sit down at the table and be mindful. Yes, the scotch/soda tasted like it normally does but it wasn't seducing me. My family wanted me to watch a doco on the TV (Eagle Huntress) and I couldn't say no so I took my drink to the lounge but made sure to sip it. When it was done, I didn't feel like another drink and the glass stayed on the coffee table. (Unusual because I usually nurse an empty glass and refill it "discreetly" when I can.) Dinner was leftovers but by the time I served it, I had completely lost my appetite and only picked at mine. My husband wanted to know what was wrong and I said I was just overtired. I drank a soda water flavoured with a sugar-fre...

After a successful TeleMedicine appointment, I am delighted to write that I am about to embark on the journey to a new and improved me!  The internet consultation was easy and the GP was a very kind and understanding person.  The consult costs $90 (no Medicare rebate). I have a script (and one repeat) for Revia 50mg. With nervous anticipation, I took my first tablet at 4.20pm Monday 5th August.  To eleviate the possible side effects, it is recommended that the first few doses are a 1/2 tablet.  Once the side effects wear off, then the full tablet is to be taken. Here's what I wrote in the forum... "Spent the last two weeks in nervous anticipation of this event.  Was at first stalled in the prescription process but with great information available in this forum (thank you everyone for your invaluable contributions) and then patiently waiting for my appointment, it finally happened today.  ...I'm calling it the first day of the 'best' of my life. At 4...

I found a GP lcoally who treats patients with Alcohol Addition using Naltrexon implants and injections but also prescribes the oral medication.   I wrote the following in the C Three Foundation forum called Options Save Lives. "I feel like I've never been so excited to see a Dr in my life! Tomorrow I have an appointment with one of the FEW doctors locally who prescribe Naltrexone. Speaking with the receptionist was liberating! I tried to explain that I am a decent person, mother, wife, own a small business....but I am unable to control my need for alcohol. She cut me off and said, "we have many patients just like you" and I felt like I'd finally received a life rope without any shame attached. I'm tearing up just typing this. After a decade of falling deeper and deeper into this nightmare and recently starting to sneak an extra drink here and there so my husband wouldn't notice, I had to admit that this wasn't just a bit of self medicating.  I lov...