Hi.

It sounds like many you have a very full plate. I never recommend using medications with out your doctor's input. Did you ask your primary caretaker about Campral or Naltrexone? Although the program mentions Topamax, the other medications are approved by the FDA for treatment of alcohol dependence. If your primary has never heard of these medications, provide him or her with the Wall Street Journal article from 8/23/05 and ask about discussing a treatment program using one of the craving blocking medications. If there is still reluctance, ask for a referral to a doctor who is comfortable with the medical treatment of alcohol dependence.

Regarding exercise: a little bit goes a long way. Do you watch TV with the kids? If you do, at the commercials take the opportunity to get up and exercise for the duration of the commercial. Aerobic stepping in front of the TV, squats with weights and power abdominal crunches (I like to call these "dying cockroaches" because these are a great pilates all-in-one abdominal move that also gets your heart rate up.) At work do you have the opportunity to walk stairs? It's amazing if you simply pretend there are no elevators available how much exercise you can work into your daily routine. Stairs do get easier, then you can lunge up two at a time for an extra butt burner.

I hope these suggestions help you get the alcohol and all of the baggage associated with it with it out of your life. Thanks for being part of MWO program.

--Dr. Garcia