eight days' intro and Bac and Nal (Sinclair Method) progress

[cash]

Hey all - very interesting reading. I was on Sinclair method for about 5 months and couldn't feel it working. I loosley still take the Nal before drinking but stopped counting drinks etc as I thought it wasn't working. I didn't know it could take up to 6 months. So I have just come back to MWO and seeing a doc tomorrow to hopefully prescribe Topomax. I have the supplements and ready to go. Still have some Nal so maybe I could carry on with that first though. What to do.

[musicman1]

I like the benzos addictive as it is but alcohol is even more addictive Hence this site. Perhaps we are looking for a panacea that does not exist. I was AF for 3 years and now I have fallen back into the barrell that has so many false bottoms. The way back seems lost but I know I must find my way out or I will be right back to the point where I was before. In a tailspin.

[eight days a week]

Hi cash, lovely to meet you here

I've been almost six months on the Sinclair Method. I felt it was working for me, it has almost definitely worked on the endorphin side of things, just as promised. Unfortunately my situation's a bit more complicated than that as I have GAD, and an anxiety crash just when I felt TSM was working for me led me into heavier drinking again, sadly.

But, I still don't get that endorphin rush, so once I have my other problems sorted I will always stick with TSM.

I think six months plus is a realistic time-frame to stick with it, whatever the book says. Don't forget the clinical trials would have ruled out people like me, i.e. folk having other reasons to drink. And the studies were done on people who drank far less than I - I have in two days what most of the study subjects had in a week!

All the very best to you, please do let us know how you get on

[Spectra]

Hi Guy's,

I've been off the forum for a while, I can only get through via a proxy for some reason, and the Bac stops me doing much of an evening, but...

I'm forty, and four months ago I was on 20 units + every night and had been for years. I started on Bac and went up +10mg every two or three days, at ~180mg I hit my switch, more like a dimmer actually, and had my first day AF after about six weeks. Four weeks later I was back down to ~120mg and still not drinking.

On top of the Bac I also take St Johns Wort x3, Beroca x1, L-Glutamine x 21mg, Glucosamin x 3x1000mg, and lots and lots of water. Tesco have got deals on vit's at the moment, I use myprotein for everything else. At night I take Nytol and Ibuprofen to get me to sleep, and at high doses of Bac I take more Ibuprofen two or three times during the day to deal with the headaches.

Just before Christmas I started drinking again, every night but nothing like before. I had actually planned for this and stuck with all sups and the Bac. Since new year I ramped up the Bac and again hit my switch at ~180mg. I've been two days AF now.

A couple of points reading your posts. I had to work at going AF once I'd gone three nights it got way way easier. DO TAKE THE SUPPLEMENTS! Particularly the L-Glut, you get used to the taste pretty quick.

I can hardly focus now, Baclofen really is pretty powerful stuff.

Good luck, and take care. If I can get to grips with this you can too.

S

p.s. don't ever, ever, run out of Baclofen

[eight days a week]

Spectra, thank you so very much for you inspiring post

I think I need to go way higher on the bac to hit that 'switch', but it's so hard right now with this continued high level of drinking plus the sedatives. My fall a few nights ago scared me a lot.

I've long been interested in supplements. I continue to take my 5-HTP which keeps my spirits up so, and of course I take my multivitamin plus B vitamins and fish oils every day. But I had been worried about continuing with the Taurine and Glutamine for anxiety, because Bac also works on Gaba, I was worried it would interfere. Any thoughts about that?

Baclofen is powerful stuff indeed, I couldn't agree more!!

Best wishes,

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[crown86]

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I am showing up today for dinner possibly...YOU BETTER COOK..NO EXCUSES..if you drunk I don't care...JUST COOK..If I don't show up eat it all your self..bet you enjoy more than chips..LOL

Anyways worried about your not eating peice...I know the alcoholic diet well my friend...It's all liquid. But if I show up Nal has helped so much I actually need food so get cooking buddy.

Hope your doing allright

[crown86]

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Whats on the menu? Steak?salad? patatoe?..I know booze is but..but food wise

[eight days a week]

Originally Posted by crown86

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Whats on the menu? Steak?salad? patatoe?..I know booze is but..but food wise

Thank you so much my friend, but I have just ordered a load of food online to be delivered tomorrow, and you've just made me realise that what I fancy above all else, and forgot to order, is a steak!!

I ate better yesterday, actually, but drank more too, and felt like I couldn't catch my breath today when I woke. I don't know if this is related to my slight back/neck injury, the beta-blockers (I'm slightly asthmatic and you're not meant to take them if you're asthmatic, but my doctors didn't seem concerned about that), the fact I have been so inactive the last few days...or what.

Not being able to catch my breath was pretty scary, and having such a problem with anxiety it made me very worried. The result has been another day drinking since soon after I woke up :( I still take my Nal of course, but this latest batch (from AllDayChemist) just doesn't seem to help as much as the other stuff I took (from River and the official UK prescription).

So, yesterday:

ate well
probably more than 24 UK units (about two bottles of wine plus, over the course of the whole day)
8mg diazepam
40mg Baclofen (I won't be increasing that till the somnolence and unsteadiness goes away completely, I don't think - too scared to after my fall)

Your friend

(steak) eight days a week (if I could!!)

[brightlite]

Eight, I have been reading your progress and am wishing you success in your fight. One of the side effects from the BAC is shallow breathing. I only take Bac on an as need basis...and I haven't been very good about that lately. However, I did take it for a few weeks and was up to 100mg, but could not stand the side effects.....ditzy, extremely fatigued, loss of balance easily and very scared because I had to drive alot for my job. Anyway, if you are asthmatic, you should monitor yourself closely. I would wake up sometimes and feel that I couldn't breath and would have to take a few deep breaths. Also, Bac works better if you can have a few days AF or reduce your intake. I know...it's a catch 22....but many have noticed that it really kicks in when you are AF. Good luck to you...I'll be reading your progress. Oh...I also would like more info about wine drinkers and Nal....it is not as effective for wine drinkers?

[eight days a week]

Yesterday - the same med-wise, 26 UK units of alcohol.

That is way, way too much for me - I want to get down to half that, but I suppose it's not too much really over a 14 hour period - that is less than one drink (and not a very strong one) per hour. It looks like hopefully I can get that down today.

My back's a little better, but I still feel breathless. I've been on this dose of Bac now for quite a few days, but won't increase until that goes away.

musicman - I'm sorry I missed your post, thank you for your support I don't like benzos at all, I hate the effects of the diazepam I take, just taking it for anxiety, but very addictive they are indeed. Sorry to hear that things have been tough, wishing you well and that things be on the up for you very soon.

brightlite - thank you also for your tremendous support and advice. I'm not asthmatic, just have slightly asthmatic tendencies, so will be very careful. I'm also a smoker which doesn't help! I have been taking my last dose of 10mg late at night, I may rethink that. I don't wake up breathless but have noticed I've been breathing through my mouth, so wake up very dry-mouthed. That could well be the Bac.

It's interesting what you said about AF days helping, I'll bear that in mind for sure. My doc says it's better to start after a detox, but that isn't really practical, so he thinks starting to take it while I'm still drinking is better than nothing.

About the wine and Nal, I don't believe anything is proven, it's just speculation by some wine drinkers at present (please forgive me everyone if I got that wrong!) One man to speak to about that whole subject is my (and our) friend Virgil.

All the very best to you

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