Kudzu as a treatment for alcoholism
You’ve made the decision to cut down on your drinking. At this point, you may be wondering “is there anything that I can take that could help me with my cravings?”
Currently a few drugs are popular for the treatment of alcoholism – Naltrexone, Acamprosate, and Disulfiram. None are always effective or appropriate.
Common side effects include diarrhoea, dyspepsia (indigestion), headache, nausea and vomiting, rash, and itching. More severe side effects have been associated with these drugs which cause suspicion as to whether they are doing more harm than good.
The pharmaceutical industry has little to offer for keeping alcoholics sober. Herbal medicines, on the other hand, have shown more promising and dramatic results. However, for profiteering reasons, it is not likely that drug companies or your doctor will provide herbal alternatives.
The herb Kudzu can cut consumption of alcohol in half perfectly safely without the side effects of drugs. It has been used to reduce drinking in China since 600 A.D. Scientists have found the herb to be effective in reducing alcohol intake in rats.
Recently, studies have shown evidence that Kudzu can reduce drinking in humans. Essentially, kudzu increases blood alcohol concentration so that people need less alcohol to feel its effects. People feel satisfied on fewer drinks.
So, where can you find some? David Lee, a chemist on the McLean Hospital research team did assays on a variety of kudzu herb extracts from stores and websites and found that many of these products contained less than 1 percent of active kudzu, and thus were ineffective. Higher concentrations are needed – around 30-40 percent of one of Kudzu’s active ingredients (puerarin) is advised. Please be aware that the Kudzu capsules available in Holland & Barrett are only 7%. The tincture they sell is of course alcohol based (all tinctures are), at roughly 60% alcohol.
We’ve reviewed a number of online Kudzu suppliers, and this is the best we could find:
Or read some more information about Kudzu.
Alternatively you can try Liv.52 – a herbal supplement proven to protect the liver from the damaging effects of alcohol. It assists in the process of detoxification also, in that it speeds up the elimination of acetaldehyde (which means your hangovers won’t be quite so nasty).
hi jen
yea i was puzzled by Fh’s post, I just thought you two guys had some sort of code going on between you:-)
I have been on the other site jen and as you say it does seem like topamax is the favorite, if my doctor give me the naltreone tomorrow i will give that a go but i will ask her about the topomax cos i could do with loosing weight. I have just become a pig when i stop and am scoffing down bags of sweet to get a suger rush i suppose sometimes i eat until i feel sick.
I have not stopped long enough to get to a good healthy place with everything, which is my goal. i really dont do hard or struggle, i am the kinda person that would microwave for two minutes rather than cook for ten……….but i am guessing that there is no quick fix for the years of abuse i have put my body through i just have to sit it out.
are you going to try topamax jen? would be really interested to hear how you got on, i will keep you posted on my progress with naltrexone when i get it
i have said it before but i think you are both amazing (and a fool
) to be with somebody that drinks so much. But i suppose when you are struggling with drink it is probably too difficult to sort out a relationship as well. I really wish you well jen……where is FH, hope she is doing well to
hugs
katie
hey katie, yeah, i know.. thats part of the reason my life is in shambles and why i stay with the guy.. bc of alcohol.. im just not myself, depressed, more needy and its harder to get out of a bad relationship.. all bc of this damn alcohol! i have to admit though, in the past six months hes gained weight for the good, and cut his long hair, and im not pretty damn attracted to him, which doesnt make it easier. anyway, so i REALLLLLLLY HOPE topamax or naltrex works for me!! the topa should be here in about two weeks. everyone seems to have pretty amazing results on it, as well with naltrex. but ill DEF update you. i cant do anything positive changing wtih my life ( depression, bf, etc) until i get the alcohol problem under control……
i just re read that post, i meant im much more attracted to him.. hes pretty hot now, vs before when i went out with him because he was sweet in the beginning.. hes like a model now since hes filled out a bit and his face looks better as well as his body.
well i am really pissed of after almost a promise from the doctor that if she checked things out with an addiction specialist and found naltrexone to be ok she would prescribe it…………she has back tracked and now says i need to first try antibuse, which i refused to do after nearly killing myself by drinking on it. She then gave me a prescription for acamprosate, I hae looked up the side effects and one of the sever side effects is high blood pressure, which i already have and am taking medication for (plus my dad died of three heart attacks and high blood pressure) so the thought of something that would increase a problem that i already have went down like a ton of bricks.
I am so furious with this ‘f**king country’ and the bloody back covering that goes on…………I am thinking of walking into the surgery with a neadle in my arm just to get somewhere. It is all down to funding the bloody government and the need to show that they are doing something to reduce crime figures commited by druggies, us alchies can quietly rot in hell ………I am thinking of going ourt and mugging a few old ladies just to get taken seriously (joking of course).
anyway rant over, It is a shame your boyfriend doesn’t look like the back of the bus, it could be more helpful in choosing to exit. It probably sounds a stupid question but would your boyfriend join you on your journey to quit alcohol?? I am guessing not, if he is pretty then it is a shame cos that wont last very long, blokes seem to puffup turn pink and bloat in my experience anyway.
anyway do keep posting and let me know how the topomax goes, why did you choose that over naltrexone, I am about to order something from the internet and not sure which one to order. The topomax has the benifit of loosing weight as well but sounds like it has many more side effect. When i asked my doctor for that she said are you mad it is for epileptics (grr)
anyway
speak soon
hugs
katie
hey guys, sorry, was a little tipsy writing the above two posts about my boyfriend. kat, not sure what that meant …………
just hanging in there myself. didnt drink tonight, drank a bottle of wine last night, didng drink sunday.. got myself over to my sober friends house tonight to pass the time and force myself to not drink. lookin forward to the topamax. i really hope i can take its side effects, as they can be bad, and i have insomnia and depression to begin with, two side effects that are a possibility. kat how are you doing? where the heck is everyone? geesh this site is slowing down!
hi jen
anyway worried about FH it is not like her not to be on here all the time. sent her an email but got not response, just dont like to think that after all of her strenght and help that she has given this site that she is in a bad way
FH WHERE ARE YOU BLOODY HELL ??!!
I am drinking at the moment because GF is having PMT and she is totally like the gorrilla from hell …….you know we are both in the same boat to a degree………i am trying to get away , but we have a house togehter and have tried to sell it fro nine months but you know about the credit crunch…….nobody can get a mortgage at the moment so we are sorta stuffed.
however, not to be beaten i am goint to look at a property tomorrow and am hoping to rent it, there are five bedrooms so my plan is to rent at least two of them out (which will leave me rent free) so that i can find a place to be at peace and to get my head together to stop drinking ……………i cant do that with a ***PMT tasmanian devil**** that goes into one for two weeks every month
but ‘ best made plans of mice and men and all that’ we shall see
about the naltrexone i may have an appointment in two or three weeks with anm addiction counsellor until them i have to just struggle on …….so we will see
my email is
katpoo8@yahoo.co.uk
lets keep in touch……………….**********this is probably going to be my last post here as there does not seem any point to post any more****
katie
hey.. drinking as well on this friday night. bf fell asleep, so sittin here myself watching a movie.. not feelin the best, but not tired, so drinkin the beers away. i dont know where hopeless is either, but im guessing shes either doing better on naltrex, or decided not to take it. thast the thing that i m just so nervous and annoyed about. you just dont feel the same when taking these things and drinking. the good feeling is gone. u then decide to just not take them. i certaintly would. topamax at least it seems you have to slowly stop taking it, over a few weeks.. but naltrex, and as hopeless is taking it, can be from time to time, WHEN you drink. I for one, could NOT do that correctly. I would choose to not take it, and then rarely take it. so thats part of the reason im doing topa. its funny t hough, the past two weeks ive been somewhat better with drinking making me not want to start it as much… but it isnt here yet im sure ill have a bad day until then..hope everyones well!
OK–relax! Was having internet problems. They were putting new pipes in and knocked out my entire buildings internet. I am not one for the wifi and Starbucks thing! It is depressing everyone is gone to be honest. I hope they all learned to control or at least moderate or abstain.
I am doing well but for some family issues. I HATE my family. I have had it out with them and now to top it off I found out my ex bf–and love of my life–I left in Europe has a beautiful new gf. It threw me for one but I did not drink—cried a lot. It sounds cliche but when we said goodbye we said it wasn’t over, that we have always gone back—this time it is over I am sure. It was a mutual friend who tactlessly sent me his facebook and there he was–my ex and some freaky model looking creature. I am a lot older than him and what hurt was that I know it is going to be “the one” (though he is choosy). I have not really shared it with anyone but feel like my life here is nowhere and could have been with him and he never would have met her.
Anyway I guess you suck these things up. I have to admit I wanted to have a bender and a half without Naltrexone! Luckily I recalled the post “clean up” and just layed with my dogs and cried on the sofa. It feels pretty bad—Jen cannot get rid of hers, Katie has problem with hers, and mine—went off and lives in Italy with some bimbo!
Jen you may be too young to recall this, but there was a movie called St. Elmos Fire—the theme went something like (and yes I am too young to recall the movie but I do know the lyrics—
“We laugh until we had to cry
And we love right down to our last goodbye
We were the best, I think we’ll ever be
Just you and me…for just a moment
We chase that dream we never found
And sometimes we let one another down
But the love we made, made everything allright
We shone so bright…for just a moment
Time goes on, people touch and they’re gone
And you and I will never love again
like we did then
Someday when we both remenisce
We both say there wasn’t too much we missed
And through the tears, the smile when we recall
We had it all…for just a moment
Time goes on, people touch and then they’re gone
But you and I will never really end,
Will never love again…like we did then
We laugh until we had to cry
And we love right down to our last goodbye”
So much was true for us. When I said goodbye we tried to have fun the whole way to the airport, but then we broke and it was one of those movie good-byes. To know it is over hurts. Katie sounds stupid as I had so much time to mourn it, but sometimes you find a soulmate and have a belief you will find each other again.
So that is where I have been so don’t worry! (yet).
hey katie and hopeless and whoever else, kat i saw your post. if i dont hear from you on here ill definitely keep in touch via email, but im pretty sure the site will begin to pick up again. Thats a good idea to rent out those two rooms..yeah life is tough with the economy so bad. everyones losing jobs. i really hope it picks up. this weekend i had a usual drinking like crazy the whole weekend. it never thank God , got out of control though, and hasnt since my tolerance is so high. this weekend i basically drank as much as my peers did-started at a restaurant and went back to a friends house where she suggested an evil game, take a shot of beer every sixty seconds for an hour. i said to her, “eek,, but THEN what? its only seven pm” shes like, “well we’rea ll just wasted!” Haha.. fun and games for people who dont have real drinking problems. but it wasnt to bad. we just slowed down after and ended up going home at three am from a bar in a cab. it was my freinds bday, so she wanted to go out to a bar. but, the difference is the next day, they didndt drink im sure. but guess what? i did! surprise surprise. not in the morning, but had four glasses of wine around dinner until the evening. so im pretty depressed today as usuala fter my crazy weekend drinking. im not going to drink today. dont care for it all that much. if anything it feel just a habit, to do it tonight, but im gonna make sure i dont. im also pissed bc again my weights gone up those five pounds. it goes up and down, but lately ive been five to seven pounds over the weight i used to be awhile ago. so, topamax should be coming anyday now. i truly truly truly hope the damn medication works. if not of course ill try nalterxone, and if that doesnt work, campral, and if those dont work, oh man, i might have to try aa. i really dont want to do that though. i might end up just going on antabuse again, dunno. its a never ending vicious cycle. please topamax, work!!
ihope things get better with your girlfriend. i dont know, it just seems if a relationship is mostly not good, and its been awhile being NOT good, the chances of it being a successful one are probably zero. but i wish u the best anyway. talk to u soon everyone
I feel blessed to have found this website. You guys are so honest and open. I have known for years I have a problem, have been trying to deal with it, been in two rehabs and six years of AA, started drinking again. first after six months, next nine months, and lastly two weeks short of a year. Find my AA groups in Brooklyn very judgemental and clickish, which discourages me as I always felt less than anyway (but no one forced me to do it). I have had a traumatic life which includes molestation, physical and mental abuse as a child, and then just when I thought I was getting it all together, I lost my first brest, my husband walked out on me, then I found out I had laryngeal cancer and lost my voice. I thought it could not get much worse, which is when I found out i was going to lose my other breast. The last was five years ago, and I am struggling with my self image, and frankly my addiction to alcohol, which was semi-evident for many years prior, has now consumed my life. My “friends” were not able to deall with my loss of voice, and my family, outside of the initial “horror sympathy” is totally unsympathetic. I was 47 years old when I lost my first breast and my husband walked out on me, and 48 whenost my voice. 49 when I lost my second breast. I was a pretty woman with a good sense of humor, but now I am lonely anddistraught. My family wont let me talk about it, treating it like I complain too much and basically tell me, I know, you’ve told me this before, I understand, but did you know that Tony, Kathy, Joan, etc., etc., had this and it was SO MUCH worse than yours, so you should thank God, etc., and did I tell you that I went to Pathmark and they had yada yada yada on sale. So here I am still feeling real sorry for myself, disabled and alone, not finding any solace in the AA group in Bay Ridge Brooklyn Ny and still wanting desperately not to drink myself sick, but now knowing how to deal with any of this. I write all of this after reading most of your correspondences and not finding any judgement, I once again tentatively reach my hand out in desperation. Please do not bite it. Help me, I need it, I feel so alone.
hey hopeless, im sorry i didnt reply to the above post, i think we posted at the same time so yours didnt show. very poetic that was.. very true, quite sad. glad you posted again hopeless i was gonna get disappointed, also glad your doing so well!!! MY Gosh! its amazing!. im still waiting for my topa to arrive, and becacuse i ve been expecting it to help when it gets here, ive been not using willpower with trying not to drink as much and ive been just worse and worse lately. its really quite terrible and scary. its also bad beacuse lately ive been going to eat after work, jsut stopping at fridays or wherever, and having a few beers or two to three glasses of wine, then driving, everytime i know im over the limit, although i usually feel “OK’ to drive. i then continue my drinkinbga t home, or stop at a friends and drink more, and drive home. the driving things scares me so much. last night i had a few drinks out at a restaurant, came home, and took the train to a bar. got drunk, of course its never bad sloppy drujnk anymore bc of my tolerance, but took the train home ( one stop) when i woke up with my hangover , i was soooo happy i didnt drive-forget drinking to much, i was just so happy i did NOT drive. if topa doesnt work, i must get that thing hooked up to my car where it doesnt start unless u blow into it, or it is inevitable i will get a dwi. if topa doesnt work, im tryin the naltrex, if that doesnt work, the cambral, if none work, i truly wil lgo to aa as i am really just in a bad place. i cant live sop depressed and obsessing over alcohol, and feeling so shitty. its as if life is on hold right now. so tell me , are u completely happy with naltrex and how do u feel? do u feel ur “missing” out on life bc u cant go out and feel GREAT from drinking or are u content with the way it works as u can still go out and drink and just not care to drink as much? how does it feel to have your LIFE BACK hopeless?
Hi Denise and Jen-
Firstly–Denise, do not worry you are not alone in your struggles and there is no judgement here! The fact is that you have had a horrific experience and I can completely understand that you have turned to drink. I myself moved across the pond to USA from Europe leaving a relationship of 8 years (he was going to come then backed out) and have felt alone and isolated and have very few if any friends because my work was home-based and I only seem to meet men that want to sleep with me never any women friends which I miss a lot. My isolation led me to a two year period where I have reignited a drinking problem that was never really in control but never as out of control. In other words, I used to be the one who would get falling down drunk but I would still function and that one night out with friends was maybe weekly sometimes less and it never carried over. When I was here I started doing week long 24/7 benders sometimes up to 10 days. I lost my job due to a stupid email I sent while drunk to a client, made a fool of myself in front of almost anyone I did know by calling and making up stories (looking for attention), ended up in jail for dui—amazingly got off on that charge—and finally was also sent to a psych ward as I was passed out and a neighbour thought I had tried to kill myself! So I know the pattern and been through it all.
(BTW Jen—let that be a lesson—I was actually at a Fridays when I was drinking with some young guys I met on the beach as it turned cloudy and I only had “a few” thinking I was ok to drive the 15 minutes home and I totalled a car, could have killed someone else or myself and ended up in jail for 48 hours because the cop lied and said I was only on a hold for 7 hours and did not need to bond myself out!).
Denise your pain is real and the fact that people are not sympathetic has more to do with their lack of knowing what to say to you. I mean what do you say to someone who loses a breast and then their husband leaves, loses her voice and then another breast? Even I am stumped for words. You need to somehow—through a breast cancer survivors group or somewhere get support for this because it is devastating and if you are isolated it is even worse. Your experience is one that is deep and sad! I seriously send you a huge hug! You have been through hell!
As for the drugs Jen—I must say I am pleased for the most part with Naltrexone. I have not had a drink in a bit over a week. When I do drink I cannot get more than a few down me or I get sick. I have been told by everyone this is NOT supposed to be like antabuse and make you sick but my experience is that it does. I have a feeling the reason is that I force more than my actual body could take down me if I were not “chemically altered” In resetting my body and brain chemistry I think the Naltrexone gives my body a normal reaction to someone my size overdoing it.
It does not detract in the LEAST from the buzz just does not let me get to that state of no return and does not let me overdo it which is exactly what I have wanted and what I had hoped Kudzu would do and did not. For me Naltrexone is a miracle. It has caused me embarressment in that I do not like getting sick in the wrong place but I am learning how to drink “enough” now so I do not get sick and I NEVER wake up hungover nor wanting more. In fact 25mg seems to work great for me and works for a good 3 days if I take the second 25 at some point which I have been doing when I start to drink more than I think I should be—which is usually still. BUT having 3-4 glasses of wine in a night is amazing for me especially when I then no longer want alcohol the next day nor the next few days and can also rely on that ONE dose to get me through if I do need to drink for example (like a date a night after another date—yes I have been dating now). I am not sure I would even want to try the other drugs because they all seem to be aimed at “lessening cravings” and cravings were never my problem until after I had the alcohol in me—my problem was always wanting to control my drinking so as not to exclude myself from life yet to be able to drink without getting to a point where I am inebriated, do stupid things etc.
I will say—for me at least, I still get drunk on the two or three glasses of wine and at these points act as silly and stupid as I would if I drank two or three bottles, but it does what I remember it doing OH so many years ago after I first started drinking as a teen when I would feel silly and stupid then it wore off. Without Nal it does not wear off and I end up making calls and emails and doing stupid things for DAYS not hours which is a huge difference.
Essentially I would say it enables me to drink like a normal drinker even if I still have the behavioural compulsion to want to have “more more more” I cannot physically take more so it is slowing me and I think eventually I will learn just to stop as I am already starting to.
I also think it is frankly cheaper as I ONLY take it when I want to drink.
Denise—hang in there. Everyone else—come back you almost made me leave!
hey Hopeless, im going to post more later on Denise as well, im watching my tv show, but im just confused at how it works on your brain if naltrexone is supposed to make the drinking buzz just GONE, and no pleasure, but you said you still like it. i know you said you get a little ill feeling after a few, but if you didnt, do you still think youd be able to not want to go on and on with a binge? if so, why? what does it feel like? im still waiting for my topa, im so wanting to start it.
hey guys, hopeless sorry i continue to ask how it feels. i just have to wait and see how it tends to just stop you from wanting more when i receive the topa. anyday now. denise-wow, i live very close to you-on long island. many of the people who post here are from europe , or have been anyway, so its interesting that you live so close. i have many friends over in bayridge, i live in garden city. you have seirousally been througoh so much, i am so sorry. i cant imagine what its like. how did you feel in AA for many years? did you love it? were you HAPPY as a person or did you feel you were missing out? aa is my last resort, im trying to see if a new medication out that helps many for alcoholism will help myself.. do some research for yourself too-there are a few of them. if you read up many posts you will see how hopeless is now compared to in the past, my gosh. its a miracle, and it gives me hope. how often do you drink? and what? how old are you if you dont mind me asking. Im 27, and my drinking problems would have eventually gotten to where i am now im sure, but the process was sped up when i lived with an alcoholic bf of mine who i still am with ( toxic relationship), at that time my drinking went from once or twice a week at bars ( getting way to smashed though) to everynight. its gotten so much the worst the past two years its not even funny. my depression is now terrible ( i barely have depression when im not drinking as ive taken some breaks for a month or so and i felt pretty happy but still wanted that drink often), my life is put on hold it feels like, basically like just living everyday miserably, hungover in the morning and then drinking at night, on most days anyway. olf course if i f ight drinking one night i wake up and feel pretty good. but seriousally, im a mess. im waiting for Topamax to come in the mail, i ordered it off an internet reputable site for only about 65 for this month. keep posting here , there were many who did and we all suffere tremendousally with this alcohol problem.
Hi Jen-
To be honest—it is supposed to take the pleasure away as in the “rush” that alcoholic drinkers get. NOT the actual buzz. There is a difference and this is all according to Sinclair’s research (David Sinclair is an American researcher who went to Finland in the 70′s and founded the Sinclair Method which is really more harm reduction than it is abstinence. The theory behind his research was based on a finding that alcoholic drinkers produce something in the brain called THIQ which is almost like morphine but even stronger. It never leaves the brain and every time an alcoholic drinks they get a rush based on an opiate–as THIQ is an opiate unlike alcohol. So the alcohol in an alcoholic causes an opiate like reaction which forces the alcoholic to want to continue just like a heroin addict. His theory led him to use Naltrexone, an opiod antagonist (it blocks opiates) to see if it would block the reaction in acloholics. In 82% of the cases it works and the drinker can drink moderately.
Most doctors are still stuck in AA and the abstinence only method which unfortunately does not work but for 5% of the people that even show up at AA or such groups. They use Naltrexone incorrectly in that it does not stop cravings, it does not help people stay sober, it helps people when they DO drink to not go into overdrive like I always do.
Now what happens to me I cannot explain. I drink and it seems before my brain controlled my body in a sense that the rush I got enabled something to override all the normal reactions to a poison in my body and I could drink massive quantities. With Naltrexone, I get a buzz, even drunk, but like it did a LONG time ago when I first had a drink and used to go drink at a friends after school and then by dinner was sober—it somehow gets me drunk but lets it wear off and then I can go on as if I had not drank. It also prevents me physically from drinking too much. EVEN when my behaviour tells me to keep going, which I have though I am slowing now when I drink and have NO desire to continue after a certain point and even start feeling sick. If I force another one in I DO get sick which I think is normal for a girl my size. So somehow it reacts on all my body and by shutting the brain rush it also shuts the body’s ability to drink unlimited amounts. I do not wake up wanting more, in fact I usually am sober by the time I go to sleep now or coming down nicely and back in control of all my functions and actions etc.
There is NO doubt I do get drunk though. I have about 3-4 glasses of wine—3 usually now I have tried 4-6 but got sick every time. The only time I did a mini-bender was when I decided I wanted a night off from it in the very beginning to see what would happen and then I was able to drink like before and had the desire back the same way.
For me it is perfect because I just want to have a bit of fun, be a bit drunk then sober up (and keep in mind after it wears off I can have another drink, I just cannot shove them down me so a long night does not mean just 3 drinks–I will, I believe, be able to drink like everyone else, in other words paced).
I cannot sing the praises of this medication enough. I do not care if there are side effects as I have yet to experience them unless my getting sick is down to them but if that is the price I pay for drinking more normally so be it! The problem in USA is that the medication is misused and the reason I do not believe in the other meds is that they are not aimed at moderation and I believe anyone with an alcohol problem, or rather alcoholics with changed brain chemistry, are going to want to have a drink at some point no matter what! Naltrexone is the only medication used for moderating alcohol use though not in USA due to the massive indoctrination that abstinence is the only way to go. I HIGHLY recommend it!
Happy Christmas to all! (I am a bit confused as in Sweden it is celebrated today but I think most other places celebrate tomorrow). But Happy Christmas anyway!
Hi Jen-
I am celebrating what is called “julafton” in Swedish or Christmas Eve which is when it is celebrated. I am with a few Swedish friends here in Miami. Anyway I wanted to write AS I am drinking on Naltrexone. I have had two glasses (on my second now) of wine and feel really “good” buzzed in other words. I am not in a rush to finish I feel like riding this wave of this feeling. HERE is where it is so different than before. Before I would gulp this down and go to the next and next and next and end up feeling out of it quick them bad. I will update you later to let you know how it ends. But as of now it is just a great feeling with no “I need more more more” feel. Just a good buzz I want to ride!
Ok Update—wrote back to my mother which I should not have—am drunk. Drank about a bottle of wine myself (others were drinking I am just counting mine) since my first post a few hours ago. I am DRUNK—tried to have another glass and got close to puking. Do want to in a purely normal “that is how I drink” feel but I feel sick if I try and drink. I kind of want to go sleep it off somewhere.
Minutes later–tried again to take a sip—thought maybe it is the type but no, I am burping so as not to puke if anyone follows. I am done for the night at about 4 glasses of wine. Cannot think of another or I will be sick. Was drunk am now coming down but not “out of it” as usual.
This is the official Naltrexone experience for me and is exactly, barring writing about it, what I have experienced only before I did the 4th + and ended up puking. I am stopping drinking now, may resume a drink later if I feel like it but not likely, cannot imagine I would feel like it. There is the Naltrexone experience for me!
Next morning—Ok Jen this was especially for you a Naltrexone drinking experience diary. I did not sleep well, but had stopped at the 4 large glasses and could not go on. This was rather early in the night. I had guests who continued drinking and I actually was so sleepy and sipping water and coming down and then at midnight had to go to bed. I slept a bit but restleslly which most people do when they drink. I used to drink so much I was out cold. I woke up with NO hangover whatsoever and am writing this before 8am as I have walked my dogs. I was very coherent very early my drunk lasted me the night so I never felt like I was missing out, I remained buzzed and a bit “happy” but was crashing a bit which happens when normal people stop drinking. I do not have a desire in the world for more alcohol now and I am shocked how normal this pill let’s me drink. BTW—to qualify I said about a bottle because 4 glasses are my “big” wine glasses so I assume it was about a full bottle I was able to drink over the course of several hours. I would usually have gulped down 4 glasses before my guests came and been sloshed and continued to get worse and incoherent and likely have decided to do stupid things.
The level of control I get with Naltrexone is frankly what I was looking for with Kudzu but never got. I have mixed the two and can tell you that this was the time I massively puked up after just a few glasses so I think it does augment the effect of Naltrexone. But to have a party, be able to clean up that night, not drink so much my guests are left with a sloshed host and wake up sober and walk my dogs is an amazing feeling. Even the fact I was sipping waters while others were doing shots of schnapps and my stomach was turning just thinking of what they were drinking is amazing to me. I am someone who would take a glass of wine and 9 days later be shaky, have not walked my dogs who would have missed their pads and gone all over the house, have had spent a ton on delivery of wine and would be mortified over things I said, people I called and emails and texts I wrote etc.
I am not saying that I do not act stupid—I wrote a letter back to my mother who knows I have had a drinking problem and admitted I was drinking in the letter but I read it and it was not all bad nothing untruthful, if anything instead of full of lies or overly angry it was actually a nice email. I seem to become a happier drunk when I get drunk now. I also do not miss the buzz or the drunk, both come to me and remain with me for hours. That is why I only needed 4 glasses over the course of the night as I would ride it rather than have the old surge of more will make it even better type of feeling. I am truly excited that I can now live a more normal life and I can go on a date for example and share a bottle of wine without urging on a second or third bottle and after dinner drinks etc. In other words, I can act like a lady not an alcoholic.
I HIGHLY recommend anyone who has alcoholic type drinking and wants to moderate get themselves Naltrexone. There is no reason people should be suffering it angers me the medical community does not automatically give all those actively drinking Naltrexone and contrary to the information at the beginning of this site–I would rather be a bit nauseous or have a bit of a headache and drink normal than have to abstain or drink like there is no tomorrow and regret everything. The truth is I have not yet felt any side effects really but my body is “reset” to that of a normal drinker now when I do drink. In other words, I stand 5ft2 in UK/USA measures and am thin and should get sick when I drink too much, I never did. Now I do! I have a limit.
Hopeless, thank you so much for the diary as you were drinking, and the wonderful explanation of it all. Thanks! I am soooo damn thrilled of the hope that is there. I do hope so much that they work for me like they work for you. ( either topa or naltrex) im quite down right now as lately i havent been trying much to help my alcohol problem as im waiting for my topamax to come in the mail really believing it will work. i should NOT be feeling like this, but as you know, you get to a point where your just not wantijng to care or try and fight the alcohol problem. im just done. in the past i also watched what i ate and tried to eat healthy, however now im just eating whatever and not caring about gaining a few pounds-im just that low really. im quite sad over what happened on christmas. whenever i have weekends or holidays, the drinking just gets out of control. everynight, sometimes just a bottle of wine but sometimes more. christimas i went with my bf, m y father and sisters to my cousins house. my dads sister and her husband and son. i had already drank three glasses of wine before we left, at our house with our other relativies. so was buzzed already. went to my dads sisters-her and her husband drink wine everynight all night. thats the drinking problem side of the family. she went to aa for six months but is now back to drinking for a few years now. so we drank. and talked, and lauphed, as their fun. my uncle was trying to get everyone to take shots. my dad looked at me and gave me this nasty look NO. no colleen. in a stern nasty voice. i insisted and took it quick. then the night faded and i dont remember the end. woke up with my bf in their guest room which i insisted we should stay in from the beginning. found out i had my usual bobbly head, closing eyes. dad said to control myself with drinking, meanly as usual. i then cried, i was emotional. this is what my bf told me. my dad gave him the “take her upstairs fingers” so my bf took me up to bed and i didnt fight it bc i was so drunk. So, there goes my embarassing story. my bf said they talked about why was she crying and upset? andmy aunt said, “she was mad bc of what ;her dad was saying” my dad is just nasty to me in general. and when it comes to drinking, hes nasty. he thinks its willpower, even though its all on his side of the family and he says i remind him of his mom who died being drunkf alling down the stairs. she was an angry drunk, and as ive been told, i at times am an angry drunk. basically ill become a bitch if you get me started or give me an attitude, as he did. i always tell him if ur gonna talk to me about slowintg down or stopping, to pull me aside and say it, not in front of everyone lik eim a baby. i guess thats the difference between you guys, ist hat i still live with my parents and feel like a teenager sometimes. so the drinking has been everyday and im depressed right now. my bf’s here and i feel very clingly towrdsa him, hes sleeping right now though as its the morning here. so hopless, i CANNOT wait to get the topa. if that doesnt work, the naltrex. i understand now since you explained the feeling and what you feel like. i completely underswtand and just wish and pray its gonna work for me like it works for you. im done with even caring about the “happy” buzz i used to want. i dont even feel it anymore, and alcohol has just been ruining me and my life. there is not happy buzz really when you drink as mujch as i have been.
where is kat? and denise?
oh just something stupid and funny i have to write about what i did. as i started closing my eyes while we were all drinking my dad took the wine glass away from me on the table. i opened my eyes and YANKED it back. then starting close my eyes again, not even drinking it.
i sux because i feel very awkward now wtih my dad. i hate , just cant stand the feeling of what he thinks about me . why do i care so much?
another pretty interesting story about my aunt and uncle. after my dad left and i was already in bed, they rolled out the joints and my bf and them smoked themselves silly-already being drunk. my unlcle the next day didnt remember they watched tv either. so i dont care what they think, plus my aunt understands my problem. i care what my dad thinks. =(
i almost want to tell him about the topa coming, etc. but i didnt want him to think i was struggling with alcohol. and what if it doesnt work? so. i guess ill wait until he sees me doing well for awhile and then MAYBe tell him.
Hey Guys – wanted to touch base with you all after all this time, no time now to read up on all the posts but I will. I have been having a bad time – family stuff primarily. But want you all to know I think about you all often as I think of you as friends – and with friends you can pick up where you left off, no matter how long it has been – can’t you??
hey katie, i see, it did make it! maybe he was trying to be nice. so how is life going? hows the drinking? i just got my topa today cant wait to start and see a difference I HOPE
Katie – Some of your posts have been moderated out if they contain expletives (we don’t have time to individually edit offensive words from all posts), if a webpage contains expletives then Google bans it from search listings, and obviously we don’t want that to happen. So in future please keep it clean, no swearing, if you want your posts to appear. I do apologise if our necessary moderation upset you in anyway.
And as you have discovered, it is inadvisable to post your email address on a public forum, this applies to anyone.
Hi kat,
I don’t understand why you’re SHOUTING. In an earlier post you mentioned something about yr posts being deleted and invited ppl to email you. After trying, unsuccessfully, several times to register with the forums on this website, I thought I’d give try posting on this thread. – which also gave me grief. So I sent you an email, as you asked ppl to do. I suspected you were maybe ‘freaking out’ and could maybe use some support. I didn’t mean to alarm you in any way.
FWIW, paranoia is a well-documented side-effect of various alcohol/drug combinations.
Anyway, I hope this public message makes it this time.
My interest, primarily, lies in the pharmacological investigation into controlling alcohol in the brain as being ‘championed’ by Formerly Hopeless. I have a lot of knowledge about how the brain operates at molecular level and i.m.o. we’re all ‘just electro-chemical reactions in our brains’.
However, as I mentioned, I have read all of this thread and I am dealing with giving up the sauce myself – so I do fully understand what we’re all dealing with here.
Everyone, one aspect of posting an email address on any public forum is that, it will be picked up by, so-called, web ‘crawlers and ‘spiders’. These are web ‘bots’ that trawl the net continuousy for email addresses and then compile lists and market the lists to the spam merchants. If you *must* post an email address always use formats like “soandso at anynet.com” i.e. always remove the “@” sign. It is best not to post yr email address publicly at all, though.
When my posts work (or better yet – if can register for the forums), I will likely become a regular contributor.
Best,
gef
To All-
I use an alternate email few people know and do not put my surname down. This seems to work. I use it for many uses when I do not want my email “crawled”.
Kat–anger is a common theme. It is about loss of power and loneliness I think. We turn that into anger. I have not written as I was no angel. The Naltrexone is amazing BUT it is the compliance that is key. I seem to have a tendency to say—”It is working, I can take a drink without it”. I do not know why but I do not like getting sick when I drink and I do every time on the Naltrexone so it seems. So I have some blurry days and have done some dumb things again. I was not really ready to share as I think this was one of my worst in terms of the dumb things.
I am interested to know if like me, anyone wakes up and wants a drink? My problem has been a lack of a life—and I do not just mean friends. I just closed down. I have not really worked for about a year. Just some projects. I have been living on savings and as such rarely socialise. What always kept me in check was having to work or go out to see friends. I could “drink” on designated nights and while it was a problem it never came to the point I just “could” or would not stop. It has been bad because I have enabled it to get worse. I am not sure how other people manage—it is hard for me because it is very easy to get alcohol delivered here, plus when you can stay in days at a time (my dogs have pads they inevitable miss after a while, they also use my bed, which out of guilt I let them sleep in, to urinate on, then I have that awful shaking and sweating and dry heaves and have to clean up. Today is about a few things for me, one of which is clean up what I said and did.
I have come to a point I want to look into the shot as I think my own “woll-power” lacks. It is too easy to “take a night off” and a few days later feel like hell.
I had a friend a long time ago, and she was the same as me. In fact we lived together—disaster. We would get on the phone (no email then) and say crazy things then after due to guilt have to try and do damage control. There is something innately pathological about “alcoholic” drinking. I do not take polls but wonder how many of us make total fools telling stories then realising we have to clean them up? For me the guilt makes me feel worse. I can deal with feeling bad physically but sometimes the stories told are so out of control I feel like I want to die sooner than deal with them.
I knew from all I read compliance was an issue but was convinced I would comply. I did not like the out of control feeling many people like, but I did not realise the sick feeling would be as “quick” so as to shorten my night. One day I think I am doing fine, then I make the decision “it’s ok to take a night off”. For me it lasts for about 72 hours. Then it is downhill. It slowly wears off effect and I can find 72 hours more went and I try and piece together what happened. Look at outboxes etc.
Jen I do not live with my parents—but I have a very poor relationship to them. Many times they literally get me so mad drinking is the only way I can cope. As they went through so much with me it is mainly hidden from them (I was in rehabs from my teen years).
I get so worried about the effects my behaviour has on every apect of my life. The Naltrexone works but you have to comply. HAVE TO! In all the things I have read I seem far from alone. It seems many people do not get as “drunk” so choose to go off. Others seem to do as I do and think they are pretty ok so if New Year’s or something is coming up they can do “a Naltrexone break”…unfortunately with my kind of drinking that does not work.
I seriously believe that we need to start a support group based on almost a “buddy” system—no Higher Powers and judging. If someone comes drunk they need to come drunk and not be judged. AA’s biggest failure, aside for the cult atmosphere, is that you are a “great person” sober and when you first come the pity is there—but relapse and you get the “you were not working your steps” and all the judging. At 5% success I hardly think that is appropriate. It is certainly NOT medical. When I found this site I was happy to see people drinking and sharing. NOT because I wish anyone needs to drink, but because the dynamic was a lot beter than AA.
AA works for those who have a strong faith and also those who can “follow”. I have always needed to question everything.
As always, I did want to share the good, bad and ugly. Naltrexone is a charm—but just as Sinclair warned, unfortunately compliance is a problem.
Katie—how are you doing? Is your drinking now daily? Have you managed any cut down? Jen—I have thought of taking again to my family as my behaviour has been so “sporadic”. I just do not want to be forced into a rehab or AA.
As far as the guilt—my father will GULP three or four glasses but has his eye on me like a hawk when/if we drink. I try and do control it around them. Though I admit I have snuck more after we were done. They are completely at the root of many of my problems—and I do not know how to control it and feel helpless around them.
Sorry so long all. Worried how are you doing other than family issues? Another common thread we all seem to share!
I would just like to wish everyone on this thread…
**** A Peaceful and Successful 2009 ****
And I’d also like to thank all of you, from the bottom of my heart, for being brave enough to share some of your ‘moments’ with those ‘seekers’ who find/visit this thread.
Success!
gef
hey guys, i started my topa three days ago and im ecstatic at how its helping with the alcohol! Hopeless the way you described naltrexone hitting you, and enjoying or riding out the glass and not needing to more more and more alcohol is how i seem to feel so far. unfortunately i have this alcoholic bf. i started this on the weekend , which i spend with him, and it was almost perfect -we just went out to dinner, and i had just two beerst t. we then came home, and stopped at the liquor store on the way home as usual. njormally id open the bottle of wine i picked up and drink the whole thing. this time i was contmplating even having any, and just knew that if i did, i wouldnt have drank the whole thing. maybe a glass or two. however, his friend convinced us to go out to the city for his bday, which i didnt want to, but we did, at ten pm,knowing it would be a four in the morning night out with these guys. however, i did great. i drank slower, just naturally. so strange. cant even explain it. didnt even think about it. just felt like u said hopeless, ur enjoying it more riding the drink out instead of rushing to get drunk ER. you see i barely get the “high” anymore from drinking, and i also seem to feel as if ithe topa doesnt really take away the good feeling , it just seems to take away the want to get HIGHER feeling.. weird… i mean it may take away from the feeling a BIT, but like i said i barely got a good feeling anymore anyway since i ve been drinking so much. Ill post what i posted on my way out message boards so i dont have to re write:
except for the side effects which im hoping will go away.( slight depression, very irratable, agitated, things bothering and annoying me easily, no appetite) let me re phrase that, praying and WISHING they go away because the topa is working already and it is AMAZING. i am on 25 mg and didnt expect it to work yet. and it probably will work even more if i increase my dose but for now im gonna stay here unless i feel i need more.when i drink i feel after im done with the glass that i have the choice to have the next one. because i know i should not, i dont, and its not a struggle. so far its how its been. i was able to continue after two, could have but didnt. i was also ecstatic to realize that when i drink i still felt somewhat good and happy. i was afraid the topa was goignj to completely take away the “good” feeling or buzz. but it doesnt.. what it seems to do for me, is to “even” out the buzz. instead of the good feeling at first, and then absolutely needing more and more and more quick, i seem to enjoy the good feeling and just ride it out.it could be because im on a very low dose that im still enjoying the drink and experiencing the good feeling that way. ——————————————————————————– bf here write later
im gonna write short now but more tom since not home.. hopeless i have woken up wanting a drink mainly when i took painkillers where id still feel high. otherwise, no, the reason being drinking just doesnt give me that high after being drunk for awhile. but if i ever did drink in the am, i always had to be a bit drunk from the previous night , yes. and yes you having no job is def a reason u tended to do that at times-nothin to do but sit home!
so the whole naltrex works as we all know, but taking it on those nights your gonna drink leaves the choice.. i would make the choice to NOT take it soo many times. it just wouldnt work for me unless i was taking it daily. i dont have the willpower to make sure i took it every time, nor do i think anyone does. you have more willpower than i do for sure. so you didnt take it once or twice? what happened? dont be down on urself, as u know. im thrilled of the topa , IF the side effects go away. i surely will give it months. i have such a relief off my back to feel normal when drinking. again, its early, but never could i go out have two beers and stop without really fighting myself. geff i m sorry what happened with u and katie, im sure u were just trying to help. katie i hope ur ok. lets all get along here please!
hi everyone
its been a while since i been on here.
when i wrote my lasst post i was doin preety well.. little did i know . i like ti share with you what i been through as a warning . akj yourelfe why you drink. i it to block everything else out or it makes us happy or the tate? why have we got a problem with booze? why are we hooked? we all got our diff reaons.i started drinking because it was easier then acctually dealing with my problems.drink becae my friend.. let e forget just for a few hours. let me forget how i really felt .made me cope. little did i know.
on december 13th i had one of my binge drinking eve.oh ye it was great… getting pissed at home. we all know when you are drunk that you either happy,pass out or you get really upset. i got really upset and started thinking about all the stuff i put up with. i got so upset that i did not wanted to wake up another day didnt want to cope anymore. i searched the whole house for every medication i could find and took an overdose. my friend saved me and i spend 24 hrs in hospital. i dont remember to much of the night but i will never forget the daysafter. the hurt, the pain .. the pure hell i felt. finally i had to deal with the problem of why i drink and still do. out of fear to put anything in my mouth and swallowi did not eat for a week and lived on coffee and fags.
itss been 3 1/2 weeks now and i didnt had one drink. why? cause it frightens the life out of me. booze done something terrible to me . I FORGOT TO LOOK AFTER NO 1.. ME you can look nice . go to work.. do your hair and make up… that dont mean you acctually looking after yourselfe.
i will not ever drink again .. i dont miss it. if i fancy a drink i drink alcohol free beer and have more fun then before.
please everyone ask yourselfe why you drink… get to the bottom of it
it almost was to late for me …..
best wishes and good luck to everyone of you. xx