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Anti craving/addiction drugs

C

CocoaBandit

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 24, 2015
Messages
16
Hey guys,

So I had a meeting with a therapist today and she's recommended I try some anti craving drugs, I know nothing about these! Can anyone shed some light and/or share their experience using these? She mentioned something about them inhibiting dopamine...

Appreciate any insight :)
 
Just for alcohol, but apparently the pills I'll be taking work on opiates too. I don't know exactly what they are yet. I have to collect them next week.
 
Well antabus is the most used drug for alcohol relapse prevention. As a Finnish ski jumping olympic medalist and multiple times world champion Matti Nykänen said "I don't recommend Antabus for anyone. While taking booze with it you start feeling horrible."

Well that guy has also said "Every change is a possibility.", "There is fifty-sixty possibility how it happens." And "Maybe I took, Maybe I didn't. So not, as long as jumping goes well." so I guess he didn't pretty much understood that Antabus is taken to prevent relapse instead of enhancing the high from alcohol...

I have also heard that Abilify (aripiprazole) is being tested for maintaining sobrierity and some doctors prescribe it off-label for that.
 
Back in the day when I was in rehab they were just starting to use naltrexone for alcoholism. Things like Antabuse as above are more commonly used these days. From what I've heard through people's experinces is that these kind or drugs work very well for a certain % of the population but not at all for others and you really have to try it to know.

Have you thought about AA/NA meetings or do them already?
 
I think it's likely to be naltrexone I'm giving comparing the different drugs and what I've been told. I'll find out for sure next week.

I was against the whole idea of going to group sessions, but my therapist has said she wants me to at least try them out. So I'm going to one after my appointment next week. It's not AA but something similar. I didn't want to get involved with the religious side of things
 
Lucky for you to have something else than AA available. I don't either like religious parts of AA/NA and I there wasn't anything else than those in my area before I started month ago a group in which we can share our experiences face to face. I have been trying to get something more than temporary meeting place for us but we have had to meet in a library, local cafe and similar places.

We are still evolving pur methods but I try to get a nurse, psychiatrist, nutritionist or someone else professional to kickstart our meeting and after that we discuss more or less around the topic.

It is shame that AA/NA sees us as competitors and tries to stop our meetings by for example falsely accusating us for things that had never happened. For example one NA sponsor said to librarian that one of our visitor had been using drugs in the toilet.
 
Oh wow! Such a shame you don't have any other options. Sounds like you have started to develop something really good, I can't believe AA are reacting like this. You would think they would support any kind of positive steps towards abstinence! Good luck with the group. You're doing great work.
 
Thank you.

I guess the main problem is money. AA/NA in our country gets money from counties depending how many participants they have in their groups and they think everyone in our group would otherwise be in AA/NA.
 
Have you had an experience with them [MENTION=117635]Captain.Heroin[/MENTION]? I'm not sure how I feel about using them
 
I've tried campral, Antabuse, naltrexone, and ultimately Vivitrol. While I was the drinking campral didn't do anything for me. While on anstabuse, I continued to drink. It actually almost killed me. I had to be brought back. Antabuse stop alcohol from being metabolized halfway through the process, so the alcohol I drank (about 12 beers quickly) changed to acetlyaldehyde and couldn't be broken down any further. I almost died. It was touch and go at the hospital. I have no memory of it.

I naltrexone worked well for me but I found it was too easy to cheat and not take the pill and then drink a few days later, so I stayed in a binge drinking cycle. I decided to try Vivitrol, and that worked. Vivitrol is a long lasting naltrexone shot - it stays in your system for a month so you can really cheat.

I went to rehab for 21 days and then got Vivitrol on my last day in treatment. I stayed on the shot for 8 months. I'm two years sober and I didn't and continue to not get cravings. Vivitrol works for both alcohol and opiates.

Feel free to hit me up with questions. Good luck!
 
Antabuse is the work of the devil. I would also go along with captain on the meetings. Personally I am like mrroot. I cannot buy into the whole higher power is the only thing that can stop me from actively using. I haven't been to one in a while, but there is something about hearing other alcoholic/addict's stories, and having a forum where you can tell your own makes recovery easier for me. I don't like how it is extremely cult like with the older members, but I have met some really good people in the rooms that have helped me.
 
My doctor prescribed me naltrexone for my alcohol cravings. I tried it but due to having compromised liver function from hep c and cirrhosis, it made me vomit and feel very sickly. It may work for you though. I would have tried meetings, but there aren't many in the area where I live. But I was able to quit because I was so scared I was going to die. This forum has been a God send for me. Stay in touch with us because so many here are going through the exact same thing. Don't give up, we are here for you! <3
 
Hey guys,

Thanks so much for your replies. It really means a lot to have people who understand around.

Wow [MENTION=180594]x_benzo_girl[/MENTION] it sounds like you've had quite a rough experiences with meds, but you're doing so well! Congratulations :)
[MENTION=289844]manboychef[/MENTION] @T.Calderone I am also going to be going to group sessions, and luckily for me they are not at all based on religion or spirituality. I really want to try and do this without the medication, so might see how I go for a month or two and have them as a last resort.
 
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