Sinclair Method for Drinking?

I was introduced to the Sinclair Method about a year ago. With the problems associated with alcohol abuse post-WLS I was very interested in finding something that would make it less likely for me to go back to my old habit of heavy drinking. I can remember the first time I thought that I might have developed an alcohol dependency problem, the thought of not drinking was scary. I had some correspondence with Dr. Roy Eskapa, PhD (Dr. Sinclair's protege) about using Nalthma prophylactically, and he endorsed the idea.

What Dr. Sinclair found was many heavy drinkers can't quit because alcohol stimulates the same receptors in the brain which are activated by opiates. That's where the addiction problem begins and cascades out of control.

So I ordered Naltima from a company in India (my doctor just would not work with me on this project). I take 50mg an hour before I drink alcohol. My results have been interesting. I don't drink the way I used to. I'm satisfied with a glass of wine. It's no longer a desire to have more.

But what I found most satisfying was I did a program where I could not drink for two months...and I was actually excited about it.

What I'm suggesting is there is an alternative to a strict "abstinence" only method for those who feel their drinking is getting out of control. I am NOT trying to talk anyone out of leaving AA, or encouraging those who don't drink to start hitting the bottle. What I am suggesting is that for anyone who feels out of control and has continuous cravings for alcohol, they might want to look into this.

And if anyone else has used this, I'd be interested in hearing your story.

Is this the drug that blocks the receptors? So you can drink, feel the buz, but your brain isn't rewarded like it would be normally?

Yes, exactly

Is this similar to the research done using Narcan/Naloxone to alleviate Alcohol Dependance Syndrome? I have three very close relatives/friends who have been EXTREMELY successful in these programs. For them, 12-step programs were not ideal and did not work for them.

I would love to read your research links.

Here are some of the notes from my correspondence

Now here is my question, has anyone looked into using Nax before they develop an alcohol problem? For instance, if someone has had WL****'s their goal weight and then wants to drink, can they take it as they start to keep the gaba receptors from beginning the cycle of dependence? The Indian Department of Health seems to be close recommending as a prophylactic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2899995/. I don't know if anyone has studied this, or if you have.

HAS NO EFFECT WE KNOW OF ON GABA BUT BLOCKS THE OPIOID SYSTEM. (WE RAN A SMALL TRIAL IN INDIA -- AMONG RURAL POOR -- WHEN THE MEDICATION RAN OUT OF FUNDS THOSE WHO SAMPLED ALCOHOL SOON RETURNED THE HEAVY DANGEROUS DRINKING

SINCLAIR PROVED IN THE LAB ANIMALS THAT EVEN IF THEY CARRIED THE GENETIC PREDISPOSITION FOR ALCOHOL IF THEY WERE GIVEN NALOXONE OR NALMEFENE OR NALTREXONE THEY COULD NOT LEARN THE DRINKING RESPONSE ...

SO HIS BIG THING BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY WE DISCUSSED IN HIS CABIN IN MARCH 2015 THAT EVENTUALLY FOLKS WOULD BE ABLE TO TEST IF THE GENES FOR MUTATION ON MU OPIOID RECEPTORS COULD BE RELIABLY TESTED THEN PARENTS COULD WARN CHILDREN ABOUT DRINKING AND YES IF THEY DID DRINK THEY SHOULD TAKE THE MEDICATION 1 HOUR BEFORE. IF THERE IS NO TEST YET CONFIRMED AS VALID AND RELIABLE THEN IF THERE IS A BLOOD RELATIVE WITH AN ADDICTION MEDIATED THROUGH THE OPIOID SYSTEM THEN IT IS WISE TO USE THE MEDICATION AS OUTLINED IN THE BOOK THE CURE FOR ALCOHOLISM - ATTACHED.

SEE ALSO http://www.cthreefoundation.org/

AND cLAUDIA'S RECENT TESTIMONY BEFORE THE US SENATE HERE http://www.cthreefoundation.org/senatebriefingspeech.html

The moodswing for a woman of 26 years with Gastric-Bypass was caused by a drop of the blood-sugar-level, they call it hypoglycemia. She sometimes get those low level and the she becomes irritated, faint in the head, and starts sweating. After taking Naltrexone she gets the same moodswing, but no sweating. Now she takes the Naltrexone with quick sugar of grapes and ... tadaa : OK !
Naltrexone and Hypoglycemia are connected :
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281644521_Naltrexon e_for_treatment_of_impaired_awareness_of_hypoglycemia_in_typ e_1_diabetes_A_randomized_clinical_trial
https://www.google.be/search?q=naltrexone+blood+sugar&ie=&oe =#q=naltrexone%20hypoglycemia

Naltima is generic naltrexone, which any doctor can prescribe. This is also half of the drug Contrave, which many of you may have taken pre-op.

I'd strongly encourage anyone who needs to battle substance abuse to do so with a qualified mental health professional. I also think that, while the receptors are blocked, transfer addictions develop very easily, especially in individuals who are alcoholic. I would be very cautious in engaging in such treatment.

The reason we become addicts has to do with the addictive substances, sure, but it's also highly behavioral. I'd argue that the naltrexone could be what we call in research and medicine a confounding variable. Many things could have changed the way you drink.

Serious alcoholics can't just take naltrexone, though, without any other support or medical intervention. I've seen people seize up after taking it because they did not want to drink. If someone is alcoholic, they truly need more help than that.

And if someone feels continuous cravings for any substance, they need counseling. Almost always we crave substances, not just because they are addictive, but because it replaces a need we aren't getting elsewhere. Some people are able to explore what this need is on their own, and others of us need to seek therapy. Whatever the reason, anyone who feels they have a drinking issue needs a professional assessment.

Do NOT take a drug without consulting a doctor, though. It can interact with other medications. If you have any liver issues especially, speak to your doctor first!

Thank you Donna for posting and sharing this.

Donna,

Your points are well taken. Esp. about the danger to the liver.

My biggest concern about the involvement of the medical community is the ancillary fallout. In the US it can hurt professional licensing and the ability to exersise 2nd Amendment rights etc. when one gets treatment. (One of these days people will start treating addiction issues as a medical issue and not criminal or moral failing).

What do you mean by the term: "a confounding variable"

I should point out that Naltima and Naltrexone are not like Antabuse (the drug that makes you sick when you drink alcohol). The Sinclair method requires you to drink when you are recovering. But with the pleasure receptor blocked, you don't get the rewards, which leads to gradual drinking cessation. Strangely, most US providers want to give it to people and not have them drink, which is not how the idea was proven to work in the Finnish studies. If you took Naltrexone and didn't drink, you would be taking away pleasures from sex or exercise and doing nothing about the alcohol issues. As I said, it is counter-intuitive, but so is dogs salivating just because they hear a bell ringing aka Pavlov.

I don't have a problem with people drinking while recovering using particular methods. It's been my experience with addictions, though, that it doesn't work for everyone. For some, abstinence is mandatory, much like with food addiction. For others, the Sinclair method works well. Eating disorder recovery is the same way. Typically with eating disorders, you are encouraged to eat all foods in moderation. The problem, is that some people's wiring just can't handle even that, sadly. Just like alcohol treatment, ED treatment fails a lot of people, if they are not the type who can benefit from it.

Addiction is complicated - it's part neurological and part behavioral. Both sides have to be addressed. My preference is to have a wide variety of treatment modalities, and to match individuals to them. I really hate cookie cutter treatment of clients. It sucks for us as counselors, and it sucks for the clients, too.