MeToo on Campral

[MeToo]

hi everyone, i decided(with encouragement from another warrior) to start a thread on my experiences with campral from day one. some of you know how i toyed with it for quite some time but the thought of taking a prescription drug to help me stop drinking frightened me on a few levels. one, i hate medicine. i have an unhealthy paranoia about drugs and interactions. two, i couldn't believe that i could not stop this addiction with willpower or discipline alone. the thought that i would have to resort to a prescription drug made me feel like a weak failure. however, after three years on this site, with only one 4 month quit under my belt and a few months here, weeks there, i decided it was time to do something. after my four month quit, i was able to keep the drinking at a minimum. by that i mean, i prided myself on the fact i might only drink once or twice a week versus pre-quit when i drank 5 time a week. i also kept a journal, recording every time i drank. what i realized was that i was fooling myself because even though i wasn't drinking daily or sometimes even weekly, when i did drink, i always got drunk. i was a classic binger. i kept saying to myself that i would start the campral(i was given a starter kit by my doc) on a certain day but would sabotage it by drinking right before i was supposed to start. so, with the help and encouragement of a fellow warrior, i started my real quit last thursday and decided that there was no room for failure this time. i had researched campral, talked to people who i knew had taken it(warriors and 3D) and bit the bullet and decided to start on monday. but i didn't. i didn't drink but i just couldn't do it. it seemed too final and after all, it is medicine. a friend who had taken it for almost two years stopped by and said, "just do it. it isn't going to kill you'. so tuesday i started it. and this is to those who are thinking of starting it. i wanted to record my progress and how the little white pill is effecting me. so far so good. the side effects that i am experiencing are few. i am really, really tired at night. i can get through the day just fine but by 7, i feel like i have been hit with a steamroller. i have had one period of upset tummy. as soon as i ate something i was okay. today is day 3. the pamphlet says that it takes 5 days for the drug to kick in. they also recommend that you have a few days sober before starting it, i had 5. i think that helps get the process rolling faster but it isn't necessary. i haven't felt edgy or jumpy at all. i am very calm and feel really good. and i have no interest in alcohol. so there it is. i just know how difficult it was for me to bite the bullet and do this. we will smoke cigarettes knowing that they will kill us or drink until we are physically ill and mentally spent but the idea of the unknown, in the form of a pill, is scary business. it is not like antibuse. you can actually drink while taking it, but to me, what's the point? once i started this it was serious business to me and the thought of drinking while taking a drug to help me stop drinking is just crazy. so, there you have it. i will keep you posted on my journey and if this helps anyone else who has been putting off starting campral, at least you know that i am right there with you. xxxxoo

[AnnieBodie]

Hey MeToo, what a wonderful idea to start a Campral diary, I'm sure it will help many people here, as I know many are hesitating about taking it and I know that many people feel ashamed for not being able to quit with just will power, and perhaps feel judged for not doing so...

I took Campral too, and I found it very helpful!! After doing quite a bit of I discovered that we all react differently to alcohol, it doesn't effect everyone in the same way, that some of us are more "addicted" than others, there is a relationship between brain chemestry and addiction, though I would't know how to go about explaining it, I let the scientests do that. There is also what is going on in our lives that helps or hinders a quit.

So at the end of the day, Campral or any medication is another tool, we have a wide variety of tools at our disposal and we deserve to use them.

You should start to feel better soon, less than a week if I remember correctly, and it's certainly nothing compared to a hangover.

Looking forward to reading your updates:)

annie

[MeToo]

day 4. no side effects at all. the tiredness has subsided and i feel really energetic.

[MeToo]

day 7 of campral day 12 of no hooch. i really think the campral has already set in and started its pretty work. there doesn't seem to be any a.v. of course, it is still early on but after all my quits, this one seems different. i just don't have that edgy feel-the-need-to-hide-from-social-engagement-and-friends- kind of feeling. i don't feel the need to 'hole up' as i used to call it. i am very calm and i don't have that constant drinking thought or in the case of a quit, no drinking thought. you know the one where you constantly run scenarios in your head as to telling people why your aren't drinking or what are you going to do if...or flashing forward 3 months and hoping that you still haven't had a drink. there isn't that obsessive feeling this time and that is really different for me. so thats my report for week one.

no side effects, no problems.

[Sam]

Excellent news.

I had no side effects from Campral and insurance did cover it. It is always curious to me to hear heavy drinkers say they just don't like to take medicine when I can not think of a more destructive drug (depressant) than alcohol. Taking a handful of prescription meds would be better for you than the drink.

[MeToo]

hey sam, glad you are having a good experience too. i think the logic is that its just the unfamiliar vs. the familiar. go figure. i am also noticing that i don't like the smell of alcohol at all.:) i started my second week of campral yesterday and am on day 14(?) of no hooch.

[Jackalope]

Hi, I took Naltrexone (which I think is similar :confused:) and had a really good experience with it. It didn't make me feel high or downed out or weird at all, but it did take away cravings for alcohol. That "the top of my head is going to blow off if I don't have a drink" feeling just went away, which was just what the doctor ordered -- and just what I needed at that time. :)

[MeToo]

the main thing for me is there is no a.v. which is good at the beginning of a quit. a lot different than previous quits. jack, how long were you on naltrex? its too soon to tell but i will just play that by ear.

[Sam]

I took Naltrexone too. Don't want to confuse you, but there is a new intensive study that essentially proves that the use of Naltrexone while drinking, essentially reprograms your brain to a preaddictive state. Google the book and make your own decision. It is interesting. I could not follow the program as I am prone to pancreatitis and Naltrexone negates pain meds. Otherwise, my additction psychiatrist was all for the experiment.

Campral may have helped me. I took it close to a year. I considered it much like a vitamin supplement and to this day I can not say it it helped or not.

I will say, what ever helps, be it meds, counseling, AA, or anything else, give it a try, take what you need from it and live your live vs, getting through it.

My best,

Sam

[voetsod]

Hey Metoo! Campral really helped me big time (I dare say it may have saved my life). I took it for about 6-7 months. Was a bit hesitant coming off thinking I'd turn into a raging alcoholic but it didn't happen. I was a binge drinker like yourself (although my binges might of been more frequent and longer). Every time I drank I drank until passing out (I had to drink quite a bit of booze to have this happen too). I think Campral works better on the binge drinker then the everyday functional alcoholic (this is my opinion and based only on anecdotal evidence).

Anyway. You're through the hard part. Just keep it up and stay focused. The hardest part is remembering to take your pills (3x a day). I set my cell phone with an alarm mid day and evening time to remind myself.

[MeToo]

good reports from everyone. thank you so much. i wish this thread had been around a while back when i was unsure about taking it. maybe it will help others bite the bullet and just do it. lets see, today is day 15 of no hooch and day 10 of campral. voetsod, so true, trying to remember to take them is the hard part. i have accidently skipped an afternoon dosage, but it seems to be okay. i was with someone who was buying wine for a party and i was helping to pick it out. it may as well been apple juice. no nothin'. halleluiah.

[MeToo]

i went to two functions this weekend where alcohol was involved and it didn't even cross my mind to drink. that has to be the campral. friday night was a small party, which in the past, has always been more difficult because its more obvious when you aren't drinking and everyone else is and it wasn't an issue at all. last night was a party that i was helping to give. so i was a little stressed and tired from all the work and anticipation. wine everywhere but it just didn't phase me. it never once crossed my mind to have even a small glass. there wasn't even any a.v. at all. it really is amazing. during previous quits, there was always that struggle 'oh, just one, it will be fine'. that was always the hardest part, the battle with the a.v. which is so distracting. i remember thinking 'if anyone knew what was going on in my mind just over having a glass of wine, they would be appalled.' the constant battles in my head, and the negotiation, like, 'i will wait til we sit down for dinner, then i will have wine' kinda thing. thats why i am pretty certain that the campral is what is doing it for me this time. the easy way out? maybe but it is working for me.

[AnnieBodie]

I'm so happy for you:)

Annie

[bigsister987]

the easy way out? maybe but it is working for me.

Did you put that comment 'the easy way out?' to anticipate criticism of your quit method? I truly believe that 99.9% of people here will say if it is working then go for it. No one thinks you are taking an easy way. We took the easy way out by drinking until it stopped working for us.

It is astonishing that people resist medication prescribed by a medical professional but continue to take drugs and drink, or throw down any number of unproven alternative concoctions - myself included!:o

[MeToo]

hey sis, nope, didn't anticipate criticism for taking campral. i just know(from personal experience) that the thought process is to be able to quit on willpower alone and one shouldn't have to take any type of medication to help stop medicating oneself. smokers have chantix, nicorette gum and patches to help them quit if willpower or discipline is not enough so why not use something for alcohol dependancy? i know for myself, i kept putting off taking it for that reason. if i couldn't quit on my own, something was wrong with me. i had the campral for quite some time but kept playing games and bargaining with myself to avoid taking it and nothing worked. in fact, i would say that my intake increased as i knew that i was going to have to resort to campral at some point and i was just living large until i made the decision. similar to getting wasted the weekend before going to rehab i guess. i would have a hangover and move the package from the bathroom drawer to the bedside table. then i would feel better the next day and move it back to the bathroom. crazy, huh? my fear of medication and the unknown fell prey to that wiley a.v. and i would think, 'oh, you don't need it, lets try and not drink for a week'. which i would do, then boom. too many 'booms' later and i realized that i couldn't do it on my own. i viewed it as a last resort and i am here to say that it was a ridiculous thought process. its there and it works and it makes quitting so much kinder. i suppose for the reasons i mentioned, i started this thread hoping to let others, who may be on the fence for the same reasons that i had been, know that it is a great alternative to beating oneself up if willpower/discipline alone isn't doing the trick.

[AnnieBodie]

Hi MeToo,

I can identify with what you said about "should be able to quit by will power alone" when we can't, we feel like a failure, at least I did. Then, as you say, there's the whole "taking drugs" to quit, the fear of medication, and the fear of becoming addicted to them, and to top it off, as is my case, the realisation that very little is better because I quit drinking, that that's when the real work starts, the figuring out why I drank in the first place....

I can't help but feel envious, or even a little bit cheated, when I see people quit "just like that" and then live "happily ever after" (ok, I'm exaggerating, but I think you know what I mean)

But the thing I have learned is that we are all different, we all react differently to alcohol, it affects us in different ways, we are abusing or addicted in different ways and for different reasons - body chemistry, emotional and psychiatric reasons, current life situations and on and on...

So, at the end of the day, it's not HOW we quit, that's important, but that we DO. And as Ronnie says, that not only do we quit, but that we work on the issues that pushed us to alcohol in the first place, I believe this is paramount to the success of any quit, we have to get to the root of the WHY, otherwise we will eventually return to drinking.

I also found group support, in my case WQD, vital to the process. without the wonderful support and companionship of fellow warriors, I don't think I'd have stayed quit, yes, Campral was of great help, but it's not enough.

I want to thank you for starting this thread, it's a fantastic idea, I think it will take the fear and guilt out of taking medication to quit drinking because at the end of the day, it's just another tool, and we should any and all tools that we need.

Annie

[MeToo]

still doing great. no temptations(except for ben & jerry's). 3 weeks sober, 16 days on campral.

[Sam]

Excellent Me Too

Don't change anything that is working because your mind is "unlearning" the need to drink. I took Campral for a year and once I thought I didn't need it anymore, I just stopped taking it. No withdrawals, no problems. I regret I relapsed, and use it now again and feel very comfortable about that. One day, hopefully, a scientist will find the "cure" but this is a close second.

By the way, my doc says I can take 3 pills in am and 3 in afternoon (before 5). But do not change anything that is working for you.

My sincere congratulations. You are an inspiration.

P.S. Don't be too sure the the few who say they "just quit", didn't have some "help" as well. Talk is cheap.

Sam

[MeToo]

hey sam, i am doing great on 2/2/2. sometimes i only take 2 around 11:30 and 2 around 5:30-it seems to be fine on that dosage. why did you have to take them before 5? just curious. thanks for the encouragement.

[Sam]

5 was my witching hour. I never drank before five. So I took my dosage, acutally a little before 5 to ward off the AV time of day for me.

Best wishes

[Smurfette]

When I took it - I believe it was 2 x 2. How you doing?

[MeToo]

hey all, ronnie, good to know about the 'peak plasma hour' so no need to take it at 10:30 at night. i haven't taken it in the past few days as i have a flu bug and am taking medicine for that and don't like mixing the two, plus, i don't have any interest in drinking right now anyway, but i will start it again today as i am not going to take anymore meds, they don't seem to be doing anything but causing indigestion anyhow and i just need to ride this out. 2 and 2 is fine for me. i take two at 11 and the other two around 6. so far, so good.

[AnnieBodie]

Hi MeToo,

I believe the bedtime tablets are to help those who drink in the morning. As I have made babies forgetting to take pills:rolleyes:, I took 3 in the morning and 3 around bed time or in the evening when I thought of it, even though my trigger time was always 5 or 6 PM.

I'd strongly recommend that you take the prescribed dose and don't stop and start or at least talk to your doctor about it, the thing is that it works so well that we think we've got it beat and as we are all afraid of medication, we stop taking it, but we need to take it long enough for it to permanently; on the one hand to loose the habit of drinking and on the other for those neuro-receptors to be disactivated.

Perhaps the length of time we need to take it depends on the type of drinker we were, and how many years we abused for, I took it for about 10 months, I think, I farted about a bit in the beginning, stopping and starting, but once I started to take it regularly, I never looked back, then I weaned myself off it with no secondary effects, I even too it with anti-depressants with no secondary effects.

So you must be around 30 days now, right?

Annie

[MeToo]

hey annie, i am not planning to stop and start, i just got off track with all the cold/flu meds i was taking and sleeping a lot and i don't like to mix. i took my two mornings pills this a.m. and will take two more this afternoon. i plan on keeping it up for one year just to be safe. i think its an amazing thing to have access to because i have not had any thoughts of drinking and i have been around it. i know people can relate to this: i went to a cafe with my hub for lunch. they sell a lot of wine there and the walls are filled with bottles. i remember eating my salad, looking at those bottles and they could have been bottles of kool aide for all i cared. in my pre-campral days, i would have been over there perusing them, lovingly holding them and picking out which was to be my poison for the night. i have to attribute this to campral because i am only 1 month today, and i have done this month before, i know how it feels and how i reacted to it. this month has been without angst, incident, desire or even better:anger. i am not "angry' that i am not drinking with the girls and chastising myself by saying, "why can't i drink? everyone else is and they drink as much as i do'. that hasn't been even a glimmer of a thought in my mind. whatever works, and this seems to be doing the trick. so, don't worry, i just got a little sidelined by the flu, and still a little down and out but plan to continue my campral and my quit. here's to month two.

[Smurfette]

Congrats on ONE MONTH!!!!!

Way to go metoo!

I am so happy this is working for you. Hope you are feeling better from the flu. :(

[AnnieBodie]

Hey there,

You must be at around 6 weeks now, no? How are you getting on?

annie

[Starlite]

Hi MeToo,
I too am taking Campral. I am only on day 5 of taking it, but I am amazed at how well it is working. I take 2 pills, 3x a day. I set my cell phone alarm for 7:45am, 12:45pm and 5:45pm and it seems to be just right. I haven't had any side effects or noticed any other changes in my thinking, other than I just don't have any desire for alcohol! I'm glad this medication is working so well for you, as it is for me. Congratulations on your 30 days...keep up the good work!

[MeToo]

hey starlite, glad to hear it is working for you too. i am seven weeks this thursday. so far, all is well. i can't even tell i am on it. i have weaned to two pills 2 x a day and that works for me. 10 am and 5 pm.

[AnnieBodie]

I'm delighted! :)

Annie

[MeToo]

hi annie, yes, its a good thing. i get confused counting weeks, best stick to months so i will be 2 months on the 23rd, which is also somersets 2 year anniversary. fancy that! life is so much better without that hooch. i have to admit that sometimes i think 'wouldn't it be nice to have a glass or two of wine' but that is so fleeting. the upside is i don't have to plan things around the fact that i 'might' be hungover. i am so calm, no anxiety, nothing bothers me as i seem to work it out without drama, i am sleeping beautifully, i am finally on a schedule and am even taking my vitamins regularly. morning and night. going to the gym, although i don't have that need to go 6 times a week to burn off wine calories. i try to go 3-4 times a week. no great weight loss but i don't care. all the puffiness is gone. my clothes fit great and no, i am not skinny, but i am a 52 year old woman and i am past the days of no hips or boobs. i eat what i want to eat(which explains the no weight loss). so all is good. i highly recommend it to everyone. :D

[bigsister987]

Gosh that sounds great MeToo. Looking forward to your double celebration with SB.

[MeToo]

not as far along as my dear friend somerset, but what an inspiration to follow. i will do my best.

all is well here. miles to go obviously but i am happy and settled in this quit, and looking forward to many months more. do i miss my wine? every now and again i think 'wouldn't it be nice' but that is fleeting. when i have been in the presence of drinking, it hasn't bothered me too much. i have been able to walk it through one glass to one bottle to the next day and that helps a lot. i just had a weigh in and haven't lost any weight. i could probably cut back on sweets and carbs and will probably make that commitment after the holidays. i sleep great, feel in control, and am doing so much more now than before. so all in all, its been good. i have to credit campral, since this is a campral thread, for doing it's pretty work. i have quite a ways to go, but i think i am on the right path.

[AnnieBodie]

How wonderful and uplifting and encouraging to read this, MeToo.

So many people are afraid of taking medication, yet it does help, why are we afraid to use this tool?

Annie

[MeToo]

i thought i would post monthly to let everyone know how i am doing on the campral. since this is a campral thread. all is well here. 3 months today. yay!!! i have sailed through the holidays without issue. i am absolutely positive that the campral has been the difference this time vs. the last time i quit. there is a total lack of interest. i have been to a party(sometimes two a night) almost every night since december 11th and its just not a big deal not to drink. i have had a few incidences where people ask me about not drinking and i either blame it on the reflux(which is true) or i just brush it off. it hasn't been an issue because i don't care. in all honesty, there has been a time or two when everyone is drinking wine and a thought enters my mind, "wouldn't it be nice' but its almost nostalgic and not in the present. the thought may cross my mind but there is no angst or desire to act on it. remember old habits are hard to change as are old thoughts so i think that is natural. sometimes i feel left out, if that is the right emotion for it. i tend to not stay at the parties as long, which is so different from years past where my husband was always dragging me out as the last person to go as i wasn't going anywhere as long as there was still wine to drink. this year we go, stay a few hours and bid our host adieu and head home to the fire, the critters and my jammies. one night when the girls had gotten together, i left and they all stayed. i know i would have been right there with them, swilling wine once upon a time but i chose to go home. it was getting late and i wanted to be home. the next day, they were all hurting. i do not miss that at all. so with exception to a few moments of drinking nostalgia, which is to be expected given our social schedule and all of the drinking and festivities, i am doing a-okay. christmas has been great, or the hub bub before christmas so far. i am having fun with friends and cooking, baking, wrapping, decorating and listening to christmas music. i have some stress triggers called family coming up tomorrow night but it won't be an issue. out of 12 of us, only 2 drink. amazing isn't it? this sure beats last christmas when i stayed in a perpetual state of hangover and didn't even decorate the mantel. i started out weighing 140 3 months ago and just got on the scales, 134.5. the weight loss didn't hit til this month too. i am finding it hard to believe that i am actually losing weight over the holidays. i have had a hay day eating anything and everything i wanted to eat. i went to two parties sunday and ate at both and have still managed to lose. this happened the last time i quit, it took me til month 3 to show any significant loss. acid reflux is still an issue but the trigger was coffee this time, not alcohol. so i have quit that(dammit) and have kept it at bay. when i was drinking i was always in pain and my reflux takes on the symptoms of a heart attack, so you can imagine its much, much better. so, in a nutshell, all is fantastic. i would recommend not drinking to everyone and if you need a little help getting started, i highly endorse the campral. quite frankly, i don't know why more people aren't using it. i have about as much interest in drinking wine as i would were it a glass of rubbing alcohol. so, here is to another month sober, and moving into 2010 sober and likely finishing 2010 sober. you will find me tomorrow night at 7 pm, quietly howling at the little sliver of a moon. i will be sending hugs out to everyone and thoughts for a great christmas and a wonderful and sober new year. xxoxoxooo metoo

[Nico]

yay for you! keep it up! My first doc was positively stone age so this week I go to a psychiatrist who specializes in alternative addiction treatments. I am so ready to be numb to booze. Thanks for sharing!

[voetsod]

Great post MeToo. I agree with you completely and not sure why more people don't go on it (especially sine there really are so few side effects).

I'm glad you're doing well. Keep it up. ;)

[MeToo]

thanks folks. yes, it is a pretty amazing pill. no side effects and takes effect in about 5 days. so i don't know why people are rushing out to get it. it really has made all the difference with my quit this time. :)

[Jackalope]

That's great, MeToo! I took Naltrexone (which I think is similar) and I too found it to be really helpful.

Congrats on three months!!!

[Sam]

Campral absolutely helped me for a year. I have just started back with it.

Campral works to decrease cravings.

Naltrexone is completely different and diminishes your "reward center" of the brain. If you were to relapse, the drink would have little effect in achieving the "high". Remember, Naltrexone also negates the effectiveness of pain meds should you ever need that. For that reason, some people may prefer the daily oral dose vs. the monthly injection.

[MeToo]

i am moving this thread back up to the top. if anyone is having difficulty deciding whether they want to go this route or not, this will be a good resource for them to use. so anyone who has thoughts on any of the anti craving drugs, just put them here for us all to have access to.

[MeToo]

here is my monthly report. 4 months today. it is wonderful. my life is so easy and calm. i have started participating in volunteer work and am the chairman of a local agency that is very time consuming but fulfilling. i exercise regularly but not obsessively like i did when i was having to burn off those wine calories. i eat healthy and its not even a struggle. with exception to ice cream, all my old junk food cravings are gone. i have lost weight and the pants that i bought a year ago are hanging on me-not so much from the weight loss but the loss of bloat. i have a waistline!!! and a chin!!!! i just love it. i love the simplicity of my evenings and the 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. i wake up in the mornings feeling great and stay busy all day doing all kinds of things. i remember what i watched the night before. i leave parties at a respectable hour. i go to movies with my hub and don't start getting antsy if the movie runs during that old bewitching hour. i come home from events and don't pour more poison in a glass, sit on the porch, smoke and dial. i have quality time for me. i have stopped taking campral, although i know some said i should continue it for at least 6 months. i have plenty left and if i even feel myself heading in that direction, i will do so. i think the amount of time one takes it depends on the person. for me, 3 months was fine. i have it as a safety net although i cannot imagine going back. i used to keep a drinking journal and i was looking in it the other night for something and it was so sad to me. the self loathing, the bargaining and the failure. i don't have to bargain anymore. i have to give credit to the campral as i really think it set me on this path that i may not have been able to do solo. so, 4 months and smooth sailing.

[AnnieBodie]

How wonderful, MeToo, I'm so happy for you :) and a chin and a waistlin, now that is something to be happy about! :)

Congratulations on 4 months!!!!

Annie

[rcecowood]

CONGRATS ON 4 MONTHS!! thank you so much for talking to me about the campral, it works very well. 7 days and not 1 craving or urge to drink, thats new territory for me. happy sober saturday. rc

[Sam]

I have now been on Campral for about 4 weeks, no alcohol for 5.5 weeks. The Campral is definately helping. Per my Doctor, I take 3 in am and 3 when evening cravings usually start, around 4 pm.

It is helping tremendously. Everyone who wants to quit should add this to their sobriety tool kit, along with counseling, AA, etc.

It works, no question.

[MeToo]

congratulations sam. that is great news! i think it should be a part of everyones sobriety tool kit. i have heard nothing but accolades about it, and know first hand how effective it is.

i have to be at a meeting this morning at 8 am. its a voluntary thing, but i can assure you that had i still been drinking, i would either not be going or i would be there, tired, grouchy at being there and smelling like a distillery.

being sober is freedom to live your life. i cannot imagine living any other way.

[AnnieBodie]

Hi Guys,

MeToo thank you for your message, I'm so glad that Campral is working out for you :)

Congratulations to both of you.

Annie

[MeToo]

just wanted to bring this thread back up for someone who may be interested in campral. i will be back to post soon.:D

[no_mas]

Just noticed this thread. I'm going to have to read it through when I have more energy. Just pitching my 'me too' in. little over 6 months now sober. I was on it before hand to be honest, but I don't think I was all that faithful, plus I was already in the cycle of drinking. I plan on sticking with it at least a year or 2, it sure isn't hurting. I even have my calendar tell me when to take my lunchtime hit at here or at work, so I don't miss it. Glad it's working for you.

[MeToo]

yep, 5 months today:D this is my monthly update post. i can't believe its been 5 months! all in all things are really good. for the first time in my life, i am actually content with my weight. i wouldn't call me skinny, but some have:D i have zero interest in alcohol. the nostalgia a.v. hasn't reared its head in quite sometime. life is just easy and calm. i feel like i have a protective blanket wrapped around me and its called sobriety. i had a call last night from a friend in need at 10:30-i was able to talk her down. 6 months ago, i would have been either too drunk to make sense or passed out. a friend asked if i could be her designated driver for a party we were attending as she was celebrating an event and i thought how nice it is to be in that category where people call me to be responsible. i still go to parties and actually had to pour wine at one recently, and it just doesn't phase me. there is no longing to drink. its non existent. still going to the gym, although i am not as regular as i should be. i try to get in 4 workouts a week. if i get in 3, i am happy. i have pulled back from my girlfriends quite a bit. i didn't think not drinking would make a difference but it does. not that they care that i don't, or i care if they do, i just don't have the energy(and it has been cold) to go out at night to watch them drink and smoke(oh, and i quit that 3 weeks ago). so i have substituted my nights with the girls for quiet nights at home or social functions where drinking isn't the form of entertainment, just an aside. i really have broadened my interests so much and i look at my friends(who have said how envious they are of me) who do the same thing over and over while i am doing something productive and fun. my life is so full that i have to write everything on the wall calendar. but its a good busy. things that i have chosen to do because i no longer have to worry about hangovers. so thats it for this month. looking forward to number 6! for all of you out there struggling and thinking that there is no life outside of the bottle, i am here to tell you, life outside the bottle is one fantastic experience. you will find an energy that you haven't had in years but also a calmness that comes with feeling safe and secure. drinking sucks and i cannot believe that i wasted so many years doing it. when i think of the constant struggling, anxiety, condemnation and guilt that i experienced on a daily basis, i just don't even know how i could live like that. except for marrying my husband, quitting alcohol is the best thing that i have done for myself. in my entire life. now thats a solid endorsement.

[amanda]

Great post, MeToo and I'm so happy for you!:)

[AnnieBodie]

Yay, MeToo!!

Congratulations on 5 months!!!!

What a wonderful post!. I'm so happy that things are going so well for you and congratulations on "givin' up da fags" I quit them 2 months ago as well.

I just posted this in DOMD's diary, but I'm going to copy it in here, as it's relevant.

I quit drinking 21 months ago (in a few days) I used Acamprosate (brand name Campral), you and I briefly touched on this a while ago. From what I understand these two medications are not quite the same but my experience is very similar to yours.

I started taking Campral before coming to WQD and drank several times while taking it, like you, I noticed that :

1 - my desire to drink was lessened
2 - when I did drink, a) I wanted less and b) I got drunk on less
3 - whooping hangovers!
4 - when I finally quit, Campral helped considerably with cravings, my feeling was more that I was in need of something rather than in need of alcohol.

My big mistake was stopping talking the Campral (3 times 2 tablets per day) when I was drinking or when I was in a situation where I knew I would drink, as you and Sam have mentioned.

For a long time now, I have absolutely no desire to drink, in fact that would be my greatest nightmare, I don't feel I am missing out on anything and my social life is as active as before but I feel I am enjoying myself and the company much more, than when I was drinking.

Interestingly, I noticed the same thing when I quit smoking with Varenicline (brand name Chantix or Champix) minus the hangovers, but definitely less desire to smoke, and when I did smoke I often didn't finish the cigarette. Again cravings were considerably diminished once I'd quit.

I do think it's important to have some sort of support system as well though, be it WQD, RR, AA, therapy, whatever, I think the drugs are wonderful support on the physiological level, but for long-term, happy sobriety, we need to address the issues that either pushed us towards alcohol or resulted in our abusing it.

Annie

[voetsod]

I really enjoyed reading your last post MeToo. Thank you! :D

[MeToo]

thanks everyone. i hope it helps others.

[MeToo]

here we go.

having two threads is a little confusing.

[Sam]

My Update:

Now alcohol free for 78 days. I still take Campral 3 in am and 3 at about 3:30 or 4pm before the witching hour.

I do not have physical cravings at all. I am still working on the mental aspect of "missing out" on some fun. My "fun" has always turned into bad stuff so its just a game my AV plays with me. I intellectually know I can not drink again.

I highly recommend the Campral. It does work and absolutely no side effects for me. But, you have to add the counseling, AA, or other to the meds to do this.

Good luck

[LoveO'theGrape]

Wow all, this thread is very inspirational! I have been wrangling with myself over the need to quit drinking (again)! I never get past the 4 week mark and then my nemisis (wine) gets ahold of me. Just a little at first and then back to the big bottle, then the box. I have often wondered if there was a drug out there that could help ease the cravings (usually around 5pm EVERY day).
I am going to ask my Dr. to prescribe the campral. I want to quit, I need to quit and I love WQD!

[soberwoman]

Can u get acrylic nails while taking this med I just started it yesterday anyone know

[MeToo]

sorry sober, i don't know anything about antibuse.

[pemble]

This thread is super inspiring!

I just got a mad box of campral, and im going to be on 3 x 2pills per day. Going to set alarms on the cell fone.

Can't start until Sunday, as I have to drive a long way tonight in the twilight, and I drive like a lunatic at the best of times anyway :D

By Sunday it will have been 6 days off of the sauce anyway, so i'm giving myself a good basis to begin.

I bet it makes me fart.

[pemble]

By the way, MeToo - wanted to say thank you for writing this thread, and congratulations on your awesome success! Truly inspirational :D

xPx

[MeToo]

good going pemble! i don't think farting is a side effect but feel free to start a new one. i hope this works well for you. like anything, you have to really want it. it has been amazing for me but not everyone has had the same experience. so, good luck, be vigilante and i will be checking back in on tuesday-6 months.

[Sam]

Premble, it doesn't make you drowsy or anything like that (at least I have never heard of that).

Again, my Doc says ok to take 3 in am and 3 in afternoon (vs remembering to take 2 at lunch). Seems to be fine. Took for a whole year last time. Now will be 3 months in 2 days.

[pemble]

Thanks for the great idea of making a journal about Campral, MeToo! :)

[MeToo]

it feels really great. i have the campral in my drawer if i need to go back to it, but i haven't had any av activity and no interest at all in drinking. it has just become a lifestyle now. i hope anyone who is on the fence and afraid that life will be to different without alcohol will think twice about it. as i am now, i can't imagine life with alcohol. so good luck to everyone and if you haven't been able to secure that quit, keep trying. you won't believe how wonderful it is being sober. xxoxoxoo

[amanda]

Good going on six months, ME TOO!

[TwinCity]

"Taking a handful of prescription meds would be better for you than the drink."

I disagree.. NO medicine/drugs are "good" for you. Also I have reported you for spamming.

[pemble]

very well done on 6 months!!! Inspirational

[Tangster]

Hi Metoo and all others!!

I was just reading this thread, and want to congratulate you on your HUGE success!! Great job! I have been struggling to quit, like crazy, for a while now. I recently was diagnosed with bi-polar (2 siblings and my dad also have it). A couple months ago I started on a medication for the bi-polar, and weekly therapy. The Psych MD told me I absolutely HAD to quit drinking until we figured everything out. I did for about 3 days, then I felt it was easier to only have 1-2 glasses of wine a night, instead of my 2 or more bottles. Well, it has gradually increased, and now I'm realizing I'm totally drinking again. I feel so drawn to the wine each night, and am starting to feel the mood swings again, even with the bi-polar mood stabilizer.

I think I'm going to call the Dr today, fess up about my drinking, and see if he will prescribe me the Campral. You and others here seem to be having such good success with it.

=)

[oldcentralchas]

Taking a handful of prescription meds would be better for you than the drink.

Sure it would...just ask Corey Haim and Brittany Murphy!

[MeToo]

8 months today. its a wonderful thing.

[amanda]

Congrats on EIGHT months!!!!

[Elle]

Great work on Eight Months, MeToo!!! :D

[amanda]

What's up, MeToo?

[MeToo]

thanks for checking in amanda. i am doing great. i check in on occasion to see how fellow warriors are doing, but i really haven't kept up enough and there are not that many people left who even know me anymore. i will be 11 months this month. almost a year! its been great. my life has done a 360- not that it was bad to begin with, it was just that the alcohol kept me down in so many ways. now i am busy and happy. devoting a lot of my time to volunteer work and exercising. i have lost 10 plus pounds(15 from my really drunk days) and am physically in pretty good shape(and i continue to enjoy the occasional chip and ice cream-so i haven't given it all up!). i was thinking on tuesday that all of the things i have done this past year, would never have happened had i continued to drink. i feel like a whole person and i feel like i am living my life as i am truly meant to. its a great feeling. lots of freedom, no anxiety. there is definitely a calmness now. if i get upset about something, i am able to work it out in the most mature and rational way. where did that come from!!! i don't even keep a journal anymore. i have my old ones and they are a testament to desperation. every page i was pleading and negotiating with myself to quit drinking, lose weight, etc. the promises made and broken. i keep them still, but they are very depressing for me to read. life is full, rich and rewarding. i remember when i was in the throws of alcohol and i would beg for a miracle cure. well, i don't know if i found the cure, but what i did find was campral, and i know it doesn't work for everyone, but it did for me. had i not committed to taking it, i would still be floundering about. somehow, it just clicked for me. i know i was ready, so it was very psychological i am sure. i think the campral along with my desire to quit worked together. i do know that i didn't feel the anxiety about quitting and the need to count days and wish my time away in order to get a month or two under my belt for security. it all just seemed to flow.

one thing i remember being worried about as a drinking person was my friends. all of them drink and they were such an important part of my life, that i could not imagine giving them up. well, i haven't given them up, i see them still and enjoy their company. just not 5 nights a week! they still get together quite a bit, but i have just settled in to a different life. i didn't look for it, it just sort of inched its way in and now i don't know how i lived the old life. so that is it. i hope people will read this and feel hopeful. i was on this sight for 3 years before i figured it out. so keep trying and working and quitting.

[pemble]

that really is an inspirational account.

Well done!!!

[Fern]

Wow! Great post! It's nice to see that the Campral worked for you as the final thing in your toolkit.