Where are the lists of doctors who prescribe time-release naltrexone?
One of the most frequent questions we hear concerns the differences between oral naltrexone used for the Sinclair Method and the time release injection and implant.
The best people to talk to about the specifics of prescription medications are 1) your doctor and/or 2) a pharmacist.
Speaking of doctors, we also get requests for doctors who prescribe the time-release naltrexone medications. While we truly believe that options save lives and people should be free to choose their own recovery method, there are a few reasons why we don’t track and provide information about doctors who prescribe time-release naltrexone…
The C Three Foundation does not track doctors who prescribe time-release naltrexone injections or implants. The primary reason for this is because time-release naltrexone is incompatible with the Sinclair Method (TSM). With the time-release injection or implant, there is no way to target the endorphins caused by drinking alcohol, because the medication is working to blocking endorphins around the clock.
When a person is on TSM, the medication is only taken an hour before drinking. The process involved is targeted pharmacological extinction of cravings. The biggest benefit to this is that activities done early in the day before taking the medication or on alcohol free days (when medication would not be taken at all) are still able to produce endorphins. It’s a great way not only to keep from additional depressive feelings caused by constantly attempting to block your ‘feel good’ endorphins, but also to create an endorphin uptake when doing things like exercising or spending time with loved ones.
Additionally, TSM works as a gradual process over a period of months to reduce the amount of alcohol a person drinks. It is not abstinence based, although many people eventually stop drinking entirely. It takes a little more time, but has excellent results for the majority of those who try it.
The injection and the implant, on the other hand, are meant to be used with abstinence, which can trigger the alcohol deprivation effect with any relapse. The alcohol deprivation effect typically results in a person drinking more (quantity) and more frequently than before treatment began. We do have a list of providers who have prescribed oral naltrexone through Medicare Part-D.
If you find decide you would like to try TSM, please let us know and we will try to help find you a doctor in your area. Whichever method you ultimately choose, I hope this information is helpful. If you’d like to talk to others, we have a digital peer support community of more than 600 people that you are free to join: http://optionssavelives.freeforums.net/