Has anyone been prescribed meds that are supposed to block cravings? I’m due to pick up my prescription and leary. I am not a pill taker. I don’t like pharmaceuticals. In fact, that is partly my problem, I drank rather than taking pills for pain management for a bulging disc in my back.
Anyone ever take “craving blocking meds”?
TIA, Christine
I have. Medication is far more effective when coupled with a program. I do AA and I did outpatient as well.
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I’ve done outpatient several times in the past. AA is not for me. I left every meeting far more depressed than prior to going. AA works for a lot of people, but I am the rare minority. I’m also atheist, so the overall AA program does not align with me.
Just really curious if there are weird side effects or anything associated with the meds. I don’t really want to spend a bunch of money on meds that may have crazy side effects and then they with end up in a cabinet never taken, money wasted…
It’s a good conversation to have with an addiction doctor. Though I can understand checking in with others actual experience with the stuff.
I checked myself in with my hospital’s recovery center at one point. I would guess they still recommend some kind of therapy, likely group. CBT or similar. To help with rewiring the thinking around drinking for eventually getting off anything they would prescribe.
For what it’s worth, I ended up getting into AA after all that to realize long term sobriety. I’m agnostic and dodged it for a while. Though they do throw the “god” word around a lot, it’s meant to be whatever you wanna believe (or not). Mine’s Lue: Life, the universe and everything. 
At any rate, I think nothing stuck for me till I stayed with some kind of recovery program. Honestly part of AA winning me over was that it’s free and meetings happen so often it was easier to fit into my schedule whenever. I could just show up. Like outpatient as far as staying on track, just more convenient. Having done both CBT and that, they seem pretty similar to me in hindsight now. There are also others though, like SMART.
As for the meds, I had stuff to help with safe withdrawal and was warned not to drink while on it. Don’t remember what it was called but it didn’t seem to have any noticeable side effects for me.
Others may suppress any effects drinking induces, or immediately make you sick if you drink. Haven’t done though.
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I took the drug that makes you sick when you drink back in the 90s. You just don’t take it when you decide to drink. I ask the doctor yesterday if that was the same thing he was prescribing, he said, no, that’s old school. Lol
Yeah, I’m old doc, thanks. I occurred to me then just the length of time I’ve battled addiction. Wow
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Yeah, that’s why I didn’t even bother with any meds for quitting other than those that helped me not, you know, die.
Like, if I lied to my counselor at one point about drinking while “trying to recover,” I knew I’d absolutely have it in me to just skip my meds.
So at least for me, I eventually went the program route to change the thinking that was the problem.
Other people swear by the stuff though. Whatever tools you can find, right?
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Have you thought of finding a SMART recovery group? Or women for sobriety? There are a lot of programs out there aside from AA of what you are currently doing isn’t working for you. I’ve heard many also say though that in AA it can just be about finding the right meeting for you, so that could be part of it too.
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Just sharing what worked for me. I was on naltrexone once without doing anything. I relapsed. When I was on vivitrol I worked a program. It’s coming up on 4 years since I had my first shot and haven’t relapsed. After 7 months I was off my medication completely. Working a program led to permanent change that medication can never achieve. You mentioned a few things you aren’t willing to do, might be a good idea to find something you are willing to do.
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I took Campral and it worked great. No side effects or anything. I used it like training wheels. When cravings come now I just remember honestly where it ends. That helps. Sucks about your back. I had a laminectomy with fusion and it stopped the pain.
I hear you. That pill would be amazing. Unfortunately there’s no pill that cure the very fundamental problems of addiction : craving it and automatically engaging in action (mentally or physically) towards drinking or being triggered by environmental cues.
But pills can help, like an antidepressant can help to lower the symptoms while you work into psychotherapy or make life changes. Some pills will do help, but like you said, you can just not take them and go to drink.
That’s why working on behavioural changes in combination with these medication will be far more effective than pills itself. (I know you haven’t said you didn’t want to work something aside from pills, but I’m just wanted to underline that fact.)
Outpatient therapy combined with some pills could be a good idea. It looks like you might need someone to support you into this journey. Outpatient did good for me for that part. But also having a detailed plan for when craving arises.
I hope you’ll find your own recipe for successful recovery ❤️🩹 !
I was on Naltrexone for a while. I’m actually supposed to be taking it still, but I realized my cravings were more mental than physical.
Did it do what it was supposed to do? Yes, it absolutely did. But meds are just one piece of the puzzle. As others have pointed out, following meds with some kind of program is your best bet.
Good luck and hang in there! 
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