I have learned to stay sober for 3-4 months, but then it just "hits" me that I want to drink. Unfortunately, during those drinking sessions they a horrible! They turn into a 3-4 day 27/7 drinking binge. I am afraid to pick up a drink in order to use the medicine. And if I only drink every 3-4 months, will it even work? My goal is abstinence. Thanks for the guidance.

As you await a reply from Dr. Eskapa, you might want to do a search of the board for "Alcohol Deprivation Effect".

Edit: I did a search and came up with this. Eskapa referred the question to Sinclair and posted Sinclair's response. This MAY actually answer your question, indirectly. Hope this helps.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=481&p=5500&hilit=alcohol+deprivation+effect&sid=d0ab4b87c310d7869821c3b661b80067#p5500

I'm amazed how in my case the Naltrexone manages to keep The Beast in its cage, but I'm new to this. At the very least I'd want to have some Naltrexone around, and keep it on my person; hopefully the next time it "hits you" (I know the feeling) you'll have an hour window to take a naltrexone first.

This is not a recommendation that you do anything, but when mine came in the mail, I was in a pretty jittery between-binge state and didn't want to drink (the previous had been really, really bad), mine were more like 2 weeks apart and one night long. I set aside some time and drank anyway, in the safety of my home, to see if this was going to have any effect at all. The Beast slept through. I had 3 drinks, not 12, and woke up without a hangover. It seemed like the Naltrexone immediately brought back the old ability to put the brakes on. I spent the evening drinking and reading posts on this website, which was a good way to spend the time. Two more drinking incidents have passed without catastrophe since then. I am feeling a lot less freefloating panic, I think this is going to work, but I'm taking it one Naltrexone at a time

Again, I don't recommend you do anything, this is just one data point (mine) I'm giving you.

-Ned

Good luck kkae - we have totally differrent drinking routines, but I welcome you here and hope you find the answer to your questions. Hope this works for you. Are you in a 12-step/AA program and falling off the wagon-type thing? Just wondering...going 3-4 months is pretty awesome, but of course, the bingeing counteracts that, I suppose.

Good luck and wishing you all the best! Keep us posted -

Thanks everyone. Perhaps, this will be another tool in my arsenal against this ravenous disease that I've been battled for so manner years. Attended AA for several years, then on to WFS; amino acid supplements; etc. etc. I am anxious to hear Dr. Espaka's response. Thanks, too, for the link on the previously related post. That was helpful!