[twblalock]

What an incredibly dangerous suggestion that people seek out a prescription for this kind of drug online at mdproactive or anywhere else.

You also did not mention that a number of studies have shown this drug to be only modestly effective at treating alcohol abuse, and that there are better treatments. It can also cause liver damage. It's not a magic pill.

[freerobby]

Show your sources. The studies that indicate it’s not effective are in comparison to a placebo when alcohol is NOT consumed with the drug. The Sinclair method is very specific about taking the drug with alcohol (and measuring its reduced usage over time).

To my knowledge liver damage has only been documented at doses far beyond what the Sinclair method directs.

Edit: source as requested below: https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/36/1/2/137995

[peter_l_downs]

Show your sources too, please

[freerobby]

Added to the original comment, thanks.

[gcb0]

source? it's common sense that drugs can interact with others. always see a doctor before taking anything. again, it's not specific for this case, it's plain common sense. even aspirin is dangerous if you're diabetic, for example.

[manav]

Yes definitely go to your doctor or see a psychiatrist before ordering medication online. There are alternatives like Baclofen or Gabapentin, moreover there could be other underlying issues that need to be treated. Self medication is not a solution.

[geofft]

This isn't self-medication - it's talking to a licensed professional and asking for a prescription for the actual condition you have. (Of course it's abusable but it's not the same thing as buying controlled substances on the dark web or even lying about symptoms to get a prescription.)

[tippecanoe]

Maybe those physicians, who are licensed to practice medicine in the United States, know better than you do.

You are contending, without evidence, that these physicians are dangerous. That is a serious claim.

If you are concerned that these physicians are endangering the public, you should take it up with their respective state medical boards straightaway.

[twblalock]

> Maybe those physicians, who are licensed to practice medicine in the United States, know better than you do.

There is nowhere near a consensus among professional physicians that this drug is as good as you claim it to be. Meanwhile I can find plenty of physicians like Dr. Oz who are snake oil salesmen, so I reject your fallacious appeal to authority.

EDIT: I see that you have now edited your comment to say "(An appeal to authority is the purpose of medical licensing.)". You should not edit your comments in an attempt to make people who responded to you look bad, or look like they missed something that was actually not there.

Now you keep adding even more! If you want to respond, then respond. I quoted the entire text of your original comment at the top of mine.

[freerobby]

The Sinclair method faces a lot of institutional incentive-related difficulties (generic drug, permanent treatment). It also has some aspects that are counterintuitive at first glance (e.g. it requires drinking alcohol, which creates skepticism when proposed by an alcoholic) but which are scientifically grounded. To anyone facing the problem of alcoholism: please do take the time to research it, read the studies, and form your own opinion. It’s really worth the time, and it’s not something you’re likely to hear about through traditional sources (yet) for the aforementioned reasons.

[eecc]

Considering my experience with Varenicline and how it effectively worked in abandoning nicotine, I tend to agree that a deconditioning drug taken while consuming is a very effective therapeutic path.

[daeminsong]

Yes there are many unethical physicians, but majority of physicians still are hard-workers and know way better than you.

[twblalock]

> Yes there are many unethical physicians, but majority of physicians still are hard-workers and know way better than you.

The majority of physicians do not prescribe this drug, and even the ones who do prescribe it do not recommend that patients try to obtain it online and self-medicate.

You twisted my meaning into an attack on physicians, which it certainly was not. It was a rejection of a fallacious appeal to authority.

The fact that some physicians recommend something is simply not convincing. It's not hard to find a small number of physicians who would recommend homeopathy either, nor is it hard to find a small number of scientists who reject climate science. A consensus among physicians (or scientists) is what makes an appeal to authority reasonable.

[daxorid]

It can also cause liver damage

As opposed to the liver-sparing lifetime of alcoholism?

Principle of least harm comes into play, here.

[atomical]

It's interesting that you use the words "dangerous" and "this kind of drug" for a drug that is the antithesis of the opioid epidemic.

If you're worried about liver damage please look into Acetaminophen.

[thaumasiotes]

I feel like you're missing something if you object to a treatment for alcoholism on the grounds that the treatment might cause liver damage. Alcoholism definitely will cause liver damage.

[manav]

Naltrexone is generally safe for most, but in severe cases of cirrhosis it's not recommended. There are alternatives, but someone with that level of alcoholism usually needs to be clinically monitored.