Pretty cool article about the science of hangovers and withdrawal for all of your perusal.

The study starts with the long understood observation that alcohol gives us a huge spike of dopamine in the brain (this makes you feel REALLY good). The brain actually experiences some stress because of this dopamine spike, so to counteract it, the brain produces a protein called BDNF. BDNF suppresses the production of dopamine , but this suppression lasts long after the dopamine spike is gone. This lack of normal levels of dopamine is likely the cause behind the profound anxiety that many of us experience when withdrawing from alcohol, or during a “hangover.”

I find this work EXTREMELY interesting because pre-nal, my life was pretty much a binary switch, oscillating between drunk and “hungover,” with all of the associated anxiety, unrest, and bleak outlook on the world and my life.

Naltrexone breaks one of the mechanisms for alcohol induced production of dopamine in the brain, and so helps us to not crave it like zombies. I know some people have experienced WORSE hangovers when drinking with nal, but for me it’s been the opposite. My hangovers these days are far milder - little anxiety and irritability. Not like the old days.

So, non-scientific survey: Are your hangovers WORSE or BETTER now than they were pre-nal?

I still use my hangover prevention concoction, and it works so well that I don't know.

If anyone's interested, it's N-acetylcysteine (NAC), vitamin C and thiamine (vitamin B1). Take before, during and after drinking. Add a glass of water with potassium (salt substitute) before bed, and you'll wake up right as rain.

It should have been a clue that I had a drinking problem when I started buying vitamin C powder in bulk.

If I'm drinking something truly killer (e.g. merlot), I take activated charcoal.

Initially i want to say worse, but there are so many factors to consider. Thank you generic for the study and questionnaire. Magdalena, thank you for the hangover remedy. If I know I can keep the Nalovers at bay, then I am much more likely to comply with the golden rule. I'd like to ad coconut water as a preventative measure also.. I'm headed to the drug store first thing tomorrow am. Nal on! Keek

I have been on NAL for 4 months. In that time I have had only 2 or 3 hangovers (as opposed to several every week previously). In those instances, they seemed pretty severe to me, and when I reflected on the amount of alcohol that caused them (not much at all by historical standards), it seemed they were undeserved. They were also more "uncomfortable" hangovers than previous. My conclusion is hangovers are worse with NAL, and it doesn't take much alcohol to trigger them.

Clarion, are you having fewer, yet worse hangovers while taking now because you are drinking less often? Just curious. Keek

Could be, but I do not think so. Plus I have read other threads here about what is referred to as "Nalovers". I think there is something to the "Nal hangovers are worse" theory.

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