Ah, the dreaded nal-over. Some people have much worse hangovers with nal. I don't think anybody knows why. The only theory kicking around is that we sometimes don't feel the full hangover because we're still a little drunk from the night before, and the naltrexone removes that (allowing us to feel the full weight of recovering from poison).

I don't think there's a fix, other than to drink less. The bright side is that -- once the actual addiction is broken -- natural consequences like hangovers can lead us to drink less even without a conscious decision, just as they do with never-addicted drinkers.

I am happy I found this thread. I am 4 weeks into TSM and when I have a single glass of wine or one cocktail, I wake up at 3am with hangover symptoms. I am happy this is a documented side effect.

If I have 3-4 drinks, the hangover isn't as pronounced, but those multidrink days occured in weeks 2 and 3. Week 4 has consisted of single drink nights so far.

Now that I think of it, I am not sure if the single drinks are causing the hangover, or if it is the fact that I am into the fourth week...

Any thoughts?

Branca,

Wow you found an old thread! But those terrible hangovers on NAL are often called NAL overs and are pretty well documented in a lot of the threads. I have suffered through quite a few of them and they knock you down pretty hard. Being a past binge drinker and daily drinker I was pretty used to getting up after a real late night and going to work and although it was painful I could do it 5 days a week. When I have had NAL overs it is definitely a sick day! Terrible terrible feeling. And I cannot seem to get out of bed never mind function at work.

A lot of people have stated that they have had a nalover after just a couple of drinks sand others it is only after a full night of drinking so I think it is pretty much an individual thing.

BTW, it looks like you are responding nicely so far. keep up the good work and don't get discouraged if you have an upswing in your numbers somewhere down the road. Just keep following the GR and the numbers will go back down again.

reboot,

I am plugging along and not dismayed at all. This is what I was looking for. I am quite happy the shaming is gone, and that I can treat this problem how I always imagined I could treat it. I know I am a good person; my drinking was NOT because of a character flaw.

I am tracking what I drink and how it affects these "Nalovers". Interesting times.

I have had only one NAL over and it was unlike anything I have ever experienced. It certainly did help me keep my numbers down because I did not want a repeat. I find that my tolerance is down and although I may not have a full fledged hangover, if I have more than three drinks I don't feel great the next morning.

It looks like you are doing great, Branca. Keep at it!

Halfway through week 4 here and I woke up with a vicious hangover this morning--had 4 drinks last night after 0 on day 1 and 2 on day 2 of this week. I'm glad to hear it is documented--I was beginning to wonder what was going on last week when I started to get headaches after having 4 drinks--where before I was on the nal I never felt bad after "only" four in an evening.

Going for my checkin with the doctor today and feeling optimistic. Yesterday I went to the gym and it felt GOOD! then came home and hubs had a bottle of bourbon open--so I joined him (after taking my pill at 4pm as always) and was working on a work project and drank more than I intended.

So far--I have lost 5 lbs and cut back my drinking from over 40 per week to 37 in week 1, 35 in week 2 and 29 last week. This week I celebrated my first alcohol free day since starting medication. And I have started doing activities again that I had abandoned in favor of drinking (exercising, playing with the dog, getting a few house things done each night after work).

I am so grateful for this program and for finding this discussion board.

Fantastic news, Fashion Victim!

I came to the same realization when I first got down to a six-pack after starting TSM around the 12-pack level. I thought "FFS yeah, I should have a hangover of some type after knocking back six beers in an evening!".

Good work, keep at it!