Hi,

I've been taking Naltrexone four months and yesterday I took my pill and began feeling depressed and crying for no reason. I know that depression is listed as a side effect of the medication, however this depression/crying episode doesn't happen every time I take the pill; in fact it's only happened a handful of times. Anyone else notice the same thing? Also noteworthy is I haven't taken Nal in a couple days because I haven't been drinking. I think my tolerance was lowered somewhat as last night I had a very hard time going to bed. It's strange because I've been taking Nal almost everyday for the last four months before drinking and at first I noticed the side effects but they went away after about 2 weeks. Now, just a day or two without drinking and taking Nal, yesterday I pop 50 mg and have side effects similar to week one. Anyone else here experience depression/crying episodes and/or a drastic reduction in tolerance of side effects after only a couple days without alcohol and Nal?

Thanks,

John

No depression, only side effect is sleepiness after Alcohol. It is still working well after 9 months, which is good !!

JMost drug side effects diminish over time, but not always. Everybody is different in that regard.

Depression, check. I have a history of depression but it's been especially bad the last couple of weeks--particularly in the morning--and I've been on NAL for about 2 months. I can't decide if it's impending menopause, my life circumstances, general frustration with alcohol and all its travails or just due to the medication. Maybe a bit of everything. I still have enough wits about me to realize it's irrational but if things get much worse I'll have to go see a psych, and I thoroughly dread that idea.

I think it worthy to note that long term alcohol withdrawal can also cause depression. Keek

I guess I am fortunate. I really never had any side effects. The 1st couple of days I noticed a "buzzing" effect, a little like caffeine, but that was it. I do get sleepy though with alcohol. I chalk this up to the endorphins, which when released act as a stimulant, but when blocked, just let the alcohol act as a relaxant.

I fell into a very depressed mood three to four days ago, bad enough that I've got an appointment with a psychiatrist on Thurs. I wonder if it's connected to the fact that I took 25-mg boosters a couple of days in a row to cover myself in the evenings. I've added columns to my spreadsheet to track my mood, meds, stressful life events, exercise, etc. so that hopefully these links, if any, become clear over time.

If the 25-mg boosters did trigger the depression, I'll be bummed because they also seemed to really diminish any cravings.

I hope the doctor (whom I've never seen before) is sympathetic when I tell her about TSM and NAL, which I've been ordering off the internet and doing entirely on my own. If anyone has any experience with these sorts of discussions, I'd love to hear about it.

[/quote]I hope the doctor (whom I've never seen before) is sympathetic when I tell her about TSM and NAL, which I've been ordering off the internet and doing entirely on my own. If anyone has any experience with these sorts of discussions, I'd love to hear about it.[/quote]

I would go to the appointment armed with information because the psychiatrist is likely not aware of the protocol. If you have access to Medline or Medscape you can print off peer reviewed journal articles (many of them) showing the evidence of TSM, and bring the book "The Cure for Alcoholism" as well. I will be interested in hearing what she says about potential interactions of NAL with SSRIs or other medication. Good luck.

I was pleasantly surprised to find she was very open to the idea, although I didn't go in armed with studies or anything. I basically said "I'm doing TSM and here's what it is and I'm committed to it for now." She happened to be the director of the clinic and said they were moving from an abstinence-only orientation to embracing harm reduction as well. I have some follow-up appointments and we're planning to include NAL in whatever overall strategy we settle on.

So glad it worked out well for you Kate. Keep up the good work and keep us up to date on how things are going. Luck.

I'm having a hard time with depression and fatigue and trying not to get discouraged. One thing mentioned in the One Little Pill video is that some people found it helpful to increase the dosage by 25 or 50. Any advice on if/when to try that? My doctor is open to discussing that- I'm his only patient on TSM and he's very supportive. I am on anti-depressants and I've been hoping that I would notice them working better as I consume less alcohol.

Week 1: 57 drinks, 1AF
Week 2: 42 drinks, 1AF
Week 3: 48 drinks, 1AF
Week 4: 43 drinks, 1AF
Week 5: 51 drinks, 0AF
Week 6: 37 drinks, 1AF
Week 7: 47 drinks, 0AF
Week 8: 41 drinks, 0AF
Week 9: 37 drinks, 1AF
Week 10: 50 drinks, 1AF
Week 11: 34 drinks, 1AF
Week 12: 39 drinks, 0AF
Week 13: 42 drinks, 0AF
Week 14: 40 drinks, 2AF
Week 15: 32 drinks, 2AF
Week 16: 37 drinks, 0AF
Week 17: 27 drinks, 2AF
Week 18: 46 drinks, 0AF
Week 19: 32 drinks, 1AF
Week 20: 30 drinks, 2AF
Week 21: 38 drinks, 0AF
Week 22: 29 drinks, 2AF
Week 23: 36 drinks, 1AF