Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum and have a question. Is it normal to have terrible side effects for three days one my first ever
50 mg of naltrexone? Dizziness, vomiting, panic on the first day, lethargy and brain fog (I spent virtually all day in bed), and today
I vomited again, with continuing lethargy and brain fog. At the moment all I can do is lie in bed and try to ride through it. It is putting
me off wanting to try another tablet, even at 12.5. Has anyone else had a similar experience, and how long does it take before these
effects wear off?
thanks

Hi there - I am so sorry for your awful SE's. they really are extreme - everyone has differing SE's - mine were just slight nausea. Did you even drink after the hour was up or were you too poorly to do that? I am not sure what I would do - maybe try the 12.5 mg, but make sure that you have a full tummy and take it with plenty of water. And are at home .....

Someone else might come along with better advice than me - but I wanted to at least acknowledge your post.

Hang in there,

Hugs, Maggie

Rook,

What you experienced sounds like my nal overs (which are worse than any hangover), and my heart goes out to you. I will still experience brain fog from time to time after I take my dose, but that lethargic and dizzy feeling went away after the first few weeks. The headache, dizziness, panic, vomit/diarrhea, only happens if I drink more than I should now (which is my nal-over).

I wanted to ask a few questions:

Are you sure it is naltrexone and not Nalmefene? If you are in the U.S. it is most likely Naltrexone, but I want to be sure. Nalmefene can have side effects worse than naltrexone and should never be cut to take a lesser dose.

Are you on any other medication? Naltrexone shouldn't be used with some meds, and can cause those types of side effects.

How much alcohol did you drink after you took you pill? Some of the side effects could be from the mix of naltrexone and alcohol.

Did you eat before you took your pill? Eating a small protein based meal about 30 minutes before you dose is recommended to help with nausea.

Did you get your Naltrexone from the doctor or online pharmacy? Not that it matters, but some brands can make a difference in side effects for some.

Have you read the book? If not please do, for it has some great information that will help you along in this process.

Side effects are different for everyone, and the time frame is different for everyone. Some have difficulties even working up to the total 50 mg and do just fine on 1/2 a pill. That is not recommended; however, everyone is different and everyone metabolizes naltrexone differently. Just remember that slow and steady wins this race, and slowly increasing your dose is part of that which is why it is recommended for everyone to start with 1/2 of a pill. Since your side effects are so severe (if you feel up to it) maybe wait three days and then try with 1/4 of a pill for a few days and then 1/2 of a pill. If the 1/2 of the pill is too much go back to 1/4. Getting used to the naltrexone is the first step in this process and for some the hardest.

Nzspeak did have an awful experience with his first dose of naltrexone (similar to yours). He is living in Canada and had a hard time getting the nal. shipped to him, so he had to set up a post office box in the US and travel here to get it. He took his first dose in the US and drank here and spent the night. He woke up sick and throwing up while trying to get through customs. He said it was a terrible time, but knew it was a step in the right direction. I am sure if you sent him an email he would gladly tell you how long it took to get used to the entire pill. Also, JoAnna posted her experience with Nalmefene on the C3 Europe. Even if you are not on Nalmefene it may give you a guide line to how long it may take adjusting to nal since you're responding like those on Nalmefene. JoAnna, or anyone at the C3, can give you guidance through this process for free through the C3. It is worth looking into before you give up this process altogether.

I know that it is difficult for you to even think about taking nal again, but it will get better. Your body just needs time to adjust to the nal, and once it does things will get easier and a lot better.

Jaba

Hi maggie and jaba,
I was trying to find out if the naltrexone I have is actually nalmafene, but I don't know - it's a generic australian brand of
naltrexone GH, as I live there, but couldn't find any info on it. I did have a protein based meal before, and a full glass
of water, and only had one glass of wine, then went to bed. It's day four now and the effects are wearing off (thank God!), no
more brain fog, hot flushes or vomiting. The good news is that I only had half a glass of wine for the last two days, I just haven't felt
like it - probably because I felt so disgusting, I'll just have to see what happens when the 'gargoyle' on my back starts harassing me
for a drink. I don't take any meds at all, not even headache tablets - I know, ridiculous huh?

Unfortunately I've had CFS for nearly 4 years, and the alcohol helped with energy levels, but it has to go, as the CFS symptoms
are slowly going away, and I need to start a new kind of life.

I usually drink about 45 - 50 units per week, more if there's vodka involved. I've been drinking for thirty years, started off as
a binge drinker, which then mutated into a daily regime of drinking which was made far worse (as you can imagine), when in my late twenties
I moved in next to a Public Bar. Eventually I got away from there, by moving states, but the gargoyle followed me, as it does.
Been to AA, counselling, etc, spent periods sober, always relapse worse. Nothing stops the gargoyle. Until I read about the naltrexone,
and thought that there might actually be a light at the end of the tunnel, instead of this daily struggle to NOT DRINK.

So, I will start over again, with a quarter tablet,like you suggested, and see what happens, as I am determined to finish with this thing
for good.
Thankyou for your advice, this is a new adventure for me, one I've been waiting for for thirty years.

Please read through this link:

http://optionssavelives.freeforums.net/thread/369/sinclair-method-hints-tips

It's from the other forum which is supported through the C Three Foundation.

Thanks for posting that link Bardo, it is funny how JoAnna didn't post about working up to the recommended dose; maybe things have changed?

It is funny, but your side effects do sound similar to Nalmafene; however, remember that since you have CFS you may just have more side effects (I am unsure of this, and have nothing to back this up, but wanted to put it out there). I think to find out what type of meds you are on is to ask the pharmacist. When I asked my pharmacist friend about nalmafene here in the US he knew about it and the promise it had and he knew it isn't available here in the US, so maybe the pharmacist may know. Pharmacist study the actual compounds of meds, so they would be able to say if your pill has the same compounds of nalmafene or naltrexone.

After googling I found a link from JoAnna http://cthreeeurope.com/2015/03/31/nalt ... australia/ and if this is the drug you are getting I would guess it is naltrexone (and it looks just like my generic except it has stamped numbers on it).

I do not have CFS, but my heart goes out to you. That alone is quite the burden to bear, and the added stress of alcohol...well I know you have figured out it is not good. My sister suffered from fibromyalgia and became addicted to pain meds, so I understand that being on top of CFS is a must and I hope that you have found a good doctor to help you along.

I think you are headed in the right direction, for alcohol is only masking your CFS symptoms. It is not your friend and it will eventually make you feel worse. I think it is what happened with my sister, for it was just easier for her to take more Oxycodone for the pain, but it never did really help her.

Try reaching out to JoAnna or someone from the C3, for even though they are not medical professionals, they will be able to guide you through this process, or maybe even recommend someone to help you (they may have a contact close to where you are). You are dealing with more than just an alcohol problem, and having someone that has helped a lot of people that has Dr. Eskapa's ear would be very helpful to you in this process. This process can be very frustrating, and you are also dealing with CFS...and if I understood you correctly alcohol is helping your CFS...you are not going to be the typical person going through TSM. Don't get me wrong, for I believe TSM works! I have seen posts from others on how it has worked miracles on people with medical/mental/physical issues, but they had the right support system. We will be here for you, but sometimes it is nice to have someone that has helped a lot of people and understand what you are experiencing.

I do hope you start a progress page, for it will help so many others!

Jaba

Sorry for the babble, but I am in another time zone and experiencing jet lag...I will try to be better next time, but I wanted to let you know that I am here for you and very excited that you are willing to give it another try! It will get better!

My initial side effects were brain fog and a sort of high feeling. That left me after the first couple of weeks. Now Naltrexone gives me a slight headache but that's about it.

Starting with a half dose is key. I started on 1/4 dose and frankly I rarely take anymore then that since it worked well enough for me. Somehow folks miss that key advice though, start off small! The other thing that gets first timers is if you were like me and were drinking so much that you suffered from physical withdrawal then when you first take Naltrexone in accordance to TSM and only drink a little you could be suffering withdrawal on top of side effect, a nasty stew that is.

I had terrible nausea and dizziness when I started. I dropped down the dose and found it not a problem and it helped me a lot. Try breaking the tabs, take half, then 3/4, phasing in the Nal. I felt much better doing that, and was up to 50 after a week or so.

Also, be aware that if you are injured, the Nal will prevent painkillers from taking effect. I broke my wrist very badly (needed major surgery, still not quite repaired) and didn't get any relief for 20+ hours due to being on Nal. I dropped off using it after that, because of the pain, and I regret it now, as I had been doing really well in the program (5+ days AF, reducing my intake by 2-3x, etc). I just logged back into the site and hope to return, as I am a serious alcoholic and don't see an alternative other than drinking myself to death ... Super stupid of me. Oh well.

Good luck! You are doing the best thing for yourself.

Glad to hear you're ready to take another run at it, Mer! Welcome back!