I started Nal a couple of weeks ago and the first three days were amazing. I just didn't want to drink very much. I felt such gratitude, relief and hope. Then I went to a party without taking Nal because I longed for the buzz - yes I'm an idiot and I'm full of self loathing for doing something so stupid!! Drank a fair amount, had fun and not hungover the next day. Ever since then I've taken the Nal every day but it doesn't seem to have the same effect as it did the first 3 days. Is this the honeymoon thing and it's just a coincidence that the blocking effect stopped after one time drinking without Nal? I feel so despondent and fear that I have destroyed my chances of making TSM work for me. Can someone answer that? Have I ruined it? Can the honeymoon only last 3 days?
Thanks!

Hi BF and welcome.

It's likely that you were experiencing the honeymoon. Have you been recording the number of drinks you have? It's the most objective way of knowing whether or not your consumption is changing, you can record your units in your signature.

Keep taking Nal, it will work.

Curi

I suppose the worst case scenario is that you experienced a placebo effect for the first week or so and the drinking episode wiped that out of your subconscious. But myself, and most others I assume, would say that you were indeed experiencing "the effects" of Naltrexone. It seems to be that those for whom Naltrexone doesn't work at all NEVER experience the feelings of distaste for alcohol, peace, and all that you describe. So, if you really want to gain control over your drinking, you have to be committed to -- at the very least -- never drinking without taking Naltrexone one hour beforehand. I've read through thousands of posts on this website, though, and notice that some people occassionally will drink without Nal after they have regained control. Personally, I can see myself drinking a drink or so without Naltrexone at some point in the future (e.g. a "surprise" situation in which I have a drink, or before sex), but you seem a bit fragile at this point in your recovery. "The Cure for Alcoholism" and pretty much everyone on this board are hyper-non-judgmental about drinking, so keep that in mind. If you make a mistake, reboot and move on. Given your initial reaction to Nal, you probably are sensitive to the drug and will find success with it as long as you play by the rules and don't let your "addictive voice" lead you astray.

It's not a magic pill, though, just a tool. If find it fascinating that 100% of rats can be cured of alcoholism after about 5 doses of Naltrexone. If we didn't have the reasoning capabilities and all the wondrous emotions of humans, we would probably be able to be cured in five doses, too. However, we can "override" the drug with our sneakiness, desires, depression, and, for some, the need for drama and conflict. Some people I know "freak out" when things start going good for them (just like some patients at the hospital don't know how to be well and so "freak out" when their disease goes away); like these physically ill patients, some drinkers will do anything to get their "disease" back because that's who they are and all they know!

I'm no expert, but here's my advice. (1) You've fallen, but get back up and start over. (2) Save the drama for your mama (i.e. stay calm, cool, and rational about the whole thing -- I like to picture Batman in the new movies as he so suavely walks around in a tux and then dumps his drink in a plant), (3) It can't hurt to take Naltrexone, so obviously there's no point in stopping, (4) Try to use your brain power as another tool in this battle. I find meditating helpful -- do some spiritual or inspirational reading for a few minutes a day, listen to chant or calming music, or even find an inspirational song and listen to it over and over and over again (for me, I find the song "Angels and Devils (Live)" by Dishwalla to have a lot of meaning in my alcohol struggle, so I've listened to it over 1,000 times probably), (5) Finally, if you have a significant other, talk to them about it so that you have some more accountability. I hid my secret drinking from my wife for 20 years before I finally told her the truth a few weeks ago -- wow, what a difference that has made! Being able to tell her, for me, has broken that part of the chain of addiction.

Anyway, keep us updated! Posting on here can be very therapeutic, so I'll make that a (6).

I think you've had a honeymoon, if you continue always taking Naltrexone before you drink(1 hour or there abouts) then you should eventually see a decrease in consumption and cravings/drive to drink.

Do please be aware you can get readdicted by drinking without taking Naltrexone, and fairly quickly so make sure you never drink without it. I'd rather go without a drink than risk reversing the process.

Sorry this is so belated -
I thought I had an alert set up to notify me of a reply to my post but I guess I didn't. I assumed no one had replied and only just happened to check back. I had posted on My Way Out last year and never got a response!
Thank you so much for your very helpful answers. Barryb - your detail was much appreciated. UKBlonde - it's so great that you're cured and yet still responding to folk on this forum who need help. Curi - thanks for the welcome and I haven't been recording my units. I'll start today.
I have been persevering with the Naltrexone and so far seem to veer between binging and controlled drinking. The fact that I even have any days of controlled drinking is a miracle. One night I only had a couple of glasses of wine and then got majorly stuck into herbal tea - 4 cups of it! Bloody marvellous! However last night I binged again and am feeling miserable this morning. Hence checking in here again.
I feel huge hope, as Barryb said that the fact that I had a honeymoon where the Nal worked means that I will probably be one of the folk who responds to it. Reading the Cured section is very helpful too - to see so many different paths and time frames really helps.
Thanks again and good luck to us all!

The way I look at TSM is... If you know your gonna keep drinking why not just take your Nal 1 hour before and just forget about it and let things fall as they may. You've nothing to loss really and everything to gain.

Definitely never drink without the Nal. I had about 10 days over the holidays without Nal and have definitely noticed I'm getting a buzz back from drinking again. It can take as little as that to reverse months of good work.

One thing I failed to mention, but is helpful for us all, is that Naltrexone does not "stop working." It's just a chemical designed to temporarily block or occupy 100% of your opioid receptors. It's not like a vitamin or herb that kinda sorta works, maybe. 50mg will occupy 100% of the receptors in nearly 100% of users. You don't build up a resistance to it such that, over time, you would need more than 50mg to occupy 100% of the receptors.

I think that's helpful to keep in mind because we can relax knowing that our "ally" in this struggle is going to work quickly and flawlessly in fulfilling its mission. Obviously, factors such as subjective experience, complexities of the addiction, personality, social support, and environment create a wide array of results in humans (keep in mind that, in rats, there is very little variability -- they all get cured very quickly). So, for any individual, the question is how they take advantage (or don't) of Naltrexone's brutal effectiveness. We have to use our reason and creativity to harness the power of Naltrexone and "outsmart" our addiction, especially if we have backgrounds, personalities, and environments that are ripe breeding grounds for alcoholism.