Hi all

I'm just past my second week into TSM and its going well in terms of alcohol reduction

However, I'm quite tired sometimes the during the day ... particularly afternoons .. and indeed this is one of the reasons I've been trying to cut my drinking for a while. I hate this afternooon fatigue .. I have underactive thyroid (on correct dose of thyroxine) but since starting the Nal I find I'm desperate to have an hour or 2 siesta after lunch! My muscles are a bit weaker, jogging and pilates classes harder - although I'm managing

I used to have this sleepiness after lunch a lot .. and put it down to drinking ... its improved a little but today I've just woken up from 90 minute nap!! I can't afford the time to do this!! I'm sleeping really well at night too which makes it even stranger??

Will this pass?? Is this a Nalover?

I only had 3 Uk units last night (2 small glasses wine) and just feel exhausted today after a short jog and one exercise class

Have also had burning eyes on PC at work during the day

Feel fine after Nal ... no side effects in the evening (apart from mild sugar cravings!?)
Any advice welcome thanks ... Lorraine

To this day I dread doing any kind of high intensity cardio. I feel like absolute **** for a couple of hours after. This is after 7 months still.

At the start the hang overs were pretty bad but they seem to have eased up of late. Maybe that's just down to me not drinking crazy amounts like before TSM.

I couldn't imagine going on a 2 day bender. The though alone just makes me ill.

If your experiencing certain things its most likely down to the Nal but from experience your body gets used to it over time. I lost a bit of sex drive at the start which thankfully came back and also my appetite has gotten smaller which isn't a bad thing I suppose.

All a small price to pay.

I wish I could sleep like you. I'm a terrible sleeper but this is mostly down to a benzo habit I had for a few years that has played havoc with my system. The devil of drugs imo.

I guess there's no telling what causes those symptoms, though I couldn't think of or find any particular reason that would happen. I even searched for "day after" side-effects of Naloxone IV which is much stronger than Naltrexone.

On another note...some people might disagree with me here, but I find stimulant substances extremely helpful in not drinking and in feeling great during the day. As I mentioned in my very first post, I have used diet pills here and there for a looooong time (quitting here and there) and they are very effective at giving me a euphoric boost either in the morning or during the day (note: I'm thin, so I use them just for the kick). Hydroxycut powder is amazingly effective, but I don't use that anymore. I have been using a weight lifting supplement Jack3D recently, along with a couple of other supplements, and it really helps me. The downside, of course, is that these have some potential health consequences, although the jury is not out on that yet. As far as a quit-drinking supplement, though, these mild to moderate stimulants are incredibly effective for me.

The lesser of two evils.

Barry/Flyer ... thanks for your help an advice

Flyer - sorry to hear about the sleeping problem .. I occasionally have a wee bout of insomnia .. its awful.. . wonder how you cope? I expect you just get used to it ... I think you're right I'll gradually get used to the Nal and hopefullyl tiredness will disappear ... strangely enough I drank more last night (and ate more) and felt better today.. weird!? Maybe I'm not eating enough... VERY encouraged about your reduced appetite... now there is a side effect i love the sound of!! hope it all going well for you

Barry... thanks for help - Ive not been shy of a wee diet pill or two myself over the years ... the trouble is we can't get any good stuff in the UK ... and as soon as a decent one does appear .. it gets banned or taken off the market. I like the sound of that hydroxy stuff ... maybe wil give that a try see if I can get it online. I'm within a few pounds of my goal weight having dropped a lot on Atkins ... would be nice to see my exercise improving instead of yawning my way through it!! Hmmm skinny and sober .... one day!

Still going well on TSM though .... its more than worth a bit of daytime fatigue! thanks guys Lorraine

Melatonin after early dinner or before a late dinner. I only take it when I don't drink which is obviously, not much. CPAP machine helps also.

I've always had energy lows at certain times of the day and taking nal didn't change them at all. The trouble with stimulants is you can become dependent on them, or at least build tolerance. I'm also an athlete who may or may not require drug testing in the future so very careful about ingredients.

What I do is simply try and be active through them.

Nal doesn't affect my exercise at all(and I do quite a bit), never has done apart from some wicked unregulation incidents in the first year.

Thanks UKB ...

That's encouraging that the Nal doesn't affect your exercise .. good on you!

Well ... a wee update ~ I'm getting on well with Nal as far as reducing my units go
Have gone from 55-60 UK units pre-Nal to about 28 - 30 the last 4 weeks so I'm delighted. Have had 2 alcohol free nights this week too which is good.

The BIG relief is not thinking/worrying/obsessing about how much I drink/how I need to stop or cut down all the time and Im almost getting blase about what a difference that has made!! This is a great relief.

I'm still struggling a bit with tiredness the day after Nal. The 2 AF days were ok but had 2 glasses of wine and Nal last night and felt SO SO tired today ... (seemed worse after the break from Nal)does this mean I have to just give up and go AF more???

At the moment .. if I thought it would be better to keep Nal every night and just have very few units ... I'd rather do this than have the AF and have a worse "nalover" when restarting.. But I'm not sure if that is what is causing the tiredness

I was also a bit disappointed I didn't notice a bit up-regulation ... or whatever the term was. I thought maybe with 2nights off .. I would feel really good after a short work out - felt ok .. but I wasn't exactly full of energy and endorphin rush.

Maybe I#'m asking too much - hey I'm not complaining ... TSM great - apart from abit of morning after fatigue to have the relief of reducing units .. I'm over the moon ... just not sure how to go to best proceed??

Hope everyone else doing well Lorraine


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Hi Lorrains,

When i saw the psychiatrist last week i mentioned the tiuredness and some days not taking the Nal as just couldn't afford to be tired the next day or that evening. He siad if i take it every day about the same time it will stay in my system and in terms of tiredness it will be better as my body won't have to get used to it again. I have now been taking it every day since March 25-th (i had decided to take it every day befor e even seeing the doc as otherwise i though i am not really doing TSM correctly, i.e. not taking the Nal and having drinks). And the tiredness has gone!

So maybe you take it even on AF days?

In terms od exercise i o youga Fr after work and Body Balance Sat am and also some resistence training at times and don't find taking the Nal interfering with this.

This sounds about right, I only notice the tiredness when I actually drink alcohol these days, then again I was always wiped out after the amounts I used to drink pre-TSM, plus I believe alcohol does make normal drinkers feel a bit sleepy, it's a normal effect of the sedative it is, we just aren't used to it until the endorphins are taken away.

Hi UKB and Alice

Hope you both doing ok .... I'm not sure I understand the advice here.... so Alice - are you saying you take Nal on days you don't drink alcohol?? Thats good if its helping with your tiredness. . .but I thought we weren't supposed to take Nal and NOT drink???!

Thanks UKB ... so I suppose the answer is just more AF days .. mind you I've felt better since i've been back on daily Nal .. strange!!

Can someone clarify if its ok to take Nal and just have only one drink?

Thanks all

Lorraine