Hi, I started nalmafene early November and have had almost constant side effects including nausea most mornings, difficulty getting up as feel so tired, horrid dreams, Hot flushes, loss of appetite, occasionally have anxiety/fearful feelings when I wake up.
I've been wanting to join this site from the start of my TSM but could never get registered, finally ound the code was Gilligan.
I'm doing OK, I had a honeymoon, followed by drinking almost as much in the evenings as I did previously, BUT no binges since I started, so I reckon I've reduced alcohol by about a third.
Pushing or AF days, just had 2, no compulsive drinking/obsessive thoughts.
Just the Side effects are getting me down and I wonder if I should switch to Naltrexone?
My C3 Counsellor says the SEs are much less on Naltrexone, but I've read that people still experience horrible side effects on that drug too.
Any thoughts appreciated. Boo.

Boo I am not the most qualified to comment, as I was lucky and had no naltextrone side effects. However, I been on this forum since early 2015 and have read many many posts that appear to support the advice that, although you MAY experience side effects from the nal, for most people they go away in a week or two. You start with 1/4 pill and see how it goes, and build up to the recommended 50 mg dose.

I would try to switch if I were you.

Good luck, Newlife

Boo,
I had terrible side effects on Naltrexone and then decided to take just 1/4 of the pill. I am still taking that since it helped me to achieve my goals to only drink socially. I have cut up the tablets and have them always in my purse in case occasion arises when I will drink. Sometimes, I take a little more of the tablet - especially, if I might have a drink at lunch time and at dinner, too. I suggest that you start with a lower dose and then see what happens.

Boo,

Welcome to the site. I am sorry to hear about the side effects that you are experiencing and I wish I had an answer for you.

There are a couple of people on this forum that have been on both Nalmafene and Naltrexone, and hopefully one of those people will chime in.

From what I have been hearing Naltrexone side effects are a walk in the park compared to Nalmafene, but everyone is different.

I agree with Newlife and it wouldn't hurt to give Naltrexone a trial run for two weeks to see if the side effects are more bearable than the Nalmafene.

I had very mild side effects when I started the Naltrexone. I mainly had nausea, loss of appetite, groggy feeling shortly after taking it, and vivid dreams and all went away in about two weeks except the vivid dreams. But, if I over drank I experienced a hangover worse than anything I ever experienced (which was a nal over).

Is it possible what you are experiencing is a severe hangover caused by the medication and over drinking? For this is almost how I felt with my nal overs. I would also have a cold sweats and racing heart followed with nausea and diarrhea (sorry TMI). I would pray for sleep and hope I wouldn't die...they were not fun.

Have you tried taking the Nalmafene and not drinking to see if it is just the Nalmafene or the Nalmafene and the alcohol? I know that you are to drink every time you take it, but before you switch it might be nice to know if it is the side effect from the drug or the side effect from the drug and alcohol. (it is just a suggestion, for I could not have an AF day with or without the nal in the beginning).

Is your C3 counsellor JoAnna? She has been on both nal and Nalmafene and maybe she could let you know if it is a Nalmafene hangover that you are experiencing.

Boo, my heart goes out to you and I hope that things get easier for you. Keep us inform on what you decide to do and if you do try naltrexone if it is more tolerant.

Jaba

Thank you all! Tantam,I'm in the UK and on a drug called nalmafene, this can't be cut like naltrexone. Java & Newlife, I have talked with Jo and she agrees I should switch to Naltrexone, I'm going to speak to my Doctor on Monday. My evening drinking is down by about a third, I don't drink in the day except when I'm binging, and I haven't binged since starting 3/11, so I'm really down by over a third and that's good. Jaba, Jo mentioned you to me and said you would offer sensible advice! I will try taking the drug and not drinking, I think that is an excellent idea, why didn't I think of that!! I also realise that I should have been keeping notes along with my drinking record, I'm not good at self analysis, but I'll try to start doing that.
I'm aware that even though my drinking is down, I still have the habit of wanting to drink, I was watching myself last night at a NY Party and I was glad my partner was there because I think I would have had a bad Nal over this morning, it would have been so easy to drink too much....... I'm still hoping for extinction,it's still early days (2 months not that long from what I've read & Ive read a lot! The whole of the C3 site! & on here!)so I am pretty informed and therefore hopeful this will occur in due course.
Anyway rubbish as the side effects are, the benefits still outweigh the hell of alcohol addiction.
Happy New Year to you all on here.
Take care, Boo

Boo,

I agree about dealing with the side effects instead of continuing going down that destructive path of alcoholism, but, unfortunately, some people will give up before the side effects stop, or feel it is hopeless.

I think switching drugs is a good thing and hopefully your doctor will allow the switch. Even though Naltrexone doesn't have the harsh the side effects of Nalmefene, you might want to be at home when you start to take it. I am thinking about how long Nalmefene last in your system and if you might need a wash out period before taking the Naltrexone. I am sure a pharmacist should help you with that, but if he/she says it is okay to take without a washout period, be careful for the side effects may be more intense.

I did find this:

If you take any of the following medicines on a regular basis they may reduce the breakdown of nalmefene in the body and so could potentially increase the chance of getting side effects from Selincro tablets:

diclofenac
fluconazole
meclofenamic acid
medroxyprogesterone acetate.

http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/br ... nalmefene/

The last one made me think about birth control pills. I am trying to research if there are bc pills with that property (or a similar property) in it, for that would explain if you are on bc and the side effects are more intense.

I am glad you partner is willing to help you through this, for it can be so helpful to have someone help stop your intake before it gets bad...well at least until you have that control. I have spent a few days in bed with bad nal overs before I had that control, and I have had times when I knew I over did it and those panic attacks will come just thinking about the nal overs.

It sounds like you had a good time and a nice morning thanks to your partner! That control will come with time and compliance.

Have a happy New Year,

Jaba

From what I have read about medroxyprogesterone acetate it is in the birth control shot, or oral provera. Since Nalmefene is a newer class of drug I am wondering if any from of progesterone would cause more intense side effects for some women. I was going to ask a pharmacist, but since this drug isn't in the US it might be hard to get an answer.

Boo

The side effects of Nalmafene are far worse than Naltrexone, I highly recommend switching.

Hanks I was aware of that, my D&A Doc would not switch me as in the UK they only prescribe naltrexone if you are abstinent
I am worried about bad aches and pains I have during the nighttime, I don't know if they are SEs or possibly a recurrence of cancer .......... That's why I wanted to know if anyone else has had aches & pains specifically as a SE from nalmafene

Boo, I've heard of that and felt a bit myself from Naltrexone, but it faded within a few weeks. I felt brief, kind of sharp pains in my gut, one side, then the other, here and there. One person over on Patient.info forums reported a pain in her shoulderblade. Nonetheless, I'd get ahold of your GP and let them know. If you've had surgery for cancer, then it might be adhesions, but no sense in guessing too much, get it checked it out if only for peace of mind.

BTW, I think that NICE guidelines actually recommend Naltrexone for moderate to heavy drinking, so you might want to check that out and update your Doc. If you're within those parameters, it's within your rights to request that it be offered as a treatment option (as I recall). You can email Joanna@CThreeEurope.com and she should be able to give you the skinny on that.

Boo

Why don't you just lie and tell the doc you have decided to completely abstain and would like to try the naltrexone with abstaining as a better choice than enduring SE's on the other drug?

I guess some people will jump on me for that suggestion. But it seems a practical solution if you can pull it off. And, after all, it is YOUR body we're talking about here. Who died and made your doc the king?