Ok. I'm doing this thing because I'm a logical, scientifically-oriented person.

But I don't like it.

Naltrexone is more disruptive to my system and productivity than alcohol.

I took one tonight when I had lots to do. Thought I'd have a glass or two of wine while I was rushing around. Almost didn't take it as I had only about two glasses of wine left in a bottle. Took the Nal, drank about 3/4 of a glass of wine and within a half hour I was passed out, drooling.

Damn. It's almost impossible to take this stuff and keep on your feet. I'd almost rather drink without it.

Really, I can only take it if I am staying home and what's the point of that? I can't take it if I want to go out to dinner with friends and kill a bottle of wine. I'd never make it back home.

It makes me drunker, spacier, fatigued to the point of dysfunction. I can't possibly drink "normally" on it.

But at least it has the very positive effect of making me want to ignore cravings because the prospect of taking Nal is too awful to contemplate and I shouldn't drink without it. So - don't drink!



If I take Nal, I can guarantee that the rest of the day or evening is pretty friggin' useless.

Samsara

I took it back in October and after about 10 days I gave up- I just felt so bad on it, i was drinking less, but I thought that was no wonder because I felt so ill!

This time round I did it a bit differently- I started with a tiny dosage- about 15mg and very slowly worked my way up. If I could 'feel' I had taken the naltrexone at any given dose, I would continue at that dose until i didn't feel anything at all, then increase it slightly until finally I made the 50mg.

That worked for me, when I take 50 mg now I don't feel a thing, and I did feel pretty bad on it to begin with.

I am sorry you are having a bad experience. I had one on topomax

Yesterday I upped my dose of Nal to 50mgs 2 x a day. Reason: As I am a 24/7 drinker, I think I need to have more in my system and I have read what Dr. Eskapa wrote and I think this may be the best thing for me.

I do not seem to have a problem with the med. I think we just are all biochemically different, so good luck to you.

And I have been able to temper my drinking to one to 1 and 1/2 bottles of wine during the 24 hour period. I think for me I am doing well.

Yes, we are all different. Our bodies and emotions are different.

I stayed at 25 mg for longer than most people, I thought.

I really hate the stuff.

Problem is I am not a daily drinker. So, I may take it 2 times a week - maybe once, maybe three times. Maybe it takes longer for my situation to habituate to it. But, in the meantime, I find myself avoiding taking it at all costs.

I hate to take it if I just want to go out to dinner and have a glass. Kind of defeats the purpose of the whole method if I get so whacked on one glass of wine that I kill somebody coming back in my car, doesn't it?

Maybe I'll try to cycle back to 25 mg for a while. But then it bugs me that I'm taking in drugs which aren't serving their original purpose with me.

I know everyone says that Nal is safe. But - it is a powerful drug and we shouldn't be disarmed about this. If it wasn't so powerful, I'd be able to take it without a problem.

Anyway, I'm off on a week long retreat early Sunday morning - no phone, no internet, no newspapers, no Nal, no talking for a week. I'll be miles up a dirt road on a wild Mexican mountain. So don't get concerned if you don't hear from me.

Love and good luck to you all. Catch up with you when I get back.

Hi Samsara - I read your post yesterday and thought about it for some time last night...I agree. It does suck. And yes, we get so caught up in the 'cure' that we forget this is a powerful drug we are taking.

So far, I've had good success with cutting down on my drinking, but I fell asleep immediately after work last night for 1/2 hour (while the kids ran around - I hate doing that) and while I have been very careful to notice the 'good' subtle things that have been happening in my life related to cutting down on drinking, I have been adament about ignoring and pushing through the Nal side effects.

Last night, I thought through those effects...I admitted that I have been very 'testy' with my family since starting. Seems like my emotions are like a switch now - if I get mad, it's like 'boom' mad...not a little growing agitation. And I have a buzzing in my head all day after 2pm...mornings seem to be fine, but as the day goes on the medication seems to come back in full force. I also have noticed my brain is not as sharp (like...writing these posts, my words don't flow together like they used to). Also, when I drink, the pleasure is definitely gone and I get too tired to continue after 2 drinks. Not really much fun but it's a treatment program, it's not meant to be fun!

However - I have been drinking nearly every day in order to get used to the medication. The symptoms you are having are similar to what I experienced the first week...but it has gotten better. I take it after dinner every night and have at least one drink. My body is definitely getting used to it and I am committed to taking it for 4 months but am looking forward to taking a break already. If this treatment were just a means to reduce cravings short-term, I would stop altogether. However, I see all the side effects as proof that it is re-wiring my brain permanently - so I keep at it. I am hoping that over the course of 4 months the side effects disappear completely and I am able to use the medication less and less. SO - I think it does suck, but am hoping it is all worth it. I have to admit, I do miss the endorphins from drinking...and I do not like the personality changes I am experiencing, but they are subtle right now.

Enjoy the Mexican vacation - sounds wonderful. No talking, huh? Wow. You will have a lot of thoughts to spill out when you come back!

Take care,

For over a month, I was wiped out after taking Nal. That passed and I am functional now. Give it a chance. If you are unhappy after four months we will kindly refund your addiction in full.

LOL, Springer.

The thing to remember also I think is that after drinking without Nal, the rest of the day or evening was also pretty friggin' useless.
At least with the Nal the following morning is not useless too

Fatigue was a MAJOR issue for me when taking Nal and drinking even a small amount of alcohol.

There were days in the first month that I didn't want to drink simple because I didn't want to take Nal and end up fighting to keep my eyes open.

As SR points out, this does pass. I sill notice some fatique after taking Nal and drinking, but no where near as bad as it was just after starting.

I experienced the same fatigue side effect the first week (along with nightmares and a weird buzzing in the back of my head). But now I'm now on day 11 and the fatigue syndrome is improving, sleep is not so troubled, and the "buzzing" in the back of my head is gone altogether. I'm also drinking about 50% less each day compared to two weeks ago, which I attribute to starting each morning with a specific drinking goal (that personal decision was based on Dr. Espaka's comment regarding my inquiry concerning "planned tapering off" -- you can read my question and his answer under his topic section). I don't know if a planned tapering off schedule is something anybody else on this board has tried, but it's working for me (so far). Basically, I'm trying to exercise just a little control over the default SM protocol by pre-planning my consumption when I get up in the morning. I started with 4 beers per day last week, and this week, I'm going for 3 beers per day except on Friday and Saturday night (when I'm planning for 4 beers, since I'll be going out). Next week, I'm going to plan on 2 beers per day, (3 on Friday and Saturday night), and the following week, I plan to reduce my drinking in the same linear fashion until I think I'm ready for an AF day. So far, I've avoided almost all the nervousness and anxiety I've previously experienced when I tried to stop or cut back on my drinking in the past (and repeatedly failed). I guess we'll see if this approach is successful over the next few months -- although I realize a sample size of one has absolutely no scientific validity -- or if I revert to heavier drinking after a couple of weeks on Nal 'cause I can't control the craving to the extent I feel I can now.

And that seems to be working for you. I just want to caution you not to be disappointed if you do have an occasional day of excessive drinking. None of us have recorded a linear path and there is little reason to believe yours will be straight as a razor. Remember, this is not abstinence where measuring is far. This is a process for subtle biological alteration.

Be gentle to you.