hi there... i have just started nal last night.... i felt super spaced out on it ... almost drunk!!!!!! i 25mg and i got so drunk.... i lost all my cards and my jacket last night... i cant believe it.... i really want this to work!!!!!!! i need this to work!!!!!! should i be trying to cut down while im drinking...am i normal??? . any advice would be appreciated ....

Hi Sunshine - Welcome!

It's all a bit overwhelming and emotional at first, but that is to be expected. The truth is , there is no "normal" - everyone's experience is different. This is new to many of us, but we all support each other, and several have seen very good results, but it generally takes quite a bit of time before you can really evaluate yoru progress. The important thing is that you're not alone - the people here are absolutely wonderful, and will do whatever they can to help. We're happy you've joined us!

The reaction to Naltrexone has also been quite different amongst us. The main side effects are fatigue (probably most prominent), a kind of spacey feeling, nausea, and headaches. These have generally dimished over time. Some who are very sensitive to medication have started with a dose even lower than 25 MG, and then slowly increased to 50 MG. I have no doubt they will share their experiences, and offer you advice where appropriate.

I would suggest that you continue to post and monitor the activity here, and you'll soon see you've been accepted into a very supportive family. Keep the faith - it does get better, and from what I've seen so far, it will all be worth it in time.

Again, welcome to our world. We look forward to helping you along the journey!

Hi Sunshine

Congratulations on getting the nal and starting!

All sorts of different reactions can be expected, just follow the one rule for the first few months take Nal one hour before you drink (take 25mg today but from tomorrow up it to 50mg) and that is it- after a few months you may have some idea of how it is going, but before then, the method hasn't had time to get working, so don't panic.

Some people see results from the beginning, for others it takes a lot longer- I am one of the longer term people here, and I am only at week 8, so we are all very much a work in progress.

If you can- document your results, write down how much you drink every day, and if possible try to put a number on how bad you were craving a drink before you started drinking. You will find this very helpful when you are some weeks into the program to see how you are doing.

Nice to have you here- keep posting!

Hi sunshine. Congratulations on beginning the rest of a very GOOD life! For the first few days, or weeks, some of us do experience a real 'spacey' feeling when taking Nal. It seems this does pass with everyone, so just hang in there. The results are SO worth it.

You want to reclaim your life, and now you have a real tool to be able to do so. It's not an overnight process - becoming addicted to Alcohol wasn't an overnight process, either. But over the course of the next 4-6 months, if you faithfully take your Naltrexone one hour prior to drinking, alcohol will become an "I can take it, or leave it" substance.

How cool is that?

BTW: Have you read Dr. Eskapa's book? It's a must-do.

thankyou all for your kind words and encouragement.. im pretty excited about starting this! i have a question for you all though... so i HAVE to take to pill everytime i drink for this program to be effective?? because initially i was like , i guess i will take it most of the time but a a few cheeky nights without it... after reading up about it it seems i must be on the ball with it ALWAYS... this is fine for me ... i just really want this to work so what ever it takes .. right!

Hey, Sunshine. Think of it this way. Any time you drink with naltrexone, you're helping the addiction go away. Any time you drink without naltrexone, you're making the addiction worse. If you only drink with naltrexone some of the time, then the effect of it will be sporadic and possibly undetectable. This has likely always been true and always will be true, it's just that before now drinking with naltrexone wasn't an option to you.

To answer the question about "should you try to cut down?", that's up to debate. If you don't drink at all then the naltrexone will actually increase your cravings. If you don't consciously consider cutting down then it may be that you'll continue drinking out of habit, because it's the way you learned to handle your stress, or because that's the only way you think you can enjoy yourself when you're out.

For the first few months, the consensus around here seems to be that you should just take your naltrexone and then forget you've taken it, and see what happens. Most people's drinking increases for a few weeks and then starts to dwindle on its own. They're encouraging people to keep track of their drinking and craving because it helps you and others see the effects when you start feeling like it's not having any effect.

Most of all, have patience.

Yes, you do have to take it every night, or every time you drink for the method to work.

But don't worry, that is not as grim as it sounds- you WILL still get drunk, you will still fall over and you will still say daft things that you regret the following day, naltrexone does not make you immune to any of this. What it does do is make you feel less like getting drunk. You continue to drink, but the urgency isn't really there as it was before.

This is a very gradual process, and not something that happens overnight- the pattern is generally (although certainly not always) that the first week your drinking will drop off quite a bit (known as the Honeymoon period) but doing the second and third weeks it will go right back up again- maybe to even higher levels than before you started. Then you should find over the next few months, bit by bit you are drinking less, or not craving a drink so much.

You should give it at least 4 months before you really evaluate how it is going for you.

But you do have to take the pill every time- or there is little point in starting. It is worth it, believe me

Dr. Eskapa's book explains everything in detail.

Welcome Sunshine!
I too strongly encourage keeping track of your drinks. I wasn't doing that for many weeks and it is not following the program. I just sort-of looked at the bottle(s). After last weekend's controversies, etc., I have realized I am really not following the SM unless I do. It is a tediously simple thing to do - like keeping a food diary when you want to lose weight. But I am more aware this week and, consequently, have drunk less. Also noticing how frequently I sip & the time of each drink too. Help[s. Good luck & stay tuned!

i feel like a piece of **** today!!!!!!!!!! i got very drunk again last night and did some very embarrasing things... i really hope nal works for me... i have a question though .. what happens if i have a few al free days in a row.. i feel like im not taking the nal often enough for there to be progress!?!?!?!? am i being silly? or should i just follow the golden rule? god im almost too scared to drink again because of the things i do when im drunk ... but i know i have to to become de addicted... god this is so frustrating ... i wish i was 4 months in already.... im feeling really sad....

I hope Potato jumps in here. She and you sound like a pair. She is not a daily drinker, so she thinks it took a bit longer for her, but she followed the Golden Rlue and got golden results. You will, too. Try clicking on Members, find Potato (near the top), and search Potato's posts. You'll recognize yourself now and -- the good news -- a few months from now. It wWILL happen.

Take care, Lena