Hi I'm new here...just started TSM this past Saturday. I had an interesting experience though. I have a question about Naltrexone side effects. I took my first does of 25mg on Saturday 1 hour before drinking a six pack of IPA beer. Later that evening I was totally knocked out in bed as if I had taken a sleeping pill. On Sunday I took another 25mg before have a couple beers at a restaurant while celebrating mothers day. Later that evening I was perfectly fine...no drowsiness.

Day 3 on Naltrexone I upped the dosage to the full 50mg 1 hour before drinking a six pack of beer. This time, it was interesting, it got me off the computer internet surfing and started doing more productive things, however later in the evening it's like if I had taken a valium or sleeping pill...I was totally a vegetable in bed, couldn't even focus on what was on TV, all I wanted to do was sleep.

Is this a normal side effect? Sunday I was fine, I guess since I upped the dosage yesterday it made me sleepy?
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Sleepiness is one of the most common side-effects of Naltrexone. Some people find side-effects diminish over time, others have persistent side-effects that never seem to go away (it's just how their body will ALWAYS react to Naltrexone). I've never personally had sleepiness, but I have had another one which I and others describe as "stretchiness" (the uncontrollable urge to stretch). I've also had "brain fog," dizziness, and an overwhelming desire NOT to drink alcohol (which has helped) --- it literally takes all I have to take a sip at times, mostly when I'm having head symptoms. Other times, I've had no symptoms. I'm thinking food consumption and general energy levels have a lot to do with my side-effects. If I eat (which I never used to do before drinking), I can now drink more than when I don't eat. In other words, it's really hard for me to get drunk now (haven't been drunk in 5.5 months since starting TSM) because I'm either dizzy or full!

Drowsiness is definitely a side effect when combined with alcohol, however normal drinkers tell me feeling sleepy is an effect alcohol has on them. My problem pre TSM was that alcohol would fire me up, rather than calm me down and since I'd not be functional or be able to do anything whilst drinking a bit of sleepiness was ok - you could take advantage of it to get an early night, another curb on the units.

My wife has been complaining on how early I want to go to bed, since I have been on TSM.

Mostly referring to nights that I drank very little with Nal or AF days/nights.

Her complaint and the problem stems from me being a bit extra sleepy and a bit crabby at bedtime. If I am sleepy and AF, I can fall asleep easily, but also be woken up easily. So when she comes in the bedroom, flips on the TV on a sleepy AF night, I would wake up and then have difficulty going back to sleep, and then I am crabby.

On a Nal day/evening booze treatment/session, I don't get woke up as easily.

Another side effect I personally have is that I am crabbier, like my wife says. She asked the other day If I thought my pills (Nal) were working, because she thought they were. She then commented on that they sure make me crabbier. My comment was "without my pills, I would have wanted to be crabby in the past during events that made me feel crabby, but I would not have said anything and drank instead." She simply said "I know".

So my only side effects are sleepier than normal on AF days, and crabbier and more cynical on AF days. Both are not really big problems for me and my wife. They are actually tiny problems compared to my previous volumes of booze and drunken daily lifestyle.

I think this is all part of learning to live without booze as a crutch, and you'll find the way you handle life does change as you get used to not drinking. Like you say it's a lot better than the sort of moods and behaviours excess boozing causes.

Just completed Week 1 on Naltrexone and the side effects are getting easier to handle except for the sleepiness, and I seem to get wasted with far less alcohol. Nevertheless I am optimistic and here are the results from week 1
Wk1:12,11,6,0,7,0,11=47

I'm a thick guy (215 lbs.) and it only takes me a couple of drinks (IPAs, 5.0-9.0%) to feel dizzy on NAL. But if I have third or fourth the dizziness fades considerably. My eyes get glassy as soon as I take it. I also feel sleepy the days after I take it. I've been on it since 4/23 with just a couple AF days.

Me too, it's so weird! I just took 25 mg of naltrexone today and yesterday, and whenever I get up, or this morning in bed too, I'm pandiculating* like a cat! (*I know it sounds like something dirty, but it's not! http://essentialsomatics.com/articles/detail/pandiculation_-_no_stretch_stretching)