I've been on Sinclair about three weeks now and my pattern is pretty much the same. Almost every morning I wake up fresh and bushy tailed, rarely a hangover or anything close to it, and drinking is the furthest from my mind possible. Then as the day goes on and I interact with people, which activates my essential tremor (head and neck), I get tenser and tenser. I know the only thing that will help that condition for me are a couple of glasses of wine, the first gulped so it will kick in faster and quell the tremors. So come five o'clock, that's what I do. I also start thinking about it about 3 pm. There are both obvious internal triggers plus external ones (watching my wife pick up a glass of wine at five pm.)

Never been in any kind of trouble from alcohol--knock on wood.

I usually drink from 6 to 10 five-oz glasses of wine (units) each evening, often interspersing with a glass of water, juice or even milk. Nonetheless by eight of nine pm, I'm unable to stay awake any longer and hit the sack. Same if I'm at a party. I can't make myself stay awake much beyond about eight (I drink more at parties because I have a degree of social phobia coupled with my tremor which makes me terribly uncomfortable in my skin--alcohol temporarily fixes those but also knocks me out), so I have my wife drive me home often before dinner is served which looks rude to the hosts, hence we're not asked out very much and I'm all the gladder for it. I go to great lengths to avoid socializing, but my wife thrives on that, so I do need to accommodate her on occasions that I can't wriggle out of.

After crashing early, I often waken around 2 or 3 am and find it hard to get back to sleep because of the rebound effect. I might take 2mg lorazepam at that time--occasionally--which results in a restful sleep for the rest of the night. I almost invariable get out of bed at 7:30 am as if I had an internal alarm clock, feeling refreshed and raring to go. Then the whole cycle repeats.

Since starting on the naltrexone, my dreams which used to be pleasant and entertaining are becoming strange--there's a sense of terror of something extremely evil in them which I personify as the activity of alcohol in my brain fighting for its life to kill the naltrexone that in turn threatens to kill it. Whatever, it is very unpleasant.

I'm scheduled for a liver function test next week that my doc insisted upon before he reluctantly prescribed 30 pills of nal. I hope, if the tests go well, that I can explain to him that the process takes months to work and that he will prescribe enough refills.

So that's were things currently stand.

Mike

Hi Mike,

I can certainly relate to what you have said above. I find that my dreams have an intensity about them such that, when I awake, they stay with me for half an hour or so. Previously, recollection of my dreams would be gone within a few seconds of waking up. For a while, I thought the dream problem was being caused by withdrawal from clonazepam (which I take for anxiety) but it now seems more likely to be caused by the naltrexone itself. It could, of course, be a combination of the two.

From my point of view, the dreams, although unpleasant, have not prevented me from persevering with TSM.

All the best.

V.

Just my little tidbit.....I, too, have extremely vivid and anxiety-ridden dreams. I often wake my husband up either by being extremely restless or by yelling in my sleep. So far (I presume!) I'm not sleep walking!!

I think the dreams are symbols of some of the "devils" or traumatic events that our subconcious is working out, now that we aren't numbing it so much with alcohol. While symbolic, I think it's a very important of the process to come to terms with life events that likely got us started drinking into addiction. In that regard, I may think about what these dreams may mean, but I don't overanalyze.

My NAL Dr. also says that some of the dreams may be the effects of alcohol withdrawal...and not so much the effects of the NAL.

Sweet dreams, ya'll

I can tell you conclusively that it's the naltrexone that causes my wild dreams. The only meds I'm on are Prilosec for acid reflux of fifteen years (gee, wonder why I have reflux) and BP medication. I've been on both for years with zero side effects. Also, I have had no withdrawal symptoms since starting TSM either as I was sober for over a week before starting the program. And Pre-TSM, I almost never remembered my dreams and probably had gone ten years without a nightmare that I remembered. If my dreams were reality now, I would surely be on America's Most Wanted as either a serial killer or as the repeated victim. My nightmares almost always involve a mortal struggle where either I'm getting killed or I'm killing someone in self-defense. The dreams started when I was on naltrexone and then subsided somewhat after the nausea went away in the first two weeks. But they have continued sporadically and I had two doozies the last two nights. I just realized a psychiatrist who interprets dreams would have a field day with this one. Two nights ago I dreamed I was in a serious fist-fight with my alcoholic bartender buddy. He is quite a bit bigger than me and grew up in the 'hood and really knows how to fight, unlike me. Anyway, for every karate move who threw at me, I countered with devastating blows, knocked him down and was just about to strangle him to death when I woke up sweating. It seemed so real I felt like calling him at 4 AM to apologize. Anyway, I never thought of it in those terms, but it does seem that there is some sort of internal battle going on in my head between these opiate blockers and my former BFF. But the dreams are sporadic and even if they were every night, they wouldn't even make me consider stopping TSM. They are a minor burden to me, that's it. I think you'll probably find that the bad dreams diminish the longer you are on naltrexone and the more acclimated your body gets to its effects.

I know for me it is definitely al withdrawal. EVERY first night after a binge I have the same set of weird dreams. Also waking up suddenly, feeling like I'm falling, shouting out in my sleep. However, the nal has actually helped with this a bit. Maybe it's different for different people. I think I might be a different people

Just my 2 cents. When I first started taking Nal. I had those vivid dreams for the first 4 months or so then it went away. My vivid dreams were not anxiety ridden or anything just really vivid. So I don't think it is unusual. I also got tinnitus twice because of Nal but that went away with Ginseng supplements. Then it stayed away even without the supplements. All the best. Cheers

I had some odd dreams. I don't remember them, but I remember feeling anxious, or scared when I woke up. Another issue....SWEATING! Holy!!!! I was at first only experiencing mild night sweats...now I don't, as often, but during the day, now that it's summer, WOW!

I'd rather sweat and have weird dreams than the alternative

Nick, if I may? Your dream does have symbolic significance. Your best friend/bartender is the guy who gives you free drinks. You're now in the fight of your life trying to kill your dependence on alcohol. Your friend is the personification of that struggle in your dreams. You know that you either have to kill 'him/it,' or be killed, in self defense. Your dream is confirming that this is the fight of/for your life. Your brain is telling you that even though the AL has had the upper hand with you (your friend is tougher and more fight savvy), you're right on the verge of strangling this addiction to death!

Congratulations!

G4M, that's what I concluded but only after stopping to post the dream here and thinking about it. That's what I meant when I said, "a psychiatrist would have a field day with this one." I totally agree with your interpretation. Thanks. I don't think it's a coincidence that virtually all of my dreams are more or less the same, with me in some sort of mortal combat, sometimes losing, but more recently, sometimes winning!

Dear Nick!

You have me rolling on the floor really laughing my butt off! What a dream you had and your description of your bartender buddy, Scott from the 'hood! My husband came in the room and asked me why I was laughing so loudly... I dunno why it hit me but it did. It was too funny! What a great post..

You contribute so much to this board. As well as all our other great posters. You all are the wind beneath my wings.

Have a great and safe 4th to those in the States and a great day to everyone else!

bb