Im nearly two months in and have been playing by the book.

Initially I had some really odd side effects..dry mouth etc however the most alarming was waking in the night with this strange tingling feeling down both arms. This gradually subsided but more importantly my consumption dropped by a decent amount...roughly 40%.On one occasion I was at a party and drank through the Nal...leaving me with the hangover from hell....really nasty and totally out of context with the amount I drank.

In the last few weeks my consumption has reached pre Nal levels....the dry mouth / tingly weird arm sensations in the middle of the night has returned and every morning is the hangover from hell...the arm thing is scaring the hell out of me. It has simply stopped working and I dont think I can live with the side effects plus the worsened hangovers the likes of I havent had for years . Clearly this pill doesnt agree with the amount of alcohol im consuming but it isnt stopping me chasing the buzz.

The first few weeks I regained my zest in life....its all stopped, the urge for a drink and the subsequent side effects and ' Nal over' are far worse than when I embarked on this programme.

Help

Okay Ive just posted the above and now I will try and explain whats happening in a live situation.

I took my Nal at 4pm.....at 5.15 pm I drank a cold beer. It was great, it wasnt my normal high strength beer (ive been on 4% since taking these tablets) but it tasted great which I guess is good as normally I wouldnt entertain rats pizz like this

20 minutes later and im on the second and 20 minutes after that Im opening a bottle of red wine. I really wanted to open that bottle and I did.However after one glass it suddenly takes like rats piss and I guess this is the Nal kicking in telling my brain that its crap and I DONT WANT THE BUZZ and I have this weird metallic strange taste in my mouth as per my side effects listed on the post above.

But I still want to drink...wtf !!...my mouth is like a sewer, Im hating the taste but im still going to drink that wine....Im totally confused, this is one hell of a battle.

Pounding,

The side effects of tingling down your arms is a new one; however, it does list muscle or joint pain as a side effect (it almost sounds like restless leg syndrome in your arms). Do you play video games or type a lot on the computer, for it could be carpal tunnel (I have it and that is feels like, and alcohol would aggravate it).

The taste change is something that I have experienced from time to time, and, unfortunately, it never stopped me from drinking.

Slow down your drinking, and drink water in between those glasses.

At 8 weeks I was still looking for that buzz (or ah moment) and I would continue drink to find it, but it never came. I would have nal overs were I thought I was going to die and needed to go to the E.R. After my third nal over, I forced my intake down. I was drinking through the nal, and I had to learn not to do that. Those nal overs are nasty and very unpredictable.

My theory is your brain is refusing to let go, for it remembers that feeling and wants it bad, so it tricks you into drinking more. This is where the hard part comes in, for all you can do is be complaint (take nal, wait an hour and drink) and wait for that switch to flip in your brain. You are going to have to wait for you brain to forget about that feeling, or unlearn what it is to be on alcohol.

It sounds like you had a really good honeymoon for those first few weeks, and that will come back, but it will take time.

I am unsure if this helps, but I hear your frustration. You are so close to the finish line, do not give up.

Jaba

Are you using Naltrexone OR Nalmefene?

...I feel like my brain is refusing to let go.....well put, whoever said that....my prescribing doctor feels the same, however I'm keeping going......this is nearly a year for me.....I'm drinking now and have had a heavy weekend......I still got a buzz, but I feel the buzz is coming from me, and not the booze....... I get so excited with the thought of that drink, then I don't get the buzz, but keep drinking as I like the sedative effect........I'm my own worst enemy, but I'm not worried as I'm not going on week long benders!!

Many thanks for you advice, its posts like yours that keep me on this path. My intake is down which is a positive, I guess I need to work with this thing rather than accept it as a given or some kind of miracle cure. As for the arm thing, Im a cyclist- perhaps I should explore the carpal tunnel issue ?

Hi Im on Naltrexone however im on the Nodict version.? It is so unpredictable, some days I feel sick after taking the pill, others im fine. Some nights I have the worringly frightening side effects, others I sleep like a baby. My consumption is roughly the same each night .

I guess my major concern is over what this pill is doing to my body..its one hell of a ride.

pounding -

I've heard of a few folks having that sort of reaction to Nal, but it usually fades pretty quickly. Nalmefene is a different story, Casper and I believe it was Joanne? over on optionssavelives related their initial problems with Nalmefene (Selincro) and it was no walk in the park.

You may well be at the stage where you can try forcing the issue, cutting back to a set number of drinks per night or forcing an AF day. Just start pushing back and see if the Nal will give you some extra latitude... some elbow room. See if you can, for instance, put the beer back in the fridge and go do something else for 15 or 20 minutes in an effort to disrupt the old connection and forge a new one. Empty the dishwasher, rake leaves, start to sort that pile of stuff you've been meaning to get to, anything to break it up. If you smoke too, stop taking your drink out with you when you have a cig.

Now, as a bit of an aside, I always had problems with wine after beer. Just one glass of red would give me a ripping hangover the next day

I'm wondering if it's the Nal that's the problem or the Nal-over. Might be a good idea to go get your liver checked to make sure your enzymes aren't getting out of range in any case.

really sorry to hear you're having a rough time of it

this is kind of a long shot, but I seem to remember a few people not tolerating Nodict well, but being fine on other generics - Naltima, Nalorex, etc. if you're a couple of months in & still having a horrible time with Nodict, then maybe have a look at getting something different? if you were going to tolerate it then you would have been by now

it sucks, but the likelihood is that you're reacting to something other than the Nal in that particular generic, rather than to the Nal itself, which most people tolerate pretty well after a few days or weeks at most

best of luck

-badger

Pounding,

Badger has a good point about the Nodict. I have heard that Nodict is harder and to wait 90 minutes instead of the 60, but it is a different generic and can cause side effects. With my other medicine I alway make sure it is from a certain manufacturer, for I have noticed that some generics can be different.

When I would cycle at the gym it would aggravate my carpal tunnel, but I was a typist for years and that is what brought it on to begin with. If you press around your wrist there will be tender spots if you have carpel (sometimes it will feel like an electric shock); however, I think it may just be the side of effect of the nodict.


Yep, that is why I went the to doctor for a script and blood work. I am older and have done a lot of stupid things to my body, including taking too much tylenol for a migraine which had my liver enzymes elevated for a week (along with the "experimental drugs" I have done). But, most people are fine except those that already have liver damage. To put your mind at easy, if you live in the states, you can get your blood work done at any lab without a doctors order, but you may have to pay out of pocket.

I am happy to hear that you are seeing progress, for it's just a matter of time now!

Jaba