Checking in again. Since I last posted, my drinking has been fairly well controlled for the most part. I've had two incidents over the last 6 weeks of drinking too much, both instances where I drank a bottle of wine in a night. The first one, I drank it all in the course of a couple of hours. That nalover was *bad*, very bad. The second time, just last week, I drank a bottle of wine over the course of about 6 hours. I never got really drunk, just buzzed and didn't actually expect to have a hangover. I did. It was milder but still a definite nalover.

Overall, the drinking is better. Sunday afternoon I took a naltrexone thinking I was going to have a drink at a picnic but by the time my hour wait was up, I was feeling the effects of the sun and thinking that alcohol would just make me feel more tired and overheated so I didn't drink at all.

Where am I these days with drinking? I'm not feeling the same call or craving to drink that I used to. I used to want to drink everyday, though I managed to keep it to 3 days a week most weeks. Now I only feel a real craving once or twice a week. And the craving is not as strong anymore. I can easily say no if it's not a good day to drink.

The cost of the naltrexone prevents me from drinking too casually. If naltrexone was super cheap, I might start having a glass of wine most nights with dinner, just because I do enjoy it, more so if I'm not worried about overdrinking. I'm too aware of the cost of the pill though, so I save it to have once or twice a week only.

While naltrexone has been great for decreasing my drinking, both frequency and quantity, it doesn't stop me from drinking too much on a particular evening sometimes. I have to keep working on that. I hate those nalovers. Wicked.

Thanks for the update, Valerie.

How do you get your Nal? I use GoodRx.com's electronic "coupon" to get it at a chain pharmacy for about $40.

Don't worry too much about the spike in drinking, if you weren't a daily drinker that may have been your habit anyway. If you feel that coming on, then try to slow down and sip. After the first couple of drinks, don't keep the glass near you, put it somewhere else where you actually have to think about getting up and retrieving it. Again, have another sip, put it down and walk away from it.

Social events can be difficult in that regard, some have had a brief drinking session (one or two drinks) the day before the event, so they don't feel deprived at the event.

That being said, you're about 3 months in? Sounds like overall you're doing well.