Hi all

I actually first started with Nal about 10 months ago. At the time I wasn't convinced it had worked due to a couple of slip-ups - but on reflection it had - the slip-ups were much less. I was probably unrealistic about the amount of time it would take and wanted to see immediate results.

I'm not an everyday drinker. Once I start, I don't stop regardless of the state I'm in. I've done and said some terrible things that I'm ashamed of - at least those of which I remember.

I have a great job. I'm intelligent. But my binge drinking makes me worry for my future. I am single. I know some of my relationships have been affected by my behaviour. I would like to meet someone and before that I need to get my drinking under control.

The best bit about my time on Nal - living without guilt after a night out. I probably had two nights in six months where I blacked out. It's been two nights in six weeks recently.

Wish me luck everyone. Popped a nal about 30 mins ago so will be going to the shop to buy wine. Will see how I feel after a glass ...

Hi NJ, and welcome to the forums. I am like you in the binge aspect of things, and a few other similarities we seem to have. Good luck with starting out on the nal course. Keep us posted. For me nal hasn't managed to curb my binges as much as I 'd wanted to, or, at times at all, but to be fair, it has offered me a few days where I did stop when I started, and managed to keep me away from some of the nastier riskier aspects of my binges, as in (extremely) drunk driving and picking up girls off the streets while drunk driving ending up in hotels with no money to pay for, crooks knocking on my door, and me having to jump a floor down in an emergency exit from the **** I got into... all that might sound like a bit of risky fun on the side, but that's in movies, in real life it's regret, depression, almost no real tangible pleasure outside the muck that is a binge, a wrecked nervous system, excitoxicity and dead brain and liver cells. I too don't have a woman in my life, and I 'd like one, and although I know that physically and mentally I can attract most women I 'd like to, I don't think the woman I 'd like to have in my life would be one who would stay with a problem drinker, an alcoholic in other words.

All the best man, keep us posted.

(btw, anyone else keep hitting the post new topic button instead of the reply to topic one, that always gets me! Why the hell is the new topic button right under the posts and first on the left of the reply one? Someone should be on their nal I guess from the phpBB forum design team!!!! )

So just under a month since I started on the nal. So far, I have no desire to drink more than I should when at home - but being out is different - definitely haven't managed to cut down on the boozing. However, the blacking out hasn't really happened and I have much more clarity over what happened on the evening. I need to remember I'm just at the beginning of the journey and it hasn't been a full month yet.

Does anyone think I should up my dosage? Or should I be patient and keep with the 50mg?

Thanks in advance.

As far as I understand, upping the dose will only help a small % of people. For the vast majority, 50mg effectively blocks 100% of your opioid receptors, so the Naltrexone is "maxed out" at that point. More Naltrexone might up the side-effects, but doesn't make the therapeutic part of Naltrexone any more effective. This is only hypothetical (as is TSM in general) -- some people seem to find upping the dose helpful.

Think I will just stick to the 50g and aim to exercise a bit of willpower when out - no more than 4 drinks on an evening.

Do you drink faster when out?I found I sometimes did drink faster when socialising and could/would drink through the nal. Slowing down, choosing weaker drinks might help.

I have "drank through the nal" several times. I have also taken a 2nd Nal after about 6 hours. I think there is a small benifit taking the 2nd nal, however, once you "drink through the nal" you are probably legally drunk, and not making rational decisions.

I think the nal helps me not get to the legally drunk stage, and lets me realize I really don't want/need the 6th or 8th or 10th drink. That being said, sometimes I still have it out of habit or weakness.

It is getting less and less.

I'm going to echo what our fair-haired friend has said already - I still have a tough time with "willpower" when I'm out. If my drink is empty, I'm getting a new one. BUT what I CAN easily do is switch in wine when I am craving whiskey and beer when I am craving wine. This really slows down the trajectory of the evening without the monkey chatter associated with the self denial that, let's face it, none of us are particularly good at.

Best of luck amigo!

Hi I'm new to the forum and am so happy that it exists. It's been 2 weeks today since I started Nal. The first few days I didn't feel like drinking and only had a few glasses of wine. Now I'm back up to drinking 1-2 bottles of wine a day. I'm worried that it's not working for me. Anyone have this issue? Thanks

Yes, it's common that people see an initial drop and then a subsequent spike in drinking, although some people never experience the spike (and some never experience the drop!). Just keep on keeping on because the effectives of TSM occurs in the subconscious, regardless of how much you do or don't drink. Just be safe and try to bump up your self-control at this point. Remember, nobody is MAKING you drink 1-2 bottles of wine (although it feels that way sometimes, I'm sure!).