I am setting this up to track my progress here. I am hoping I will not suffer from side effects as I am sensitive to medicine.
My starting units a week are around 6 to 8 glasses of wine 6 to 7 days a week . This range would be from 36-56 units. Is that how I figure it? Math is not my strong point. I took the 25 dose 30 minutes ago and am headed to an outing. I am aware of the possible honeymoon period I have read about. Any guidance would be great. Thanks!

Welcome
Side effects vary and only last a week or two. Spaceyness, tiredness, nausea are the main ones. Take nal with something to eat which helps to prevent nausea. The good news is that there appears to be a correlation between sfx and the potential that nal will work for you.
Good luck

Day 3 today...looking back over day 1 and 2...

day 1 - took 25 at 4:30 - began drinking @ 5:30 or 6:00 -felt different but still drank as much if not more...woke at 3am and tossed and turned...exhausted....bummed - 8 units

day 2 - took 25 at 6:00 -usually could not wait til then... had first drink @7:00...very slow drinking - happy - 3.5 units

went to bed clear headed but relaxed...took over the counter sleep med...slept soundly and woke feeling good....

I will enjoy the honeymoon and hope it continues...will keep updating..

Nice! Sounds like you are ready, or close to being ready, to try 50 mg. For me there were side effects but I just drank through them. I felt weird during the hour before drinking but once I drank a few I forgot all about the SE's

Day 4 today...I will recap day 3 yesterday...

I had some very bad new from work that would typically send me straight to drinking...I waited until 5:30 to take the 50 pill...usually it is hard to wait til 5 to have the first glass especially if i am stressed..the pill made me feel kinda spacey at the higher dosage....I had the first glass at 6:45...again only drank 3.5 units and I sipped until 10:30 or 11....unheard of for me...took an over the counter sleep med again and woke up in the night briefly but fell back asleep fairly quickly ...very vivid dreams...some kinda scary..

I am enjoying this honeymoon and hope it continues...even with the work problems...this gives me hope...

For sleeping or relaxing when you can't drink, try "drank" or "lean" sodas. they are kind of hard to find but you can find them in the energy drink section in the convenience store. it's the opposite of energy drinks. they have melatonin, valerian root and rose hips, and can really help mellow you out. last night I drank 6 beers, and upon reaching for a 7th, I saw a Lean in the fridge and opted to get my lean on and go to bed instead.

never would've done that before tsm!

Day 5 today...feeling good...recap of day 4 below...

Day 4...very irritable and edgy...VERY...started getting cranky around noon and it just escalate and seemed to get really bad after i took the 50 at 5:20...I was barking at everyone in the family...I had first glass of wine around 6:45 and it took a little of the edge off but i felt strange..is the irritability a side effect...i had not read of it if so...please let me know...i ended the night at 4.5 glasses...and slept through the night - thanks goodness after the nights sleep on day 3....i woke up feeling good and refreshed ...had a good day doing stuff for kids and work....hopeful that the irritability does not come back!...maybe I should go back to 25? I will let you know how tonight goes tomorrow...thanks for reading...Nal seems to be working...honeymoon and all...just hated that angry irritable feeling...definitely cant take that...please say it wears off the longer you take it? I am loving my drinking progress...

I know the SE's stink but I always remind ourselves that before TSM we had AA, White Knuckle and death or prison and certainly divorce. Yes they wear off within a week or certainly 2 weeks. Weird dreams yes, I had them as well...

The fact that we can drink to a cure is amazing...I am thanks to some inspirational posts only having half pint tonight (vodka). For me that means totally sober. That beats where I was last night,..but more important,...remember this momo....if you're like me, you may have to exert a little effort. I'm in month 9 and was stagnating with some drunken episodes every couple weeks.....

Thanks to Joe and a few others, I realized that unlike the book and the South African story, mine will require that I am more diligent and make concerted efforts. You probably don't know my story but I have to hide drinking from my wife because she thinks TSM Is a joke. I think that exacerbates the alcoholic mindset. I think if I were able to drink guilt free I would be better....But in fairness, I put her through hell....

Good luck and stay close.....post often. Try not to drunken post (I have ) but if you do, you can always edit the next day.....2.08 AM and I'm not smashed,...then again, I am going to smoke a little to help with sleep,..but still,...I am better than I was...BEst, Jim

Day 6 today....slept well again last night...recap of day 5 below...

The edginess stayed at bay for most of the day...I was so concerned about it coming back that i ended up only taking 3/4 of the 50 pill...I just thought that was better than going all he way back to the 25???? anyway...I took it at 6:30 and again had a little crabby feeling and snapping - and also kinda spacey.... not like the day before at all...but still felt it as soon as the pill kicked in....had first drink around 7:45...again this part - waiting this late to drink - on all days but the first has been a big difference cause i am usually watching the clock for 5:00...finished the night at 4.5 units...

so i am very happy with progress but really do not like the one side effect that i am having - just don't like being snappy and crabby and edgy...especially to my kids and hubby....please let that go away...I am still feeling very hopeful and will go back to the 50 tonight I think...hope this memorial day i stay on this honeymoon...and it continues...

Day 1-8
Day 2-3.5
Day 3-3.5
Day 4-4.5
Day 5-4.5

Finished my first week Saturday and am posting the results...

Day 6 and day 7- I took the 50 and waited at least an hour before drinking ...and happily the edginess is going away...On day 7 ( it was a saturday - usually a big drinking day for me) Hubby and I had a date night and I drank a little more than i would of liked but still was clear headed and remembered everything the next day - we saw a movie (a drink dinner and movie theater) and I enjoyed the movie. The irritability seems to be subsiding - yea!
I was super tired on Sunday but had a lot of early activities going on with kids etc...so not sure if that was the Nal or just life...

WEEK 1
Day 1-8
Day 2-3.5
Day 3-3.5
Day 4-4.5
Day 5-4.5
Day 6-4
Day 7-5.5

so my total - 33.5 units

This total is way down and i am very happy and hopeful that it is not just the honeymoon - am hoping for at least 1 AF day this week ...Started week 2 last night with very low key night and didn't really want my last dink but poured it out of habit and poured the last of it down the drain...very strange - would never of done that Pre Nal...ended up at 3 units...

I think this is working and am very very thankful if it is...even if stays just like this there is a tremendous difference already...Will keep updating ...Have lots of Holidays planned for the Summer with kids and would be so very happy to continue this pattern and keep dropping my units...Happy Memorial Day!