My Nal came yesterday. I am starting tonight (a little scared of nausea) with w/25mg 1 hour before Drinking. I am currently at a bottle of wine a night plus. I believe that to be 42 - 63 us units a week.

Wish me luck


Pre TSM: 42-63
Week 1:

Good luck and let us know how you're doing!

I am really sad to report that I might not be one of the ones it helps. I took 25mg (River Pharm) and waited my hour but on retrospect I think I messed up. It could have been 45 minutes - maybe that's why it didn't work. I thought I would be one of the ones it helps because I know I drink for that energetic feeling it gives me - that endorphin feeling.

Anyway, somewhere into my drinking I thought the corners of my mouth were tingling and I only drank 9/10's of a bottle instead of the whole thing or the whole thing plus a beer or two so maybe it did something. Also, I felt really drunk - which is not how I normally feel. I just thought I would walk right into the honeymoon and that didn't happen.

I am going to take my other 25 tonight because it's already broken and I don't want to waste. Make sure it's an hour and try again - I do not like that really drunk feeling though.

It is really important that you wait the hour. Also, 25mg isn't always enough to get the effects, that's why 50mg is the recommended dosage. From what I have read here, one doesn't get the honeymoon on day one. To find out, you really have to continue on for a couple of weeks at the full dosage. To finish seems to be about 4-9 months, depending on units, length of time, etc. It isn't fast, but it's permanent!

As far as the drunk feeling you are describing, it sounds to me like you are experiencing alcohol with nal working. If you have read the experiences of others, our drunk feelings are completely different. There is no warm glow or buzzy feeling. Just the feeling of the alcohol, which isn't as good without the endorphins. That's important to feel, as this means the endorphins that reinforce drinking are not finding receptors. And pharmacological extinction may work for you. It seems as if your brain figured out something was different, so you were switching alcohol sources looking for that rush.

Good. You are giving me HOPE! I was really down about this.

H.F.'s right - that feeling of drunkeness is a good sign. Drinking on Nal is very different from drinking without it, but it does take the full hour before drinking to work.

My second night is going A LOT better. I took the 25 again and started a little after an hour - couldn't time it just right. I did purposely buy a 9.5% bottle of wine instead of my normal 13.5 - 14.2% bottle. (I was scared of that nasty drunk feeling from last night.) At any rate, I drank the 10th 10th of my last nights bottle and then started on my new bottle. I've drank 2/3rds to maybe 3/4's of it and I am done. In fact I had an inch full glass sitting on the counter that I contemplated dumping out. UNHEARD OF. I just brushed my teeth. Something I never do this early as it gets in the way of my wine drinking. (And something I often -shame- don't do because I drink so much I just fall into bed and pass out w/no worries of clean teeth -gasp!!!) I am basically (in my world) sober as I type this message and I am going to bed clear headed.

Welcome Honeymoon! Please keep lasting. I am young enough.... I hope.

Wow you're a little impatient for TSM to work flowerpower
PLEASE do not give up or despair at this point - there is absolutely NO REASON FOR YOU TO DO SO!!!! First of all, TSM takes a long time. If you are expecting nal to be a magical pill that immediately reverses your drinking behavior you will be disappointed. It is a long, sometimes invisible process (think months, to a year +....not days). The fact that you felt too drunk, or stopped earlier than usual - two KEY signs that you are responding to naltrexone. And if biologically you respond to naltrexone, there is an AMAZING percent chance that you will regain control of your drinking with TSM. Please do not get down about this now! TSM is a rocky process - there will be spikes probably where you will actually drink as much or more as you did before TSM. Just keep following the rule. Take nal, wait at least an hour (it does not matter after that...it doesn't need to be exactly an hour later, just AT LEAST an hour later), and drink when you crave.
It's helpful to chart your units, so you get a visual, but otherwise, just drink as normal. Nal will work in the background.

Electralou is right, once you read through the threads of people who have regained control or decided to permanently abstain, it's a long process. The book mentions we shouldn't obsess too much about the drinking, but we should keep a log. There is an example in the book. I use a spreadsheet with the following columns:

Day| Session #| Date | | Drinks| Dosage| Comment| Total|
Sat | 4 | 9/10/2011 | 3 | 50 |Comments on what I think/feel | (cumulative total for week)|

It's more of a diary to keep up with where I am and my progress. In my signature, you can see I am currently in my third week, my units are about 73% of my pre-TSM consumption levels. And I have had no alcohol free days (my lowest day was TWO!!! ) I normally drank about 10-12 a night. Anyway, I think I obsess too much right now. I keep coming by TSM.net, it's comforting to see that others who were successful felt some of the same things I am feeling.

I take my nal 1-2 hours before I want to drink. I count my empties or keep my receipts. And I know it's going to be a haul.

I wish you every luck! Hope you keep naling on and keep posting!

Hang in there FlowerPower, the road is long and bumpy.