Hopefully can get some answers from all the great posters here. It is awful to see so many people going through what I am-while at the same time helpful to see I am not alone. I am desperate for this method to work.

I have had an issue with alcohol for the last 20 years-but have very very successful and High Functioning. Have had issues with severe anxiety and depression for the last 10- the only thing that worked for me was alcohol and my Xanax (.5mg 2x/day). I never drank in morn or afternoon but even night. Never had any withdrawal symptoms (although I believe my anxiety and depression were caused by my guilt of the never ending circle of saying I was never going to drink again-then get blackout drunk that night over and over). About 6 months ago though - I started noticing shakiness in my body during the day along with sweats- which the sweats always were relieved by the xanax but then I noticed if i had drinks in the morning and throughout the day the shakiness went away. I knew that day I had to get this under control. Started looking into things and somehow came upon "the cure for alcoholism". It seemed to be the perfect solution. I brought it to my dr. who like many others referred me to a treatment center and would not proscribe NAL. Knowing I needed to get this under control now and reading up on this site- I ordered NAL from River and began the next day. I saw the honeymoon week as a great sign and was ecstatic - but as I have moved forward I have not seen a significant reduction in cravings and my shakiness (and therefore my anxiety) has increased Here are a few questions I have that I hope someone can clarify for me. Bless you all in your path to success

I was initially taking 50mg every morning and was under the impression I would be covered from 24 hours. Is that correct?

If I am drinking small amounts of alcohol throughout the day- What is the correct way to take the medicine - My thought was to take .25mg in the morning and then .25mg mid day. Is this correct or do I have to take .50 mg multiple times a day to be covered

Does anyone know anything about the interaction with Xanax. Will NAL work if I am taking .5mg 2X a day or does it inhibit NAL from working

Finally - My side affects seem consistent with others on the board - Nausea-Foggy head-Tiredness-Anxious-Sweating- Shaky - vomiting from nausea a couple of times. These seem consistent?

I look forward to any answers and help here - HOPEthisworks!

I can't help with most of your questions, as while I have some similarity, I differ in others. I do not have anxiety.

But where I think I may be of assistance is in the discussion of xanax and alcohol. When someone goes to the hospital suffering from alcohol withdrawal, they are usually given xanax to stop the withdrawal symptoms. It is also contraindicated for alcohol dependent people, which from your post, I believe you are. Both drugs result in DT's for anyone who is abruptly stopped from using while physically dependent.

In so far as it blocking nal, the exact opposite would be true. Nal is a pure opioid antagonist, meaning it blocks the receptors the opioid compounds bind to. Or in the case of xanax, the receptors the endorphins it causes to be released bind to. In effect, nal blocks it. However, nal only works for 24 hours. Like all drugs, there is a period after ingestion where the drug isn't present, without time release, the drug floods the system. Then there is a period of time when the substance is eliminated. So, there is a graph of effectiveness. How that would affect you, I am not sure.

If you haven't read Dr. Eskapa's book, I would recommend it. You may also want to check the doctors section on here.

Best of luck to you.

I would second Heavy Fuel on the nal/xanax interaction. It seems like a potentially dangerous one to me, because you will likely need more and more xanax to feel it through the nal. I also suffer from anxiety and I was under the impression that xanax really should not be taken every day, as it creates dependency rather quickly and tolerance as well. I think this is what HF is referring to, and might well be the cause of your shakes appearing suddenly even though you hadn't changed your drinking patterns. If at all possible, I would talk to your psychiatrist about the drug interaction and see if you couldn't maybe be put on an SSRI or something else for anxiety. However, the bright side of this is that you will likely discover that alcohol has been making your anxiety much, much worse, and once the drinking is under control you might well be a pretty anxiety-free person ! That seems to have happened to people on this board, and has to a large extent been the case for me as well.
Good luck and be careful,
EL

I looked up this in numerous sites and most say something along these lines

Can I take naltrexone with other medications?

Naltrexone has been safely used in combination with many medications including aspirin, Tylenol®, blood pressure medications, anti-depressants such as Prozac®, mood stabilizers such as lithium, and anxiety-reducing medications such as Xanax® or Valium®.

Naltrexone should not be taken with opiate-containing painkillers such as codeine, Percocet®, or Demerol®, because it will block the effects of these medications. If you are addicted to opiates or have been taking methadone, you must go through a week-long detoxification process before beginning naltrexone.


Best of luck

Mario