Hi All, on average I drink two bottles of wine, or the equivalent, at home twice a week. Sometimes more if I end up in the pub afterwards, and always with a craving for cigarettes (I only smoke when drinking.) I ordered Naltrexone (Nodict) from the internet and started on Saturday night with 25mg, then another 25mg about an hour later. Less than an hour afterwards I was drinking red wine. After a bottle, I had this sudden clear thought that I didn't want any more but continued on at a slower rate. I still had the equivalent of at least two bottles however and woke up with an awful hangover - headache, depression, nausea and lower abdominal cramps - all of which I've experience before with a hangover but seemingly worse. Still feeling bad today and wondering how to continue with the dosage. Much obliged for any guidance, please. MM.

First of all welcome to TSM. Everybody has varying degrees of side effects, I was a bit "spacey" the first couple of times but that went away quickly. The recommended dosing is to start out with 25mg, for the first 4 or 5 doses. After which you should ramp up to 50mg, one hour before drinking. Many people have mentioned that their hangovers are worse on Nal, however I personally have not noticed much different.

Best of luck on your journey.

Many thanks for your reply and very helpful advice. Could you tell me how you have progressed on Naltrexone, when you have time please. I'm hoping it will help me curtail my alcohol intake over Christmas, but maybe that's too soon to see any results.
The plan is for a sober five days on 25mg per day, as you suggest, then 50mg on Saturday an hour before Christmas Eve drinks and so on over the hols.
Much obliged,
MM.

Hi Marie,
You should ONLY take nal before drinking. If you are not drinking that day, don't take nal. And yes, it's a good idea to stay on 25 mg for a week or so before ramping up to 50mg, because of the side effects many people experience.
And yes, controling your drinking over Christmas is too soon to see lasting changes. You may have a honeymoon period, during which you feel like drinking less or not at all. That will likely go away after a couple of weeks and then the true process of extinction will begin to take place behind the scenes. I say this not to be negative but to give you an idea of the time frame you are looking at - somewhere around 9 months appears to be the mean for when people get control of their drinking with TSM.

Welcome Marie!

Lou is right, it's best to set your sights on the long run and hope that the short term works out well. A lot of people see their drink numbers drop in the first weeks then climb back up. Others (me included) don't have quite so dramatic a start but still "feel" the nal making a difference.

I encourage you to read through some of the longer threads and check out some of the people on the "cured" list, see how long it took them and read some of their threads to see how it worked for them.

People who have regained control do not spend as much time on the board as those of us in the thick of the process, so don't be surprised about that. Once the fight with booze is over folks naturally just get on with their lives.

It's great that you are here and making a change in your life. You're on the way and we're all here to help.

Thank-you Lou and Tiller for your encouragement.
Lashings of wine the past two nights at Christmas do's - they are hard-core in Ireland at this time of year! - but managed to keep in control and haven't had the usual awful hangovers.
Enjoy the holidays.

Hi Marie M,

Yep the parties are hardcore in Ireland. There are only a few of us from Ireland on here. Im curious as to how you heard of tsm. Im going to pm you my mobile number just in case you have any questions. Dont worry I dont expect you to phone me, I know how private we want to keep this problem.

Anyway all the best with tsm, its worked wonders for me, but as someone else posted to you from once alcohol is no longer the huge problem it once was we tend to not post as long or as often. I was at two work Christmas parties this week and I usually used to hate facing work the day after them knowing I had most probaly made a fool of myself and not remembering it. Even though I drank quite a bit at the last one I was not drunk by any means and had to help one of my workmates litterly lift and push another girl into a taxi and then help the taxi driver to help her in home at her place. I would have been that person a couple of years ago and waking up with strange lumps and bruises.

Anyway as Ive said, Ill pm you my mobile in case I can be of any help or reassurance.

Happy Christmas

Mario

Merry Christmas Marie!

Wanted to welcome you and say you are giving yourself the best Christmas present ever! Just like everyone said, the side effects arn't so bad after awhile. I stick to 50mg I don't trust changing this around, number one is because I want this to work. Only take it when your going to drink or think you might. Hang in there, I also found that posting and meeting people here has helped tramendously.

Zippy

Happy Christmas to our Irish kin!

Diddo to our Irish kin!!!

My given name is Colleen Ann Redmond, my paternal grandfather's family is from Ireland. I have never met the family my grandfather passed the year I was born. It has always been my dream to visit Ireland and try to find some of the family. I have traveled all over Europe never Ireland, yet.

To You!!!

The light of the Christmas star to you
The warmth of home and hearth to you
The cheer and good will of friends to you
The hope of a childlike heart to you
The joy of a thousand angels to you
The love of the Son and God's peace to you.

Cheers