Hi Everyone,

After 5 days of using Nal I am still feeling VERY ill. I have cut down to 1/8 a pill and still no relief. I can hardly get out of bed each day because I feel so crappy. Not just my stomach, my whole body aches...even internally. It feels like my kidneys are throbbing. I know Nal can be hard on the kidneys but I have never had any problem with them before. I also notice that I am feeling more depressed than usual. I am going to pick up some ginger today and see if that helps. Has anyone else had this much trouble taking Nal? If so, how did you deal with it?

I am really concerned. I want this to work so badly.

Cindy

That does sounds like a very extreme negative reaction to Nal, especially with 1/8 pill! I guess the only advice is to eat a big meal with your teeny-weeny 1/8 pill and drink lots of water with it (but what troubled drinker wants to eat a big meal before drinking?). You could (a) force yourself to take it and drink regularly and see what happens (many people's side-effects at least subside), (b) take it, drink, and gain from the "aversion" to alcohol that will likely develop, or (c) just move on from Naltrexone to other medical options. I'm no pharmacologist, but I just can't see how Naltrexone can cause such terrible side-effects in people, but it sure seems to. You might research "low-dose Naltrexone" which is used for some disorders. I think that's about 4mg or so, which is even less than 1/8th. Perhaps you could go even smaller still, but it will be hard to accurately cut a 50mg pill to get, say, 4 mg out of it.

Hi Cindy. I'm sorry you are having such a hard time. It does seem odd that such a very small amount of Naltrexone could be effecting you so strongly, especially in the kidneys. My advise would be to see a doctor. It sounds like it could be something else....are you getting the flu? Being achy all over does not sound like an effect of Naltrexone at all.

Barry's got it right. You might use this as an aversion therapy but if you have something wrong with you other than a bad side-effect that would not be wise. You could just keep going and hope your body gets used to the Naltrexone. How much are you drinking with the Naltrexone? Could this be just a very bad hangover effect? (EDIT - I see you are drinking about 7-8 units per day. Is that enough to give you a bad hangover? Could that amount with the Naltrexone be the problem do you think?)

This therapy is not for everyone, Cindy, so you certainly have a decision to make. Hope this eases in a few more days and that you can have some success.
Babs

Hi Cindy,
I was wondering whether it could be related to withdrawal? If your alcohol intake has gone down, then maybe your body is responding to a reduced intake. As for the sickness, if the ginger doesn't work then it would be worth taking an over the counter anti sickness tablet. It worked for me.
Best of luck,
Ruth.

Thanks for your posts. To me it feels like a killer hangover lasting all day long. I have read that Nal can intensify withdrawal symptoms and that is certainly what it feels like. I think I am just ultra sensitive to it. The last couple of days I have been just barely nibbling the tiniest amount from the end of a pill. Still sick as a dog. I'm afraid to take a painkiller as ibuprofen is hard on the kidneys and acetaminophin is hard on the liver. And of course, narcotics won't work with the nal. I had a complete physical about two years ago and was in good shape. Not really sure what to do at this point. Perhaps I will try an AF today and see how I feel in the morning. I have an appt with my psychiatrist today and will get her take on it (although I really don't think she knows very much about Nal). I am so committed to this, it would kill me to have to stop.

Sorry about the "downer" post. I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Cindy

Hi Cindy

Sorry to hear you are having such problems , I wonder if you took something like Pantoprazol that would line your stomach and help with the stomach side of things.
As the effects of Nalmefene are supposed to be less than naltrexone I wonder could you get your hands on that somehow , it becoming more available in Europe and I would imagine be online sometime soon.

I have no medical experience just throwing some ideas out there . I do take Pantoprazole for stomach problems and find it great . All the best.

J.

Hi there Joker,

Thanks for the response. Are you in the US? I've never heard of Pantoprazol. Is it script or over-the-counter. More info pleeeeze!

I am drinking right at the same amount I was before starting Nal. I have felt crappy (all the time) now for several years....I think its all the years of alcohol abuse catching up with me. But taking the Nal, its like I get a severe hangover right away, only drinking to excess will alleviate the symptoms, and when I wake up in the morning I feel like total crap!

Aversion therapy to some extent, but I do drink past it. And then I feel better than I've felt all day (even without the big buzz). Hmmm....reading back over this it doesn't sound good. But, it hasn't even been a week yet and I am NOT giving up! I will talk to the pharmacist tomorrow. My Psych was no help, and drugs are what they do!! She just kept asking me....."well, are you drinking on the Naltrexone?" I just lied and blew her off. She knows nothing about TSM and I refuse to discuss it with a close-minded DR.

Not that all Dr's are close minded

Have a Blessed Night Everyone,

Cindy

Pantorprazole is generic for Protonix, which is just a proton-pump inhibitor (it decreases stomach acid). Unless your nausea is caused by excessive acid, it won't help. I'm not sure whether or not it's over-the-counter.

Cindy cut yourself some slack!! It's only been a little while and I think you will adjust. As you said you are still drinking the same amount you were before. And as many have mentioned, Naltrexone can give you terrible hangovers. It might be that making you feel so bad. If you are able to cut back a little, and a little more, then a little more as days go by you might find yourself feeling better.

It is hard to hear that because if you could cut back easily you would have done it already Wouldn't we all

Funny this should be happening to you when I find myself getting hangovers when I increase my wine consumption from 1 glass to 2 glasses. I am so sensitive to alcohol that it doesn't take much to bring on a "nal-over." Major bummer for me as some nights I do have 2 glasses. I'm really in a bad place with this because 2 glasses is really crazy small consumption!!!! Trouble is I can't STOP drinking even the 1 glass!!! Woe is me.

So we all hear you and we do understand. It will happen if you can just wait it out.

Thanks for the pep talk DTW. I am going through Hell in my personal life right now and have absolutely no one in the support department so your words mean a lot to me. I think the issue is that I am used to starting to drink at a certain time and then continue drinking until I get to sleep ( very late at night). My doc prescribed a new sleep aid that I will try this evening. I will also try and hold off on drinking until a bit later every evening and see if that helps. I am with you on believing that I'm having Nal-overs. Geez, miserable stuff!!

Anyway, I am hoping for a better day today and wish you all great success

Cindy