I had my first experience with Naltrexone this past weekend. I wanted to share so that others could let me know how common my experience was.
I abstained for about 28 days prior to the use of Naltrexone and was very nervous about drinking and using it. I drank two nights in a row, the first very light - 3 small glasses of champagne (didn't notice much effect) and the next night heavy - again champagne. I read that we should drink as we normally do and this is one of my favorite drinks. Since I was at an event this is what I choose. I was with people I trust and I was drunk the second night but my first drunk experience on Naltrexone was very different than normal. Two experiences stand out to me. First was that at moments of lucidity (unlike in the past) I felt like I was watching myself, not really in control. I felt like I was trying to tell myself not to do the things I was doing but I just kept doing them. This was extremely uncomfortable and I actually hated it. I also felt like the experience was flat. There was no great feeling from drinking, more like I was going through motions but not really feeling anything at all - like a robot. I would feel easy going in the past while drunk and didn't care what I was doing, this time I felt like I was an observer watching. I remember making sure that I continued to take the medicine into the evening - afraid it would wear off.
I don't know if this is typical, would love to know what others have felt. I know at this point, I don't want to even try drinking without taking the naltrexone. I think my drinking behavior scared me, and I wasn't even doing crazy things - just stupid drunk things like continually interrupting conversations (more annoying than anything else).
Any feedback would be appreciated.

That sounds like it's in the range of normal. Lots of people report greater clarity, that they still feel drunk but don't feel out of control (e.g., no rage, no dancing on tables with a lampshade, whatever the problems were).

The feeling of watching yourself instead of controlling yourself is less common, but at a guess I'd say that that's the combination of still being compelled but not feeling so wild and crazy. In other words, you're able to observe your own compulsion.

Seeing clear effects the first few times is a good sign. You may be a fast responder. You also may not, so don't get discouraged if you're not all better in a month. Keep us posted, though. It's good to have a variety of experiences here.

Thanks so much for the feedback! It was such a bizarre and unsettling experience that my thoughts of alcohol this week have been rare and fleeting. Alcohol just doesn't seem that exciting. I always thought that I would hate to see a video of myself while I was drunk and this weekend on Naltrexone was just like that - except I was watching it as it happened. At the same time, the flatness of the experience (no buzz) was uninspiring. The alcohol didn't taste bad, just not exceptional, like it did before.

I know this is early on, but I am very hopeful that this is my continued experience. I am enjoying not thinking about drinking so much!

Sure; glad to help.

How much were you taking? You mentioned that you made sure to continue taking it into the evening -- you may need a booster after four hours if you're drinking for longer than that, but aside from that you only need to take it one hour before drinking begins.

I noticed this bit:



. . . and I just want to check to make sure you're not overdosing. Taking too much is better than not taking enough, but there are limits.

I don't think I was taking too much as I took 1.5 pills the whole night, 1/2 at a time, but always a good idea to keep that in mind. Thanks!

I had my third experience on Nal last night. After 3 nights of not thinking about drinking, I started to have thoughts that I wanted to drink. After reading many entries here, I wanted to go ahead and have a Nal/alcohol night and not wait until I felt deprived ( I think that was what I was feeling this past weekend and why I may have drank through the blah feeling I have on Nal ).
I took a full pill and waited an hour. When I went to the store, I actually felt like I was going through the motions instead of really feeling excited about alcohol. This is something I remember from recent times - feeling like I didn't want to get alcohol but getting it anyways. When I started drinking, there was nothing. No feeling, no euphoria. Just flat. I drank half a glass and realized I was pushing myself just to see if there would be anything - and nothing. I didn't even like the taste, I felt like it was a chore to drink. The wine wasn't bad tasting, I just didn't personally like the taste. This is something else I remember from before, not really liking the taste of most alcohol, but I would start to feel good so quickly, I didn't care. I stopped at half a glass with no interest in drinking anymore or watching anymore.

I know this may sound weird, but I'm sad. Drinking has been a part of me for so long, along with some others issues that I have recently worked through this past year, that I feel a bit empty and untethered. I feel like I've been haunted by the ghost of alcohol and finally it is leaving, but I'm a bit lonely - even if it was a really bad companion that I've worked so hard to remove.

I read somewhere that change - even great change - can be stressful. I'll get to where I feel comfortable without all these stressful companions Right now I'm just am happy I found TSM and this forum. Both are really helping me get to the life I've wanted for a long time.

Yeah. That's a thing.

If you keep going, you'll reach indifference -- a state where you really and truly don't care about alcohol. It may seem unimaginable now, but it's waiting for you at the end of your cure.