Week one down!

I took 25mg for the first four days and then moved up to 50mg where I will stay. I had mild side-effects for the first two days (light-headed, spacey feeling). I had a swollen sore throat when I went up to 50mg that may or may not have been a side-effect. I have had trouble sleeping, but that may be due to the greatly reduced alcohol intake.

I have only drank beer and wine for the most part for the last few years as a harm reduction measure. I usually have 1.5 to 2 bottles of cheap red wine or 10 to 12 beers every night. On naltrexone, I haven't gone past 4 drinks in an evening and never more than 2 at a time (e.g. I would drink a couple and then drink another hours later). So, my intake has immediately reduced to 25-33% of what it was. I poured out a lot of beer and wine this week. Last night I drank two beers, opened a third, took one drink and poured it out. Later, I poured myself a glass of wine and it sat by the computer for an hour before I poured it out after taking not even a sip. Drinking on naltrexone feels pretty yucky, and the crappy wine that I usually guzzle is actually quite disgusting. It smells awful.

Overall, I'm very happy and I think this is going to work. I do get extremely frustrated, but I recognize it as part of the process. To ensure compliance, I have a personal rule that I take the pill as soon as I have the first, tiny thought of not taking it. Hanging around this forum has also been essential to compliance. You guys are awesome! For those of you who have been successful and still come here to help, I hope to pay it forward someday.

I'm not ready to try an alcohol free day yet. I just don't trust myself to walk around unprotected in the evening at this point, as I still miss the high too much. I am pretty astonished that the initial frustration of drinking on naltrexone has already diminished quite a bit, just as you guys said it would.

Another positive thing about this method is that even though it's early and I'm technically still drinking, it seems that I'm already in a position to get on about the business of recovery (i.e. repairing mistakes and creating a life that I enjoy), since I don't feel in any danger of ever being drunk again so long as I am compliant.

Applause! Imho, you did a lot of things right. Good luck in following the golden rule. Your a lot closer to a new life then you could possibly imagine. Peace

Yay !!

*clapclapclapclapclap*

The Golden Rule is what does it -- pill + one hour, no exceptions. Congratulations on sticking to it. You're already seeing the benefits, and they'll only increase.

Thanks you guys!

I'm not ready to try an alcohol free day yet. I just don't trust myself to walk around unprotected in the evening at this point, as I still miss the high too much.

I had to read that sentence a few times before I got what you were saying -- you don't trust yourself to be around alcohol without having Naltrexone in your system. Since you're still in your first month, per "The Cure for Alcohol" it's not a bad idea to just take a pill and plan on an AF night. If you don't make it without breaking down and drinking, no harm done, it's just another extinction drinking session.

Still, the fact that you drink cheap wine is promising, IMO, because besides the extinction you get from not getting an endorphin rush, you'll also get a bit of negative reinforcement from the bad taste of cheap wine on Nal.

Not only do I not trust myself around alcohol without naltrexone on board, I don't trust myself to walk around after 5:00 pm without it. I will take your advice and go ahead and cover myself on my first few AF day attempts, but I'm not going to rush it. Maybe after this first month.


I think you're right. How could I not have noticed how terrible the stuff tastes? I used to marvel that they sold, as I used to say, a decent cab for $3 a bottle. I thought I was a frugal connoisseur. It's like a step away from being Wild Irish Rose or something. Ick.

http://www.bumwine.com

Positive thoughts your way Magda, you are doing it! Hope all well and following the Golden rule is becoming easier. You got about 10 days under your belt. About 10 days closer to being free, congratulations......Peace

Thanks, plant!

Yep, I'm still sticking to the rule. Yesterday I had a headache all day (possibly a nal-over), so I had my first AF day. It wasn't even difficult.