My two cents. You did a fantastic job accept for that 1 night. Imho, if you want to follow and incorporate The Sinclair Method protocol. You must learn to obey and implement the Golden rule. There are no exceptions, it's the law, and a simple one. I also agree, you'll probably end up making things worst by drinking sometimes with the nal, other times without. I so wish the se's weren't an issue for you. But you have to get through these first couple of weeks for this protocol to work. I liked your idea of starting at a lower dose and then raising it . The first few weeks are difficult, I will give you that. But congrats on what you've done and in keeping your drinking in check. I'm pointing to that horse named Sinclair and I'd like to see you get back on. Learn to ride the Golden rule, and there's a good chance you can become free... Peace and good luck.

I'm really surprised that you would even consider this, given that you failed once before due to noncompliance.

Side effects and nal-overs are no fun, I know. If you just can't handle them, to the point where you're considering noncompliance again, then maybe it would be better to do a completely different approach? You really can't half-ass the Golden Rule and expect to get anywhere. Operant conditioning doesn't work like that.

Plantpro, Magda, Epinthesis, and Melissa, Thank you for the tough love. Honesty is a bitter pill to swallow and I don't know what I was thinking when I thought I could control this beast with intermittent reinforcement. Thanks to all of you who are paying attention to my posts. I appreciate your honesty and was somewhat expecting some discourse with my half ass TSM plan. You are right. It didn't work for me in the past, so why pray tell do I think it would work that way this time? I have this bad habit of thinking I am different from everybody else (what an ego, right?) Also, I had just read GTG's approach and thought that just maybe I could use will power. Again, how soon I forget that I'm an alcoholic and once the endorphins are tickled, their needs are going to overthrow any resolve or good intentions that I might have.

Maybe I can get an opinion on another approach to managing the SE's? I am considering taking a little Nal (say 12.5 mgs) everyday or every other day and then 25 an hour before I drink, with hopes of acclimating to the Nal. If that seems to work, then hopefully I can increase the Nal to 50mgs on drinking days. The small amount does seem to help a bit with not liking the taste of alcohol, but what's the point if I'm actually making things worse. Right now I am at the point where I'm thinking AA might be my only avenue to recovery. I would at least like to try this approach for a few weeks, but then again, if it is only going to make matters worse, what's the point? I'm going to read some intermittent reinforcement posts and try to determine if this approach might be worthwhile, but if anyone knows of anyone else who has succeeded with the daily low dose Nal combined with the recommended 50 mgs an hour before drinking, please chime in. I'm holding on to a string of hope here! Thanks for all of your help. This is an awesome support sight regardless if it works for me or not. Hugs to all. Love Keek.

Addendum: I am feeling truly remorseful right now and am crying my eyeballs out for my not complying with the golden rule. I feel like such a wussy for letting the SE's derail me. Perhaps it's just an excuse to get the buzz. I linked on intermittent reinforcement and just couldn't understand it. Perhaps I can search side effects and get some encouragement. Sniff, sniff.

I'm going to take 12.5 mgs (maybe 25) of Nal tonight have a glass of wine or two and see where it takes me. This worrying about the SE's after going AF and then not taking the Nal just doesn't work. Go figure. Part of my problem is that I get so much encouragement from my hubby when I go AF that it is a reinforcer (until its not). Then I think my Side effects are so bad because I do 3 or 4 AF days and its a shock to my system each time I take the Nal. It is 10 am and I am going to go take some Nal right now... Hope this works!

SORRY, LONG WINDED today just crushed 12 mgs and drank a big glass of water. Kinda thinking I should go to the desert place for a week just so I can get my Nal plus Drink on. If I'm alone, it won't matter if I feel like crap. At least I'll be following the golden rule and perhaps it would put me on the right track...just saying.

This is what went through my head last night: "if I can drink 4 drinks twice a week, then I am staying within safe limits and don't need the Nal." This way I will at least enjoy drinking. Reality: can't just drink 4 drinks. Was going to have a couple and let hubby put the rest away. Reality: pretended I didn't want more and said to just leave it. Drank it and replaced with water so he thought I was gaining some controll. Going to come clean tonight and ask him to watch me take my Nal before drinking. It all started with anxiety on my way home from a stressful situation and I thought I could use a drink. I managed to not stop off and sneak a drink and told hubby I wanted to and would like to have a couple drinks. This is where I should have taken the Nal, but wanted the soothing effect of the alcohol, so I used the SE's as an excuse. (The SE's are real, but I know that I wanted the alcohol to self medicate).

Deep breath........ Hit myself over the head with a hammer......and quit f@@ing around. Gotta go be productive. Thanks for the therapy. Love, keek

That sounds like a good plan.


There are options besides TSM and AA. Medical options like Campral, baclofen or ondansetron may work better for you than naltrexone. Behavioral approaches like SMART Recovery, HAMS or Rational Recovery might work as well. You haven't tried everything. Don't give up yet!


Your plan to take 12.5 mg daily and 25 to 50 mg on days you drink will not make things worse. Your plan to occasionally drink without first taking naltrexone will very probably make things worse.


Oh, keke. Please stop making yourself feel bad. The side effects sound absolutely horrible, and you have complied perfectly with the protocol for dealing with them - it just didn't work. Nothing terrible has happened and none of this says anything about you as a person. You are doing the best you can. You have a new plan. I say give it a go and see how you do. Get back on that horse, girl! And if that horse is just not going to work out, go pick out a different one.

Thanks Magda, Sorry about the pity party earlier today. I am feeling better and think I may have crossed a little hurdle. I took about 12 mgs earlier today and then another 25mgs with dinner tonight. I had a glass of wine an hour and a half later (would have had more, but it just wasn't available). Now I'm sitting in bed stone cold sober and happy about it. Also, I feel as though the Nal isn't going to be as troublesome as it was. Fingers crossed. Good night, keek.

WOOT, WOOT.......NO headache or nauseousness from 25mgs of Nal. I'm so happy I could cry. I hope everyone has a great weekend. I know I will "feel" your presence when the alcohol brain try's to derail me. Thank you so much for having my back. Keek.

Congrats! A big step in the right direction.

Awesome Keek!

Yay keek! I'm so happy for you!