Hello All, I'm new to the forum and TSM, but I've been wanting to get a handle on my drinking for a long time. AA didn't work for me, so here I am. I'm planning to order my first batch of Naltrexone from River Pharmacy. It looks like I'll save quite a bit by ordering a four month supply, but I'm wondering if that is wise given the fact that I've never tried the drug and have no idea how I'll react or tolerate it. Any advice? Is it generally well tolerated? Thanks in advance.

Most people tolerate it well, although the "DIY at home" crowd usually starts with a half dose of 25mg just in case.

It's kind of hard to predict how much you'll need. I ordered a huge batch and still have most of it in a cupboard. Others order a small amount, just to try, and run out in short order. I suppose too much is better than not enough.

Thanks so much for the advice. I ordered 60 tablets from All Day Chemist as I saw some negative comments about River Pharmacy in another forum. Really hoping it gets here soon--and it works. I honestly don't know what I'll do if it doesn't.

Have hope, okay? There are quite a few people here who went from desperate to "wow, that was fast" in the space of a few weeks, and others who took only a few months. You may well be one of them.

I ordered from River and had no problems.


Seconding this.

Appreciate the support

I also used River Pharmacy without any problem. Good luck!

From a local pharmacy, naltrexone is about one dollar per 50 mg pill.

I would guess most sympathetic family practice or psychiatric practitioners would prescribe that for a minimal office visit fee.

If you look under naltrexone and price in a Google search, it brings up GoodRx, which can provide a coupon for a very decent price at places like Walmart.

That strategy works for a lot of different medications.

After A LOT of thoughtful consideration, I've decided to bypass the doctor/prescription route for the moment. I haven't informed my GP or psychiatrist about my drinking problem. I live in a very conservative/religious state where, for the most part, alcohol abuse is viewed as a moral failing, and I don't want to the whole AA speech. Been there, done that. Plus, I don't want it on my permanent medical record. As far as I know, there isn't any off label use for naltrexone; it's used strictly for alcoholism. It's unfortunate that I can't use my insurance and that I have to "sneak around", but I'm fortunate enough to be able to pay for it out of pocket. I'm going to go to an independent lab for a liver function test--just to be safe. For me, the confidentiality is well worth the expense.