Joe,

I take gaba for sleep (thanks to your recommendation) and I do not feel that dizziness that you are experiencing; however, everyone is different.

I was thinking maybe a combination of the nal and a certain food, or maybe (I hate to suggest this) the amount that you are smoking. I know that certain foods or additives can make my friend have vertigo. I think sulfates in wine do a number on her, and MSG can send her into a spin to where she is holding on to tables and very wobbly. So, maybe something in your diet along with the nal. or have you been tracking how much you are smoking, I remember the first time I tried smoking it made me feel the way you described (just a thought).

I agree with the Optimist when this side effect subsides, it will be unlikely that it will return (think about those that are on Selincro); however, if you do not drink for years and go back to alcohol with the nal, you may have the same or a different response.

I am glad the side effects are slowly dissipating and hopefully they will be gone soon,

Jaba

Thanks, Jaba!

Indeed one can't rule out that nicotine may be involved in this, but I'm not sure I can give up two of my "best friends" at the same time. When I set out with TSM, I'd planned on kicking cigs to the curb after I got control of the drink. I'm going to apply my google-fu again and see if I can find out how Nal is involved in the SE's. It's just so capricious that it's difficult to pin down. Yesterday I mostly felt rock solid, the day before it was like walking on the deck of a ship at high seas, it literally felt like the sidewalk was rising and falling under my feet in between steps (though not as much as in the past). Just... weird.

Glad to hear the GABA is helping you! Are you using a plain GABA/B6 formula? About how much GABA are you taking?

Joe,

I am taking 300 mg Gabapentin a script from my doctor. It is helping, but I am still taking an herbal blend as well as advil pm or zzzquil. The pharmacist suggested for me to speak to the doctor to have my dose increased, for I am on a very low dose. I am a little afraid of increasing it due to the side effects and coming off of it is no walk in the park. The herbal blend has gaba (along with skull cap, valerian, hops, melatonin etc. no vitamin b), but it is lumped together with the herbal blend so I am unsure of that amount. I do take vitamin b and I would love to find a doctor to do vit.b injections (my sister used to get them and she said it was better than speed).

Maybe start a log of your food intake and the amount you smoke and the times that you start to feel wobbly (just a suggestion).

Another thing, where are your cigarettes from? If you are smoking generics maybe they are contaminated, or the names brands could be for that matter (remember that lawsuit because tobacco companies put additives in cigarettes).

I just find it odd that you are fine one day but wobbly the next, and it has me thinking it is something along with the nal. Maybe allergies? Mine have been an issue this winter because it really hasn't been that cold, and my allergies cause that wobbly, seasick, feeling at times (I live in Cincinnati and pollen and mold are terrible).

And I agree with you, deal with one habit at a time.

I do remember reading someones progress page and them saying smoking wasn't as rewarding as it once was since he started taking the nal. and he was killing two birds with one stone (even though he really wasn't planning on giving up smoking). I am unsure how long term that was though, and I believe he was smoking cigars. It is a shame the nal hasn't curbed your smoking some, but once the alcohol is in control it will be a lot easier to cut down on smoking. I still want a cigarette if I am at a bar that has smoking (illegal in Cincinnati, but still okay in Kentucky) and I have drink (old habits really do die hard); otherwise, the smell gets to me and if I am around it my eyes are puffy the next day and my voice is hoarse. It is amazing how the body responds to different things.

Hopefully this wobbly leg thing goes away for you soon, for I know it is not fun.

Jaba

Jaba -

Gabapentin doesn't really help me drop off either, but it sure helps me get down deep. Even if have to get up in the middle of the night, getting back down is no problem. Before TSM, I would often drink to an endpoint (just short of the whirlies or needing to use the wall to steady myself), then take a couple/three ibuprofen and maybe bolt some food. I'd wait about an hour then hit the sack and the combo of alch, food and ibuprofen would make me drop off in about 5 minutes. I'd end up bouncing off REM sleep and wake up with cottonmouth from apnea, of course not very well rested at all. Totally agree with you about the dose of Gabapentin. My doc gave me a range of 300-900mg before bed, so I tried one and that didn't make me feel different, so I took another and still didn't feel different, so I figured I just wasn't going to feel anything on it and hit the sack. I stuck at 600mg for some time, then forgot to take it one night (a bit of a fitful rest that night). When I started again, I just kept it at 300mg and that worked just as well as 600.

Re: Vitamin B shots, you might look around for Naturopathic docs in your area. The last one I had could prescribe pretty much anything a regular doc would and offered IV's. The laws may differ in your OH, but I would imagine they offer injections too. I have a kind of funny reaction to strong b-complex pills though. The first day they give me a burst of energy, the 2nd day it's so-so and beyond that it makes me feel sluggish and depressed. It'll be interesting to see if I have the same reaction to it after I dial alch back to an occasional thing, as booze does wreak havoc with pretty much every system in the body.

I had been smoking Natural American Spirits, but they're pricey and even their lightest blend really felt heavy on my lungs. It didn't seem to make any difference in the SE's at all when I switched to my previous brand. At least I've stopped taking my beer out with me when I have a smoke, that's saved me money on beer AND cigs right there. The beer would just disappear way too fast if I had a cig with it. I do miss that combo, but not all that much.

I got the dizzy wobbles upon waking yesterday, Joe. I'm keeping a careful log of all this in an open office spreadsheet and I note that on days 4 and 5 of bumping up from 25 mg to 37.5 I experienced some SE's -- mild feelings of hopelessness and depression, some dizziness and nausea. Then it went away.

Now I had been on the 50 mg dose for four nights and yesterday morning, after the 4th night dose of 50 mg, I woke up VERY wobbly and my Mexican nausea meds didn't help that much. Had to spend the day reading Parker novels in the bedroom.

I remember what you wrote about the SE's coming on the next day -- not the same evening as you took the med -- and that affirmed what I was thinking re this being totally nal related.

I considered soldiering through and taking another 50 mg last night and hoping my tolerance had built up. But I chickened out and went back to 37.5. I really have too much to do to lie around in bed all day.

At 37.5 mg I was able to stay at my current goal of 3 oz total of bourbon split into 2 drinks= 3 x .845 units. without any problem. And no SE's this morning to speak of. Maybe a tad unsteady but nothing like yesterday which was definitely a rocking ship most of the day and a little scary actually, right?

I think I'll stay on 37.5 for a couple of more nights and see if I am able to hold to my 3 oz goal without cravings on that dosage. If so, that might be what's right for me. It's a drag cutting the pills up but better than being the Captain of a Rocking Ship all day.

**
Before Starting Naltrexone average per week--40-45 Units and sometimes more.
Week 1 -- Titrating up from 12.5 to 25 --29 Units
Week 2--25 mg--36 Units
Week 3 -- half week at 37.5, half week at 50 mg -- 29 Units
Note: SE's on starting dose of 25 mg so backed down to 12.5 and titrated up.
At 3.5 weeks, no SE's on 50 mg taken with a large glass of milk
Week 4: SE's on 50 mg midweek, back to 35.7 -- 19 units for this week. Seeing progress!!

" It's a drag cutting the pills up but better than being the Captain of a Rocking Ship all day."

Lol! Yes indeed! I'm sorry you're getting those SE's too! I was beginning to feel like I was a complete outlier with those particular symptoms. If I can't get a few consistent days in a row, I might drop back to 37.5 myself. I've got a pill cutter so the halves don't go shooting across the countertop anymore.

SE's aside, I'm really liking your progress!

No, you're not the only one getting those symptoms. Weird about it coming on the next day, though, isn't it?. But it does show how long the nal stays in your system I guess and why they suggest allowing 24 hours at the start of an AF weekend before adding in the extra fun stuff you've planned ahead.

I was getting a milder version of yesterday's all day dizziness and slight nausea again this AM even on 37.5 mg last night. So finally I broke down and tried one of the domperamide tablets I ordered from River Pharmacy. This was the anti nausea med Eskapa rec.'d in another thread as a med that wouldn't interact badly with nal.

Just popped one half an hour ago and feel a lot better and no side effects.

This particular drug isn't available in the US so I had to pay double to have it shipped internationally. Might be worth it. Will report. Right now I feel back to normal and 30 minutes ago I just wanted to go back to bed with that Parker novel. Should have tried it yesterday but forgot. Still have a mite of a headache but sea sickness went away.

Don't mean to hijack your great progress thread. But I did want to reinforce that, yes, you are NOT alone re those particular SE's and the timing of them.

No, that's fine T.O. The SE's are part of my progress thread and maybe someone will read this and figure out what to do when they have similar SE's.

I checked Domperidone on All Day Chemist and it seems pretty reasonable at $13 for 90 10mg tablets.

So it gets rid of the feeling that the floor is moving underfoot as well?

Joe and O.T.,

There are a few people on this forum (now and in the past) that have stayed at a lower dose and have been fine. Ocean is one of them. I think it is depending on how your body handles the nal. So, do not think TSM will not work just because you are on a lower dose; however, if you do notice a greater uptick in your intake and/or think it is the same before TSM, that would be a great time to reevaluate.

I have to admit that wobble leg syndrome would only happen if I drank too much the night before, and one of the symptoms of my nal overs. It would be depending on the amount I drank (why I ended up with a 3 drink limit) to the severity of my nal over. A little over three drinks would mean funny feeling head, wobbly and slight nausea; a lot over three drinks I thought I was going to die, racing heart, hot flashes, and then cold sweats, stomach issues, dizziness, wobbly legs (and more) and it would last for 2-3 days. I am not suggesting that is the case with both of you, I am just saying that is the only time I felt that way.

My heart goes out to both of you, and I do hope it settles down,

Jaba

Thanks, Jaba! It'll work out the one way or the other!