Greetings, My name is Joy. I am on Day 8 of TSM. I am grateful to discover TSM and this forum. (I have never participated in a forum / online community, so please bare with me while I figure it out).

I am currently taking 50 mg of Naltima from AllDayChemist. I was nauseous the first few days but that has subsided. I am experiencing something else however and I would like to know if anyone else has... I feel extreme vulnerability, as if my nerves are exposed. I am internally and externally hyper sensitive. I feel a mild detachment from my body, like I am floating out in the ether, and looking back and observing myself. I am also experiencing a lack of motivation or concern for things I normally care about.

Does this sound familiar to anyone?

I am wondering if it is a side effect to the Naltima while my body adjusts to it. It can not be symptomatic of withdrawal because my drinking has not cut back substantially yet. I have not had an AF day in 3 weeks (pre TSM) and that was the only one in months.

I am open to any tips or things you would like to share as I start this journey. I appreciate your time!

Sincerely,

Joy

Welcome Joy,

I am sorry you are having side effects.

My nal is from Walgreens, but the properties should be the same.

I get crabby and snappy, and if I have been on the nal for a long duration I do get weepy. I chalk my weepiness for my fluctuating hormones or slight depression since I do have a history of it. It does go away with time and when it would get real bad I would take an AF day (do not take one until you are ready).

I think give it time and let your body adjust to the nal and drinking.

Also you can always reach out to the C-3 or post on the Options Saves Lives forum, for there are alcohol counselors that can help you through this if the side effects become to bothersome.

Good luck

Jaba

Joy, are you taking any other meds?

Sounds like you're a daily drinker, how many per day do you usually drink?

Thank you jaba and JoeSixPack for you response.

jaba I joined the OptionsSavesLives board as well, thank you for directing me there.

JoeSixPack, yes I have been on Zoloft for 10 months. First 50 mg and now 100mg. I also take 2 over the counter allergy meds almost daily because of the climate I live in.

Yes, I am now a daily drinker. I am 42 and have been drinking consistently since I was in college. I use to be more of a nightly drinker, with the occasional glass of wine or two if I was eating out for lunch. Rather than having AF days in a week, I always took breaks from alcohol for longer periods... weeks, months even a year of total abstinence. I guess I am an all or nothing drinker.

I have observed my drinking "shift" over the last 2 years, which is why I am committing myself to TSM. My family has been under tremendous stress, and I turn to both alcohol and food as a coping mechanism. My drinking drifted into a daily routine, starting earlier in the day. Also the spirit of the drinking is different. Instead of being out and drinking socially as "fun", I am most often drinking at home to take the edge of my stress. And of course, drinking only makes my anxiety worse.

It is worth noting for full disclosure that my Zoloft was prescribed by my primary care physician, whom I do not feel comfortable discussing TSM. I currently can not afford to go to a psychiatrist. Also, with the way our health and life insurance works in the United States, I was afraid of the stigma of it being documented that I am taking and opiate blocker.
I believe that the depression I have experienced over the last 18 has been situational to our family circumstances, I also take responsibility that using alcohol as a coping mechanism is completely counter intuitive to taking an anti-depressant, because alcohol is a depressant.

Over the last 9 days on Nal my alcohol units per day have been 16, 12, 6, 4, 10, 8, 9, 10, 8. I believe this to be less than I have been drinking over the last 5 months, especially now that I am measuring my alcohol, because my natural "pours" were far larger than the standard drink.

I deeply appreciate your support.

Thanks, Joy!

It looks like you're getting a reduction all right, good job on tracking your drinking. Keep that up, for sure.

If you look back, did you notice a change in your drinking about the time you started the Zoloft? Some people start drinking/craving more on SSRI antidepressants (but some drink less on them and some notice no difference at all). It's not a slam-dunk, it seems to be peculiar to the SSRI in question and the individual. In any case, don't change your dose of the Zoloft without discussing it with your doctor first. I'm just a layperson, not a doctor. It's only that I've seen these anecdotal reports on the internet, so I thought I would bring it up with you. Could the Zoloft be interacting with the Naltrexone to give the "raw nerves" feeling and the depersonalization? This, I don't know. Your drinking seems to have dropped by around 40-50%, perhaps more compared to the days you weren't measuring. I would expect that to have an effect by itself, as alcohol is a GABA agonist (stimulates your GABA system in your brain) which lends a calming effect. You're also affecting the neurochemistry of the Zoloft by using less alcohol with it. Does your doc know that you drink? I ask this because antidepressants and alcohol are often not good friends. Again, talk to your doc and get their blessing before you change the dose.

All that aside, it seems like you're responding to the Naltrexone. Generally I would expect the side effects to pass within a couple of weeks of starting TSM, so keep an eye on things and let us know how you're doing.

Hi JoeSixPack,

You are asking good questions, because I don't have all the answers and it gives me things to consider.

My drinking did not increase after I started Zoloft 11 months ago. The only thing I did notice after going on Zoloft was that when I drank, the feeling of being buzzed was more of a flat line, that never really peaked into the temporary 'fun high’. I feel my drinking started to shift earlier, in 2014 and 2015, amidst events going on in my life. Though I had situations that could easily lead to anxiety or depression, I am sure that my alcohol consumption compounded my depressive feelings. I resisted the idea of going on an anti-deppresant through most of 2015, but then finally asked my doctor to put me on one last December. I was sick and tired of feeling sick and tired. I have told my Doctor that I drink, but not to what extent. My medical system is like going to a drive through, there is no warmth or time for personal connection. Also, as naive as a hope as it might have been, it was pure - I was hoping that going on Zoloft would give me just enough support that I didn't feel the need to turn to alcohol so much to cope. I realize now, after reading Dr. Eskapa's book, that was a wish not based on science.

Thank you for pointing out that reducing my alcohol ‘could' also trigger effects like depersonalization. I have never gone through serious withdrawal before. On a few occasions I have experienced mild shakes, irritability or an abnormal sweating spell - maybe it is different this time.

I also realize how naturally vulnerable it feels for me to begin discussing this ‘here’. I have never discussed my relationship with alcohol this openly with anyone other than my husband. Even my inner circle of best friends, all heavy drinkers, frequently discuss alcohol - but no one really knows how much or how often I have been drinking.

Further, my going through this, as a Mother, is extraordinarily emotional for me personally. I have “mom guilt” aka deep inner shame about my drinking. I have fear about how my drinking l will continue to effect my 3 year old daughter’s life if I do not change, Now. To me, her life is the greatest blessing of mine - so if I continue to drink in the way that I have been drinking, I will self sabotage the most important thing on this Earth to me. I will fail at my most important job. No wonder I feel vulnerable!

My life has changed since happening upon Claudia’s TED Talk. I was ready for change but did not connect with other options. I had never heard of TSM and immediately started researching it. I quickly devoured Dr. Eskapa’s book, and I connected to it in a way that felt like coming home. A safe, rational place. I appreciate the science of this treatment. For me the faith part was FINDING it!!! For me that is how God works in my life.

I apologize for how long winded this became! As physiological as this treatment is, I am obviously working through matters of the head and the heart of this journey as well.

Even if no one reads, this I am grateful to have been inspired to say it to myself.

THANK YOU,

Joy

I'm glad you found TSM and this community, Joy! It sounds like Naltrexone is having a positive effect for you and I hope that the side effects lessen in the coming days. Perhaps mixing less alcohol with the Zoloft will help it work better too. Stick with us and let us know how it's going for you, your story will surely help another who is in a similar situation!