Hi. I've been reading this site for about a month, and ordered some Nal from River Pharmacy. It arrived last week and I took my first dose on Friday night. I took half a pill on a full stomach, waited an hour and then drank a bottle of wine. I felt OK, quite clear-headed, but the next day I felt very spaced and jittery. I had to get the tube (I live in London) and had a bit of a panic attack. Very nervous, very frightened. Anyway, I made it through the day, forced myself to eat something, and then did the same - half a pill and a bottle of wine. The next day (Sunday) was OK, but still felt spaced out and nervous, and had patches where I was really freaking out. So Sunday evening I didn't take anything and didn't drink because I wanted to be OK for work on Monday. Not sure what to do tonight.

Now, it gets worse. My sister is also an alcoholic, in a worse condition than me. She lives in a different city so I sent her half my pills and talked her through everything. She ignored me, and took a whole pill on an empty stomach. She got really spaced, to the point of hallucination, and drank one and a half bottles of wine. The next day she was totally wiped out. She said she felt like she had been on a 5-day bender, didn't know if she had been hallucinating or dreaming, felt very weak, very shaky. I spoke to her several times on the phone and she was very ill. She didn't take another pill last night, and now this morning she is shaking from head to foot and is very scared. She rang NHS Direct who told her to see her GP. She's got an emergency appointment at 10.10. She's in a really bad way.

I've read some posts by people who've had bad reactions, but nothing like this. I don't know what to do. The pills are from River Pharmacy and say Nodict on the packet. They're orange with a scoreline and no other markings.

Any advice much appreciated.

Also, I remember reading a post by a woman who took 50mg as her first dose and reacted badly, but can't find it again. Could anyone point me to it? I just want to see how ill she felt. I think there was also someone who's boyfriend was struggling to tolerate the drug and feeling very trippy.

Thanks.

Search Lena's posts -- she said she took 50 mg the first time and thought she had been given Antabuse by mistake and it was a nightmare for her also. Also, look at Dr. Eskapa's thread on this site. There is a passage about side-effects. Some people have reduced their initial dose to 12.5 mg and tapered up as their body got used to naltrexone. I'm no doctor and can't give advice, other than to say read Dr. Eskapa's thread on this issue on this site.



My best to you and good luck.

Hi. Thanks for your replies, I find them very reassuring. I guess I was a bit panicky when I wrote the original post - still feel weird from the Nal I took over the weekend and was very worried about my sister. She calmed down after she saw her GP, but is understandably hesitant to take the pill again. I'm going to suggest she tries 12.5mg on a full stomach this Friday night (i.e. when there's no work in the morning). It turns out she'd been drinking more than usual all week, then took the pill and drank on it, was very ill, but drank a lot with no pill the next day. Part of the effect might have been alcohol, but it's clearly exacerbated by the pill.

I'm still feeling the effect from my two 25mg doses, with my last dose about 8pm on Saturday night. It's clearly powerful stuff. I expected some nausea but I took that to mean a queasy feeling. It's been more like very heightened anxiety. I've read a lot of threads today and some people have mentioned feeling 'disconnected' from reality, feeling uncomfortable around people, and increased sensitivity to light. These are the sort of the side-effects I've had. I've found it very difficult being at work today. I've got an important meeting tomorrow so I'm going to stay Nal-free and alcohol-free tonight, then try 12.5mg tomorrow night.

The only thing I can re-emphasize it that they go away almost immediately -- within 3 or 4 doses and a week or so at the most -- for everybody here so far.

Hang in there.

Wow, ejac, that sound horrendous & I am so sorry for your sister. I never had ill effects, but started for a few days @ 25 mgs. I recently went on 75 mgs for a week and now on 100 mgs with NO ill effects whatsoever....

Except...and I will post this elsewhere, I haven't felt like drinking as much. I welcome you here and hope you will direct your sister here as well. I think we're onto something!! :-))

Best of luck & hope you stay with us!

As WTE said, I had a hellish reaction (projectile vomiting, buzzing sensation all over, generalized "fear" for want of a better word) upon diving in at 50 mg against advice because I was just so happy when my pills arrived. It took more courage than most can know to take even a small dose the second day. I had no reaction whatsoever to the next day's 25 mg dose and the only side effect I've experienced since is a transient tinnitus or buzzing in the ears. That's long since gone and I often find myself forgetting whether I've taken the day's dose and I make a mark on my wrist with an ink pen to be sure I don't waste a second dose.

Perhaps the bad reaction some of us have is our body going into withdrawal from not getting the endorpnin rush we are used to that suddenly is blocked by naltrexone. That would explain why the side effects resolve so quickly in the vast majority of those who report here.

It is worth it.

I too had a friend whom I "talked into" trying nal. She definitely had hallucinations and she almost had her husband take her to the hospital. But I honestly do not know if she was using other meds at the same time, or if she is just super sensitive to nal. SHe did try it again and had bad reactions.
No further report. Just commenting.

Hi. Thanks for all the replies. My sister is on Prozac and something for anxiety, but I checked the BNF for naltrexone drug interactions and I don't think this should be a problem (?).

I've been on 50 mg naltrexone daily since I began on June 11 and never had a bad reaction. Initially, some very vivid dreams, however--some quite nightmarish in fact--but those went away. In fact, in a way, they were entertaining because I was somehow "aware" that they were dreams and not real. Otherwise, no nausea, no hangovers--and unfortunately no decrease in units so far. Remember, we're not like laboratory rats bred for uniformity of strain. Here, everybody is different.

Mike

I too had some crazy dreams initially but I',m finishing week 2 and have only been drinking in the evening and taking 25 mg as I only drink for about 4-6 hours and was told I was covered for 12....but other than that,..no side effects except the second time I had a mini panic attack...I don't even feel it now,....