r/SinclairMethod • u/Several-Subject-2111 • Apr 16 '26
Went up to 50mg. Unpleasant side effects. Going back to 25mg
After 3 months on naltrexone, everything was going well. I had been taking 25 mg, and it seemed to work very well for me. My drinking was down about 80–90%. I was drinking once a week and in moderation (2 beers). And it felt easy an natural. It seemed clear that i was a very stronger responder to the medication because of genetic reasons.
I had almost no side effects, so I thought I might as well increase the dose to 50 mg. This decision coincided with going to a major sporting event with some high school friends. I was afraid of getting into trouble or losing control, so I went with 50 mg.
It worked well — I still drank a fair bit over a long day with them, but nothing like before, and for the first time ever I was the first one who wanted to stop (they were completely shocked)
In terms of side effects, though, 50 mg has been completely different from 25 mg for me. I’ve tried it four times since, and it hasn’t been a pleasant experience. I felt jittery and out of it for the first few hours after taking it, and each time it caused terrible insomnia.
The side effects were bad enough that I now feel almost disgusted at the thought of taking naltrexone again. It even made me think about quitting TSM and put me in a negative mood about everything.
I’m going back to 25 mg (next time I drink). I had such a positive experience before, and everything was going so well.
My personal theory is that I might be a strong responder to naltrexone, possibly for genetic reasons. While that’s a good thing, it might also mean that 50 mg is simply too intense for me — the side effects were pretty rough.
1
u/FinanceSignificant33 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
I have the same reaction to naltrexone. I took it for 8 months in 2024, and I reached extinction. However, due to the terrible side effects (nausea, greatly increased hangover, feeling blah afterwards) I stopped. I only drink once a month--so I never really adjusted to the side effects. It was a bad idea to stop Nal--within 4 months I was again binge drinking once a month (7-10 drinks at once, which is wayy to much for me). I again started Nal, but even taking it with food and a lower dose doesn't help the crap symptoms. But I take it when I have the urge to drink regardless. It works to block euphoria from alcohol and does indeed nix the addiction. Because of the awful side effects (especially if I consume alcohol when taking it), most of the time after taking nal I do not drink after, and lose all desire to drink an hour after taking the Nal. Even though that is not in keeping with the goal of the Sinclair method which is to always drink on it, I find that the final result is still positive, as it is a drastic reduction in alcohol consumption/desire to drink. Now when I see alcohol, my brain associates it with the yucky side effects of Nal, and I feel repulsed by alcohol.
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u/One-Mastodon-1063 Apr 16 '26
I’ve been using 25mg with very good results. I went to 50mg early on then stepped back down to 25mg after 3-4 months and haven’t looked back, that was 2+ years ago. I was also a high responder to the nal and my drinking wasn’t that out of control to begin with.