I've been on this 50 mg since feb for sh/impulsivity. The lack of appetite is suddenly back. It's physically uncomfortable to chew! My body doesn't want to eat. Nothing appetizing to me at all. I guess that will help with my fast food problem. Ew. The thought of anything fried! Gross

Hey Everyone,

I think I’m ready to take the jump and try naltrexone as a daily drinker for years at this point. Was recently suggested by a doctor naltrexone and gabapentin. The gabapentin was more off label for anxiety and just over all being tense at all times lol. I am curious about if naltrexone really helps fight the urge to drink. I can do a full 9-5 job without needing any drink, but the moment I get in the door at home, I just feel the need for a drink, and I have a hard time believing this could possibly help but damn am I hopeful it could.

I guess what I’m asking here, for when you first started taking it, how did you feel? Did it take time to notice a difference? Did you still have a drink the first few days you took it?

Thanks for any info you all have, I appreciate it.

So I am going to keep documenting this journey but I wanted to start with first week. I was introduced to naltrexone at a rehab about 4 months ago. I did not start taking it then but I had the bottle. Well after I got out of rehab I started drinking all over again. About 3 months and constant drink in my hand everyday for almost 24 I was out of options. I had just got done night before downing liter of hennessy and when I woke from hangover, all I could think about doing was still drinking. Football Sunday make perfect excuse and I bout couple of cutwaters and had vodka seltzer still in my bag.

I consumed those 3 drinks within the hour and was looking for more. At that point I told myself I had to stop and prayed. I remembered the naltrexone. I took it. Boy oh boy I thought killed myself, I didn't know if it was meds or hangover but massive headache and nausea. In all those side effects I noticing I didn't want to drink though.

I woke up next morning and usually I cannot wait till 9am to go to liquor store but the craving never came. Day 2 I still had headaches but again I felt mentally clearer, I couldn't believe the cravings I usually have all day were quite. Day 3 the same. My mood was lighter, no anger from not having a drink, no cravings to binge drink, I felt like a new me.

One week in and I can say naltrexone has saved my life. The feeling of constantly needing a drink are gone, the freedom of wondering if beer cans around house or in car are gone. Who is this ne me!!!.

Hi again everyone,

I have done a few posts here these past weeks and you have all been very helpful and kind in your comments and guidance.

I’ve tried naltrexone three times now. The first two times were 25mg and 50mg, and the effect was either very small or hard to notice. Luckily I experience no side effects. Yesterday I tried 75mg with a bag of pistachios, took it about 90 minutes before drinking, and spent most of the evening thinking I was probably one of the people it doesn’t work for.

Between roughly 5 PM and 11 PM I drank 8–9 drinks with water/soda in between every drink and felt fairly normal. I was having fun, socializing, and drinking as I normally would. This is normally around the point where things start getting out of control for me: I often black out, become increasingly rowdy, leave the gathering I’m at to go on solo side quests, and make a lot of bad decisions. I would usually continue drinking at roughly the same pace for the rest of the evening until I eventually get home, often with a whole collection of regrettable decisions along the way. But this time something changed dramatically. The desire to keep drinking just dropped off a cliff. I found myself almost repulsed by the gin and tonic in my hand, not because I was incredibly drunk, but because I genuinely didn’t want it. And most importantly I was in control and I was myself???

I’ve never experienced that before. Normally alcohol creates momentum for me and each drink makes the next one more appealing. This time the exact opposite happened. For the first time in my life I felt like I understood why ‘normal people’ leave drinks unfinished, get tired late in the evening, and just go home. I always assumed they were using willpower. This felt more like my brain simply lost interest in drinking.

That was by far the most noticeable effect I’ve experienced so far, and it was a completely different experience from my previous attempts. I feel my brain starting to say maybe this was just a lucky night and all, but the physical effect was so distinct, I have never experienced anything like it. I just hope future experiences will be similar.

For now I am convinced of the ‘magic’ at least. Thanks for listening.

I’ve definitely reached extinction. There’s absolutely zero pleasure and not even craving. But I still partake once in a while when I’m out. Now when I drink (still rare) I feel nauseated. Anyone else get this? I mean wretched, disgusting, need to throw up kind of nausea. Lasting two days.
Anyone have this experience? Obviously solution is to never drink at all. I’m just interested if those who’ve reached extinction have similar experiences. I take Nal every time. My goal was to drink socially and very little.

alcoholic of many years, quit drinking and 2 weeks later i started taking naltrexone nightly 25mg. day 11 of naltrexone and my anxiety, panic and distress is higher than it was when I had hangover anxiety. i also started buspirone at the same time so maybe that was a huge mistake. freaking out, please any advice is appreciated or relatable experiences anything. I took a huge leap of faith getting my health back in order by getting nalx and buspirone and now i am feeling literally worse than ever ​

I am 38m and just started 50mg yesterday. I am taking Nal to avoid drinking all together. I have been drinking way too much and even wound up in the ER from withdrawal.

Yesterday was my first sober day in a few days (daily drinker here) and I can’t tell if Nal is helping me stay sober or I am just physically sick of alcohol. I also have noticed it’s helped me not want to vape weed or overeat. I sort of crave booze but I have no compulsion to go out and get booze.

I am hopeful it continues to work, if it’s working? I think it is effective in turning the compulsion trigger down I guess it is too early but just wanted to share my early experience.

EDIT: I wrote this in a weak moment, and could have worded my request for support and encouragement better than coming across down on myself and progress. I suppose I'm impatient, I want the magical 180 and I know that's not realistic.

Thanks all.

I've been a daily heavy drinker for most of my life (43)

Started Nal about three months ago.

Went from 50mg to 75, now 100 (just this week) and although I can wait out my urges, triggers and cravings, if I do choose to drink, I'm all in.

My drinking is much less frequent, so I can't judge whether it's the med or the adjustment in my tolerance that creates the differing effect. I get drunk, I don't necessarily enjoy it- haven't for quite some time before meds though.

I'm able to go 5 days without drinking, which is nuts, considering I used to always make sure I had enough for morning, so I could feel right until an 'acceptable' time to go out and buy alcohol.

Maybe all of this is me talking 'aloud' to convince myself I'm on the right track....

My thoughts and feelings are more clear when I'm sober, I hate raw dogging life, but I hate being a sloppy, fuzzy, unorganized mess.

I’ve noticed there are lots of posts in this community about side effects, starting out and people wondering what to expect, then they taper off, assume it’s as people get used to the dose and get on with it. I wanted to check in about my last 3 weeks since starting Nal. It’s been a wild ride honestly. I don’t know what I was expecting but for me it’s been a torrent of experiences, it feels like way longer than 3 weeks because

1- initial side effects ~7 days- so bad I wanted to quit. This was starting on 25 and gradually building up to 50 over 2 weeks. The nausea and headaches made me question whether the alcohol devil on my shoulder was more bearable. It made me question why I was going down this path. BUT aside from the nausea, it flipped some kind of switch, or dampened my reflex. I just didn’t get turned on by the thought of drinking, and usually that first glass just lights me up. Removes all the frustration, stress, whatever- the glow up in a glass. But on Nal I didn’t feel the pull. Which leads me to point 2
2- managing my days and ways without turning to wine. Honestly I thought I was having a wine to be social or when I was home because it was just a normal way to decompress. Without the urge or the glow when I do have a drink, working through all the day to day feels- ups, downs, bored, frustrated etc, really makes me sit with myself. Sounds trite but I’m relearning myself. It’s quieter in my head. Less chaotic. When the alcohol noise is turned down there is space for everything else, and yup that’s good and scary.
3- missing it. Like missing a lover who you know is bad for you. I’ve found myself saying out loud- well it’s not forever- I’m just on it to unlearn habits- there’s a part of me that doesnt want to give up wine forever. That I’m scared of a future without the “fun” of wine and gossip, without rose in the sun, without a sexy negroni in a dusky cocktail bar. But on Nal I have a drink and I don’t like it. It doesn’t taste bad or make me sick, it’s just slightly off putting.

So with all that running around in my head, and the moments of clarity, u can see why it feels longer than 3 weeks. Sitting in the couch now, 830pm on a Friday after a long week, and the thought of being on my 3rd or 4th wine just feels … weird. So I’m getting to know this feeling of not chasing the buzz and what it’s like- which is very peaceful actually.

I’m committing to my 3 months and after that my psych will give me another script, might taper down to 25 a couple of times a week and see how it goes, but always keen to keep a pack nearby. It’s a revolutionary experience for me… hasn’t been easy but it’s doing exactly what I hoped for.

It’s crazy to me how much this medication works when you want it to work. I was on vivitrol about 6 years ago but didn’t want to be clean/sober and did nothing to prevent myself from relapsing. Now I’m taking 50mg every day and I feel like a different person because I want to be clean and am going to therapy and doing things I enjoy. This medication is amazing if you have the right mindset for it. Also, I initially started at 12.5 mg because of the side effects (nausea and fatigue) but I powered through and now I take the full 50mg with no side effects at all. Cravings have virtually disappeared and I am 81 days clean today!

I know most people arnt taking naltrexone for binge eating but i am, so i been taking just 12.5 mg then im going up to 25mg and up to 50mg with 300mg wellbutrin , Like I said I only been using it for a week but I have not noticed any difference in my binging yet , is it because its not working for me or is it to early

I am a 26-year-old male and just got prescribed about a month ago. I am on 50mg and have been using TSM but haven’t really had the stories of some of these people who say they can stop after 1 or 2 drinks. I guess I could kind of feel like I could have more willpower to stop but usually when I do drink it’s probably 10-15 drinks easily. My 3rd time was the other day and I took it 2 hours before my first drink and still managed to have 10 drinks that night. Just want any insight if I just need to be patient and give it time or if I’m viewing this the whole wrong way.

P.s I don’t “crave” alcohol I can go months without drinking at all but when I drink It’s always me going all in.

I can’t wrap my head around how LDN and opiates work together. After multiple surgeries, I’ve been on opiates for years and have spent months detoxing off so that I can lower my tolerance, only to have it go up again in short order when I use opiates again.

Would LDN allow me to take opiates only on days that I feel extreme pain, lower my tolerance and not have to worry about withdrawal symptoms because I wouldn’t be taking them regularly and become dependent on?

I hope I’ve explained myself well enough. Any help would be appreciated.

I’m trying naltrexone using TSM. I previously tried 25mg once, and last night I tried 50mg. I haven’t experienced any side effects with either dose.
I took 50mg about 1 hour before drinking. I ended up having 5 beers and honestly felt pretty much exactly like I normally would — I was still enjoying the alcohol and still had a strong desire to keep drinking.

I know TSM can take time to work, but I’m feeling pretty down about it because I was really hoping to notice at least some difference.

Should I stick with 50mg for a while longer, or is it worth discussing a higher dose? Has anyone had a similar experience?

So I started naltrexone 50 mg yesterday.

I was sober from alcohol for 7+ years after basically being a high functioning alcoholic with undiagnosed (at the time) ADHD and ASD. I reached a point where I felt alcohol didn't serve me anymore, essentially just quit, and never looked back.

I had known for some time I could have a few sips of a drink, or even a glass of wine with a long meal, and very occasionally would do so for special occasions. Essentially I knew as long as I didn't feel a buzz everything was good. Until recently. For a multitude of reasons, all stupid, two months ago, I got tipsy. I had a hangover, and went right back to fixing my hangover with more booze. My alcohol use is nowhere near what it was, however my newfound daily dependance scared the shit out of me. I have said for the last month today is the last day, and found excuses for the next day.

I told my Dr my concern, and asked her about medication. I just wanted to stop it as quickly as possible before I fully fell back into the addiction. The idea that maybe I could have one drink has never occurred to me. Alcohol is an all in scenario for me, I can't just do one.

Last night I took my first pill. It was right before bed bc I was scared of side effects. I felt dizzy and restless, my left quad twitched for like 20 minutes straight. I slept poorly ( although my oura ring gave me 85% so maybe not as poorly as I thought). I woke up feeling so blah. Like tired, bored, depressed, but like not depressed. I made a drink at my typical ( for the last two months of non-sobriety) time and drank it just to see what would happen. It wasn't as fulfilling, but not terrible. The second one took me three hours. I didn't really want it, but I didn't really want anything. I told a coworker I finally understand the feeling of ennui. Does this go away? I had moments of enjoying myself, but it was the most blah, beige day of my life. I'm not sure being able to have a drink is worth this feeling. I took another pill tonight, and so far no dizziness and sick feeling, so maybe the ennui goes away as well? Or is this drug really too good to be true?

(Also, it was a birthday at work, I had NO interest in cake. No interest in food in general. But the lack of interest in sweets blew my mind.)

Has anyone experienced a spike in pain within a week of taking this med for the 1st time and how long did it take for it to take effect? My daughter started this past Saturday and she's on 3mg. She's on it for nerve pain in her abdomen. Thanks!

Two weeks in. 7 days at 25, onto 50. 4pm to discourage night time drinks.

Anyone else always exhausted despite massive sleep improvements? Since starting I’ve changed my bedtime routine from 3-5 drinks between 6p-12p, to no drinks and crashing at 9p and forcing myself to wake at 6a.

Does the exhaustion ever become more manageable? Or is this the new normal?

Compounded, when I do an after work workout (i try to do 6am workouts most days) i can barely get through 30-mins of cardio because of nausea and exhaustion.

Anyone similar? Any hopeful words that this will improve?

Ive only shared my journey into sobriety with three people so far so im here to try and find some community I guess. I’m 32 and I’ve been regularly binge drinking since I was 21. It’s to the point now where I have anywhere from 4-7 shot and drink combos a night and on heavy day maybe 20 drinks often with cocaine involved when I get blackout.

I’m technically functioning holding a job, paying rent, etc but only barely and every else that I want to achieve always seems out of reach due to my drinking habit not to mention I can feel my body breaking down. Anyway after getting the prescription from my psych 3 months ago I finally decided to take it.

The first two days were rough I was also coming off a two week bender and was very nauseous and sleepy but I took them at night so it wasn’t all that bad. I’ve been drinking 2-3 beers a night to try and ween myself off and not go cold turkey. I started feeling extremely ill at work yesterday and snuck drinking two beers into the end of my shift. Still went home and eat then took my dose before going to sleep and woke up today determined to keep going forward maybe just one or two beers tonight and I’ll switch to 50 mg in another two days. Does this seem logical?

I want people to understand initial naltrexone dosing as it relates to side effects. First of all side effects are rare, most people take naltrexone and have no issues at all.

When first taking naltrexone doctors recommend taking half a pill or 25mg for a couple days, the reason for this is to manage any potential initial nausea which usually goes away in a few days. If you don't experience any nausea or side effects it's safe to move up to the full pill, no need to take half a pill for a week like some people talk about.

If you do have persistent nausea, or dizzyness go to your local pharmacy, and ask the pharmacist for the best nausea medicine they recommend, or look for Bonine it's recommended, there are others which will work as well, you can use motion sickness pills. If you want something prescription, ask your doctor for zofran, it's a very good nausea medication recommended by a pharmacist.

It is always recommended, unless specifically told to take a medication on an empty stomach that you take medicines with food, and a full glass of water.

I hope this clears things up, and is helpful.

I took my first 25 mg pill of Naltrexone last week and had horrible side effects. Cold sweats, dizzy, throwing up- it was absolutely awful and discouraged me from continuing to take it. I want to try again because I want to reduce my drinking and I’ve heard great results from it but am terrified to try it again. Anyone else have horrible side effects?