Need advice on TSM and hangovers

[brad22482]

Hi,
I am in my forth month of the Sinclair Method and have hit a speed bump. The first three months I consumed my normal amount alcohol around 5-8 drinks a night, seven nights a week without problems. On the fourth month I decided to decrease my drinking to around 3-4 nights a week at around 4-5 drinks a night. The problem is anytime I have 6 drinks or more I get very bad hangovers the next day. I mean headaches, nausea, bad vomiting, etc.
I havent had a hangover in over 5 years (to include nights where I passed out due to consuming over 10 drinks).
Anyone on the TSM experience this? Is this due to a loss in resistance to alcohol? Can my liver be failing? Any advice you can provide would be of great assistance.

Thanks,

Brad

[paulywogg]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

hi brad,its probly your body getting used to a smaller amount of alcohol,so larger makes you sick,im that way too,its kinda like whenever we first started drinking,too mucho get sicko

[YouKayBee]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

Hangovers can be worse when using Nal, in fact they are sometimes referred to as Nalovers. I have found as my intake and cravings have reduced, so as my tolerance regards hangovers. Previously I'd only be sick if I consumed 20+ units, then it was 15, then it was anything over 10 units and this last weekend I felt queasy the next day after only approximately 5.5 UK units(about 2 1/2 pints of normal strength beer). This meant the following night I only had one drink worth 2 units(units were on the side of the can), before going on to water.

Obviously it's making me reduce even more, it's making me want to not drink full stop part of me thinks is a pity, the other part doesn't mind since I never really wanted to drink in the first place, I just don't enjoy it, never did and that hasn't changed with TSM. I'm hoping it'll help me shut the door on alcohol for good.

So yes this does happen, I may make further enquiries about this effect but it's just one of those things and for me the release from the cravings is the most important thing. If I can't drink without being ill as a result, I'll take that and simply not drink.

I've been using Nal and TSM for 18 months, was a binge drinker(20-30 units a day when I drank) and my cravings disappeared at the 6 month point.

[Ne/Neva Eva]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

I don't take Nal, but I sort of think of a hangover as...normal. I'm not suggesting they're not worse because of the nal. But I am suggesting that not getting them, or (worse) getting used to them, is not at all normal. You know?

[YouKayBee]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

Ne/Neva Eva;1406443 wrote: I don't take Nal, but I sort of think of a hangover as...normal. I'm not suggesting they're not worse because of the nal. But I am suggesting that not getting them, or (worse) getting used to them, is not at all normal. You know?

Yep, I've asked about this on the TSM forum and already got a reply with the same experience.

Nalovers are horrid, we think it's because endorphins help with pain relief and of course the morning after you still have nal blocking at least some endorphins. For me the headache is worse, and I start being sick with less and less alcohol(day after) and it's getting worse as time goes on.........God(or whomever) forbid the day when I get sick off a trace of the stuff.

[brad22482]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

Thanks

Getting these horrible hangovers after only 6 units (I wasnt even drunk) got me very anxious. Thanks for the replys. They put me at ease as I was really worried about liver damage caused by naltrexone.
I will stay on TSM as my drinking/urges has dropped considerably once I stopped drinking out of habit. I am hoping my urges drops even more before I deploy to Afghanistan.

[YouKayBee]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

brad22482;1408102 wrote: Getting these horrible hangovers after only 6 units (I wasnt even drunk) got me very anxious. Thanks for the replys. They put me at ease as I was really worried about liver damage caused by naltrexone.
I will stay on TSM as my drinking/urges has dropped considerably once I stopped drinking out of habit. I am hoping my urges drops even more before I deploy to Afghanistan.

Glad it's working for you, do please be aware you may go through a phase of drinking returning to old levels. This is quite normal and many give up at this point thinking it's stopped working, it hasn't it's simply part of the process.

The liver damage thing is thought to be a bit of misinformation, my own GP wasn't sure herself and only wanted to carry out liver function testing because it's what the guidance notes for prescribing recommend. Naltrexone in the doses we take (50-100mg) per day doesn't from the info I've read damage the liver. I think the reason the Drs worry about liver damage is the fact you carry on drinking, and it's the alcohol that's going to do the damage if anything - but you'd recommend liver monitoring for anyone who's drank in the sort of quantities alcoholics do.

[YouKayBee]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

Just wanted to update this and say since my last post, wanting to avoid the nal hangover I've found myself drinking even less, without any struggle at all. I just don't want to feel ill, and found drinking slowly, not racing, and the elimination of cravings as a direct result of TSM has meant I was able to have just 1 or 2 drinks and go onto a soft drink. In fact I really couldn't be bothered with drinking any more alcohol!

[tm1210]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

I'm on week 18 of TSM and am very interested in this subject also. I'm having great success but have been suffering really bad the next day. I don't even know if its hangovers anymore as I feel terrible after just 3 UK units. I'm at the stage where I think I'm just drinking out of habit as I drink so little, so slowly that it doesn't even take effect but I still can't jump off totally just yet.

What I've also noticed is the a terrible sickness after working out. example being, high intensity cardio. I actually have to lie down for at least an hour with the most awful sick feeling imaginable. This even happens up to 3-4 days even after taking my last dose of Nal.

Saying that. Its been a godsend as I've came a long way. I've been drunk twice since starting 18 weeks ago and the results have been great. I totally believe I'm drinking out of habit now and these terrible Nalovers are just another step in encouraging me to jump off totally. I have never had any intention of wanting to keep drinking moderately or I'd have called victory about 7 weeks ago.

I think it has something to do with the endorphins. I also found alcohol to be the best pain killer and that's partly why I think I've had success.

[YouKayBee]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

Hello tm

Not heard of sickness after exercising and believe me I have exercised at a lot whilst following TSM although not so much as first. Wondering if you are (a) drinking every day and (b)still regaining fitness?

Another thing if you can manage two AF days, no nal and then exercise you'll get the most amazing high ever. I've stopped having those rebounds because I mostly don't drink anymore, perhaps once or twice a week maximum but have been using it to help with food binges. Seems to be working.

I just wanted to add a bit more to this post. Today I am really realising how far I've come and what TSM has done for me - I've got through a difficult week only consuming 2 units of alcohol, and that was only in anger. I have zero cravings and if I get the urge for whatever reason I can decide that I simply don't want to drink without any effort.It's amazing when I think about the battles I'd have in the past, and even more recently the scary spikes I'd been experiencing which were laying me out with horrible hangovers. I've not much interest in going out drinking, much less in drinking with friends -actually my friends these days don't drink very much so we all happily enjoy cups of tea and early bedtimes instead. I took nal twice last week, once on the day I did drink those 2 units, another on a day I thought I might binge eat or get drunk. Let's just say I didn't consume any alcohol, I didn't suffer any noticeable side effects and it cost me a few pence(even if bought privately at ?1-2 a tablet that's less than the price of a pint or a large glass of wine in most UK bars).

I've also made initial steps in training in a field to help others with their life problems. It's all pretty good news!

I'll shut up now.

[tm1210]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

Hey UKBlonde...

I'm drinking on average about 5 days a week. I've always kept myself at a fairly decent level of fitness. Its high intensity cardio that really does it. Its definitely an endorphins thing I think. It takes up to about 5 days without Nal for me to get back to normal.

I've never really heard of the sickness thing either, its strange. I've also never really experienced the up regulation I've heard so much about. I've gone up to a week without Nal since starting TSM so I think I might be a different case. Its not just an after exercise thing. I definitely don't feel 100%. Its hard to explain, its like my tolerance has gotten so low that I'm feeling the after effects of 2 beers the next day as if it was 8.

I'm shooting for 100% abstinence so hopefully when it comes I don't have to worry about this anymore. I've no interest in ever having a drink again if possible. I was never one for having a drink or two.

The sickness thing was really worrying me but its a small price to pay if I can get to where I want to be. I'm 16 weeks in and I think I'm now drinking out of habit as I don't drink enough to get drunk anymore. I hope I can jump off for good really soon.

[YouKayBee]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

tm1210;1416728 wrote: Hey UKBlonde...

I'm drinking on average about 5 days a week. I've always kept myself at a fairly decent level of fitness. Its high intensity cardio that really does it. Its definitely an endorphins thing I think. It takes up to about 5 days without Nal for me to get back to normal.

I've never really heard of the sickness thing either, its strange. I've also never really experienced the up regulation I've heard so much about. I've gone up to a week without Nal since starting TSM so I think I might be a different case. Its not just an after exercise thing. I definitely don't feel 100%. Its hard to explain, its like my tolerance has gotten so low that I'm feeling the after effects of 2 beers the next day as if it was 8.

I'm shooting for 100% abstinence so hopefully when it comes I don't have to worry about this anymore. I've no interest in ever having a drink again if possible. I was never one for having a drink or two.

The sickness thing was really worrying me but its a small price to pay if I can get to where I want to be. I'm 16 weeks in and I think I'm now drinking out of habit as I don't drink enough to get drunk anymore. I hope I can jump off for good really soon.

Glad to hear you are staying positive, and yes if you goal is abstenance, or at least giving up alcohol isn't an issue then it's the obvious solution. Nal does leave me a bit flat but that's nothing compared to the depression alcohol created, and the stuff I went through with Baclofen. It's a comparitive breeze.

[tm1210]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

I half heartily tried Bac before trying TSM but it never got off the ground. I don't fancy taking a dose for the rest of my life. I have a crazy tolerance for drugs and probably would have had to have went to crazy high for it work.

[Heavy Fuel]

Need advice on TSM and hangovers

I follow TSM, as my intake fell, so did my tolerance. The severity of the hangovers was worse the further I went. Now, I get a hangover if I drink 4 units. I can only drink small amounts, and I am happy with that! UKBlonde really covered all the normal bases.

As far as your liver, I never worried about that. First, I was drinking less and less. Second, liver issues only happen with nal at 300mg or better. I was only taking 50mg per day. I mean really, what the heck was 90 units of alcohol a week doing to me?

Good luck on your journey!