Help wanted.

[Amethyst26]

I originally posted this on the Naltrexone sight but then decided to paste it here hoping for a quicker response. After many weeks of waiting I finally received my Naltrexone from River Pharmacy. ( I had tried Campral, but drink right along with it)
At first I was all excited to try it and see if it would really work. I took 25 mg yesterday and about 2 hours later, took 25mg more (seeing that I did not have any wierd reaction those first 2 hours) Then I went ahead and tried having a glass of wine, then another. I did not feel a buzz. So I gave up and did not have my usual 3rd which is a good thing. But in order to get the feeling of being buzzed I took 2 ambiens and a benadryl. Yes, I know this sounds awful. But anyways, I was still up late and slept in today, woke up hating life. So I decided to try again. I took another Naltrexone today 50mg. At approximatelty 5pm. I feel awfull, I am one to exercise every day , even after a night of drinking. But after taking the pill all I feel like doing is zombying out in front of the tv (not me at all) Plus I feel like I want to crawl out of my skin. Just damn irritable and restless, yet lazy at the same time. It is now 9pm and I am depressed and still craving wine. Even though I know it is not going to buzz me I just guess I miss my nightly friend. I know if I have a glass I am just going to be miserable because it is not going to give me the buzz which is what I really want. I guess I am going to have to force myself to take a walk or something to get my mind off drinking. I just wonder, aside from the obvoious waste of money it will be to buy a small bottle of wine (equivalent to one cup) Am I harming my liver by combining with the Nalrexone? Also, has anyone else felt this blahness or am I just going through psychological withdrawal from my nightly friend? Any advice would be appreciated. Am going nuts here. I thought Naltrexone worked on cravings too! I am gonna try to not take any sleep med tonight, even if i do subcumb to a cup of wine. I just don't wanna screw up my poor liver even more. Is it ok to have one drink?

Thanks!

[Amethyst26]

Help wanted.

What i do find so far about the naltrexone is that it stops the one triggers another cycle. But I guess I just miss it as a habit. So anyway...I hope this will get better with time and I do know I need to ADD will power to the equation. But for now I wil do my best to reduce and eventually quit entirely.

[kaponium]

Help wanted.

Hi Ameth, I have been on Naltrex for 12 days now, NOT drinking at all on it, it is a 'back stop' and psychosomatically it is working very well. I believe the DESIRE to stop drinking was vital for me. I want the life I live sober to STAY that way. Wally is very right about the liver thing, all the very best - keep posting x

[bloggy]

Help wanted.

Hi Amethyst

First I think 50mgs is quite high. If you cut down to 25mg you would still not get the buzz from alcohol, but it might help with the lethargy.

It sounds to me, like in your heart of hearts you still want to drink and get the buzz? For it to work as Kap says, you really need to strongly desire to stop- otherwise you will likely end up skipping the dose to still get the buzz.

[Amethyst26]

Help wanted.

I agree with you. I am going to go down to 25 mg. Last night I had a glass of wine. I didn't get the buzz but it tasted ok. Whem i went for a 2nd one I actually was replulsed and ended up spilling half it it down the drain. I had no desire to drink after that. I have to admit that after only 2 days on the naltrexone, I am starting to feel more positive. I think since I was drinking 3-4 glasses of wine a night my antidepressant had stopped working, so then I was more depressed and wanted to drink more. It was kind of a vicious cycle. Today for the 1st time in a long time I felt clear headed. I think it is worth not skipping a dose and enduring the side effects. I am going to work out today BEFORE taking my dose at 7pm. I am not going to bother drinking wine tonight. It is not worth the $ or extra calaries.

[Michaela]

Help wanted.

Best of luck to you AM

Mich

[bestlifeldms]

Help wanted.

Amethyst,

I have never taken naltrexone, but did take topa. I think as a tool these meds are great, but the real desire to not drink should come first. The lethargy may be because of the nal. dosage, however, it could also be slight withdrawl symptoms. I felt wiped out for a long period of time when I quit, and it was weeks before I settled into a normal sleep pattern. This is very much a process and it sounds like a combination of things to me. Good luck, keep going, it is soooooo worth it!

[Evie.Lou]

Help wanted.

I needed to find MANY PROJECTS to keep myself ULTRA BUSY so I had very little time to think about missing AL.
It gets better, honest it does.

[Ask For Help]

Help wanted.

HI Amethyst: You said something very important in an earlier post;

"What i do find so far about the naltrexone is that it stops the one (drink) triggers another cycle. But I guess I just miss it as a habit."

BINGO. I think many of us have gotten into the HABIT of drinking and as EvieLou says you just have to find may ways to keep busy to break that habit. And once you do you have a whole lot of time to have a great life.

I think that is one of the best things I've learned . . . that part of my "drinking problem" was a habit. Not something horribly uncontrollable, demonish, awful and larger than life. A habit . . which I have some control over changing . . . and I have.

Best of luck to you!!:l

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