riverbluebell

I want to share my experience with Naltrexone, in case it might help someone else. I should start off by saying that I basically "grew up" in AA. It was almost a religion for my dad, and it kept him sober for 40 years. So I know AA helps a lot of people, and I support that entirely. But there are many reasons that I didn't turn to AA for my own problems, and I assume there are others like me.

I was a wine boozer. (I just noticed I used the past tense in saying that.) I drank 2-3 glasses almost every day for more than 20 years. In the last 3-4 years, I started a slide downward (prompted by a relationship with an enabler). I moved my "start drinking time," from 5 pm back to noon. On a couple of days I drank at 11. I started drinking two glasses at lunch and 3-5 in the evenings. I started thinking about wine non-stop. I started resenting everyone and everything that came between me and my Great Love. I drove drunk (even though I am a lawyer, and see the repercussions of such conduct every day in court). A recent test showed some liver damage. I think I drank more than I thought I did (or what I might have said in earlier posts).

I found a post on this site about Naltrexone and the Sinclair Method. I ordered 50mg pills from India. I took one an hour before drinking (that's the protocol for the Sinclair method). I did not try to engage my will power. I just committed 100% to taking the pill before drinking. I started feeling the results a few days in. It was an amazing feeling of simply "not adoring" my heretofore precious liquid. During about 30 days, I still drank almost every day, but never more than one glass. One night I poured a glass, and forgot to drink it. I only realized this when I saw the full glass on the table the next morning.

It's been about four months, I think, since I started. In the last 60 days, I have drank alcohol twice. The other night, I ordered wine with dinner, and I found it somewhat repulsive. After a sip or two, I gave it to my friend who was having dinner with me. (The other occasion was the same way).

I have not been feeling the cravings. I have wine in my house that I have not touched, or had any desire to touch. I am not saying I am cured, nor what the longterm outcome will be. I just want to share that Naltrexone seems to have some amazing possibilities for treatment of alcoholism.

You should know that my brother is not having the same degree of success. So if you're sober, for God's sake, don't think of Naltrexone as a way to safely go back to drinking. But if you are not having success with other methods, you should try this. It's amazing feeling to not have my throat in the chokehold of addiction.

jakec

Interesting. My counselor wanted me to look into vivitrol which is a once monthly injection of naltrexone for opioid dependency. I guess it reduces cravings and it stops opiates from working.

justinJustQuit

I tried naltrexone for a week, and I started hallucinating at night and having severe detox symptoms despite being sober for over a week. I had already been detoxed.

The only answer I ever got was that the ingredients in it "didn't agree" with me. I didn't drink while on it, but I certainly felt miserable. But then again, I didnt do the Sinclair Method.

LBrain

They gave it to me in rehab to che k how I handled it before they orderednthe monthly shots.

I had a very unfavorable reaction to it. Can't explain other than I felt like I was stoned and everything. Every sense was heightened. The smallest sound, people speaking normally sounded like loud speakers in the room. Not pleasant at all. They gave me something else to bring me back down. Now just nothing.

justinJustQuit

I had that as well. And tinnitus. They gave me oral version too. Thank God

riverbluebell

I had read about possible side effects, and weighed them against the side effects of continued drinking. Thankfully, I experienced no side effects whatsoever. This was surprising, since I almost always experience negative side effects with any "brain drugs." I definitely suggest people try it, if all else seems to have failed. Try to oral version to check for side effects.

Cheydinhal

If it makes you not want to drink, why even keep trying to drink wine?

justinJustQuit

Its a method that supposedly retrains your reward system in your brain.

I knew that would never work with me. I'm sure it works for some though.