I am someone of Asian descent, and as such I experience terrible flush symptoms whenever I drink. However, I've noticed that no matter how much I drink, I feel entirely sober while still getting the hot/red face and racing heart.

It sucks because in social gatherings I basically can't drink at all, and when I do try I don't feel any of the low inhibitions or drunkedness as my friends around me do. I don't think I've felt even a little drunk my entire life no matter how much I drink.

Has anyone else experienced this, and are there any fixes?

I've been on Viv for ~3 years, it's been a life saver!! For me, "no effect = no desire," and I'm covered for the whole month! It's taken alcohol off the table for the first time *ever.* That said, I've found that I don't get nearly the enjoyment from activities that I used to. From social events to concerts which are a huge highlight of my life, and even sex, I'm feeling flat or disconnected. I really think this is a result of the medication on "feel good" chemicals like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. I just can't access peak experiences any more, and it's increasingly apparent. Have you had this experience??

For this reason I'm considering going off the meds, or trying another avenue (Campral). It's a huge shift though, because after 20+ years of struggle, chronic relapse, "hitting bottom" and losing literally *everything* this med really was a game changer. On one hand I think "if it ain't broke, why fix it?" On the other, it has given me an emotional stability that makes me want to **appreciate** the good things in this life I've created!! Although I've done a lot of work on my compulsion, I also worry that without the euphoria-blocking aspect I will risk going back to old behavior. I know I'm NOT powerless, and the choice is up to me, but that feature has strongly reinforced my desire to be AF. I welcome your experience and feedback as I face this decision.

I am just wondering if any of you have tried the liver supplement Dose? I read a lot of reviews on Amazon and it seems like it’s the only one that lowers people‘s liver enzymes in lab test.

Who has a success story on treating their AUD with daily dosage of naltrexone? Taking the nal in a targeted way before drinking isn't working great. It makes me extremely sleepy and I have a little headache for a couple of hours. And some anhedonia, which is OK I can deal with that tho I don't love it. But the sleepiness is not acceptable at a happy hour! I'm 6 weeks in, trying TSM rather than daily dosage in the last week or so. The Internet says TSM works way better than daily dosage but TSM might not be right for me. Anyone?

Hey all. So quick question. I’m on Naltraxone 50mg. I’m about 7 days in with dosage. I was wondering if it gets easier overtime to control the drinking and not binge? A couple of nights ago I drank very heavy and basically felt like I “beat” the Naltraxone. I woke up feeling like crap. I kept getting drunker & drunker to the point I was feeling sick almost. I’m wondering if the medication works better & better overtime and if these events of beating happen here & there. Also I have finally gotten past the nausea and dizziness of it which is awesome because at first I would get really hot and feel very nauseous. Also around what mark do the evening cravings go away for alcohol? I want to be done drinking so bad! Thanks for your advice!

I know there is a lot of concern about xanax out there, but I have had prescriptions for xanax for months that I have not used. That being said I have used xanax when I'm going into a social situation where there will be a lot of alcohol drinkers. I don't have much anxiety outside of these social situations as I have routines that keep me in a good place (pickleball, working out, and other routines).

On a couple of occasions recently I have taken .25mg of xanax followed by another after about two hours. I also take 10mg of propranolol. I don't get any effects similar to alcohol where I have to chase the buzz and end up drinking way too much.

The experience is one of calm and the ability to feel less inhibited. I don't plan on taking it multiple days, but I could see how long vacations or long holiday weekends could be a concern, even though I don't plan on exceeding .5mg whenever I take it.

Any others who have been able to follow a similar regiment with xanax and propranolol without any major issues.

Hi guys. Started taking selincro (nalmefene) in line with TSM.

It’s been miraculous in many ways so far but I’ve noticed if I drink more than a couple of beers on it I feel really spaced out. It’s pretty uncomfortable to experience in social situations.

Anyone had this and have any advice?

I work in the alcohol industry so total abstinence pretty unthinkable to me.

Hey everyone :)

I’m currently on disulfiram (Esperal) but I’ve developed a lot of anxiety around food...

I had a small reaction recently on holidays because of a biscuit (like a small panic attack), and since then I’ve started overthinking almost everything I eat...

So I wanted to ask people who are also on disulfiram or have experience with it:

What foods or ingredients do you personally avoid completely?

Have you ever had a reaction from “hidden alcohol” in food? How bad was lt?

Right now I feel like I’m scannin everything I eat :( and si am scared to eat at any restaurant... and it’s becoming mentally exhausting.

Thanks for your answers!

I see a lot of posts about naltrexone causing nausea or lightheadedness, but I want to describe what I experienced after taking just 1/4 tablet (12.5 mg) before going out for a beer. I definitely had the lightheadedness and felt “off.” Then the other side effects started: my husband was being annoying (he wasn’t), the music was too loud (it wasn’t), the lights were too bright (they weren’t), and my sandwich tasted terrible (I made my husband taste it, and he said it was fine). On the plus side, I guess, is that I only drank half of one beer because it, too, tasted terrible. I felt weird and irritable for many hours.

Has anyone else experienced this? Did it get better with time? If naltrexone helps you avoid drinking but ruins every other sensory experience, I’ll have to find an alternative.

Thanks for reading!

So I just started naltrexone a week and a half ago and originally my plan was to be completely abstinent but I did drink once because I was having a rough day last Friday. I saw how the med could work and I was amazed. I posted about my experience earlier. Now I'm thinking that the Sinclair Method might be great overall to help me sever the connection in my brain between alcohol and pleasure and craving.

This community has been great so far and so kind in helping me out. I was wondering what's the best or most common method to use this program?

Drinking once a week? Twice? And how many and how long and eetc.

I'm completely new to this.

Thank you in advance

How do I adk my Gp to put me on Nal? I feel really uncomfortable asking? And also how do I explain it to my husband? He will be supportive but he doesn't understand the struggle

So I'm a 37/m. Been drinking since I was 20. Was heavy from 21-34 and the past 3 years I've been either trying to quit or keep it just to weekends but even on weekends it would be 10-12 drinks a day.

I tried AA a couple times and while I respect the program and learned a lot and made connections, it didn't stick with me as a whole.

I'm on TRT and Antidepressants (Pristiq) and last week I decided to finally try Naltrexone. 50mg a day.

I'm sick of the hangovers and everything that comes with it. The anxiety, guilt, shame, depression, random online purchases, calling out of work, damage I'm doing to my body, etc.

I even read Annie Grace's book This Naked Mind and I know the damage alcohol causes.

I used alcohol as medicine for years but now since I've been on antidepressants and been in therapy for 4 years I'm just using it out of habit and addiction.

So....

Yesterday I had already been on Naltrexone for a week and things have been rough in my personal life so I decided to go out in the early afternoon for drinks to leave the apartment.

Here's what happened.

I love the whole ritual of drinking. Whether it's walking to the bar or liquor store. Picking out my poison. Pouring the first drink (if at home), and then that first sip and the euphoria that comes with it.

I threw on a polo and walked to the bar. I sat down at the bar and ordered a dirty martini with blue cheese olives. I took the first sip and it felt/tasted.... Hollow? That's the only way I could describe it. Wasn't good or bad. I tasted it for what it is. There's wasn't a euphoria or happiness or self-medicating feeling. It took me awhile to finish the one and I was doom-scrolling on my phone and when it was 3/4 finished the bartender asked if I wanted another and I automatically answered yes purely out of habit but after I said yes, I realized I could have walked away and it wouldn't have mattered. So I did drink the other one and I did notice a buzz but had no desire for a 3rd. It was actually a weird feeling for me.

I went home and played video games, but for reasons I don't wanna get into, I went back out because I didn't wanna be home for a specific 2 hrs.

I walked to the local brewery and sat down and ordering a large beer of this funky beer I wanted to try. It took me about an hour to drink it while I was on my phone. Same thing, I ordered another one purely out of habit and to see if I would get a buzz but I feel like it was more muscle memory than actual craving.

After the 2nd beer I left and went home and went about my night and didn't think of getting any more but I did notice hours later that the "Hangover" symptoms were exactly the same. It makes sense. It's a chemical and gonna do what chemicals do. Slight headache, anxiety, hot, slight sweat, dehydration and etc.

Just this one experience has taught me now that my life doesn't have to be black or white, all or nothing. I have bad OCD so this is great for me.

I take my naltrexone every morning so I'm covered for the day no matter what, even though the past 2 years I only drank on my weekends.

It was nice to be able to drink without the craving but I also need to be aware that the Hangover will always be there.

Thanks for letting me vent this all out. Mainly typed it out as a record for myself.

The more time passes, the more I see that alcohol is losing its meaning in my life. This past week, I went 5 days without drinking, and it was fine. On Friday I decided to drink, and the hangover the next day was awful. I don't know how I endured being like that for 5 years. Now I feel like I have new plans for my life. I'm considering starting medical school in the coming months. Anyway, it's great to see now that my life is more than just alcohol.

Before treatment: 28 liters of beer per week

Week 1: 9 liters of beer

Week 2: 9.5 liters of beer

Week 3: 12.5 liters of beer (trip)

Week 4: 4.2 liters of beer

So I just started taking naltrexone last week. 50mg a day. I haven't drank since I started it until today. I was at the bar and had two dirty martinis with blue cheese olives. I enjoyed the taste but it was a weird experience for me because I didn't have that gasoline effect that I've been used to for the past 17 years. 37-year-old now. Is this what I'm supposed to feel? I enjoyed it but I also didn't need to have three four or five more. Now it's 1:42 p.m. and I'm going to go home after only 2 martinis. Not because I'm cutting myself off but because I don't want a 3rd and it's kinda freaking me out.

I don't know if it means I'll go back out later but I just wanted to give a real time update and reach out and see what other people had to say from their experiences.

Thanks

I’m considering stopping taking naltrexone. I’ve been sober six months. I did the first 70 days without it, decided to ask my doctor for a script as an extra tool. I’ve gotten mostly used to the side effects. Just a little tired and I nap almost daily, but I just have a bit of brain fog. I feel like I’m not as motivated as I could be. Anybody have any suggestions or experiences? I have another 90 days of medication if I want to use.

Need a little perspective from you guys on my experience. About 5 weeks ago I was rx'd Naltrexone daily 50mg. I did a slow ramp-up due to the side-effects. Recently (about a week) I've reached 25mg midday and 25 mg dinnertime.

I want to switch to TSM dosing. So on Weds I skipped the Nal since I planned a sober nght. On Thurs I took the 50mg Nal, and 75 minutes later opened a fizzy canned cocktail. I only had 2 of these drinks available. About 40 min later I opened the second one, kinda chugged it.

As usual since starting Nal, the drinks got me a bit tipsy but lacked the oomph of pre-Nal, so yeah it is working to some degree. After the second drink, I could've drank one of the husband's light beers, but I don't really like them, and my stomach was bloated from the fizzy drinks. So I was glad to not desperately drink something I don't like.

But: I became very angry with myself, with Nal, with the whole situation. Also a little sad. Was angry for hours.

That night I really wanted to quit the Nal, while also knowing that I do NOT want to quit, I want to give this med a chance. And knowing I would be more optimistic in the morning. The next morning I had a horrid headache. And to be honest the side-effect of feeling woozy after the dose still bothers me, so not certain if Nal is right for me. So...

Anyone have feedback on the headache? Is that typical from taking a night off between doses? Maybe I should stick to the daily dose? My dr suggested taking it at bedtime due to the woozy/sleepy side effect.

Any feedback on being filled with rage due to cutting off your drug (alcohol) after a moderate session when you really want to binge? Is that Nal doing what it's supposed to? Last night I took one 25 mg dose and told my husband I'm taking my sadness pill.

Hey y'all! This is a place for you to post your successes, great and small, with the Sinclair Method! Whatever it is that the Sinclair Method has done for you lately, feel free to leave it here!

I'll give a brief snapshot of my own story: I was a binge drinker for 20 years that started at weekend keg parties in high school and progressed to drinking 15 units nightly of spirits and beer near the start of the pandemic. This is the same time period that my first child was born.

I have now taken control of my drinking with the help of The Sinclair Method and this community and enjoy a majority of AF days most weeks. I get to enjoy being clear headed around my children and enthusiastic about experiencing the world as it unfolds to them without the dread of searching for the next drink.

If you've got any similarly positive stories, feel free to share them here! :)