DOSE:	50 mg	oral	Naltrexone	(daily)
		oral	Alcohol - Beer/Wine	(daily)

BODY WEIGHT:

165 lb

I began taking Naltrexone 5 weeks ago to enable me to moderate my consumption of alcohol. I have been a 2 bottle of wine a day drinker for the past three years. I am trying method whereby an alcoholic takes naltrexone one hour prior to drinking. The drinker still gets a ‘buzz,’ but over a period of time – generally 3-5 months – the opiate receptors in the brain become ‘unwired’ from addiction. This is supposed to result in the drinker being able to moderate, or halt, their drinking.

My own experience has been: For the first week or two, I was more fatigued than usual. Shortly after taking the Naltrexone I experience prickling of my lower extremities. On occasion, within the first half hour of ingestion, I get what feels like a low sugar experience – weak, sweating, somewhat dizzy and disoriented. This is relatively mild and passes in 15-20 minutes. Within a short time I’m back to normal. I intend to eat a high protein meal before taking the med to see if that helps.

So far I have not experienced the flat, listless or depressed feelings reported elsewhere. In fact, the opposite is true. I’m already drinking significantly less than I did when I started, down to an average of 6 glasses of wine per day, as opposed to my previous 10-12 glasses. I wake up feeling more alert and ready for the day. I’ve had one day with no drinking at all – and didn’t miss it. On the days of no drinking, naltrexone is not taken. So while I do have some negative side effects, they are nothing in comparison with the side effects of heavy, persistent abuse of alcohol.

Exp Year: 2008	ExpID: 77806
Gender: Female
Age at time of experience: Not Given
Published: Jul 21, 2010	Views: 18,495
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Alcohol - Beer/Wine (199), Naltrexone (338) : Therapeutic Intent or Outcome (49), Medical Use (47), Addiction & Habituation (10), Combinations (3), Not Applicable (38)