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

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.

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

Nal has changed my relationship with alcohol in such a way that I don’t feel like I’m an alcoholic anymore trying to manage my disorder.

It’s generally said that most alcoholics are alcoholics for life, but just “non active”. Like if you ever have a drink you have a predisposition to not stop and spiral.

This isn’t a diet. I’m not wanting an alcohol buzz and just abstaining from it. I’m just not in to it. I like to have a drink and think I still kind of look forward to it, but it stops there. I’m craving food more than the next drink.

It really does feel like it changes your brain and you aren’t the same person anymore in regards to alcohol. I no longer feel like an alcoholic and I’m not scared of having a drink or not having a drink. It just doesn’t matter much anymore.

Also, I just stopped my blood pressure meds completely and my anxiety is pretty much nonexistent. Turns out that yeah, it was the booze all along.

✌️

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 have been taking Naltrexone for 6 weeks and to no avail. Zero reduction in cravings. I am using an online source and the cost is $250.00 every 3 months. I want to find a local or telehealth provider that will give me the prescription so I can fill it for $5.00 with my insurance. That said I also want someone to manage the medication, possibly add gabapentin or a GLP-1 to see if that helps. I cant find a psychiatrist that will prescribe any of these meds. My PCP sent me packing, says she doesnt do that. What kind of doc are you all getting your meds from? TYIA, really looking for help.

hey all, im 22 and have been developing an AUD for roughly 5 years. almost 2 weeks ago (on 4/20 💚🍀) i made the decision alongside my PCP to get better for many different reasons: being tired of making myself sick at least twice a week from overconsumption, struggling at work, disliking my demeanor, weight gain etc. that evening i made a successful effort not to drink and the next morning i started naltrexone.

since then i have been sober from alcohol. the first week was the hardest honestly and i didn't understand how to deal with my triggers without turning to liquor so i ended up sleeping a lot and when i was awake i felt floaty and overwhelmed almost constantly. now heading towards day 13 my cravings are significantly decreased and i even went into a liquor store with my friend yesterday and didn't feel tempted to buy anything!

don't get me wrong, im happy to be working on this and glad that i am getting better one day at a time, but i am worried that all of the success in my recovery is only due to the medication? that if i missed it one day or eventually stop taking it i will just go back to my drinking habits. has anyone else struggled with this kind of guilt? how do you let yourself understand your progress is still yours even with medication?

TLDR: i started taking naltrexone almost 13 days ago and while i love the improvements im scared that my progesss is ONLY because of this medication and without it i will slip into former habits again.
anyone who has dealt with this, how did you overcome that guilty feeling? and how do you help yourself believe in yourself?

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

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! :)

I’m not like a raaaaging alcoholic. Which is why I find it so hard to quit. I have had no rock bottom, I have never made a huge fool of myself, I haven’t hurt people and I don’t drink every day usually just weekends where I binge. It’s a classic case of one drink is too many. I know where abouts to stop, but I love to get drunk. I always drink the most out of my friends. I have known for a long time I’ve had a problem.

I think I have tried to quit like 10 times by now. My first attempts were quite good. Got to around six weeks, then convinced myself I’m fine now and then back to spiralling. At first I found quitting exciting. But now the novelty seems to be wearing off with the excitement and pride of quitting and I just feel so burned out with it, plus my partner is a musician and our social lives are buuuuusy and always surrounded with drink. This is why I wanted to try naltrexone. I’m Australian and it seemed impossible to get a script. I even had an appointment with a very expensive home detox which wanted to charge me $1900.

I decided to bite the bullet and try my luck with a Telehealth doctor. It is clear that Aussie doctors are not very used to prescribing this medication because I did have to almost convince him that I was very well read about Naltrexone and understood exactly how I I wanted to use it. He gave me a script. I went to chemist warehouse the next day and picked up the medication which cost just $7.10!! I couldn’t believe how cheap it was.

I tried it last night when we had a few friends come round for dinner and a camp fire (prime drinking time for me). I took half a 50 mg tablet at around 3 pm. We took a bottle of wine down to the river (omg heaven). I had two glasses and a ciggie. I started to feel extra queasy after the ciggie. We came home and I cooked dinner without a wine in hand (unheard of when entertaining). We ate around the fire and I cracked open an NA ginger beer, then a kombucha. A little later in the night I decided to have some more wine. I probably had about three glasses and some more ciggies all of which made me feel really nauseous. I tipped the last little bit out.

The next morning I woke up with the wooooorrrrst hang over. I felt so nauseous. But after a shower and a ginger kombucha I started to feel better. All day I have felt slightly unwell and dizzy and so very tired. It seems I will get some pretty bad side effects I’m also not used to taking any kind of medication. I will however use the medication again when I plan on drinking. And I think it will work because of how adverse I felt to alcohol even though I pushed through and kept drinking I think just out of pure ritual and habit.

Is there anyone else out there who is like me? A grey area drinker on naltrexone? Any other Aussies? Anyone who is copping the full spectrum of side effects? And any advice greatly appreciated.

Major financial struggle has me cutting corners. The experience of naltrexone was nothing short of life saving but my mental health is better and I'm medicated for some issues, finally. Alongside cost the health effects concern me. Plenty off people seem to be on it for life, I'm glad that's an option for me too. But I am on a hefty load of drugs and have been for 4 or so years and while this cocktail I take day and night is approved by appropriate actors, I can tell from other's experience but also my own that medicine, as a science, is much more individual than that. I'm in my mid twenties and I want to protect my body. What should I expect for "withdrawals"? I took 25mg for a few days and last night was my first time no nalt.

Two years completely sober. Early April 2024 was when I started my 3rd (or 30th...) attempt at quitting. I had tried all sorts of medication and it took a lot of internal reflection to realize no medication will make you quit. You have to want it! Work until you find the right combination for yourself. Everyone is different and there is no one size fits all solution to combat this evil poison.

It took daily Nal on top of TSM and varying my Gabapentin frequency for it to work. If you are feeling frustrated and don't know if you can make it, I swear to you that you can! I was doing 2.5 handles of liquor a week that I would sneak drink. That's in addition to what I would openly drink. I never thought the day would come where I wouldn't NEED to drink so I could function. But I made it!

Hey reddit fam,

I just had a couple of questions about disulfram/antabuse.

I JUST got put on 500mg starting dose.. (it was so hard to find a pharmacy that actually had it bc they're telling me it's discontinued?!?! 🫪)

Anyway, how long since your last drink would it be safe to start? I tried asking the pharmacist and he really didn't understand what I was asking. (didn't really speak good English)

Today is my birthday, and I am going to go out to dinner and POSSIBLY have my LAST DRINK, so if I do that, would I be okay to start this medication Monday? Haven't drank but like every other day maybe 2-6 shots compared to my usual 14+ a day for the last two months... I know that sounds crazy but I'd appreciate no judgment ... So does that come into play when trying to take Antabuse?!? 😭😭 I stopped drinking that heavy probably about a week ago bc I seriously want out of this hellish destructive lifestyle.

The last thing I want is to take this medicine and end up in the emergency room. It's terrifying..

So what's everyone's experience?

Is there anything I should avoid while on this medication?

What should I expect?

Literally any kind of input would greatly help me right now.

Thanks in advance. ♥️

Ready to kick this alcohol thing in the ass. 💪

You might remember a couple days ago I made a post about how drinking with naltrexone was ruining my life, because I thought naltrexone could reduce my drinking. I feel embarrassed because I sounded like a hopeless idiot trying to find something to blame my alcohol abuse on. But I didn't realize it already was doing its job.

I started noticing that in my recent drinking I had to drink more and more to get drunk (which has terrible outcomes as you can imagine), but it's not like my resistance increasing each time, it just didn't feel the same. I'm more or less 6 months taking naltrexone daily and taking 1 hour before I drank, which is 2-3 times a week. I am still blacking out sometimes, but it's honestly because I am stupidly trying to out drink the medication effect. But I genuinely thought the medication didn't work and I was going to be stuck in alcohol for life and that made me extremely miserable and depressed.

A couple times when I didn't black out I felt like I didn't need to drink more, I wasn't going to get more pleasure out if it and I didn't want to drink more. However, I'm still in this moment where I still miss the pleasure of alcohol, I still want to drink it. Alcohol is 100% a huge problem in my life and I don't see in the near future I'm quitting completely, BUT naltrexone is a light in the end of the tunnel, it feels unreal that a medication can do this. This first time I realized I didn't need another drink I was actually emotional, I didn't have to be a slave to alcohol. I am now hopeful that I can slowly change my relationship with alcohol

Thank you for reading if you reached this far