People in Moderation Management share experiences of naltrexone use

Netty, on naltrexone for one month, describes her experience of drinking in a moderate manner - mm@maelstrom.stjohns.edu - 7/9/2001

Hello all,

I'd like to answer a question that was posed to the Recovery2000
Yahoogroups list concerning Naltrexone and the effect you feel when
you drink in conjunction with taking Naltrexone. I'm one of the few
people using the drug with the express purpose to moderate my drinking
behavior to healthful levels (i.e., no more than 9 drinks a week, no
more than three at one sitting, ever). I've been on it over a month
now, and I've never had more than two drinks at one sitting because,
in fact, the "buzz" is indeed eliminated.

While I have had had negative experiences with alcohol and consider
myself to have an alcohol problem, the one positive reason I've
enjoyed drinking is the fact that I've always loved the taste of a
good beer, or an occasional glass of dry wine with dinner. That is why
I still have a beer or a glass of wine with a meal. I can only assume
this is how "normal" people feel when they drink and why they don't
continue to excess.

The only noticeable "effect" from alcohol that I've noticed is muscle
relaxation. I do feel my muscles relax (especially in my kneecaps --
something I vaguely remember when I was a child permitted to have a
glass of wine with dinner on Friday nights at my home in conjunction
with a religious service).

So, there you have it -- to me, it's miraculous to be able to have one
or two beers and stop, without any will-power or effort whatsoever,
and absolutely no desire for more. Of course, the "anti-second drink
effect would disappear if I stopped taking the Naltrexone, so I'll
probably be taking it intermittently for a long time, provided there
are no side effects (so far, there have been none for me). Hope this
helps satisfy your curiosity.

Netty