Naltrexone and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• JTE...
• February 16, 2017

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "I recently went through a medical detox from heroin, and after 6 days, when my vitals showed I was opiate-free, I was administered the Vivitrol shot, which is pretty deep and painful in itself. I experienced terrible symptoms like upset stomach, diarrhea, severe restlessness, muscle cramps and twitches, nausea, chills, fever, enlarged pupils, lazy eye, extreme irritability, high anxiety, rapid heart rate, shakiness, and sleeplessness, plus the site where the shot was administered ached like an epidural. I ended up in the emergency room with an adverse reaction. I feel like death and can barely focus on my actual detox and life. Next month, when this shot is hopefully out of my system, I will not get it again! At least I'm off heroin!"

• Ric...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 5, 2018

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I'm blessed that my doctor had the foresight to put me on naltrexone. At first, I thought I was allergic to it because I vomited, but I was still in withdrawal at that time. Luckily, I kept taking it. Now, it seemed to take almost 2 months before I was seeing the difference. What I noticed first was that every time I thought of alcohol, I'd feel really nauseated. This went on for a while to where now, I don't have that. I simply don't think about alcohol anymore, and if I do, it's with indifference. I also think there are other factors that, when combined, give you a very good chance at success. Just like always, you have to want to quit for it to have the best success rate. For me, naltrexone is nothing short of a miracle, and why I have been 1 year and 1 month sober now. My advice is to stick with it, even if it seems like it's not doing anything. It took me about 7 weeks of taking it daily before I noticed the change. Best of luck."

• Jos...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 18, 2016

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I heard about this medication and was anxious to try it. Read this whole thing before you turn away. I took a full 50 mg pill, and it was the nastiest, most God-awful experience. It felt so horrible. I felt so sick, it was like being poisoned. I threw up, extreme fatigue, my head and muscles hurt so bad, I couldn't move out of bed, I couldn't taste food, I lost interest in everything. I then tried Campral, and it didn't even work at all. I spent some amount of weeks formulating a new strategy, and I decided to divide a pill into 16 pieces: one piece at bedtime the first night (about 3-4 mg), then two pieces (6-8 mg) the next, and so on each night. It works! It's a very powerful drug."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 13, 2017

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I had a naltrexone implant inserted three days ago after being alcohol-free for 7 days. Half an hour after insertion, I began to experience diarrhea, then extreme coldness and went to bed thinking I'd contracted gastro. Four hours later, severe stomach pains... For those experiencing these severe spasms, I can suggest Imodium; it certainly stopped the cramps. It's now day three, I'm still not myself, still tired but feeling content; no cravings for alcohol, chocolate, or coffee; small appetite! Feel like I did when I was pregnant 22 years ago! Slightly nauseated all the time, couldn't touch coffee, tea, or alcohol. Very few people talk about severe stomach cramps as a side effect and wanted to be able to suggest the Imodium."

• G-M...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 22, 2019

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I started the naltrexone hoping for the 'magic bullet.' I have slowed down, but it is not a 1-pill miracle as described by a spokeswoman video I watched. After slowing for a month, I had an overseas trip and forgot to take the pill before we went out for dinner each night. I started back after 10 days with a full pill. (supposed to take 1/2 a day for 3 days - then take a full one) I felt a bit queasy for the evening, but had no desire for a drink. That was great. Starting to think I need a stronger dose to seriously dump this poison."

• Ugh...
• December 12, 2017

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I've been on 50 mg naltrexone for 3 days to stop drinking, and I have experienced just about every 'rare' side effect listed. I've had severe fatigue-though not really able to sleep well-insomnia at night, nausea, and weakness. My doctor told me to go down to 25 mg for a couple of days until my body acclimated to the med, but I don't know if I want to keep up with it because of how poorly I've been feeling. I wonder if anyone else has experienced this?"

• Bet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 13, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "This is the second time I’ve tried to take Naltrexone, and I just cannot tolerate it. I thought maybe it was because I started at 50 mg. So this time I started with 25 mg and still having weird “high” feelings all day, headaches, itching, nausea. Very similar to migraines, but with crazy anxiety, paranoia, and sleeplessness. Will NEVER take again. Back to good ole willpower."

• smp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 6, 2022

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I have been on this since 3/2, and it is an absolute savior! I was prescribed it due to a rising alcohol problem. It completely ceased all cravings! Finally, I’m free from it! Added bonus, I did not realize it was also used for weight loss. I had definitely put on about 45 lbs during my alcohol issues. In less than a week, I’m down 10 lbs after this morning! It totally curbs food cravings as well. It also has helped my moods as well (in combination with my antidepressants). As for the side effects, definitely take it at night. It makes me sleepy if I take it in the morning. Drink lots of water or you will have constipation issues. Expect nausea the first couple of days (my first full day on it, I threw up a sandwich I tried to eat). After a couple of days, you’ll be back to normal, just without cravings. I do meal replacement shakes now because I forget to eat, and one day I had less than 500 calories."

• Boo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 4, 2018

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "So was on the Vivitrol shot for 5 months, and while it did help with cravings, I had extreme nausea every time I woke up. I work swing shift, so I wake up at night sometimes and mornings sometimes, but no matter when I woke up, I felt sick and tried to fight throwing up. Loss of appetite caused me to lose 25 lbs over 5 months. It was hard, but I'm glad I did it and made it through. Been off of it for a month now and finally starting to feel normal again when I wake up. No more throwing up for me. Stay clean, my friends ✌"

• Rod...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 24, 2017

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I'm a really bad alcoholic, drinking every night and sometimes all day as well. My daily drinking is a minimum of 10 drinks to 15 drinks every single day for the past 15 years. I started taking the naltrexone 50 mg about one week ago. Trying the Sinclair Method while still drinking. I take the 50 mg pill one hour before I drink. I still suffer from the cravings and realize that the Sinclair Method takes about 3 to 6 months to fully work. I have already experienced one day when I was satisfied with 3 beers, which really surprised me. Other days I still drink a lot and still have the cravings. Other than mild nausea, no side effects. I don't like AA. I'm going to stick with this Sinclair Method for the 6 months."

• MyT...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2017

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "This shot is saving my life. The first 5 days after injection were difficult due to side effects (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches), but they have since dissipated. I no longer feel any effects and have been clean from IV heroin for 29 days. I highly suggest this shot for anybody looking to stay off of opiates."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 7, 2020

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "I got the shot after coming off subs, and within 3 hours, I was sick as a dog. I foolishly took a half of a sub, thinking it would stop the detox, only for it to make it worse. The doctor gave me some bullshit meds for being nauseous and said, 'Don't do that again.' I've been sick in bed for 4 whole days. I'm never doing this shot again. I begged them to reverse it, but they can't. Here's to an awful month."

• Jim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2019

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I took one 50 mg tablet. A short time later, I became tense and irritable. The next day, very tired, irritable, dizzy, nauseous, unable to cope with even the slightest noises or interactions with people. Everything upset me. I did stop drinking because the feeling reminded me of a terrible hangover. Hope it goes away soon. It's been 2 days."

• Dra...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 15, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "This may not be a fair review because I only took 2 doses. But I woke up at 1:00 AM the night after the second dose with a terrible throbbing headache. The next morning I woke up with severe nausea and headache. I was sick all day, hopefully, this very ill feeling will subside by tomorrow. I obviously won’t be taking any more of the medication. However, for me, I found a strong placebo effect. This made me realize I just need to do this myself, it certainly isn’t worth putting a drug in my body (especially one that made me feel like I had been poisoned, wow, I was sick). I am only speaking for myself. I must be one of the rare people who can’t or shouldn’t take this drug."

• TR ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 27, 2017

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Started this 3 days ago, with nausea as the only side effect so far. I had cut my drinking in half before I started it, but couldn't just stop completely. I am also taking Chantix for smoking, which I have been on for almost one month. Still at the halfway mark with my drinking, so I hope soon I will be able to stop completely. Not sure how much time I should give it?"

• Mea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 23, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "I got naltrexone 25 mg daily from my general practitioner as a means to lose weight, however, there have been other benefits too. I was a functioning addict of anything I could get my hands on for many years. The only person who really knew this was my husband. I couldn't handle the side effects of nausea and vomiting the first few days, so my doctor prescribed me an anti-nausea med. Ever since then, I have been feeling great. I am losing weight, yes, but I'm also free and clean, which I wouldn't have been able to say without this medication."

• j r...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 25, 2022

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Three months ago, I was binge drinking about 400 ml or more of vodka every day, usually starting in the morning. These binges of a couple of weeks were happening every one to three months. I didn't want to drink, but I did anyway, mostly to 'feel better.' Long story short, I got once again to a point of not being able to eat, where I was throwing up constantly and shaking violently. After two nights in the hospital for the withdrawals and repletion of lost electrolytes, a loss that was really severe, I left the hospital after they gave me a rather unwelcome dose of Ativan [completely new to me] and a 30-day supply of naltrexone: 50 mg every morning for just about 57 days. Side effects of moderate nausea for about a week, with continued withdrawal, I think. I was pretty sick. AA works for others. Bad fit; no God issues. Naltrexone is an amazing drug that changed the chemical game for me. I have no desire to drink. I do keep three pills to remember mostly -- and just in case."

• Emi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I began with 50 mg a day, took that for two days, but the side effects were horrendous. Reduced it to 25 mg and still no difference. Only managed 4 days in total. Had to stop, I felt like I’d been poisoned. Woke up with horrible headaches, had crazy dreams, spaced out during the day, nausea, vomiting, muscle aches, weird stretching feeling. Been off it for 48 hours and feel so much better. Going to go back to good old willpower and therapy to kick my drinking habit. I read such positive things about this drug, but it sure didn’t work for me. Maybe I should have tried it for longer, but I just couldn’t handle the side effects. Made me realize there’s no such thing as a magic pill."

• ajt...
• October 29, 2020

For Fibromyalgia "It was fine for a few days taking naltrexone, but then, ten hours after I'd take it, I had crippling nausea, anxiety, was sweaty, and shaking. I thought I might have eaten something bad, so I rode it out. It happened the next night, at the exact same time as before. I began to suspect it. The same thing happened again at the same time. I told my doctor, and we stopped it. It was just 1 mg. This drug feels cultish. It's really hard to find someone to prescribe it. My rheumatologist wanted me to take it, but she said she couldn't write it. Why? And look into the trials done with LDN. One of the books about it tries to convince patients that testimonials are just as good as double-blind testing. That's not how science works. It supposedly treats a laundry list of things from cancer to MS. That's a red flag. Please research this. You'll find people without medical licenses prescribing it and people getting their ability to prescribe it taken away. It's a very suspicious situation."

• lam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 22, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I've been taking LDN (Naltrexone) and Bupropion for 3 years. I couldn't figure out why I went from drinking 18 beers a day to where I can't even take a sip of beer without feeling poisoned, nor can I smoke a cigarette without feeling nauseous. Now I know it's the Naltrexone. It's a wonder drug."

• Riz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 2, 2022

Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder "Had the shot yesterday, and 5 hours later, I was stumbling around with agitation. Felt super nauseous and picked a fight with family with rage for no reason. It works as far as cravings, but will probably look for another option ASAP."

• Ani...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 21, 2019

"Well, naltrexone for itching works! I am a psych mental health nurse and use this at work. I read an article that it can help with itching. I have scalp psoriasis and itch like crazy. Day -1, 50 mg. Prob too much. Heightened sense of smell, pretty disorganized, terrible headache, and nausea. But NO itching. I don’t have an alcohol issue but would love not to drink at every social event for the empty calories. This drug has made me so adverse to alcohol, and I took one pill 5 days ago. Still not itching either. Worked out the headache and think I will cut the pill into 10 doses, about 5 mg, and start there and hope the side effects dissipate."

• Ggg...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 20, 2023

For Alcohol Use Disorder "It makes me very nauseous, so I can only stand it for about a week. It appears to interact with Metoprolol, which causes the nausea."

• Ggg...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 20, 2023

For Alcohol Use Disorder "It makes me very nauseous, so I can only stand it for about a week. It appears to interact with Metoprolol, which causes the nausea."