8/2/15 - Naltrexone #2

Last night my family was coming over for dinner.  The first time we have all gotten together since May when there was some drama.  I was a little anxious about the whole thing so I had been pretty wound up all day. I took 1/2 a pill at 5:00 and had a beer at 5:50. After that beer I switched to wine and drank 2 glasses finishing at 9:00.

What was the same - I was still loud (not a good thing), talkative, buzzed, having fun (I think), easily distracted from what I should be doing (cleaning up dinner, etc.)

What was different - I feel like the alcohol hit me a little harder, a little faster. I felt way more buzzed (I hate the word "drunk" as that is what my mom always called my alcoholic father) than I think I should have with only 3 drinks.  I don't know if that is a side effect, but I didn't like it.  My distractability factor seemed worse - like I just couldn't stay focused on a task at all.

Here is the biggest difference and I know I wasn't imagining this one.  Everyone was gone by 9:00. In my book, on a Saturday, that is pretty early.  Normally I would have stayed up drinking another 2-3 hours.  I would have most certainly finished the bottle of wine. I might have even called the neighbors to see if they were still up as we told them we might when everyone left.  Instead, I poured my third glass of wine, sat down on the couch and tried to watch tv.  I couldn't do it. I literally could not stay awake.  It was a very weird feeling.  I had only had 3 drinks, so I was definitely pretty buzzed but not wasted and I felt like I was moving in and out of consciousness.  I could not keep my eyes open and when they closed, I was immediate asleep like almost passed out. It was so weird.  I did that until about 11:00 not even touching that 3rd glass of wine, got up and went to bed.

Normally when I am buzzed enough that I am falling asleep on the couch (which for me is pretty buzzed) I don't even get ready for bed (wash my face/brush my teeth). I just fall into bed and basically pass out. Last night I got ready for bed and even took some advil just in case I woke up with a headache.  I slept pretty good from 11:00-2:30. I woke up and 2:30 and can't figure out if I went back to sleep or not.  I didn't feel like I did, but I think I might have just been in a really light sleep the rest of the night.  Or maybe not because I think I was dreaming. I have no idea, but my fitbit said I got 6.5 hours of sleep. Normally when I can;t sleep, I am tossing and turning and I wasn't so maybe I was asleep longer than I thought.

I don't know...I think this Natrexone is kinda weird.  It makes my head feel a little weird, but I certainly have not drank as much in the past two nights as I normally would have in these situations. And I don't really have a hangover this morning - just a little light headed and my ears are ringing but not my normal "feel like total shit" feeling.

The best thing is that when they party was over, so was I - that never happens unless I am totally drunk.  So..I would say - so far so good.  It is definitely decreasing my drinking so far. Hopefully I am not just imagining it or it is some kind of weird coincidence.

We are going to the mountains today for four days with family which is usually pretty stressful.  I would like to say that I won't drink, but I know I will so I am going to make sure I take the naltrexone one hour before I drink on all three days.  Hopefully it will be a relaxing, hangover free trip.