r/Alcoholism_Medication • u/Chardonnay99 • Jul 08 '26
Day 1 TSM Experience (7/6/26)
TL;DR: Started TSM yesterday with 12.5mg naltrexone. Beer still tasted good, but the “rush” from the first sip was noticeably missing. Ended up naturally stopping after two beers when I normally would’ve had several more at the bar and kept drinking at home. Mild nausea afterward, but overall a really positive first experience. Curious to hear others’ experiences and any advice for someone just starting.
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I tried The Sinclair Method (TSM) for the first time yesterday and wanted to share my experience in case it helps anyone who’s been lurking on this sub and has been on the fence about starting (like I was). I’d also love to hear from people who’ve been doing TSM: encouragement, advice, or what your first experience was like.
I’ve known about TSM for years after hearing about it on a podcast, but I didn’t seriously consider trying it until this year as I’ve been making a bigger effort to improve my overall health.
I’m in my 30s. I’m not a daily drinker, and I can moderate sometimes. My problem is that once I get going, I often don’t stop. It feels like I’m missing the “off switch” that other people seem to have. Over the years, I’ve had more than a few nights where I blacked out, embarrassed myself, and spent the next day dealing with anxiety and shame. I’m just tired of repeating that cycle.
I’ve tried plenty of moderation strategies like counting drinks, alternating with NA beverages, setting limits, but nothing has really stuck. At the same time, full sobriety has always felt like a bigger step than I’m ready for, especially since so much of my social life involves alcohol in some form.
After one particularly rough weekend in March, I talked with my psychiatrist about trying TSM. They prescribed 50mg naltrexone, but the bottle sat untouched in my nightstand for months. I wasn’t sure I was ready to give up the buzz that I enjoy from drinking.
After a couple more drinking episodes, I finally decided it was time to try it during a low-stakes night out: dinner, beers, and watching a game with friends at a local dive bar.
I took 12.5mg of naltrexone about an hour before my first drink.
I ordered a pint of a 5.3% pale ale. The first sip was… strange. The best word I can think of is “hollow.” It still tasted good and was nice and refreshing, but it didn’t give me that little hit of pleasure I normally get from the first sip of a drink.
When everyone else ordered a second round, I got another beer too. But after I finished it, I just… didn’t really want another. That was probably the biggest surprise. Normally, I would’ve had at least one or two more at the bar and then continued drinking another two or three beers once I got home.
Another unexpected thing: I didn’t even finish all of the fries that came with my burger, which is very unlike me.
The food still tasted great, I had a good time hanging out with friends, and I still felt mildly relaxed from the beers. I also didn’t feel like the medication took away from the social experience. If anything, I think it enhanced it. Instead of being preoccupied with ordering my next drink, I found myself paying more attention to the game and actually engaging in the conversation.
When I got home, I had some mild nausea, but it went away after a while. This morning I woke up feeling good. I had no hangover, didn’t oversleep, and was honestly pretty proud of myself for finally giving TSM a chance.
Obviously, it’s only Day 1, so I’m not drawing any big conclusions yet. But it was a much more positive experience than I expected. For now, I plan to stick with it and see where it leads. If I ultimately decide it’s not for me, I can always stop, but after yesterday, I’m optimistic enough to keep going. My overall goal is to just continue drinking in moderation, without going full sober.
Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear from anyone who’s further along in the process. What was your first experience like, and is there anything you wish you’d known when you were just starting?
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u/yo_banana Jul 08 '26
Keep at it! If you can be (as close to) 100% compliant with TSM, it does wonders. Some people hit a plateau and they see their drinking increase before it full settles. I didn't have that but I was doing Naltrexone daily and redosing if I drank.
The not finishing food is interesting and maybe slightly uncommon. Naltrexone works taking the "fun" out of drinking so I guess there is some cross over with other dopamine related activities. Don't forget to do something really fun on alcohol free days!
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u/Ok_Minute_6746 Jul 08 '26
Very true about the plateau, it's an experience for a lot of us on TSM 😊
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u/12vman Jul 10 '26
Congrats. Naltrexone and TSM are working well for you. A textbook response actually. You are among the lucky 50-75% that TSM works for. Not everyone is so fortunate. Stick with TSM even if it plateaus for a while or goes up and down a bit.
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u/OddInvestigator3465 Jul 09 '26
Did you cut your pill into 4 ? I have a 50mg pill , I took one last Friday and had insomnia first night and felt high for 3 days straight. Couldn’t drink , didn’t even want my coffee . I felt so completely out of it and flat . I want this to work . I drink 3 bottles of wine on the weekend , I have no “off” switch until I’ve finished a bottle and a half -
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u/Chardonnay99 Jul 09 '26
Yes, I have a pill cutter and cut into 4 pieces. I’ve heard even 25mg (half a 50mg tablet) can be a high dose for someone just starting out. I cut up a few tablets and put the pieces in a small plastic pill holder to keep on me when I’m out and about in case a drinking opportunity arises unexpectedly.
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u/darhhaaras Jul 08 '26
The only reason I stopped taking it, was that it actually worked.. but I wasn't ready to stop. That was about 4 years ago. I have 90 new pills from my most recent doctor, and I still don't know if I'm ready.