Naltrexone and Loss Of Appetite: What Users Say

• Che...
• June 16, 2019

Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder "I have struggled with alcohol for 15 years. Major depression & severe anxiety. Nothing took the craving away. I am surrounded by alcoholics & my husband is an alcoholic. I got a promotion at work, and one morning I went to work and thought I was going to die. I couldn't take it anymore & told them I had to go to the hospital. I detoxed at a great facility. They were incredible. They saved my life. I had previously been asked if I wanted the Vivitrol shot & I declined. This time I begged for the shot. Best decision I ever made! I got my 4th shot last week. I have no cravings. I have mental clarity. I'm off antidepressants. I have lost 27 pounds. Side effects...my body aches but I'll take it. I have no appetite so when I do eat, I eat healthy. Except for chocolate. I am extremely grateful for Vivitrol. I know it has saved my life. I actually died on my birthday a couple of years ago from severe alcohol withdrawal & critically low potassium. Didn't stop me from drinking again. Vivitrol did."

• Bro...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2019

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I'm 44 and been drinking heavily since I was 20. I hated the way alcohol made me feel: fat, bloated, pains in my abdomen and unable to exercise. I also have complex PTSD arising from severe childhood abuse. My psychiatrist prescribed naltrexone and you have to take it slowly. Cut the 50mg tablet in half and only take half for the first 7 days. Yes, there are side effects: it takes away your hunger, you also can get very sleepy and sleep excessively at first, but this will fade. Naltrexone can also make you feel anxious. With my illnesses, it's always been hard saying 'no' to alcohol as I am surrounded by alcoholics who bring home alcohol almost every evening. That is, until I found naltrexone and started taking it properly. Now, on naltrexone, I am offered wine and I will refuse or only drink a glass or two. My mind is, for once, telling me this is not the person I want to be. I don't want to be the alcoholic. There is no willpower involved, it just happens, like magic."

• asp...
• May 11, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Early I know. Took my first pill (50mg) this morning for alcohol dependence. Right away I started noticing an increased energy level. I thought at first my coffee was really good. Once I got in the car to leave for work, I could really notice an energy feeling, almost too much so I knew it was the Naltrexone kicking in. I was also becoming nauseated and a little dizzy. I have a long drive to work, so I was becoming concerned that I was not coherent enough to drive. However, after about 30 more minutes, I started feeling fantastic! The energy feeling leveled out somewhat, nausea went away, and I had a feeling of euphoria. Very happy, calm, and pain-free. Just feeling in a great mood, no bad side effects... yet. So far, it has also suppressed my appetite. If this makes me feel like this every day, I would want to take it forever. We will see how it does with my alcohol desire. As of now, I could care less about alcohol or food. I will update the review if anything changes."

• Fee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 26, 2016

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I started drinking 10 years ago, and drank 10-15 per day. After 30 days on Naltrexone, I've had 2 beers, the last 3 weeks ago. What the drug did was take away any 'reward' from alcohol, so drinking a beer is no different from drinking a cup of tea. In this way, it gave me the choice back. I didn't think I'd ever be able to quit, and suddenly drinking is no longer interesting to me. I had some minor side effects for the first week, including loss of appetite, restlessness, and a little nausea - but all of those subsided quickly. I am sober for the first time in my adult life and I can't believe how much better it is. If you know you need to break up with alcohol, look into naltrexone, it changed my life."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 30, 2019

Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder "Just received my second shot of Vivitrol today. I can't really pinpoint any side effects except loss of appetite... so if losing weight is a 'side effect', sign me up! It helps with cravings, especially when paired with AA meetings and a mindset on sobriety. I would definitely recommend this for anybody having difficulty with alcoholism."

• Pau...
• January 16, 2016

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I spent 2 years in and out of AA. It was miserable. I was not an 'AA person' at all. In fact, AA meetings made me want to drink. My doctor put me on Naltrexone. It worked immediately. It actually worked too well. I no longer craved or thought about alcohol, but I also didn't like the taste of food. I lost interest in sex. I lost interest in being physically active. I was spaced out constantly. It was not living at all. So I went off of Naltrexone and resumed drinking. When I was ready to try giving up alcohol again, I went back to Naltrexone but only took half a pill a day. This made a huge difference. I still feel as though I don't enjoy many things like before. But I don't have the option to drown myself in booze."

• Cla...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2019

For Alcohol Use Disorder "5/10 as it is only day 7. Day 2, I was super dehydrated. Days 2, 4, and now - nauseous. No appetite today. I know I need to eat but am not hungry and am too tired to care. The worst is the extreme fatigue. On day 2, I woke up and could not open my eyes for a few hours. My doctor and other sources said this could last up to 6 weeks. I hope not because, while I am a fan of a good sleep, the ongoing level of fatigue makes me incapable of doing things I need and want to do. I have been told it will pass and to ride it out... I am a daily drinker, 8-20 standards, red wine and vodka. I have noticed the buzz is disappearing and it just tastes like, well, nothing really. So hope that is the naltrexone working and I will get to what TSM says is 'extinction.' I will try and update again. I wish you all well on your battle with alcohol/substance use disorder. It can be damn difficult. I hope you all find something/s that work for you."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 3, 2017

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I was an alcoholic for 7 years following my divorce. I could drink a six-pack of beer and a bottle of wine daily. I have been taking naltrexone for 29 days, and I can honestly say that my cravings are gone! I took my first dose in the morning and realized that was a mistake because of the sedating effects. I now take it right before bed. I also lost my appetite for about 3 days in the beginning, so I made sure to drink water, and I also purchased meal replacement drinks to make sure I was getting the basic nutrition. Since starting it, I have had 2 cravings, and those were following stressful days, but I didn't drink. I found it helpful to drink cranberry juice because it mimics wine. Naltrexone changed my life!"

• Jac...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 3, 2017

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "I was addicted to opiates for 4 years before this shot. I finally feel like I'm not living a double life anymore! I was homeless within 6 months of first becoming dependent on heroin (IV from the start), and I've wanted to stop ever since. Willpower alone is not enough! I've tried every way on my own, but now, with Vivitrol, I can be confident in my recovery. It's closing in on the end of my first month on it. It has caused some stomach cramps, loss of appetite, lack of sleep, anhedonia, and slight depression. The best comparison would be the feeling when you first start to feel withdrawal setting in. My craving levels were eliminated after administration, however, toward the end of the month, I'm feeling them more."

• G54...
• June 23, 2017

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "I had 10 months clean after being a heavy IV opioid user for years, I decided to stop on my last case, which also prompted me to drug court. Well, the judge, for some reason, put me on Vivitrol, even with all the clean time and program compliance. To summarize, I had planned to exercise and live healthy, and that is what was pushing me to stay clean. After getting the shot, I felt empty, confused, depressed, no drive, no motivation, no hunger, crippled libido, didn't care much about music, movies, or anything for that matter, exercising was torture. I asked the doctor if it would mess with my endogenous reward system twice, and both times he evaded my question. Seek recovery with healthy means, develop skills to stay clean, don't go be a lab rat for big pharma... go to inpatient."

• Viv...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 18, 2016

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "After 16 years of opioid and heroin addiction, I had tried everything. Methadone for 3 years and off and on Suboxone for 8 or more years, I tried hard to get off Suboxone, and it was horrid withdrawal, so I relapsed on heroin. When I knew I might die if I kept it up, I put myself into detox and planned to leave after. Stayed for rehab, and the Vivitrol was suggested. I went back and forth with my decision because I still wanted to drink. Finally, I decided to get the shot. Side effects: muscle spasms, constant stretching that felt great, decreased appetite, weight loss. The interactions with my 3 mg of clonazepam are hard to explain. It's a high definitely, but not one I like too much. If I take Bentyl for the stomach cramps, I get really dipped out."

• SC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2021

For Fibromyalgia "I experienced some odd side effects: drowsy all day on a low dose, hard time working as all I wanted to do was sleep. No pain relief for fibromyalgia, instead, I woke up each morning with stiffness and pain in lower limbs to knees and neck and upper arms pain to elbow. In addition, I felt down most of the time, just depressed and blue. I also had diarrhea throughout the day. Bizarre side effects included the limb stiffness and unusually frequent sexual thoughts, not normal for me. My appetite was lower, and I slept longer at night. It was very difficult to work though with drowsiness all day, which made pushing through heavy fatigue difficult. I drove my car to do errands nearby and had trouble navigating and drove over curbs a couple of times. That scared me. So finally, with these side effects in a two-week period, I stopped taking the med. My side effects are unusual from what I have read."

• Igu...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 13, 2019

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I took naltrexone for more than a year. The cravings subsided for about 30 days, and then I started drinking. It did not lessen the effects of alcohol or the crack. I'm nervous about taking Vivitrol because of the side effects, especially the lethargy, cramps, and loss of appetite. I've been drinking for more than 40 years, and I think I could die from just exhaustion."

• 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 ✌"

• Ste...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2018

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "I was an addict for 20 years. Mainly opiates. I decided to seek help and got into a mat program that provides Vivitrol injections for free and intensive outpatient programs (IOP). That's awesome and everything because I've been wanting to be on Vivitrol for at least a year, but I didn't think it was possible because I didn't have insurance. So I went through the whole withdrawal process because you have to be clean to get the shot, and then when I got the shot, I thought everything was going to be great. I was wrong. The first five days I could not eat or sleep. After that, I have been feeling a lot better, but my anxiety has been through the roof. And the injection site still hurts sometimes, even after 3 weeks. Next week I'm due to get my second shot, and I'm hoping it will be better. It kind of seemed like I was on chemo because the first 5 days after the shot had such terrible side effects."

• Ken...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 12, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Ummmm wow... I drank heavily and daily for ten years plus. I'm not sure when it started, mid-thirties. By 38, I was drunk every day. Today, I've been taking naltrexone for 2 months, I haven't been drunk in 50 something days and haven't even had a beer in weeks. But it's easy... I did not expect that at all. I expected to grit my teeth through quitting (again) and eventually fail. I expected meetings, or rehab, or eventually to get fired and end up homeless (again). But I'm taking good care of my cat, have become one of the top guys at work, and I almost never think of alcohol. I tried to have a big high point 'beer' (Mike's Harder Lemonade), but as soon as I felt the beginning of any effects, I lost interest! I quit drinking accidentally! Never in my wildest dreams. Amazing drug, thank you. I have real hope for my future now. Ask your doctor, I'm so glad mine knew before I did. I did experience some shakes, insomnia, and never hungry. Worth it, IMO."

• Bel...
• February 19, 2020

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder "I have been on Revia for a few months now, and it's the best thing I could do for myself. I have no cravings, but the main side effect for me is I'm never hungry. I've lost about 10 lbs in 2 months, I have absolutely no desire to eat. Another side effect is my sex drive went down, and I don't feel things sexually now, which is frustrating. But totally worth it to be staying sober."

• Sta...
• March 10, 2023

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Definitely helps with not wanting to drink, but it comes with real setbacks. Feeling empty, an irregular heartbeat, and loss of appetite. Overactive nerves in my legs make me unable to sleep, and I have a very dry mouth."

• Sus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 14, 2021

Naltrexone "A doctor put me on Klonopin and then I started drinking. After three years, I took the Vivitrol injection. I had not had alcohol or Klonopin for 14 days prior to taking the injection. (No, I don't take opiates.) The 2nd day after, I was in full withdrawal. The 3rd day was horrible too. On the 4th day, my hands are shaking, no appetite, and I feel terrible. I can only hope this passes. No, I do not have any cravings, but I only craved alcohol when I was taking Klonopin. Just took too long for me to figure that out. Has anyone else had withdrawal symptoms after no drugs or alcohol for 14 days prior to the injections?"