Last Updated on August 13, 2026

Sunnyside Med is a 100% online program that combines naltrexone with drink tracking, coaching, community, and clinical support. You complete an online assessment, a licensed clinician determines whether naltrexone is appropriate for you, and if approved, your medication is shipped discreetly to your door.

Maybe you know you want to drink less, but you haven’t decided exactly what that looks like. Two drinks instead of five? More alcohol-free days? Quitting eventually? You don’t need to have the end goal figured out before you start.

Sunnyside Med works on two fronts. Naltrexone can quiet cravings and make alcohol feel less rewarding. Meanwhile, the Sunnyside app helps you tackle the habits around drinking with tracking, weekly planning, coaching, and community support.

That combination is intentional. Sunnyside co-founder Ian Andersen, who takes naltrexone himself, describes medication as another tool layered onto the behavior-change system Sunnyside has spent years building.

The idea is: make alcohol feel less compelling, then use that breathing room to build habits that make reducing your drinking easier over time.

What Is Sunnyside Med?

Sunnyside Med is the medication-supported version of Sunnyside’s mindful drinking program. It gives eligible members access to compounded naltrexone through licensed telehealth providers, then pairs the medication with the Sunnyside app, coaching, drink tracking, community, and ongoing support.

Naltrexone is the active ingredient in Sunnyside Med’s compounded medication. It’s an opioid antagonist that blocks opioid receptors involved in alcohol’s reward response. For many people, that makes drinking feel less compelling and puts more distance between the urge to drink and the decision to act on it. Naltrexone has been FDA-approved for alcohol use since 1994.

But medication is only one part of Sunnyside Med. Research suggests that naltrexone is most effective when paired with behavioral support, which is why the program also focuses on the routines and habits that shape your drinking.

You also don’t have to commit to quitting alcohol to join. Sunnyside Med supports both moderation and abstinence, so you can start with the goal of drinking less and decide where you want to go from there.

How Does Sunnyside Med Work?

Getting started with Sunnyside Med happens entirely online. Here’s what the process looks like:

• Take the online assessment. You’ll answer questions about your drinking goals, health history, and other information the care team needs to determine whether the program may be a fit.
• Get reviewed by a licensed clinician. A licensed provider reviews your health intake and determines whether medication is medically appropriate. This is also where safety considerations come in. For example, naltrexone generally should not be started while you’re using opioids because it can precipitate withdrawal.
• Receive your medication. If approved, your compounded prescription (+Vitamin B6) is shipped directly to your door. From there, the Sunnyside Med team helps you get started and gives you access to ongoing clinical support if questions come up.
• Use naltrexone alongside Sunnyside. This is where Sunnyside Med differs from simply getting a prescription. You’ll track your medication and drinks, see your progress in the app, receive reminders and nudges, and have access to human coaching seven days a week. There are also educational resources, community support, and optional weekly calls.

Andersen describes the program as a “companion experience, not just a prescription.” The goal isn’t to hand you medication and leave the rest up to you. It’s to make changing your drinking easier from both directions: reducing alcohol’s pull while giving you practical tools to change the habits around it.

How Naltrexone Works With Sunnyside Med

Alcohol normally triggers endorphins that activate these receptors and contribute to dopamine release. When naltrexone blocks that process, drinking may feel less rewarding, which can help reduce cravings and the urge to keep going after the first drink.

That doesn’t mean naltrexone prevents you from getting drunk or eliminates all of alcohol’s effects. It changes the reward piece of the equation. Some people describe having more space between wanting a drink and actually deciding to have one.

One Sunnyside Med member described it as getting their “brake pedal” back. Another said, “I find I have both less cravings for alcohol and not as much of an urge to binge if I do have a drink.”

Sunnyside Med uses a daily approach rather than asking members to take naltrexone only when they expect to drink. The goal is consistency, including on alcohol-free days, while you work on changing your drinking patterns over time.

Why Sunnyside Med Includes Behavior Change

Naltrexone can make alcohol less compelling, but it doesn’t automatically change the routines you’ve built around drinking.

Maybe opening wine while making dinner has become automatic. Maybe drinks are how you transition out of work mode, handle stress, or socialize with friends. Those associations can stick around even as cravings begin to change.

That’s where the other half of Sunnyside Med comes in. Research on naltrexone and alcohol treatment supports combining medication with behavioral interventions, and Sunnyside Med was built around that idea.

The app lets you track drinks and alcohol-free days, plan your week, set medication reminders, and watch your progress over time. You can also text with a human coach seven days a week, use guided resources and exercises, connect with the Sunnyside community, and join optional weekly community calls.

Tracking can be especially useful because progress isn’t always obvious while you’re living it. In one of Sunnyside co-founder Ian Andersen’s weekly member meetings, a member said she felt discouraged because she didn’t think naltrexone was doing much. Then she looked back at her Sunnyside data and realized she had gone from roughly 30 drinks per week to about 20. The change had happened gradually enough that she hadn’t noticed how much her drinking had shifted.

That’s part of the point of pairing the two approaches. Medication can change how alcohol feels, while tracking and support help you see what’s changing and build on it.

What Does Sunnyside Med Feel Like When It’s Working?

There isn’t one moment when Sunnyside Med suddenly “kicks in.” Some members notice a change relatively quickly, while for others it happens gradually.

What changes first can vary, too. You might notice that you aren’t thinking about your evening drink as early in the day. You might pour a second drink and realize you don’t particularly want it. Or you might still enjoy drinking but find it easier to stop when you planned to.

Ian describes one of the most common changes as alcohol’s “voice” getting quieter. The anticipation, bargaining, and fixation can start to take up less mental space. In his own experience with naltrexone, he says drinking gradually became less interesting rather than suddenly unpleasant.

Member experiences echo that description. One person said, “I feel in control and aware of my relationship with alcohol for the first time in a long time.” Another reported, “I just feel so much better not drinking all the time. Somehow my brain feels different!”

And progress doesn’t have to mean quitting. Sunnyside Med supports moderation or abstinence, so success might look like fewer drinks, more dry days, less binge drinking, or eventually deciding that you’d rather stop altogether. The program is designed to let that goal evolve as your relationship with alcohol changes.

Who Is Sunnyside Med For?

You don’t have to be ready to quit drinking to consider Sunnyside Med. The program supports both moderation and abstinence, including people who simply know they’re drinking more than they want to and could use another tool to change that pattern.

That was Ian Andersen’s experience. Before starting naltrexone, the Sunnyside co-founder wasn’t drinking every day. His pattern was concentrated around weekends, when he found it increasingly difficult to stick to the limits he set for himself. Medication initially felt like a bigger step than he expected, but he ultimately came to see it as another tool for changing a pattern he’d already been working on.

That mindset is built into Sunnyside Med. You don’t have to decide at the beginning whether your ultimate goal is two drinks instead of four, more alcohol-free days, an extended break, or quitting altogether. The program is designed to help you make alcohol a smaller part of your life while you figure out what works for you.

Every Sunnyside Med application is reviewed by a licensed clinician, who considers your health history and other medications before determining whether you’re eligible. In particular, naltrexone generally cannot be started while you’re currently using opioids. You can learn more about who qualifies for naltrexone.

How Much Does Sunnyside Med Cost?

Sunnyside Med costs $99 per month, billed quarterly at $297, plus a one-time $50 intake fee. No insurance is required, and the program is HSA/FSA eligible.

That price covers more than the medication. It currently includes:

• Compounded naltrexone with vitamin B6, shipped to your door
• Unlimited 1:1 clinical care
• The Sunnyside behavior-change app with drink tracking and progress analytics
• Human coaching via text seven days a week
• Private community support
• Weekly group Zoom calls
• Founder-led educational resources

In other words, Sunnyside Med isn’t priced as a prescription-only service. The medication, clinical care, and behavioral program come together as one system.

Internal data suggests that engagement with that system matters. Among active members with at least 50% app engagement, 78% achieve a meaningful reduction in drinking over 12 weeks. (Individual results vary.)

Sunnyside Med Is the Perfect Companion for Your Mindful Drinking Journey

Changing your drinking isn’t only about getting through a craving. It’s also about figuring out what happens at 6 p.m. after a stressful day, what you order when everyone else is drinking, and how to build new routines when the old ones have been around for years.

That’s why Sunnyside Med pairs naltrexone with the Sunnyside behavior-change system. Medication can help make alcohol less compelling, while tracking, planning, coaching, and community give you practical ways to work on the habits around it.

You’ll use the Sunnyside app to track your drinks and medication, follow your progress, and get support from real human coaches. You can also connect with other members and join weekly calls to hear from people going through the same process.

And your goal is allowed to change. You might start because you want fewer drinks on the weekend and eventually decide you feel better taking a longer break. Or you might find a level of moderation that works for you. Sunnyside Med gives you room to figure that out without requiring an all-or-nothing decision on day one.

It starts with a short online assessment. A licensed clinician will review your information and determine whether naltrexone is appropriate for you. If approved, your medication is shipped discreetly to your door, and you can start putting the medication and behavioral sides of the program to work together.

Want to get started? Take the quick, 2-3 minute assessment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): How Sunnyside Med Works

Is Sunnyside Med the same as the Sunnyside app?

Sunnyside is a mindful drinking program built around drink tracking, weekly planning, coaching, and behavior change. Sunnyside Med adds access to clinician-reviewed compounded naltrexone and ongoing clinical care while incorporating those Sunnyside tools into the program.

Do you have to quit drinking with Sunnyside Med?

No. Sunnyside Med supports both moderation and abstinence. You can start the program because you want to drink less, take more alcohol-free days, or work toward quitting.

Can you drink while taking naltrexone?

For many people taking naltrexone for alcohol use disorder, abstinence isn’t required before starting treatment. Unlike disulfiram, naltrexone doesn’t cause an intentionally unpleasant reaction when alcohol is consumed. Your Sunnyside Med clinician can guide you based on your individual health and treatment plan.

How long does Sunnyside Med take to work?

There isn’t one timeline for everyone. Some Sunnyside Med members report noticing changes relatively early, while for others the shift is gradual. The program emphasizes consistency and tracking your drinking over time rather than judging your progress based on the first few days.

Is Sunnyside Med just a naltrexone prescription?

No. The prescription is one part of the program. Sunnyside Med also includes clinical care, drink and medication tracking, progress analytics, human coaching, community support, educational resources, and group calls. The idea is to address both alcohol’s biological pull and the habits that have developed around drinking.

Naltrexone is a prescription medication. This content is educational and is not medical advice. A licensed clinician reviews every Sunnyside Med application.