Some headlines claim Ozempic can curb the urge to drink just like it curbs the urge to overeat. And for many people, it does reduce the pull toward alcohol. But that doesn’t happen for everyone. Why? There’s a specific biological reason having to do with our brains’ reward pathways. There’s also a medication that specifically targets the reward pathway associated with alcohol, which is where Sunnyside Med can help.
Let’s say you’ve been on naltrexone for a few weeks. The first days were startlingly good: alcohol cravings went dormant, and drinking felt truly optional. But after that initial period, the intensity settled into a kind of plateau. Now, you’re wondering if your naltrexone stopped working.
For some people, social drinking is the hardest type of drinking to change habits around. Social environments almost seem designed to make you keep going. Sound familiar? You have options.
You finish your first glass of wine. You set the empty glass down. Usually, you’re already feeling a pull toward the second glass, but it doesn’t come. You just… don’t really care. That’s what drinking on naltrexone feels like for a lot of people. And if you’ve struggled with not being able to stop drinking once you start (even if, deep down, you want to), this shift to relative indifference can feel really surprising.
You took the pill on a Tuesday. By Wednesday evening, your stomach felt off — not terrible, but bad enough to make you wonder if you’d made a mistake. You Googled your symptoms, and a clinical FAQ page told you that naltrexone nausea is “common.” However… it did not tell you why it’s common, or how long it will last, or whether it means something is wrong. So here you are. Welcome!
The relationship between anxiety and alcohol is more complicated than most people realize. Alcohol can absolutely calm anxiety in the short term. But over time, it often pushes anxiety in the opposite direction. That doesn’t mean you’ve “lost control.” It means your nervous system has adapted to a substance that changes the brain’s stress and reward systems.
EXPLORE
About Sunnyside
Sunnyside is a comprehensive platform for building a healthier relationship with alcohol. We combine a behavior-change app, real human coaching, and Sunnyside Med — our Telehealth service where licensed providers can prescribe medication to help reduce alcohol cravings. Members using the Sunnyside app report an average 33% reduction in weekly alcohol consumption, and Sunnyside Med customers are reducing their drinking by nearly 50% on average — along with improved sleep, better mental clarity, and an overall improved sense of well-being.
What is Naltrexone? Naltrexone is a medication that works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain, which reduces the pleasurable effects of alcohol and helps decrease cravings. Originally approved by the FDA in 1994 for the treatment of alcohol dependence, Naltrexone has been shown in clinical studies to significantly reduce heavy drinking days and support long-term moderation. Sunnyside Med prescribes a compounded oral formulation containing Naltrexone as part of a comprehensive treatment plan that includes coaching, tracking, and ongoing medical support.
Sunnyside Med connects you with licensed medical providers who can prescribe compounded medication containing Naltrexone, an active ingredient that is FDA-approved to support alcohol moderation, through a private Telehealth process. Sunnyside Med is not a substitute for emergency services or inpatient treatment. If you are in crisis or experiencing severe withdrawal symptoms, please contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or call 911. We are proud partners of Moderation Management, a non-profit dedicated to reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol.
Alcohol Moderation guides