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Naltrexone For Alcohol

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Lexx23

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Joined
Feb 15, 2016
Messages
104
So i have a shrink who offered this for my drinking.

How does it work, both literally and not?

How does it feel, is there a high? Any side effects?
 
There is no high. Naltrexone works by blocking opioid receptors and prevents endorphins (released just before and as you are drinking) from binding to them. It's thought to reduce alcohol consumption by extinction (i.e. making it less rewarding so your brain kind of forgets about it).

You only take it when you are about to drink though, so there shouldn't be much in the way of side effects.
 
I went on Naltrexone for opioid addiction. It seemed to make the PAWS worse and I think it is because Naltrexone has a higher affinity for the opioid receptors than even endogenous opioids. It could also be because I knew I couldn't get high, having chemical handcuffs and knowing that could have made it worse for me. Most people who go on it don't notice adverse effects however and many people love it so my experience was likely psychologically driven.

It is an opioid receptor antagonist so it sits on the receptor and prevents activity. It works the opposite of opioids that would get you high. It is a precursor chemical in the synthesis of some opioids but on it's own it is an invaluable tool for many who are trying to quit opioids or drinking, I can't say anything about it's effects on alcohol but I have read that it was effective for some alcoholics.
 
Its efficacy for curbing alcohol abuse is supposed to stem from its blocking of dopamine projections in the brain, these dopamine projections are responsible for the craving feeling of wanting alcohol and also for the rewarding feeling of drinking, so by blocking the dopamine a bit it can help reduce cravings/wantings and reduce the rewarding feeling of drinking.
 
I can't say for sure but i took it after acute withdrawal and it seemed to make me feel worse and increase anhedonia. Might be because there was still Methdone in my system. It should only happen if there is an opioid active in your system but Naltrexone has a higher affinity for the opioid receptors than endogenous opioids.
 
Yeah, indeed the point about endorphins worries me (but that's also how it's supposed to work then....No, I don't want to block my endorphins..)
 
dopamimetic said:
Yeah, indeed the point about endorphins worries me (but that's also how it's supposed to work then....No, I don't want to block my endorphins..)
Click to expand...

There isn't a good deal of evidence that endogenous opioids (this includes peptides and morphine, which is synthesized in neurons and may actually function as a neuromodulator) make a noticable contribution to mood. There has always been a lot of speculation, but a lot of it has turned out to be incorrect. For example, endorphins were thought to be responsible for runners high, but the real culprit turned out to be an endocannabinoid. Indeed, administering naloxone or naltrexone to healthy individuals often has no noticeable effect. They do produce side-effects in some people, but that may reflect their inverse agonist effects rather than blockade of endogenous opioids.

I'm not trying to argue that endorphins are not important to brain function, as they do regulate a number of systems. But that doesn't necessarily mean that blocking their action produces a noticeable subjective response, nor is there reason to believe that the brain can't compensate for mu blockade in people who take naltrexone.
 
I was under the impression that nalmefene was used for booze, gambling, all drugs.... simply because it means your brain doesn't get a dose of dopamine. You want to stop? Tipplers Bane mushrooms are tasty and natural.... until you have a drink and puke your guts out for 12 hours... all natural, so cannot patent, so not of interest to drug companies. Active is 1 aminocyclopropanol
 
My doctor prescribed naltrexone to help with alcohol cravings. It didn't give me any sort of high. Right away, I got very nauseous from it and had stomach pain. Then I did a bit of reading and found that it was contraindicated for those with chronic hepatitis. So I stopped taking it.
 
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