Naltrexone

[drmichaelimperioli]

Hi again! So my friend recently had to return to detox after he was caught drinking in his sober living house. He didn't physically need detox because he only had a few drinks after being sober for about a month or 2, so he was discharged, but they gave him Naltrexone and he brought a bunch of it back for me because I'm still trying to ween myself off of alcohol and I'm still having a very hard time with that. I'm nervous about taking it though and don't really understand how it works. I'm mostly worried about the side effects and what happens if I do drink on it (like will I get violently ill or anything like that?). I don't want to waste it because I currently can't get help for this anywhere else, so I want to use it properly and want to know what I should expect. So if anyone has any experience with it, let me know! Was it effective for you? Does it help with cravings? Can you still feel the effects of alcohol while taking it? Does it interact with other drugs? etc

 

[Lil'LinaptkSix]

Does it help with cravings? Can you still feel the effects of alcohol while taking it?

Althought I quit drinking before I ever heard of Nalotrex I did find some literature that may be helpful in answering some of your questions/concerns (if the data can be reliable):
Naltrexone
Naltrexone and Alcohol
Hope some insight into this is helpful.
Hope you have a safe and happy holidays.

 

[Senior Moderator]

Hi again! So my friend recently had to return to detox after he was caught drinking in his sober living house. He didn't physically need detox because he only had a few drinks after being sober for about a month or 2, so he was discharged, but they gave him Naltrexone and he brought a bunch of it back for me because I'm still trying to ween myself off of alcohol and I'm still having a very hard time with that. I'm nervous about taking it though and don't really understand how it works. I'm mostly worried about the side effects and what happens if I do drink on it (like will I get violently ill or anything like that?). I don't want to waste it because I currently can't get help for this anywhere else, so I want to use it properly and want to know what I should expect. So if anyone has any experience with it, let me know! Was it effective for you? Does it help with cravings? Can you still feel the effects of alcohol while taking it? Does it interact with other drugs? etc

Naltrexone reduces the desirable effects of alcohol, so you won't get the "buzz" when you drink alcohol. I have read that a lot of people who take naltrexone and then proceed to drink alcohol while on it report that they just feel the physical effects of the booze, for example feeling woozy, dizzy, disoriented, dehydrated, get a headache etc. It therefore reduces people's desire to drink in that way, because they're not getting any of the positive effects of the alcohol such as the euphoria, reduced inhibitions, heightened empathy etc.

It will not make you violently ill if you drink while on it. The medication you are thinking of that has that effect is called Antabuse (disulfuram) and is a different anti-drinking medication.

Naltrexone does not directly reduce cravings either. The medication that has that effect is Campral (acamprosate), and it is very effective at reducing the actual cravings for alcohol. But again, that is a different medication altogether.

Naltrexone is also used for quitting opioids because it has the same effect as with alcohol, it stops you from feeling any of the euphoric effects of the opioid.

As a first line of defence, for someone who is motivated to quit drinking, naltrexone can be very effective. But you must first have the complete desire to quit drinking, and for true success I personally believe that you should incorporate other methods of treatment and support such as regular therapy and/or going to meetings. This will give you a much higher chance of success at quitting drinking.

All the very best in your sobriety journey, and please keep us updated with how you go.

 

[Eligiu]

Hey, so what a lot of people who are prescribed naltrexone do not know, is that the best effect at helping with alcoholism is a actually achieved by using something called The Sinclair Method, and actually *actively continuing to drink* (though note, not in incredibly heavy or unhealthy amounts, just *enough* for TSM to work).

In my country, naltrexone does fuck all, because the only prescribe it on authority (I have no clue why it's an authorised medicine and not widely available) and the patient must be enrolled in some kind of AOD counselling services and abstaining.

This is just backwards, because the thing is, like another poster said naltrexone actually simply makes alcohol feel *different* in your body. You won't get the same rewarding effect from it as you used to.

I actually conditioned myself out of drinking alcoholically with a 2 month supply of naltrexone. It's been around 4 years since I last drank. Not including half a glass of champagne at my brother's wedding.

Basically what you need to do, is every time you are planning on going out to drink, take ONE single naltrexone pill I think 1-3 hours before you will consume your first drink.

Do NOT take it on days that you don't drink, because that is pointless.

Over time, as you continue to drink, you will notice that not only does your total amount of alcohol consumption drop significantly, but your speed at which you consume drinks will also drop significantly. The last time I went out to friends while I was conditioning my alcoholism, I drank ONE single one of them Mexican drinks. Coronas, for idk like 4-5 hours?

Basically, my brain had accepted I wasn't getting drunk that night no matter what I did, because the naltrexone had caused the effect that whenever I drank, I had diminishing reward effects to the extent that at home at the start of this period, I was buying a slab and by the following week I was half a slab down. Eventually getting another drink seemed pointless.

If you want to do TSM you NEED to keep drinking, and you NEED to take the pill religiously when you do.

I will attach some information.

What is the Sinclair Method for Alcoholism? | Naltrexone Sinclair Method

The Sinclair Method for Alcoholism is an Evidence-Based Treatment for Alcoholism using the Medication Naltrexone to gradually reduce the craving for alcohol

www.sinclairmethod.org

 

[Senior Moderator]

Hey, so what a lot of people who are prescribed naltrexone do not know, is that the best effect at helping with alcoholism is a actually achieved by using something called The Sinclair Method, and actually *actively continuing to drink* (though note, not in incredibly heavy or unhealthy amounts, just *enough* for TSM to work).

In my country, naltrexone does fuck all, because the only prescribe it on authority (I have no clue why it's an authorised medicine and not widely available) and the patient must be enrolled in some kind of AOD counselling services and abstaining.

This is just backwards, because the thing is, like another poster said naltrexone actually simply makes alcohol feel *different* in your body. You won't get the same rewarding effect from it as you used to.

I actually conditioned myself out of drinking alcoholically with a 2 month supply of naltrexone. It's been around 4 years since I last drank. Not including half a glass of champagne at my brother's wedding.

Basically what you need to do, is every time you are planning on going out to drink, take ONE single naltrexone pill I think 1-3 hours before you will consume your first drink.

Do NOT take it on days that you don't drink, because that is pointless.

Over time, as you continue to drink, you will notice that not only does your total amount of alcohol consumption drop significantly, but your speed at which you consume drinks will also drop significantly. The last time I went out to friends while I was conditioning my alcoholism, I drank ONE single one of them Mexican drinks. Coronas, for idk like 4-5 hours?

Basically, my brain had accepted I wasn't getting drunk that night no matter what I did, because the naltrexone had caused the effect that whenever I drank, I had diminishing reward effects to the extent that at home at the start of this period, I was buying a slab and by the following week I was half a slab down. Eventually getting another drink seemed pointless.

If you want to do TSM you NEED to keep drinking, and you NEED to take the pill religiously when you do.

I will attach some information.

What is the Sinclair Method for Alcoholism? | Naltrexone Sinclair Method

The Sinclair Method for Alcoholism is an Evidence-Based Treatment for Alcoholism using the Medication Naltrexone to gradually reduce the craving for alcohol

www.sinclairmethod.org

Yes, this. Thank you very much for posting this information.