Naltrexone for Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Medications for addiction treatment are often a part of substance use disorder rehab. Naltrexone is one such medication that is used for treating alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD). This page explains what naltrexone is, how it works, and how it can help you or a loved one begin and maintain recovery.
What Is Naltrexone?
Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist medication that blocks opioid receptors, reducing the rewarding effects from alcohol and opioid use.1 Naltrexone helps to suppress cravings and decrease opioid and alcohol use but is itself not addictive.1
Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat both alcohol and opioid addiction, naltrexone is available in oral and intramuscular injectable forms.1 The FDA has approved oral and injectable naltrexone for alcohol use disorder and oral and extended-release injectable naltrexone for opioid use disorder.1
The extended release injectable form of naltrexone is available under the brand name Vivitrol.2
How Does Naltrexone Work?
As an opioid antagonist, naltrexone binds to and blocks opioid receptor activation throughout the brain, which helps decrease some of the pleasurable and reinforcing effects of alcohol and opioids.1,3
Naltrexone can be used to treat both opioid and alcohol use disorders, often alongside therapy and support groups. With consistent use, it can support addiction recovery by managing cravings and decreasing continued alcohol and/or opioid use.4
For some people, naltrexone can be a helpful component of an overall treatment plan for opioid and alcohol addiction. The drug does not cure addiction but rather helps to maintain recovery.5
Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder
Doctors prescribe naltrexone to help reduce cravings and improve the likelihood of maintaining abstinence from alcohol.3
Research shows that naltrexone can help reduce alcohol use, curb cravings, block the pleasurable effects of alcohol, and decrease heavy drinking in those who choose to drink.3
Treatment with naltrexone is often started after the acute symptoms of alcohol withdrawal have passed, roughly after 3–7 days of alcohol abstinence.3 Naltrexone treatment for AUD can last 3–4 months, though this may vary by person.1
Naltrexone does not have any direct adverse interactions with alcohol, and there is no danger if someone relapses while taking the medication.6 It is also safe for long-term use.5
Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder
Naltrexone has been shown to reduce opioid misuse, improve treatment retention, and prevent relapse following medically supervised withdrawal.7
Naltrexone is typically prescribed after a person has completed a medically supervised opioid withdrawal. If it’s started too soon after opioids were last used, the medication can precipitate opioid withdrawal, giving rise to unpleasant symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, sweating, chills, and muscle aches.8,9
Individuals may need to wait 7–10 days after using short-acting opioids or 10–14 days after long-acting opioids before starting naltrexone.8
Naltrexone Side Effects
Naltrexone is generally regarded as safe and rarely linked to severe side effects.3 However, extended-release naltrexone may be contraindicated for use in some people due to a risk of liver inflammation and abnormalities in hepatic enzymes.
Naltrexone related liver injury may be more closely associated with use that involves significantly higher doses than those prescribed, as well as prolonged use. Fortunately, any liver inflammation or dysfunction caused by naltrexone usually resolves with treatment discontinuation.3
As with any medication, there are potential side effects of naltrexone. Some of the more common naltrexone side effects include:1,2
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Decreased appetite.
- Dizziness.
- Headache.
- Injection site inflammation (with extended-release form).
Despite the side effects, naltrexone can be very effective and beneficial in treating addiction. Therefore, it is important to discuss your concerns with your provider who can help you consider the pros and cons of including naltrexone as part of your treatment for AUD or OUD.
In many cases the benefits of addiction treatment medications will outweigh the potential for adverse side effects.
These benefits of naltrexone use include the following:1,3,7
- It is not an opioid and is not addictive.
- It can help prevent relapse or return to opioid use.
- It can help prevent or reduce heavy drinking.
- It does not cause withdrawal symptoms when stopped.
- It blocks the rewarding/reinforcing effects of alcohol and/or opioids.
- It reduces alcohol and opioid cravings.
- It is safe for long-term use.
- Increased treatment retention.
Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment in Hollywood, FL
If you or someone you love is struggling with alcohol or opioid use, Recovery First Treatment Center, an inpatient rehab near Miami, Florida, is here to meet your needs.
Medications for addiction treatment for AUD and OUD may be incorporated into the various levels of care for addiction treatment offered at Recovery First.
Treatment can help individuals stop substance use, maintain sobriety, and resume happier and healthier lives.
You can begin your road to recovery today. Please call us at to speak with one of our rehab admissions navigators who can answer questions and help identify a rehab program suitable for you. They can also verify your insurance, discuss paying for rehab with health insurance, and explore other ways to pay for rehab.
To quickly check your insurance coverage for rehab, simply complete our .
It is never too late to seek help for addiction, and recovery is possible.