Naltrexone & Vivitrol Information

Medicine doesn't cure addiction, but combined with support from an addiction professional; they can boost the success rate in some instances. For a list of addiction medical doctors who can provide more information, medical examinations and prescribe medications, please visit my detox resource page for help

Naltrexone - Clinical Pharmacology

Pharmacodynamic Actions

The FDA website says: Alcoholism

The efficacy of Naltrexone hydrochloride as an aid to the treatment of alcoholism was tested in placebo-controlled, outpatient, double blind trials. These studies used a dose of Naltrexone hydrochloride 50 mg once daily for 12 weeks as an adjunct to social and psychotherapeutic methods when given under conditions that enhanced patient compliance. Patients with psychosis, dementia, and secondary psychiatric diagnoses were excluded from these studies.

In one of these studies, 104 alcohol-dependent patients were randomized to receive either Naltrexone hydrochloride 50 mg once daily or placebo. In this study, Naltrexone hydrochloride proved superior to placebo in measures of drinking including abstention rates (51% vs. 23%), number of drinking days, and relapse (31% vs. 60%). In a second study with 82 alcohol-dependent patients, the group of patients receiving Naltrexone hydrochloride were shown to have lower relapse rates (21% vs. 41%), less alcohol craving, and fewer drinking days compared with patients who received placebo, but these results depended on the specific analysis used.

The clinical use of Naltrexone hydrochloride as adjunctive pharmacotherapy for the treatment of alcoholism was also evaluated in a multicenter safety study. This study of 865 individuals with alcoholism included patients with comorbid psychiatric conditions, concomitant medications, polysubstance abuse and HIV disease. Results of this study demonstrated that the side effect profile of Naltrexone hydrochloride appears to be similar in both alcoholic and opioid dependent populations, and that serious side effects are uncommon.

In the clinical studies, treatment with Naltrexone supported abstinence, prevented relapse and decreased alcohol consumption. In the uncontrolled study, the patterns of abstinence and relapse were similar to those observed in the controlled studies. Naltrexone hydrochloride was not uniformly helpful to all patients, and the expected effect of the drug is a modest improvement in the outcome of conventional treatment.

Treatment of Opioid Addiction

Naltrexone hydrochloride has been shown to produce complete blockade of the euphoric effects of opioids in both volunteer and addict populations. When administered by means that enforce compliance, it will produce an effective opioid blockade, but has not been shown to affect the use of cocaine or other non-opioid drugs of abuse.

There are no data that demonstrate an unequivocally beneficial effect of Naltrexone hydrochloride on rates of recidivism among detoxified, formerly opioid-dependent individuals who self-administer the drug. The failure of the drug in this setting appears to be due to poor medication compliance.

The drug is reported to be of greatest use in good prognosis opioid addicts who take the drug as part of a comprehensive occupational rehabilitative program, behavioral contract, or other compliance-enhancing protocol. Naltrexone hydrochloride, unlike methadone or LAAM (levo-alpha-acetylmethadol), does not reinforce medication compliance and is expected to have a therapeutic effect only when given under external conditions that support continued use of the medication.

Read more about Naltrexone on the Drugs.com Website

Vivitrol Information

Vivitrol (naltrexone) blocks the effects of opioid medication, including pain relief or feelings of well-being that can lead to opioid abuse. An opioid is sometimes called a narcotic. Vivitrol is used as part of a treatment program for drug or alcohol dependence.

Vivitrol injection is used to prevent relapse in people who became dependent on opioid medicine and then stopped using it. Naltrexone can help keep you from feeling a "need" to use the opioid.

Vivitrol injection is also used to treat alcoholism by reducing your urge to drink alcohol. This may help you drink less or stop drinking altogether. Naltrexone will not decrease the effects of alcohol you recently consumed. You should not be drinking at the time you receive your first Vivitrol injection.

Naltrexone is not a cure for drug addiction or alcoholism. Many of the doctors on my detox resource page can provide Vivitrol injections. 

Read more about how Vivitrol works for alcohol problems

Read more about how Vivitrol works for opioid dependence