WHO CAN TAKE NALTREXONE?

Naltrexone would be appropriate for any opiate addict who wants to stop using opiates but who has never managed for long or at all except in prison, or one who thinks that relying on will power or counseling alone will not work for them. Naltrexone is not a mood altering drug and is therefore not objectionable to most individuals who advocate abstinence. We advise all patients to seek counseling, particularly group therapy and most particularly active participation in 12-step recovery programs. We can't over-emphasize the importance of living a 12-step life. Participation in a 12-step recovery program is the single most important form of follow-up care. We believe there is no substitute for the therapeutic value of one addict helping another.

If an addict discontinues the use of naltrexone, he must start again with a 10-14 day abstinence period. There are very few side effects from naltrexone and none of them serious. It is difficult to determine whether the symptoms one experiences initially after detoxification are due to the naltrexone or remnants of the withdrawal syndrome. Such symptoms generally cease within a week or two. Taking additional naltrexone is of no consequence. However, if you take naltrexone while you are physically addicted to heroin or other opiates, it will cause severe withdrawal symptoms within a few minutes.

If you stop taking naltrexone and start using heroin again, you could kill yourself if you took your usual dose of heroin right away.

The current price of naltrexone is approximately $4-5.00/pill. Most prescription programs cover this medication.

It is recommended that patients wear a Medic-Alert tag (bracelet or necklace) that would inform a treating physician that the patient is on naltrexone maintenance therapy in the event that the patient is not able to communicate this information. The physician would obviously need to prescribe a non-opiate medication if pain relief was required.