Eligible Patients
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.
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