How Naltrexone Therapy is Used for Alcoholism

Alcohol addiction stems from more than one recurring source, so alcohol addiction treatment requires a multi-pronged approach. One prong of alcoholism is physical addiction. Habituating your body to need alcohol causes severe withdrawal symptoms if you stop. This alone can make it difficult for a recovering patient to stop drinking. There is also the factor of alcohol euphoria, a feeling many people seek, often due to previous psychological or emotional damage.

To treat alcoholism, it is necessary to face both the physical addiction and the habitual seeking of alcohol sensations. Doctors prescribe Naltrexone to prevent relapse after physical dependence has been overcome.

How Naltrexone Therapy Is Used for Alcoholism

Naltrexone therapy is often used to help people with alcohol addiction avoid a relapse, even when a technical relapse occurs. Alcoholism often stems or is fueled by a craving for euphoria or sedative sensations that come with alcohol. Drinking while in recovery can re-trigger addiction faster than physical habituation if that euphoria is experienced.

Naltrexone taken daily or once every 2-3 days can ensure that the patient does not experience euphoria or sedative effects from alcohol, opioids, and sedative medicines like codeine. If a recovering alcoholic accidentally drinks, gives in to the desire to drink, or must drink under social circumstances, they do not experience the euphoria and can be prevented from going through a relapse and re-addiction cycle.

How Naltrexone Works

Naltrexone blocks euphoric and sedative responses from various substances – mainly opiates and alcohol. It will keep you from getting giddy or couch-locked after consuming alcohol or other intoxicating substances. With relatively few and low-level side effects, it is possible to take Naltrexone daily to protect yourself against the risk of relapse.

Many recovering alcoholics are prescribed Naltrexone as part of detox or recovery therapy in the short-term or as long-term lifestyle protection from relapse risk.

It should be noted that Naltrexone does not prevent you from “getting drunk.” Your mind, reflexes, and reaction times will still be impaired, which is why Naltrexone isn’t marketed as a miracle sobriety drug. You still become impaired, you simply do not experience euphoria. This unpleasant lack of combination is often enough to provide the opposite motivation for recovering alcoholics not to drink again. Naltrexone also does not cease alcohol cravings, but it does stop from reactivating a habitual addiction by satisfying that craving.

How is Naltrexone Used to Treat Alcoholism?

Naltrexone is used after a patient with alcohol addiction has completed a physical detox. It is often used in 3+ month spans as a lifestyle assistant to avoid relapse during the recovery process. It is usually part of a long-term outpatient program.

What should I know before starting treatment with naltrexone?

1. Naltrexone therapy is prescribed by a doctor and monitored to ensure you do not experience adverse side effects.
2. Naltrexone does not keep you from getting drunk, merely from experiencing euphoria or sedative. Do not drive after drinking on Naltrexone.
3. You may experience alcohol cravings while taking Naltrexone, but alcohol will not provide the craved euphoria.

How long will I take naltrexone?

Naltrexone is sometimes prescribed in short-term (1-3 week) prescriptions for in-patient treatment programs. However, most Naltrexone prescriptions are for the long-term, over three months at a time, for the best long-term treatment results.

Find Addiction Treatment – Reach Out to the Kolbe Clinic

If you seek in-patient alcohol addiction treatment or outpatient alcoholism recovery programs in Alabama, seek Kolbe Health Services for Naltrexone and medication-assisted recovery options. Contact us today to learn more about our alcohol addiction inpatient and outpatient recovery programs.

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