Naltrexone Injection: MedlinePlus Drug Information

If your body is reacting poorly to naltrexone and the side effects are overwhelming, your doctor should be able to come up with an alternative intervention. Most individuals taking naltrexone won’t experience the aforestated utopian nor dystopian outcomes, rather they’ll experience a combination of therapeutic benefits and side effects. Some users will report that naltrexone is highly effective for managing their substance dependence, but also that they experience several unwanted side effects.

Monitoring and Managing Potential Liver-Related Side Effects

Endorphins and enkephalins are understood to help alleviate pain, but their effects may be blocked by naltrexone – causing us to experience more pain than usual in joints and muscles. It also could be that https://skycitycenter.com/find-aa-meetings-near-me-your-guide-to-recovery/ the side effect of pain occurs as a result of alterations in peripheral blood flow. A decrease in peripheral blood flow coupled with attenuation of endogenous analgesia may explain joint and muscle pain as a side effect. Consider consulting a cardiologist to assess overall cardiac function and to confirm safety of continued naltrexone use. Keep in mind that irregular heartbeat may also be a withdrawal symptom resulting from recent discontinuation of an opioid medication.

Chronic Pain Conditions

Naloxone is a short-acting opioid antagonist that is a life-saving medication administered during an opioid overdose to elicit immediate opioid withdrawal effects. This emergency treatment lasts minutes and is often sold under the brand name Narcan. Naloxone does not play a role in the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

• It not only reduces pain but also helps address the immune dysfunction that often triggers and exacerbates these conditions.
• Any practitioner licensed to prescribe Naltrexone can administer the drug.
• If you have concerns or need support in your recovery journey, The Edge Treatment Center is here to help.
• Carrying the identification card shouldhelp to ensure that you can obtain adequate treatment in an emergency.

What should I watch for while using this medication?

Fortunately, an overwhelming majority of individuals will not be allergic to naltrexone. Nearly every pharmaceutical drug has potential to provoke unwanted side effects and naltrexone is no exception. That said, naltrexone is considered safe and tolerable for a majority of individuals with opioid dependence, hence the reason it is FDA-approved and frequently prescribed. Realize that the total number of side effects, severity of side effects, and specific side effects that you experience will be individualized and may be dissimilar from those of another naltrexone user. If you continue experiencing bothersome side effects after several weeks on Naltrexone, don’t hesitate to contact your healthcare provider for guidance and support. They can assess your situation and determine whether adjusting the dosage or exploring alternative treatments would be beneficial.

It is not always possible to distinguish theseoccurrences from those signs and symptoms that may result from a withdrawal syndrome. Otherdose regimens or durations of therapy were not evaluated in these trials. Multiple clinical what is alcoholism studies have found that treatment with naltrexone can lead to decreased alcohol cravings. When starting Naltrexone, some patients experience mild to moderate side effects, particularly in the first few days or weeks. These symptoms are often temporary and tend to improve as the body adjusts to the medication. This medicine may cause a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.

Those with severe, persistent nausea must contact a doctor to sort it out immediately. There is limited data on Naltrexone’s safety during pregnancy and breastfeeding. While it may be safer than opioid-based treatments, risks and benefits should be discussed with a healthcare provider. By staying informed, communicating with healthcare providers, and making lifestyle adjustments, individuals can minimize discomfort and remain committed to their treatment.

What are the dosages of naltrexone?

The importance of individualized treatment approaches cannot be overstated. The use of naltrexone for depression is considered off-label, meaning it hasn’t been specifically approved by regulatory agencies for this purpose. However, some healthcare providers have begun exploring its potential benefits in treating depression, particularly in cases where traditional antidepressants have proven ineffective.

But at any rate, the point is that you can have good effects of naltrexone that later turn into neutral-to-negative effects, because maybe you’re better. System is responding different than the brain—we really don’t have a good science handle on that. Also, naltrexone has other effects on other receptor systems that can vary between people. In view of the lack of actual experience in the treatment of naltrexone hydrochloride overdose, patientsshould be treated symptomatically in a closely supervised environment.

You should not take naltrexone if you have recently stopped using opioid medications or opioid street drugs and are now experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Naltrexone (Vivitrol, ReVia) is a medication prescribed to treat alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. Examining the potential side effects of naltrexone reveals that mood changes, including depression, have been reported in some cases. However, it’s important to note that these instances are relatively rare and often occur in the context of other factors.

Call your doctor for medical advice about serious side effects or adverse reactions. You may also report side effects or health problems to the FDA at FDA-1088. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that binds to opioid receptors in the central nervous system (CNS) and blocks their stimulation by natural (endogenous) or ingested opiates, and alcohol. Opioid receptors are protein molecules on nerve cell (neuron) membranes in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Opioid receptors mediate the body’s response to most hormones and some of their functions include modulating pain, stress response, respiration, digestion, mood, and emotion.

Many people are not initially interested in abstaining from alcohol but are interested in drastically reducing their consumption. If you have current symptoms of opioid withdrawal, naltrexone side effects you should not take naltrexone. You should not take any opioids or opioid-containing medications for a minimum of 7 to 10 days before starting naltrexone. If you’ve been taking buprenorphine or methadone, you should wait 14 days before starting naltrexone. Most side effects of naltrexone oral tablet are mild and will go away as your body adjusts to the drug. Naltrexone will help you avoid using drugs and alcohol, but it will not prevent or relieve the withdrawal symptoms that may occur when you stop using these substances.

If you’re concerned about avoiding alcohol while taking naloxone, talk with your doctor. So you may have a raised risk of liver problems if you drink alcohol while taking naltrexone. You should avoid drinking alcohol during treatment with naltrexone. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves prescription drugs such as naltrexone to treat certain conditions. Naltrexone oral tablet may also be prescribed off-label for other conditions. Off-label drug use is when an FDA-approved drug is prescribed for a purpose other than what it’s approved for.