Naltrexone Therapy for Opiates FAQs

1. What is Naltrexone therapy, and why is it important for opiate addiction?
2. What is the Naltrexone implant for addiction?
3. How effective is the Naltrexone Implant?
4. Why use the Naltrexone implant for addiction treatment instead of oral tablets?
5. Does Naltrexone therapy have any risks and side effects?
6. How long should I be on Naltrexone therapy?
7. What happens after Naltrexone implantation?
8. What is the risk of overdosing following treatment?

1. What is Naltrexone therapy, and why is it important for opiate addiction?

Our ultimate goal with Accelerated Opiate Detox (AOD) is for patients to begin a life of abstinence — rather than treating addiction with a maintenance program that uses other opiates, such as Suboxone or methadone. We recognize that recovery is a challenging path to walk, filled with many opportunities for relapse. So, after AOD, we use Naltrexone therapy to help patients focus on their psychological healing without the temptations to use again.

Naltrexone is a non-addictive, non-narcotic medicine that attaches to the brain’s opiate receptors and completely blocks them. As a result, patients feel no effect from opiates while on Naltrexone and experience virtually no drug cravings.

We believe that 12 months of Naltrexone therapy gives patients the best chance for lasting recovery. This support allows their brain to physically heal from the opiates’ damage while they build the psychological tools and strength they need to remain in recovery.

2. What is the Naltrexone implant for addiction?

Naltrexone is a non-addictive, opioid-blocking medication that can significantly reduce alcohol or opioid cravings, which can be quite helpful during the months after a detox. The most common method of administering Naltrexone used at the Coleman Institute for Addiction Medicine is a long-lasting Naltrexone implant. We also use the injectable form of Naltrexone called Vivitrol.

Naltrexone implants are small pellets, approximately the size of a small vitamin capsule, that are inserted into the fatty tissue of the abdomen via a small, half-inch incision. These implants gradually release a steady dose of the opiate-blocking Naltrexone over a number of weeks

3. How effective is the Naltrexone Implant?

Naltrexone is a medication that blocks the effects of opioids in the brain. Research suggests that Naltrexone implants can be effective in reducing opioid cravings and the risk of relapse in individuals with opioid addiction. However, the effectiveness of any treatment may vary depending on the individual’s specific needs and circumstances.

4. Why use the Naltrexone Implant for addiction treatment instead of the oral tablets?

When patients get a steady dose of Naltrexone every day for a prolonged period of time, they have a much better outcome. They have fewer cravings, are more likely to abstain from drugs, and more often stay with their treatment and support groups. Patients’ improved outcomes may be physical, because they have a more steady blood level and don’t forget their medicine. We also believe the results may be partly psychological, because once a patient receive their implant, they don’t have to decide every day whether or not to take their Naltrexone or consider relapsing.

5. Does Naltrexone therapy have any risks and side effects?

As with any medical procedure, Naltrexone therapy carries some risks and potential problems. While small and typically painless, the Naltrexone implant does require local anesthesia for insertion. As a result, some patients experience the following symptoms at the implant site:

• Irritation
• Inflammation
• Infection

In addition to these implant risks, Naltrexone therapy can cause withdrawal symptoms if a patient isn’t fully detoxed when treatment begins. To avoid these risks, we carefully monitor patients before beginning Naltrexone therapy and only start treatment when they have completed their Accelerated Opiate Detox.

6. How long should I be on Naltrexone therapy?

We strongly believe that patients should be on Naltrexone therapy for at least 12 months after completing their detox. Recent research shows that it takes a year or more for the brain to fully heal from addiction. And we know that it also takes at least a year for people to learn about alcoholism and recovery, build up a support system, and integrate all of the recovery changes into their lives. Having Naltrexone therapy during the first stages of recovery helps reduce the risk of relapse in patients while giving them time to invest in their long-term health.

7. What happens after Naltrexone implantation?

Opioid dependency is a complex brain disease, and we know that detoxing is just the beginning of recovery. We recommend that our patients have at least 12 months of Naltrexone therapy following the detox, while they begin to work their recovery program.

As with any method of detox, there is a recuperation period following detox which includes symptoms known as Post-Acute Withdrawal Symptom (PAWS). During this period, your receptors are healing and endorphin levels are slowly rising back up to a normal level. The symptoms can vary from patient to patient, but typically include fatigue, weakness, and restless sleep. Since we are using Naltrexone to help speed up the healing process, most of our patients report these symptoms being very mild and only lasting a few weeks.

We strongly believe that detoxification without appropriate follow up and treatment is almost always unsuccessful. We strive help patients find the resources they need to support their recovery after Naltrexone therapy begins

8. What is the risk of overdosing following treatment?

Accelerated Opiate Detox clears patients’ brains of all opiates, which means they are clean — but they also have no built-up tolerance for the substance anymore. We have all patients use Naltrexone therapy immediately following their detox to reduce cravings and provide some overdose protection if they do relapse. However, patients must know that when Naltrexone therapy ends, they will have a very low tolerance to any opiates. As a result, if they relapse, a dose that would have gotten them high before detox can be fatal after treatment.

Very rarely, patients may try to override their Naltrexone therapy and take a very large opiate dose in pursuit of a high. While Naltrexone is an opiate blocker that reduces the risk of most overdoses, it is possible to take enough opiates for the dose to be fatal.