Naltrexone
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Guelph, Ontario
Posts: 640
Naltrexone
Has anyone here had any experience with naltrexone, I was put on it to help with alcohol addiction but it's orginally for opiates, i've never taken opiates but I was disappointed when I got my wisdom teeth out that I couldn't have codeine, and I wish i could have. I'm so afraid that now that I'm on it that if I ever get into a situation where I am in exstreme pain and i need pain meds I won't be able to have it and it won't work, that would sux a lot. i'm considering coming off it because I really think it's not doing any good. Though I don't see my phyciratrist untill after I get back from India.
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Australia
Posts: 211,416
Why do you wish you were on codeine Pinkgurl?
were you in pain?
There is a wide variety of pain relief available...should you ever need pain relief, just be honest with your Dr about what meds you're on and what your history is - try not to worry about what ifs...you can always can work a solution out.
D
were you in pain?
There is a wide variety of pain relief available...should you ever need pain relief, just be honest with your Dr about what meds you're on and what your history is - try not to worry about what ifs...you can always can work a solution out.
D
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Slouching toward Bethlehem
Posts: 94
I was using Naltrexone for about three months at the earliest stages of getting sober. Candidly, I really disliked how I felt using it, but it very likely helped me keep things together during those first days. I had tried AA for years and just never fit in there. I'm too secular, and meetings just made me thirsty. Naltrexone was suggested by a psychiatrist, and I think it did help quite a lot although I dropped it as soon as it felt safe to do so. I never felt any kind of high or euphoria while taking it. I just felt a little off both physically and mentally. I disliked it, but at the time I was willing to try anything.
I only tried drinking once while taking it. It removed all the "best" parts about drinking (i.e., that initial glow of happiness and relief from the first several drinks, and that sense that the next drink will be even better). Even the flavor tasted off. It did not take away the ability to get drunk, but it removed some of the physical responses that made me want to keep drinking. During those first months when the cravings were worst, it was helpful to know that even giving in wouldn't bring feeling I was used to.
One piece of advice, at least when I was taking it there was a theory that you could "cure" alcoholism by continuing to drink while on Naltrexone, which I guess was supposed to retrain your body to respond differently to booze. I'm not a doctor or scientist, but I strongly believe that theory to be a crock of horsesh*t, and in any case wanted no part of it. The stories I read suggested those folks were drinking just as heavily, basically just retraining themselves to be drunk while on Naltrexone. Ugh. Your milage may differ, of course.
I only tried drinking once while taking it. It removed all the "best" parts about drinking (i.e., that initial glow of happiness and relief from the first several drinks, and that sense that the next drink will be even better). Even the flavor tasted off. It did not take away the ability to get drunk, but it removed some of the physical responses that made me want to keep drinking. During those first months when the cravings were worst, it was helpful to know that even giving in wouldn't bring feeling I was used to.
One piece of advice, at least when I was taking it there was a theory that you could "cure" alcoholism by continuing to drink while on Naltrexone, which I guess was supposed to retrain your body to respond differently to booze. I'm not a doctor or scientist, but I strongly believe that theory to be a crock of horsesh*t, and in any case wanted no part of it. The stories I read suggested those folks were drinking just as heavily, basically just retraining themselves to be drunk while on Naltrexone. Ugh. Your milage may differ, of course.
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Slouching toward Bethlehem
Posts: 94
Oh wait - you're already using it. Sorry you're not feeling that it's providing much help. It's really only there as a backstop to support your own recovery efforts.
I'd forgotten about the pain meds thing. Now that you mention it, that was probably a factor in my decision to go off it sooner rather than later too. My P-doc urged me to keep taking it for a full year, but there was no way I wanted to do that. I think I took it for about 90 days and moved on. I was really, really, really ready to be done with alcohol, so I had that going for me at least.
Good luck.
I'd forgotten about the pain meds thing. Now that you mention it, that was probably a factor in my decision to go off it sooner rather than later too. My P-doc urged me to keep taking it for a full year, but there was no way I wanted to do that. I think I took it for about 90 days and moved on. I was really, really, really ready to be done with alcohol, so I had that going for me at least.
Good luck.
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: California
Posts: 39
I think the halflife of naltrexone is relatively short, and while I've read about its use with alcohol and other addictions, I am still unsure as to what makes it work/what mechanisms are at work here.
I know we've talked before and I've told you I'm on buprenorphine treatment, which essentially does the same thing your naltrexone does with blocking opiates. I have worried that if I'm in a car accident, or need an emergency surgery, or something else that I'll have problems with pain relief, but have found that if I'm honest with whichever dr treats me, that dilaudid can be given in an emergency and that it can get through the bupe.
I used to work in the medical field and have administered Narcan (same thing as naltrexone), an opiate antagonist, in the field for people highly suspected of overdosing on opiate medication. Injected intramuscularly, it works within minutes and someone who could hardly breathe more than 3 times a minute would wake up, no longer high, or if we gave enough, fully in WD.
I remember the Drs in the emergency department telling me that while the patient suffered briefly, the Narcan did not outlast the opiate; basically that the naloxone wore off before the opiate would, and the person had to be monitored closely or they could go right back into respiratory distress/OD symptoms in some cases.
This leads me to believe that unless you're taking multiple doses of your meds a day, it probably doesn't block for 24 hrs entirely, and if you needed pain meds, you could probably receive treatment. Now I'm just giving my opinion, based on what I've been told and have seen, so honestly I think this is a question you should ask your doctor! (Although be mindful they may say it's not possible just to ensure you can't abuse another drug; my very own sub Dr has done this to me, and whether he's misinformed or intentionally misinforming me I am not sure)
I'm sure in an emergency there is a way to administer pain relief with the type of medication you are on! Good luck!
I know we've talked before and I've told you I'm on buprenorphine treatment, which essentially does the same thing your naltrexone does with blocking opiates. I have worried that if I'm in a car accident, or need an emergency surgery, or something else that I'll have problems with pain relief, but have found that if I'm honest with whichever dr treats me, that dilaudid can be given in an emergency and that it can get through the bupe.
I used to work in the medical field and have administered Narcan (same thing as naltrexone), an opiate antagonist, in the field for people highly suspected of overdosing on opiate medication. Injected intramuscularly, it works within minutes and someone who could hardly breathe more than 3 times a minute would wake up, no longer high, or if we gave enough, fully in WD.
I remember the Drs in the emergency department telling me that while the patient suffered briefly, the Narcan did not outlast the opiate; basically that the naloxone wore off before the opiate would, and the person had to be monitored closely or they could go right back into respiratory distress/OD symptoms in some cases.
This leads me to believe that unless you're taking multiple doses of your meds a day, it probably doesn't block for 24 hrs entirely, and if you needed pain meds, you could probably receive treatment. Now I'm just giving my opinion, based on what I've been told and have seen, so honestly I think this is a question you should ask your doctor! (Although be mindful they may say it's not possible just to ensure you can't abuse another drug; my very own sub Dr has done this to me, and whether he's misinformed or intentionally misinforming me I am not sure)
I'm sure in an emergency there is a way to administer pain relief with the type of medication you are on! Good luck!
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: California
Posts: 39
**Posting here to amend that I made a mistake confusing naloxone and naltrexone! I confused them for the same medication, which they are not. I believe they are similar in action but they are not the same. I apologize for that! I'm almost certain they are either related chemicals, or have related action, but I will look into it. Sorry if I caused confusion!**
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Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: WA
Posts: 5
In an emergency situation I believe they have pain meds that have a higher affinity to the receptors meaning they would boot the blocker off and attach themselves.
As for routine pain you're probably better off not using any kind of opioid anyway especially if you have a history of abusing any substance even alcohol. It can quickly turn in to a new addiction and progress rapidly. Even codeine is addictive as the body metabolizes it to morphine to be effective.
Lastly Ibuprofen has been shown to relieve pain more effectively than hydrocodone in some studies (with prescription doses often 800-1200mg ibuprofen vs 5-10mg hydrocodone).
As for routine pain you're probably better off not using any kind of opioid anyway especially if you have a history of abusing any substance even alcohol. It can quickly turn in to a new addiction and progress rapidly. Even codeine is addictive as the body metabolizes it to morphine to be effective.
Lastly Ibuprofen has been shown to relieve pain more effectively than hydrocodone in some studies (with prescription doses often 800-1200mg ibuprofen vs 5-10mg hydrocodone).
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Guelph, Ontario
Posts: 640
I know, it's probably just my addiction speaking, wanting to have a chance to get opiates so I can get a high. Like I'm going to India and it's like my mind is going maybe i can get some pain meds or ativan or something from ther doc their. I think it's more me searching for a high, but I am worried if i ever did get seriously injuried and couldn't have pain meds.
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Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 68
Groucho,
You're referring to the Sinclair Method and there is a lot of evidence that it does work for a lot of people. As I recall, the success rate was in the 80% range BUT they way it works is that the person maintains the same drinking pattern but does not drink unless they've takes naltrexone one hour prior. It basically conditions your brain over time that the alcohol doesn't give you the good feelings that you've become used to and that diminishes the desire for it.
You're referring to the Sinclair Method and there is a lot of evidence that it does work for a lot of people. As I recall, the success rate was in the 80% range BUT they way it works is that the person maintains the same drinking pattern but does not drink unless they've takes naltrexone one hour prior. It basically conditions your brain over time that the alcohol doesn't give you the good feelings that you've become used to and that diminishes the desire for it.
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 65
pinkgirl, I know I/m three weeks late with this, but if you have a drinking problem, WATCH OUT for pain meds like vicoden! You can easily become addicted to them. Once our bodies are "primed" to abuse drugs or alcohol, other addictive substances affect us much worse than the average person. It's not fair, but life never is. I wish I could drink normally, but I'll never be able to again.
Here's the good news - I'm on Suboxone which as albeit says is a very powerful chemical which can literally replace other opiates in your brain, and that's also how the naloxone/naltrexone works with opiates. I asked your exact question about pain to my suboxone doctor, because I am a pain chicken, and she said essentially "Tell the ER people you are a suboxone patient. They'll have pain meds even more powerful and they can reduce your pain if they know, and if your pain is such that you need it." I think she mentioned fentanyl, but rest assured, they can manage pain despite naltrexone.
Here's the good news - I'm on Suboxone which as albeit says is a very powerful chemical which can literally replace other opiates in your brain, and that's also how the naloxone/naltrexone works with opiates. I asked your exact question about pain to my suboxone doctor, because I am a pain chicken, and she said essentially "Tell the ER people you are a suboxone patient. They'll have pain meds even more powerful and they can reduce your pain if they know, and if your pain is such that you need it." I think she mentioned fentanyl, but rest assured, they can manage pain despite naltrexone.
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