Naltrexone: a clinical perspective

The narcotic antagonist naltrexone was studied in over 300 opiate addicts. Patient selection was a major factor in determining retention and treatment outcome. Treatment time ranged from 1 week to over a year (mean = 2 months). A quarter of the study patients had multiple treatment episodes. Stabili...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe journal of clinical psychiatry Vol. 45; no. 9 Pt 2; p. 25
Main Authors Greenstein, R A, Arndt, I C, McLellan, A T, O'Brien, C P, Evans, B
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.09.1984
Subjects
Adult
Alcohol Drinking
Ambulatory Care
Follow-Up Studies
Heroin Dependence - drug therapy
Heroin Dependence - rehabilitation
Hospitalization
Humans
Middle Aged
Naloxone - analogs & derivatives
Naltrexone - therapeutic use
Opioid-Related Disorders - drug therapy
Opioid-Related Disorders - rehabilitation
Patient Dropouts
Social Support
Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - prevention & control
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Summary:The narcotic antagonist naltrexone was studied in over 300 opiate addicts. Patient selection was a major factor in determining retention and treatment outcome. Treatment time ranged from 1 week to over a year (mean = 2 months). A quarter of the study patients had multiple treatment episodes. Stabilized patients had few side effects, except for occasional nausea and abdominal cramps. Almost half the subjects tested naltrexone by using opiates at least once; all reported satisfactory narcotic blockade. Very few subjects switched to nonopiates to get high, although several did increase their alcohol consumption during the first weeks of therapy. One-third of subjects contacted in a follow-up study were opiate-free 6 months after stopping naltrexone, indicating a successful short-term treatment modality.
ISSN:0160-6689