Heroin addicts reduce craving with Naltrexone
Heroin addicts reduce craving with Injectable Naltrexone
Heroin addicts stayed in treatment longer, used less heroin and were more prone to be heroin free after 2 months.
Sixty addicts were trialed on a new long acting form of drug that only needs to be used once a month. The drug, Naltrexone, reduces the pleasurable effects of heroin and lessens craving to manageable levels.
Al patients in treatment received twice weekly relapse prevention counseling. Each was tested by urine samples. People on higher doses of Naltrexone had better treatment success.
The results after 8 weeks were;
Stayed in treatment;
- 68% on high dose
- 60% on low dose
- 39% on placebo
Urine free of heroin;
- 62% on high dose
- 25% on placebo
There were no apparent serious side effects and the usual liver problems associated with Naltrexone were absent.
Even with those addicts who used heroin no overdoses were reported.
Dr. Richard Hawks says "… a drug alone never works. To be effective, the medication must be combined with [counseling] therapy. Many years of … research shows that the longer someone is in treatment, the longer the time to relapse. Longer-acting, sustained-release medications help maximize this effect."
“Naltrexone helps patients overcome urges to abuse opiates by blocking the drugs’ euphoric effects. Some patients do well with it, but the oral formulation, the only one available to date, has a drawback: It must be taken daily, and a patient whose craving becomes overwhelming can obtain opiate euphoria simply by skipping a dose before resuming abuse.â€
"What’s exciting about this slow-release formula is that it provides continuous protection for a month at a time, freeing patients from having to decide to take or not take the medication every day," says Dr. Sandra Comer, lead investigator of the study. "By increasing treatment retention, injectable naltrexone may allow patients greater contact with appropriate supportive counseling and ease their transition to a life without heroin."
“After receiving the medication, patients in the naltrexone groups reported ‘needing heroin’ significantly less than those taking placebo.â€
From; NIDA Notes Vol. 21, No. 3 (April 2007).
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