Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist that blocks the effects of opiates and alcohol in the brain at the receptor level. This helps reduce misuse, prevent relapse, and maintain recovery from opioid addiction as well as alcoholism.
The lure of heroin, prescription painkillers, and other narcotic drugs are familiar to many addictive individuals.
Opioids are medicines that reduce pain in the body and produce effects similar to those of morphine.
So examples of opioids include heroin, morphine, and prescription pain relievers such as Vicodin, OxyContin and Percocet. These drugs may give the impression that they provide a temporary shelter where the user can escape from pain, stress and fear – at least for a short time.
However, those who have gone down this path soon learn that the drug that provided them escape from personal struggles soon becomes the biggest struggle of their lives.
Giving up access to a drug that can cause such a disabling dependency is no easy feat — even when your opioid use destroys your relationships, family life, work, and sense of who you are.
Also, for motivated users who are committed to abstaining from drugs, the naltrexone implant may reduce the risk of relapse by decreasing the craving for opioids.
What are naltrexone implants?
Naltrexone implants are small drug pellets that are inserted under the skin and release the drug slowly at varying intervals of time — usually two to six months. The oral tablet and injectable forms of naltrexone are currently used in the United States to treat opioid dependence. While it has been used in Europe and Australia, the implantable version of naltrexone has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in the United States.
What does naltrexone do?
Naltrexone is also a prescription drug that belongs to a class of drugs called opioid antagonists. It works by blocking some of the effects of both opioids and alcohol at the receptor level in the brain cells.
What does this mean? Simply put, if you take opioids or use street drugs (such as heroin) while using naltrexone, the euphoric effects of the drug will be reduced or prevented.
In combination with therapy and behavioral modification, naltrexone can help reduce cravings for medications such as 1 :
heroin;
morphine.
Dilaud.
fentanyl;
OxyContin.
What does naltrexone not?
Naltrexone can also make it easier to get through the recovery process by helping you avoid those opioid cravings that can drive you back to use.
But naltrexone does not treat withdrawal symptoms that opioid users may experience, including:
Worried.
Excitement.
Sleep disorders.
sweating;
Stomach ache.
Diarrhea.
nausea.
muscle spasms;
vomiting;
Also, opiate withdrawal symptoms are usually not life-threatening, but they can be so irritating that they discourage many individuals from entering the recovery phase. Although naltrexone does not relieve these symptoms, it can make it easier to stick to your recovery goals.
Although a useful treatment tool, naltrexone does not “cure” opioid addiction, and medication will not be effective unless you are motivated to recover.
Other forms of naltrexone
Naltrexone is available by prescription and should only be used as part of a medically supervised addiction treatment program. Naltrexone is a versatile drug that can be taken in several different forms in addition to the implantable form:
Oral as a tablet.
By monthly injection of an extended-release suspension.
Why choose implants?
When taken as a pill, naltrexone can be very effective in reducing cravings and preventing relapse. However, many people who use drugs either forget to take their medication or intentionally avoid taking birth control pills in order to get the high they crave.
1. Some people benefit more than others
The naltrexone implant may be a good option for you if:
You have a history of relapse.
The circumstances of your life make it difficult to stay consistent with your oral medications.
2. Implants last for a long time
Once the implant is surgically placed under the skin, the medication will continue to be effective for 2-6 months, depending on what you and your health care provider decide is best for your circumstances.
3. Research suggests that implants are effective
While more research is needed to further substantiate the results, there has been a range of studies suggesting that naltrexone implants may indeed be a successful way to recover from opioid dependence.
success in Norway
Also in one study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, 56 patients at the Addiction Research Center in Norway were given the naltrexone implant to treat heroin addiction. The researchers found that study participants who used the naltrexone implant for 180 days had an average of 45 days less heroin use than members of the control group — and 60 days less opioid use compared to members of the control group.
Similarly, a 2014 systematic review published in Drug and Alcohol Review examined a variety of research findings from 9 studies comparing treatment with naltrexone implants with either oral naltrexone or no treatment at all (a placebo).
Across 9 studies, naltrexone implants have been found to:
Significantly more effective than oral naltrexone.
Significantly more effective than no treatment at all.
Because the quality of these studies was rated as ‘medium to very low’, more research is still needed to better determine the effectiveness of naltrexone implants. However, the data so far suggests that naltrexone implants appear to improve addiction recovery success compared to taking naltrexone pills and to trying to quit without any drug assistance.
After the implant is placed, you will still need to see your doctor regularly. You will also need to continue individual or group therapy as part of your recovery. So this long-term solution may give you greater peace of mind about the stability of your recovery and help you focus your energies on modifying your behavior and rebuilding your life.
Are there risks to naltrexone implants?
Also, naltrexone implants have generally been reported as a safe way to reduce opioid use. Risks may still be present, and complications from naltrexone implants may include any of the following:
Implant site complications.
infection.
Ignite.
irritation.
Withdrawal symptoms, if you have not removed the toxins completely by the time you started treatment.
In a study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, two patients who had a naltrexone implant had to have the granules removed due to infection at the implant site. One patient reported pain at the surgical site, and another reported diarrhea. Naltrexone may not prevent some serious developments, including coma and death, in situations in which the user intentionally takes excessive doses of opioids or alcohol in order to overcome its antagonistic effects.
Naltrexone implants during pregnancy
In the United States, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are advised not to take naltrexone. Limited studies have been done on the safety and efficacy of naltrexone implants during pregnancy, although a few studies have helped begin the investigation process.
Promise of success and safety
One study published in a 2002 issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports that the implant has potential as a tool for managing opioid addiction in pregnant women4:
Eight pregnant women dependent on opioids at the Australian Addiction Research Center used the naltrexone implant to manage their addiction during pregnancy.
Study participants had previously tried oral naltrexone without long-term success.
Using the naltrexone implant, women were able to wean themselves off heroin during pregnancy.
Neither the women nor their children had negative results during or after childbirth.
Potential changes in neurochemistry and behavior in adult offspring
An Australian study conducted in mice 10 years later in 2012 showed potential changes in neurochemistry and behavior in the adult offspring of those who had used naltrexone implants during pregnancy. 5 The results showed that exposure to naltrexone is associated with:
Decreased activity in an area of the brain that controls motor activity (the basal ganglia) in adult offspring.
Escalating drug-seeking behaviors when stimulated by cues.
Increased response to morphine.
Stephanie’s story: The naltrexone implant during pregnancy
Stephanie was 16 when she started trying opioids. Her best friend’s mother suffered from chronic back pain from an old injury, and Stephanie and her friend used to sneak in on her mother’s prescription painkillers. After Stephanie graduated from high school and entered a nursing program at her local college, she gave up drugs and alcohol and devoted herself to her studies.
Back to painkiller addiction
After earning her degree and getting her first job in a crowded hospital unit, Stephanie is back on prescription drugs. Her supervisor suspected that Stephanie might be diverting painkillers from her patients, but she lacked sufficient evidence to support her suspicions.
With Stephanie’s life spiraling out of control, her drug use got worse. Fearing getting caught and losing her nursing license, she stopped switching pain relievers, but couldn’t stand the withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Instead of getting into a medical treatment program, she turned to street drugs. It didn’t take long for occasional heroin use to become a regular habit.
Pregnancy stimulates addiction recovery
If she didn’t find out she was pregnant, Stephanie may have continued to use it, lost her license and faced criminal charges. Also, discovering that she was going to have a baby was a wake-up call that changed her life. She voluntarily took time off from her job and entered an inpatient rehab program, where she successfully detoxed.
The naltrexone implant promotes lasting success
After the birth of her child, Stephanie was determined not to relapse. Because of her history of turning to drugs in times of stress, she decided to try implants instead of oral medications. Her doctor advised her that if she was going to use the implant, she should not breastfeed her baby. So Stephanie was so worried about the possibility of losing her baby that she decided to bottle-feed her baby instead of risking a relapse.
She also continued to visit her therapist every week and attended 12-step meetings daily. A year after her first transplant, Stephanie was living independently, working in a family clinic and raising a healthy baby girl.
Is naltrexone implant available in Egypt?
Sold under the brand names Depade, ReVia, and Vivitrol, and in Egypt, this medication is usually taken in intramuscular, oral, or extended-release forms. These are surgically inserted under the skin and left in place for 3 to 6 months. However, medicinal pellets have already been used in Australia and Europe, and clinical studies of naltrexone implantation have shown promising results. Contact us now with Future Hospital 00201029275
503
Find a cure for your addiction
If you need help finding a treatment center, you can call us today at 00201029275503, and we’ll be happy to discuss naltrexone implants and other addiction treatments with you. When it comes to planning your treatment, it is wise to understand all of your options so that you can choose the best treatment methods for your unique circumstances.
