What Happens If You Drink on Naltrexone?

Q: Does Naltrexone Block Benzo?

No direct drug interactions were found between benzodiazepines and naltrexone, but you should not use alprazolam or other benzos with naltrexone unless directed by your doctor.

Q: Can I Buy Naltrexone Online?

You should not buy naltrexone online without a prescription, as it is illegal. However, online doctors can provide a prescription, allowing you to obtain it safely from a pharmacy.

Q: What Can I Use Instead of Naltrexone?

Disulfiram and acamprosate are alternatives for alcohol use disorder. Consult your physician before switching medications.

Q: What Is the Success Rate of Naltrexone for Alcohol?

Studies show a 66.2% success rate for naltrexone in promoting abstinence, with patients achieving approximately 80% alcohol-free days.

Q: How Does It Feel Switching from Vivitrol to Naltrexone Tablets?

Switching from injections to tablets can feel different for everyone; some experience cravings, while others feel no change. These feelings typically stabilize within a week.

Naltrexone is a widely used treatment for alcohol use disorder. It has proven its efficacy time and again. Most medications for AUD like acamprosate and disulfiram make a person sick when they drink on them. This makes many people wonder: what happens if you drink on naltrexone? The answer is:

Slight loss of coordination
Feeling of intoxication

This does not mean that it is okay to drink on medications like naltrexone. There are certain protocols that you must follow. Naltrexone prescriptions can be received online through an alcohol rehab center near you in NJ. Call 844.445.2565 to book an appointment.

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Understanding Naltrexone’s Mechanism for Alcohol

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist. An opioid antagonist is an agent that blocks the effects of opioids. While the working of naltrexone for alcohol is not yet known, it is said to be effective in decreasing withdrawal symptoms like the desire to drink alcohol.

Opioid receptors in the brain are responsible for giving pleasurable feelings. When naltrexone is taken, it curbs the brain’s desire to want alcohol. Naltrexone focuses on making changes to the brain by undoing the damage caused by alcohol.

Forms of Naltrexone

Naltrexone can be administered in two main ways:

Orally: The oral form of naltrexone can be taken in the morning after your first meal. It can be given daily.

Injectable: Naltrexone injections, known as Vivitrol, are administered only by healthcare professionals working in Vivitrol clinics. The injection is administered once a month.

Vivitrol for alcohol use is a more popular way than oral administration. Currently, there is no generic version available for Vivitrol injection.

Uses of Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder

Helps a person abstain from alcohol
Prevents relapse
Reduces alcohol cravings
Overtime, less the desire to drink to a large extent

How Long Does It Take for Naltrexone to Work?

Naltrexone is a fast-acting medication, meaning that it gets absorbed quickly and starts to work within an hour after you have taken the pill. Its effects also last longer in the body, with the time duration being 24 to 36 when 50mg of tablet is taken from the oral route. Higher doses last even longer in the body.

Is Naltrexone Addictive?

No, naltrexone is not an addictive substance, due to which it is not a controlled substance. However, it does not mean that it is available over the counter. You can only get naltrexone on a prescription. You need to talk to your addiction medicine specialist before receiving a prescription.

What Happens If You Drink on Naltrexone?

One of the benefits of naltrexone is that it is not associated with fatal consequences when mixed with alcohol. Although there are no severe side effects to drinking alcohol on naltrexone, you should still be mindful of what to avoid when taking naltrexone. Alcohol is also one of the drugs you should avoid. This is because the side effects of alcohol will still be felt, meaning that a person would be at risk of impaired coordination, poor decision-making, etc.

But did you know?

Even if someone takes alcohol on naltrexone, it will not be pleasurable, making a person stop.
Someone with alcoholism may reduce their alcohol consumption because the experience of drinking it is no more euphoric.

Naltrexone is quite underrated. Not many people are aware of naltrexone being a medication for AUD. If you feel like Antabuse (Disulfiram) or acamprosate is not working for you, call 844.445.2565. Naltrexone may be the medication that saves you!

What Will Not Happen When Taking Naltrexone

Naltrexone will not cause a person to get ill the same way as Antabuse or acamprosate would.
Naltrexone will not block the feeling of intoxication. Unless someone decides to drink more than intended, in which case, intoxication will be higher.
It is not a cure for addiction; but rather a treatment that can help with abstinence.
The medication does not cause changes in cognitive functions. If someone drinks alcohol on naltrexone, the side effects of alcohol would remain the same.

Many people can drink on naltrexone as a way of promoting abstinence. This brings us to our next point: the Sinclair method.

What Are the Strengths of Using Naltrexone?

Role of Naltrexone in the Sinclair Alcohol Method

Naltrexone lies at the heart of the Sinclair method. Dr. John Sinclair argued that instead of taking naltrexone daily in the morning, a person should take it half an hour before they were trying to have a drink. This method was developed because patients would undergo treatment but relapse just after their naltrexone treatment was done. Dr. Sinclair thought it was better to take a deterrent before drinking so that one limits their use of alcohol instead of focusing on abstaining.

During the experiment, the trial saw that there was a 78% success rate of the Sinclair method in 2001. This shows that drinking after you have taken alcohol will not kill you.

NOTE: If you have taken alcohol after naltrexone, you are still likely to experience intoxication. This means that the physical effects of alcohol will not be decreased. You should not drive or do other such tasks after taking alcohol on naltrexone.

Where Can I Get Online Naltrexone in NJ?

Naltrexone is available only on prescription. Prescription can be received from any physician authorized to prescribe medications. However, if you need personalized treatment, you should seek help from an addiction rehab. Why? Because:

They will assess you
Rule out all the risks
Consider side effects
Monitor your progress

If you are looking for a rehab in Fairlawn NJ for alcohol addiction treatment, call 844.445.2565. Vivitrol is available at ChoicePoint and the good part is that we accept insurance from most providers like Horizon Blue, including commercial insurance.

Alternatives of Naltrexone: How Do They Compare

Naltrexone is just one part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Other medications include disulfiram and acamprosate. Below is a comparison of these three medications.

Does Acamprosate Have Side Effects?

Pros	Cons
Helps the brains of people go back to normal after being on alcohol for years	Does not help with withdrawal symptoms
Well-tolerated among many people	Causes a bad reaction when someone tries to drink on it
A better option for people with liver issues	Cravings may persist even when you are taking the medication
Lower cost of the generic version	Needs to be administered multiple times in a day(almost three)

No medication is good for every person. All of them have their pros and cons. When naltrexone is compared with the two, studies have shown different results. A compilation of many studies shows:

Acamprosate is responsible for maintaining abstinence
Naltrexone is responsible for decreasing heavy drinking and cravings

What Are the Benefits of Disulfiram?

Pros	Cons
Only needs to be administered once a day	No amount of alcohol is okay with disulfiram. Even a very small can cause a bad reaction
Low cost of generic version	Does not help with alcohol cravings
	Does not help with alcohol withdrawal symptoms

Disulfiram, on the other hand, and naltrexone showed almost the same results in a study. However, the treatment dropout was higher in the disulfiram group as compared to naltrexone. Naltrexone was also seen to be more tolerable than disulfiram.

Receiving Medication-assisted Treatment for AUD In Bergen County

Looking for a top-rated rehab in NJ that patients vouch for? You’re in the right place. While most rehabs are focused on their benefits, ChoicePoint makes you their priority. From offering a diverse range of treatments to offering insurance coverage, we aim for your convenience. Our online MAT clinic and the treatments offered are:

Naltrexone (Vivitrol, ReVia)
Acamprosate
Disulfiram

Alcohol therapy is an integral part of MAT. It helps heal a patient’s relationship with themselves and their loved ones. The therapies that you can avail, especially for post-drinking depression, include:

Please note this assessment is an initial self-screening, and it is not meant to be a medical assessment or clinical diagnosis of addiction. For proper diagnosis and treatment, schedule an appointment with ChoicePoint.

Our Client’s Testimonials

“ChoicePoint is a thorough professionally run addiction program. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. My counselor Samantha was a joy to work with…friendly and open yet performed her job with professional toughness. The group and individual sessions were extremely helpful and went beyond a standard addiction process. I would recommend this facility to everyone, especially to those who have had less than good experience elsewhere.”

Another client appreciated our sessions with behavior therapists by saying, “I attended the IOP program for 5 months. I chose the virtual meeting option as I was unable to be there in person. The instructors were well informed and knowledgeable of the recovery plans. Some of them were addicts/alcoholics in the past and are a great example of recovery success. My idol instructor is James Collins who taught the evening sessions. My counselor ( Samantha M ) was very attentive to my progress throughout my recovery. I learned so much about the root causes of my addiction, relapse management skills, and many emotional and psychological deficits that caused my disease. I highly trust and recommend this establishment to anyone suffering from addiction and looking for recovery and a sober lifestyle.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Naltrexone

Naltrexone is still unexplored by many people. However, the way it differs from other medications is interesting. We make sure your queries are answered. So, check out the Q&A section below.

Does Naltrexone Block Benzo?

No drug interactions were found between benzos and naltrexone. However, it is still important to understand that you should not use alprazolam or other benzos with naltrexone unless your doctor tells you otherwise. It can still be risky.

Can I Buy Naltrexone Online?

Unless you have a naltrexone prescription, you should not buy naltrexone online. It is illegal to buy or sell naltrexone without a valid prescription. However, naltrexone online doctors near you can give you a prescription and then you can receive naltrexone from a nearby pharmacy. This is a safer alternative.

What Can I Use Instead of Naltrexone?

Disulfiram and acamprosate are the two alternative medications for alcohol use disorder. However, you should not switch medicines without consulting your physician. If naltrexone does not seem to work for you, talk to your addiction specialist for a better alternative.

What Is the Success Rate of Naltrexone for Alcohol?

The success rate of naltrexone even without behavioral interventions was 66.2%. People in the study were able to have 80% days without alcohol. This study signifies that naltrexone can effectively promote abstinence.

How Does It Feel Switching from Vivitrol to Naltrexone Tablets?

The effects of medications can feel different to everyone. After switching from injections to pills, some people may experience cravings coming back, while others report feeling almost the same. However, with time, these feelings will go away within a week or so. If they don’t and you persistently have thoughts about alcohol, talk to your doctor.