Naltrexone is a prescription medication used in the treatment of opiate and prescription opioid addiction because it stops the activity of opioids. It is also used in the treatment of alcohol addiction as it appears to decrease the addict's need to consume alcohol. Naltrexone comes in tablet form, or in injection form that can be given once per month, although the injection can cost around $1,100 a month.
The difference between Naltrexone and other drugs used to treat opiate dependence is that unlike Methadone which is an agonist and is very similar to heroin, Naltrexone is an opiate antagonist, and blocks the effect of opioid medications. An individual who has been abstaining from all opioid drugs for seven to ten days can begin taking Naltrexone, but they will have to stop taking all other opioid medications while taking the medication. This would include taking Methadone or similar maintenance therapy meds, due to the fact that taking Naltrexone along with these kinds of drugs can cause sudden withdrawal symptoms.
Naltrexone is meant to be used in conjunction with a full Tilton treatment program which would include compliance monitoring, counseling, lifestyle changes, and behavior modification.
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