Naltrexone is a powerful non-addictive, non-narcotic, addiction treatment medication. If you are looking for ways to stop drinking or using opioids, reach out to substance abuse treatment professionals who can help you to determine the safest and most effective path. But is it possible to buy cheap naltrexone online? There are reputable online pharmacies that can make generic naltrexone available to those with a prescription, filling it legally and efficiently. It is important to note that while naltrexone can be effective in helping someone stay sober when its use is supervised by a medical professional, it is not a "cure" for addiction and should not be self-administered. It is legal to buy naltrexone from an online pharmacy as long as that phamacy is legitimate and above board, and your prescription is legitimate as well. Double-check with the prescribing physician if you have any concerns about how best to get the pills you need to stay healthy. It is possible to find a legitimate online pharmacy, provide them a copy of a legal prescription for naltrexone, purchase the medication in the amount prescribed, and reasonably expect that the drug that arrives will contain naltrexone and nothing else. However, if the goal is to get naltrexone illegally to self-medicate an addiction and try to stay sober without the support of a detox and addiction treatment program, the use of naltrexone will not be a safe choice, no matter where it was purchased. If you are struggling with an addiction to alcohol or any opioid drug, naltrexone may be an important part of recovery, but your best chance at a new, sober life starts with connecting with an effective treatment program.
According to the pharmaceutical encyclopedia, naltrexone (brand names: Vivitrol, Revia, Depade) blocks the effects of opioid medication, including pain relief or feelings of well-being that can lead to opioid abuse. This not expensive drug treatment that is now rapidly becoming more common. A once-daily pill version of naltrexone has been marketed for decades, but non-compliance was widespread among those taking it. Naltrexone is prescribed in two forms: 50mg tablets, or 380mg intramuscular injections. Naltrexone has been shown to decrease drinking frequency and the likelihood of relapse to heavy drinking. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved naltrexone for the treatment of alcohol dependence in 1994. It is thought that the competitive antagonism of naltrexone to opioid receptors blunts the release of dopamine related to alcohol consumption, which results in decreased craving and diminishes the rewarding effects of alcohol use. Drugmakers saw an opportunity for an injectable version that would avoid some of these compliance issues, with one company, gaining approval for a once-monthly injected version of naltrexone (Vivitrol). The extended-release, injectable form of naltrexone, Vivitrol, was first approved by the FDA in 2006 for the treatment of alcohol dependence. In 2010, the FDA approved Vivitrol for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence, based on a single randomized controlled trial.
Therefore FDA has classified Naltrexone as a drug of last resort: If treatment with buprenorphine/ naloxone is unsuccessful, you should consider trying Naltrexone. It should not be used unless all other methods of avoiding alcohol have failed. Ask your health care provider the following questions:
Alcoholics who are more greatly driven by reward craving experience increased level of stimulation while drinking alcohol and are more likely to respond to naltrexone. Therefore, it prevents the physical euphoric reward that enhances addiction of opioid and alcohol use, allowing patients to experience sustainable emotional health. Cravings are heavily decreased when using naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol abuse. This craving reduction occurs very quickly, often in the first 2-3 weeks, and doesn't appear to return with appropriate treatment.
To understand how naltrexone functions as an antagonist, it's important to understand how it affects the brain — specifically, natural opioid receptors. Once activated, the receptors tell the body to produce dopamine — a natural chemical that essentially trains the body to remember: "I liked that, let's do it again." That's the brain's reward system, and opioids can hijack it by triggering a surge of dopamine larger than nature ever could. Repeated opioid use overloads circuits in multiple brain regions, including those involved with learning and memory, emotion, judgment and self-control. At the same time, the brain gradually releases less dopamine in response to other things the person once found pleasurable. Eventually they seek more of the drug not to get high, but to avoid constantly feeling low.
Recovering addicts taking Naltrexone no longer experienced the pleasurable sensations association with opioid use, and were therefore less motivated to continue drug abuse. It was discovered that the same was true for alcoholics. Although the exact mechanism is not entirely understood, the brain interacts with alcohol in a very similar manner to how it reacts with opioids, and Naltrexone also suppresses the euphoria and pleasurable sensations of alcohol. Alcoholics no longer receive a “reward” for drinking once they are on Naltrexone and are therefore less likely to continue consumption.
Like most treatment medications, Naltrexone is a prescription medication and should only be taken under the supervision of a physician. Although Naltrexone is not known to interact aversely with alcohol, it should only be prescribed after the patient has already ceased use completely and completed the detox process. Because of certain side effects, Naltrexone should only be prescribed after the physician is sure that the patient's liver is functioning properly and the patient is not pregnant.
One of the most important pros of naltrexone is that it is the only medication that works to counteract the potential for relapse. It's not a quick fix, or a cure, but it is a medication and a tool that can be used in conjunction with therapy and programming to help those patients in long-term recovery.
One of the most important pros of naltrexone is that it is the only medication that works to counteract the potential for relapse. It's not a quick fix, or a cure, but it is a medication and a tool that can be used in conjunction with therapy and programming to help those patients in long-term recovery. A naltrexone regimen typically begins 10 days after a patient stops drinking, and it continues for about 12 weeks. Naltrexone is not a detox drug, and its use during detox or alcohol consumption can instigate or aggravate withdrawal symptoms. Overall, it can be a helpful medication, but its use has both pros and cons.
Some of the pros in favor of naltrexone use:
The cons for using naltrexone include:
Naltrexone is easy to use as there are currently many different formulations ranging from tablets to sustained-release forms. Some tablets are made so that you take them once in two days so that you don't have to worry about taking the drug every day. Naltrexone is almost always effective, easy to use, non-toxic, easily affordable and it has virtually no significant side effects. Also, it has little to no serious side effects especially when used in the recommended doses, does not carry the risk of addiction other medications. Also, there is no development of tolerance, it is when there is a gradual reduction in the effects of a drug due to repeated use. So that no matter how many times you use naltrexone, it is always effective.
The FDA-approved label for Vivitrol warns of the risk of sudden and severe opioid withdrawal symptoms that can require hospitalization if Vivitrol is given too soon after stopping opioids. The label also warns that former opioid users may become more sensitive to the effects of opioids after treatment with naltrexone and may be more likely to overdose with opioids, particularly at the end of a one-month dosing interval or if a dose is missed.
Oral: Average dose: 50 mg orally once a day. Duration of therapy: 12 weeks.
Intramuscular: 380 mg intramuscularly every 4 weeks/once a month.
Oral: Initial dose: 25 mg orally once a day. Maintenance dose: 50 mg orally once a day (if no withdrawals on 25 mg/day).
Intramuscular: 380 mg intramuscularly every 4 weeks/once a month.
Use Naltrexone exactly as directed on the label, or as prescribed by your doctor. Do not use in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Follow all directions on your prescription label. Do not use this medicine in larger or smaller amounts or for longer than recommended. Take the naltrexone tablet with a full glass of water. Naltrexone may be taken with food if it upsets your stomach. Use naltrexone regularly to get the most benefit.
Compared with oral naltrexone, extended-release naltrexone reduces peak levels and fluctuations in plasma levels to minimize the side effects and elevates trough levels to improve efficacy. The administration of long-acting naltrexone along with psychosocial support has been associated with improvement in drinking outcome measures, especially among patients who are abstinent entering treatment. The dosing of extended-release naltrexone is 380 mg given as a monthly intramuscular injection. It is important to monitor the muscle mass and skin of the injection site. Potential contraindications to injectable naltrexone include hemophilia and bleeding problems. There have been cases of reaction at the injection site, allergic pneumonia, and suicidal ideation with extended-release naltrexone.
If you are addicted to or dependent on opioids, you should first be seen by a health care provider (such as a psychiatrist) who specializes in the management of addiction. The specialist should offer you counseling and initiate a detoxification regimen for you, which involves weaning you off of the opioids. Naltrexone is a gold standard for the treatment of opioid and alcohol use disorders, but effectiveness is limited by inconsistent use and subsequent relapse. Unfortunately, individuals who fail to comply with the treatment program early experience worse outcomes than those who continue to use the medication consistently. Since compliance is difficult when facing cravings from addiction, using longer acting forms of naltrexone such as injections or implants may be the best possible answer to achieve successful sobriety. Naltrexone has no addictive properties, and since it's long-acting and blocks the opioid receptors in the brain, individuals have the opportunity to fully engage in personal rehabilitation and improve their potential success to enjoy long-term recovery. Naltrexone is a critical part of many alcoholism treatment programs, but it is only a part. It also can only be prescribed by a licensed physician. If you or a loved one are thinking about using Naltrexone to help overcome an alcohol addiction. You need professional help now. Contact a treatment provider to find the best rehab for your situation.