Naltrexone for Alcohol & Opioid Addiction Treatment

Naltrexone is an FDA-approved medication that is used to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) and has been on the market as an evidence-based treatment medication for this purpose for decades.  People struggling with OUD or AUD may be prescribed naltrexone as a part of a comprehensive treatment plan. This page will explain naltrexone uses and how it can help you or a loved one start and stay on the path to recovery.

What Is Naltrexone?

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist medication that blocks opioid receptors, reducing the euphoric feelings caused by drinking alcohol or taking opioids.¹  

 It is available in intramuscular injectable and oral forms.² The FDA has approved oral and extended-release injectable naltrexone for opioid use disorder, and oral and injectable naltrexone for alcohol use disorder.³

What Is Naltrexone Used For?

Naltrexone medication is used for the treatment of OUD and AUD and is often used with a comprehensive treatment plan that includes psychotherapy and social support groups.³ Medications for addiction treatment may be used to help people in recovery from alcohol or opioid addiction by alleviating cravings and helping individuals maintain abstinence.³ 

Naltrexone can play a role in enhancing treatment adherence and reducing the heavy consumption of alcohol and opioids.¹ 

Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder

Naltrexone for opioid addiction has been shown to reduce illicit opioid use, help people stay in treatment when compared to placebos or no medication, and prevent relapse to opioid misuse following medically supervised withdrawal treatment.²

Doctors do not prescribe naltrexone for opioid withdrawal because it does not alleviate opioid withdrawal symptoms but instead can potentially cause dangerous effects.⁴

Naltrexone is prescribed to individuals who have completed a medically supervised withdrawal from opioids. In general, people need to wait 7-10 days after their last use of short-acting opioids and 10-14 days after their last use of long-acting opioids before they can receive their first dose of naltrexone.⁴ 

People who use opioids while taking naltrexone should be aware that they can experience severe opioid withdrawal symptoms that may necessitate hospitalization.⁴ Withdrawal symptoms may include insomnia, rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, sweating, goosebumps, runny nose, abdominal, bone, and muscle pain, and anxiety.⁵

Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder

Doctors do not prescribe naltrexone for alcohol withdrawal but instead prescribe the medication to help reduce cravings and increase the chance of abstaining from drinking alcohol.¹

Research has shown that naltrexone for alcoholism can help people reduce their alcohol use, minimize cravings for alcohol, block pleasurable feelings associated with alcohol, and reduce heavy drinking in those who choose to drink.¹

Naltrexone for alcohol addiction may be prescribed after signs and symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal have subsided.¹ This generally means that people should be abstinent from alcohol for around 3-7 days before receiving naltrexone.¹

Naltrexone Side Effects

In general, naltrexone is considered to be safe and has not been associated with a high likelihood of adverse effects.¹ However, naltrexone does come with an FDA black box warning due to its potential for hepatoxicity, or drug-induced liver damage, but these effects are reversible and generally occur if people take much higher doses than are typically prescribed and over long periods.¹

However, people may experience naltrexone side effects, including:^1,2

Other less common side effects, such as mild depression, diarrhea, or stomach cramps, are also possible.¹

Benefits of Naltrexone

Naltrexone for addiction can potentially play an important role in a person’s recovery from AUD or OUD. People who can successfully sustain recovery are better able to contribute to society, maintain employment, and cultivate healthy relationships with family and friends.⁵

Some of the benefits of naltrexone include:^1,2,6

• Preventing relapse or return to opioid use.
• Preventing or reducing heavy drinking.
• Increasing a person’s ability to abstain from alcohol.
• Reducing opioid and alcohol cravings.
• Increased treatment retention.

How Long Does Naltrexone Treatment Last?

Naltrexone for addiction treatment can generally last as long as is necessary and is deemed to be helpful for a person’s recovery.² People can receive naltrexone for OUD for as long as they benefit from it and want to continue to take it.² The optimal duration for treatment with oral naltrexone for OUD has not been clearly established, but generally speaking, longer usage of an effective medication tends to lead to better outcomes.⁴

For people taking naltrexone for AUD, the advised treatment duration according to the FDA is 3 months.¹ However, reports show that people have taken naltrexone for AUD for 6 months to a year with no negative outcomes.¹

Does Insurance Cover Naltrexone?

Most insurance plans may offer some type of coverage for different types of addiction treatment, which can include medications like naltrexone.⁷ The Affordable Care Act states that substance use disorder treatment is an essential benefit, and all Marketplace plans must cover this service on some level.⁷

Desert Hope, an inpatient rehab in Las Vegas, accepts the following private insurance plans:

• Aetna.
• Cigna.
• Ambetter.
• Select Health.
• Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
• Prominence Health Plan.
• Carelon (formerly Beacon).
• CareSource of Nevada.
• Humana.
• UHC.
• Tricare.

Desert Hope is also in-network with most plans that use Behavioral Healthcare Options (BHO), including:

• Health Plan of Nevada.
• Sierra Health and Life.

We are also in-network with Managed Health Network (MHN), a subsidiary of Health Net that offers coverage for mental and behavioral health services. Additionally, we accept various commercial insurance policies on an out-of-network basis. Your insurance may cover some of the cost of out-of-network treatment.

Naltrexone for Addiction Treatment in Las Vegas

Desert Hope offers different types of rehab care, including medical detox, inpatient rehab, and our outpatient rehab program in Las Vegas. Medication treatment for alcohol and opioid use disorder may be available at a treatment facility near you.

Treatment has been shown to help people stop using drugs and alcohol, maintain sobriety, and resume productive functioning in their families, at work, and in society.⁸

No matter how things might seem right now, you are not alone, and we are here to help you every step of the way. If you or a loved one are struggling, please call us at to speak to a caring admissions navigator who can explain your treatment options, help you start the treatment admissions process, and help you understand more about handling the cost of rehab and using insurance to pay for rehab.