FAQ About Naltrexone Therapy (Naltrexone Blocker)

• What is Naltrexone Therapy and why is it important?

• Naltrexone is a pure narcotic antagonist. That is, it attaches to the opiate receptors in the brain and completely blocks them. This means that if someone tries to use any kind of opiate while they are on Naltrexone, they feel no effect because all of the receptors are completely blocked. While Naltrexone is in the body, it is virtually impossible to relapse. Naltrexone has been available as an oral tablet since the late 1970s. However, it only has duration of action of around 24 to 48 hours and in practice, it has been found that most patients either forget or purposefully choose not to take their medicine. Then in a short period of time they go back to using heroin. Higher success rates have been achieved when patients are forced to take their medicine, either by concerned family members, or by a court system such as probation or parole. For this reason, we strongly recommend the Naltrexone implant. We believe that Naltrexone therapy should be given for 12 months. This gives the patient a chance to have their brain’s rewarding system physically recover from the damage from the narcotics. It also gives the patient an excellent chance to begin on the road to recovery.

• What is a substitution therapy?

• An opiate substitution program is a legal opiate drugs (like methadone (heptanon), buprenorphine (subutex, suboxone), morphine-sulfate (substitol, compensan), medical heroin) prescription, under the doctor’s supervision, to the people addicted to heroin. Such patients continue taking legal opioids (synthetic opiates), trying to lower their daily intake, doing their best to have a regular job, to adapt to the normal social life, but still staying drugs users. Unfortunately, the opiate tolerance maintains and an addicted person is often forced to add new heroin dosages, sedatives or some other substances. Then, the addiction becomes only more complicated. Getting detoxified from methadone is much more difficult than from heroin.
Opiate substitutive therapy is not an addiction treatment, but a harm reduction attempt for the benefits of both, the addicted person as well as the society in preventing the illegal drug abuse.

• What is the difference between the methadone or other opioid substitutive therapy and Naltrexone maintenance therapy?

• The difference is simple: to take drugs all your life (legal or not) or to protect your abstinence by Naltrexone maintenance and to learn how to enjoy in straight, healthy life.

It’s up to you. When you choose for a comfortable abstinence, we are here to help you.

• How does the Naltrexone protect from a drug addiction relapse?

• Naltrexone (or ‘heroin blocker’) is a narcotic antagonist; it blocks the effects of heroin (and all other opiates like methadone, suboxone...) by blocking the opiate receptors within the brain. It works by binding to some of the drug receptors in one’s brain, preventing opiates from attaching. If opiates are taken, they simply will have no effect and therefore are a waste of money. In that way, a reliable relapse protection is provided. You have more confidence and there is no subconscious craving like with the unprotected abstinents.

• When can a Naltrexone induction be started?

• Immediately after the tests confirm that the body is 100% drugs free. It means that there will not be any withdrawal reaction to a Naltrexone implant or Naltrexone injection. Everything will go smoothly.

• When the unwanted reactions to Naltrexone could be expected? How to avoid them?

• If a person didn’t receive a qualified opioid detoxification, and if the necessary drugs tests weren’t taken, if the body is not thoroughly cleansed from drugs, uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms might occur. It is important to neutralize them at the hospital.

• Are there any potential risks and side effects related to the Naltrexone implant?

• There are some potential side effects (less than 10%) with the Naltrexone implant including infection, irritation or inflammation and sometimes even some skin breakdown over the implant site. Luckily, these reactions are very easy to eliminate by antihistaminic and anti inflammation therapy.
Septic complications due to the Naltrexone implant insertion might occur in following cases:
1. If instead of a standard implant, an implant of an unknown origin is applied
2. The package was damaged or the expiration date was ended
3. A surgical intervention wasn’t performed properly, and the standard measures of aseptic and antiseptic weren’t taken.
4. The follow up procedure wasn’t done appropriately (bandages, taking the stitches of)
The choice of a highly qualified and accurate surgeon allows avoiding some possible complications.
A licensed pharmacists in USA manufactures the implant for us. Naltrexone implant is approved by the FDA.

• Are there any risks and side effects after the Naltrexone injection? And how to avoid them?

• Naltrexone injection or Vivitrol might cause allergy extremely rarely. An immediate anti allergic therapy neutralizes the allergic reaction.
The professionalism of a medical nurse while giving the intramuscular opioid blocker injection allows avoiding of possible infection.

• What is the risk of overdosing following treatment?

• Studies show that there have been patients who have died following periods of abstinence from narcotics. This appears to be caused by lack of tolerance following a period of abstinence. Naltrexone is extremely good at making people abstinent but when the Naltrexone wears off, patients have a very low tolerance. It is extremely easy for them to use too much heroin or other opiates and have an overdose which can be fatal. Patients need to understand this clearly and be extremely careful if they do relapse back to narcotic use. It is also may be possible to overdose if the patients try to override their Naltrexone therapy.

• How long should a patient be on Naltrexone therapy?

• We believe strongly that patients should be on Naltrexone therapy for at least twelve months. This prevents them from relapsing back to narcotic use and gives the patients a chance for their brain rewarding system to recover and to start making changes in their lives.

• Does the Naltrexone implant stay under the skin after its working is over?

• Yes, the biopolymers in the implant dissolve longer than Naltrexone. Therefore, the blocker stays under the skin a few months longer after the Naltrexone is released. That means that a new implant must be inserted before the old one is disappeared.

• Is it indicated to take Naltrexone pills in cases of allergic reaction to the implant?

• Yes. Normally, the magnesium stearate, which is contained in the implants, causes the allergic reaction. It is not contained in the Naltrexone hydrochloride pills and there is no risk of the allergic reactions.

• Does the allergy to the implant affect the implant’s efficiency in any way?

• The affectivity of the implant stays the same during the allergic reaction treatment.

• What kind of recommendations must be followed after the Naltrexone pellet insertion?

1. To visit a medical institution for a regular strangulation and surgical check ups
2. Keep your dressing clean and dry. Do NOT soak in a bath/tub. If you shower, you must cover the wound with plastic to keep dry.
3. Not to carry or lift heavy objects for at least 4 weeks after the implantation
4. To take the stitches out on time (normally on the 10th day)
5. To visit a doctor in the case there is slightest doubt about possible complications