Can naltrexone be used long term?
It has a slightly larger effect size than acamprosate, but has more adverse effects including headache, nausea, lethargy and dysphoria. These effects are usually transient and rarely lead to cessation of therapy. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist so it should not be used in patients receiving long-term opioid therapy.
Is naltrexone bad for your liver?
Naltrexone may cause liver damage when taken in large doses. It is not likely that naltrexone will cause liver damage when taken in recommended doses. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had hepatitis or liver disease.
Is naltrexone a methadone?
Both Naltrexone and Methadone work on the body’s opioid receptors. Methadone activates the receptors that suppress opioid cravings, while Naltrexone binds and blocks them to reduce cravings. Unlike methadone, naltrexone is not addictive, does not create a euphoric feeling or high, and withdrawal is minimal.
How does the Sinclair Method work for alcohol?
The endorphins produced by drinking have nowhere to land and so the pleasure of drinking is more or less extinguished. The Sinclair Method requires you to take a naltrexone pill an hour prior to drinking every time you drink. Your brain gradually learns to separate alcohol from the reward of intoxication and so alcohol cravings gradually diminish.
What is the success rate of the Sinclair Method?
The official reported success rate of the Sinclair Method for Alcoholism is 78%. Unlike most treatments, abstinence is not required. The process of reversing the association your brain has created between alcohol and the release of pleasure-enducing endorphins.
What kind of medication is used in the Sinclair Method?
Naltrexone and other FDA-Approved medications used to treat Alcohol Dependence. The unofficial guide to the Sinclair Method. FDA-Approved for Alcoholism since 1994, this prescription medication blocks endorphins from being released when you drink alcohol.
Why is the John David Sinclair Method not used in the US?
Dr. John David Sinclair developed the method. It is the one used throughout Finland and widely used elsewhere. The reason it’s not widely used in the U.S. is unclear. It may be the very strong influence of Alcoholics Anonymous. A.A. insists that alcoholics can never learn to drink in moderation.