Naltrexone for alcoholism

[mr_lebowski]

7. Awesome that it's working for you!

It's chemically quite similar to Naloxone, the opioid OD drug, and is fact also used to treat opioid addiction (once the patient is off the dope). That was it's first use in this sort of capacity TTBOMK. It blocks the body from being able to get high on opioids by occupying your opioid receptors, but it doesn't get you high itself. Basically it's got a very high binding/affinity for the receptor, but no stimulatory effect upon them.

They've branched out into trying it for other types of addiction treatment, some more successful than others. Alcoholism it doesn't have a high rate of success, but does show some efficacy IIRC that was the last I read on it, some time back. I think the reason it does work a bit for alcoholism is that the high from booze works on some similar pathways to opioids. I suspect if you tried to get drunk it would not be as pleasant as you remembered while you're on naltrexone.

Chantix works in a similar way for smoking, basically occupies receptors that nicotine does, which decreases the pleasure one gets from nicotine, so over time it easier to decide ... I don't wanna smoke anymore cause it gives me no pleasure/satisfaction.