1992/11/01 by Joseph R. Volpicelli · 3 citations
Medicine · Psychology · #Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects #Alcoholism and Thiamine Deficiency #Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes #Naltrexone #Placebo #Alcohol dependence #Alcohol #Nausea #Medicine #Internal medicine #Craving #Narcotic antagonist #Psychiatry #Anesthesia #Psychology #Addiction #Opioid
paper · doi:10.1001/archpsyc.1992.01820110040006
openalex publication_date 1992/11/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01
Seventy male alcohol-dependent patients participated in a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of naltrexone hydrochloride (50 mg/d) as an adjunct to treatment following alcohol detoxification. Subjects taking naltrexone reported significantly less alcohol craving and days in which any alcohol was consumed. During the 12-week study, only 23% of the naltrexone-treated subjects met the criteria for a relapse, whereas 54.3% of the placebo-treated subjects relapsed. The primary effect of naltrexone was seen in patients who drank any alcohol while attending outpatient treatment. Nineteen (95%) of the 20 placebo-treated patients relapsed after they sampled alcohol, while only eight (50%) of 16 naltrexone-treated patients exposed to alcohol met relapse criteria. Naltrexone was not associated with mood changes or other psychiatric symptoms. Significant side effects (nausea) occurred in two naltrexone-treated subjects, and one naltrexone-treated subject complained of increased pain from arthritis. These results suggest that naltrexone may be a safe and effective adjunct to treatment in alcohol-dependent subjects, particularly in preventing alcohol relapse.