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Like all other medications, naltrexone can have side effects. Find out what they are, the chance of them happening and what increases or decreases the risk.
What You’ll Learn:
- The most common side effects of naltrexone.
- How likely you are to experience side effects.
- What increases the risk of naltrexone side effects.
- How to reduce the risk of naltrexone side effects.
Every medication, whether prescription or over the counter, will have potential side effects. The real question is what are the naltrexone side effects and how likely are they to occur.
For some people, the benefit of drinking less or not at all far outweighs any of the common side effects from taking naltrexone. Luckily, the majority of people don’t experience naltrexone side effects, and those that do typically have mild side effects that are short-lived.
The Most Common Side Effects of Naltrexone
If you decide to take naltrexone to drink less you may experience one of these common side effects:
- Nausea
- Agitation
- Vomiting
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Heightened Anxiety
- Abdominal Pain
- Dizziness
- Muscle pain
- Joint pain
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Appetite Loss
- Insomnia
- Alterations in Sleep Patterns
The Chances of Experiencing Naltrexone Side Effects
The list above may seem like a lot, but the good news is the chance of experiencing common side effects from naltrexone is relatively low. Many research studies have been conducted to analyze naltrexone side effects. What they found was that:
- Nausea is the most common naltrexone side effect with 9.8%-35% of people reporting its occurrence.
- One study found that nausea typically lasted a few days when the naltrexone dose was 50-100mg a day.
- Headaches are the next most common side effect with 6.6% to 25% of people experiencing them.
- While less likely to occur, studies suggest headaches may last for up to two weeks.
- A study examining naltrexone use at higher dose levels (105-267.8mg) for alcohol use disorder and opioid addiction found that agitation was the most common side effect affecting 41.8% of test subjects and vomiting was the second most common with 16.4% of people being affected. However, given that the dose levels were high and the majority of people had opioid use disorder, it’s hard to say how common it is for alcohol use alone.
- In general, naltrexone side effects occur at the beginning of treatment and subside within a few hours to a few days.
When looking at the data on naltrexone side effects, it’s important to keep in mind that the medication is used for opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. Some of the most common side effects, in particular the gastrointestinal side effects, are also associated with opioid withdrawal.
What Increases the Risk of Naltrexone Side Effects
There are a few factors that can influence how likely someone is to experience side effects while taking naltrexone. They include:
A Person’s Health - One of the primary reasons that a clinician will assess your health before prescribing naltrexone is to gauge the risk of side effects. However, typically they are focused on assessing risk for more serious side effects like hepatotoxicity.
Naltrexone Dose Level - The higher the naltrexone dosage is the more likely you are to experience side effects. This is the case with virtually all medications.
How You Can Reduce the Risk of Naltrexone Side Effects
Let’s move on to what can reduce the risk of naltrexone side effects so that you get the benefits without the potential drawbacks.
Start With a Low Dose - Precaution with naltrexone dosage has to be taken since the higher the dose the more likely you are to experience side effects. Starting low can help reduce the chance that you’ll have them.
Work Closely With a Clinician - Talking with your clinician about your general health, daily activities and what you’re experiencing while taking naltrexone can go a long way in reducing the risk of side effects. Your clinician is a vital part of the process in helping dial in the right dose and protocols so that alcohol cravings are curbed without making it uncomfortable.
Take Naltrexone as Prescribed - Whatever your clinician recommends should be followed. Using the medication in a way that it’s not intended, such as doubling up doses or taking it at the wrong time, can make side effects more likely.
Take Care of Yourself - Something as simple as drinking an adequate amount of water can help mitigate side effects like headaches and nausea. It’s also important to get good quality sleep for 7-9 hours a night.
If you’re interested in a naltrexone prescription the first step is to take our Online Alcohol Use Assessment to talk with a clinician about side effects, success rates and more.
