Heroin, morphine, methadone, dihydrocodeine etc, known as ‘opiates’ or ‘opioids’, work by binding to ‘receptors’ in brains and bodies producing an effect. Naltrexone binds more strongly to the same receptors and pushes off the heroin (or opiates). It sits on the receptor, but does not cause an opiate type effect. In this way, Naltrexone blocks the effects of heroin even though you may take it.
If you have a ‘habit’ or have recently taken heroin (or opiates) and then take Naltrexone you go into severe ‘withdrawal’ or ‘cold turkey’. People feel dreadful, and may fear they are about to die. However, if you are taking Naltrexone regularly and you happen to use some heroin (or other opiate) it will have no effect on you – it is completely ‘blocked’ by Naltrexone.
To get over opiate addiction and stay clean, you need to get used to not taking opiates. For the first week or so of abstinence, you get the typical withdrawal syndrome including insomnia, restlessness, irritability, diarrhoea and vomiting, hot and cold sweats, yawning, runny nose and eyes and intense craving. Thereafter, as well as variable craving, you often get persistent insomnia, tiredness and/or depression. This second phase may take weeks or months to gradually recover. Some people don’t feel entirely normal for six to twelve months. A few unfortunates never really get back to normal.
Meanwhile you need to learn how to cope with life’s stresses again as people ‘kind of’ forget how to cope on opiates because they do it for you. This is the difficult bit. It takes time and you will be tempted at tricky moments to seek the easy option of going back to heroin. This is where Naltrexone is useful. If you can’t use you move forwards, not backwards and develop your psychological defences and alternative coping strategies. It is during this phase that ‘talking therapies’ or ‘counselling’ may be helpful, so may ‘practical therapies’ such as employment, training and hobbies or indeed a combination of both approaches. Naltrexone therapy buys you the time to get used to not using and rebuild your life, interests and relationships. These are the keys to longer-term abstinence.
Research shows that the longer you go without using heroin, the more likely it is that you will not use again.
If you have a ‘habit’ or have recently taken heroin (or opiates) and then take Naltrexone you go into severe ‘withdrawal’ or ‘cold turkey’. People feel dreadful, and may fear they are about to die. However, if you are taking Naltrexone regularly and you happen to use some heroin (or other opiate) it will have no effect on you – it is completely ‘blocked’ by Naltrexone.
To get over opiate addiction and stay clean, you need to get used to not taking opiates. For the first week or so of abstinence, you get the typical withdrawal syndrome including insomnia, restlessness, irritability, diarrhoea and vomiting, hot and cold sweats, yawning, runny nose and eyes and intense craving. Thereafter, as well as variable craving, you often get persistent insomnia, tiredness and/or depression. This second phase may take weeks or months to gradually recover. Some people don’t feel entirely normal for six to twelve months. A few unfortunates never really get back to normal.
Meanwhile you need to learn how to cope with life’s stresses again as people ‘kind of’ forget how to cope on opiates because they do it for you. This is the difficult bit. It takes time and you will be tempted at tricky moments to seek the easy option of going back to heroin. This is where Naltrexone is useful. If you can’t use you move forwards, not backwards and develop your psychological defences and alternative coping strategies. It is during this phase that ‘talking therapies’ or ‘counselling’ may be helpful, so may ‘practical therapies’ such as employment, training and hobbies or indeed a combination of both approaches. Naltrexone therapy buys you the time to get used to not using and rebuild your life, interests and relationships. These are the keys to longer-term abstinence.
Research shows that the longer you go without using heroin, the more likely it is that you will not use again.
We have more experience of naltrexone implants and oral naltrexone therapy than any other service in the UK.
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