Naltima (Naltrexone) 50mg

Naltima (Naltrexone) 50mg

Introduction

Naltima (Naltrexone) 50mg is a prescription drug made with Naltrexone Hydrochloride as a blocker of opiate receptors and used for the management of both alcohol dependence and opioid dependence in combination with other forms of treatment. The use of oral naltrexone does not lead to intoxication with opiates and physical dependence on them. According to clinical trials, naltrexone can reduce the risk of relapse in alcoholic patients and decrease alcohol consumption if it is used with the corresponding psychotherapeutic techniques.

The name of a branded naltrexone may be specific and depend on a particular country or a certain manufacturer. Naltima is one of the naltrexone brand name trade names, while there are also generic naltrexone hydrochloride tablets.

What is Naltima (Naltrexone) 50mg

Naltima is an oral prescription drug made of naltrexone hydrochloride. Naltima 50 mg tablets provide the intake of 50 mg of the active substance in the formula. The Naltima 50 mg tablet contains naltrexone hydrochloride. Naltrexone blocks the opioid receptors and is used for alcohol dependence treatment and the prevention of external opiate effects.

It is important that Naltima 50 should be used only in combination with other medical assistance. There should be counseling and other recovery treatment techniques involved.

How It Works

Naltrexone belongs to a class of competitive opioid antagonists. As naltrexone is used for alcohol dependence treatment, it blocks the opioid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems in order to make opiate compounds unable to activate these receptors. It has no opioid agonistic features and does not cause physical and psychological dependence.

For the treatment of alcohol dependence, the mechanism of blocking opioid receptors reduces the reinforcing effect of alcohol on the person. Clinical trials show that naltrexone alcohol treatment leads to the reduction of alcohol cravings and decreased number of the drinking and relapsing episodes in combination with appropriate psychotherapy.

Why It Is Prescribed

Naltrexone for alcohol dependence is prescribed with the purpose to achieve such goals as the decrease in the frequency of relapse, reducing alcohol consumption and abstinence. However, it is not a cure itself and should be taken in combination with a treatment program.

Besides, it is taken for post-therapy opioid dependence in order to prevent the effect of opiates and keep abstinence from them. Naltrexone should never be started in people still dependent on opioids since naltrexone causes strong opioid withdrawal syndrome.

Term of naltrexone for pain usually refers to the low dose naltrexone off-label use which should not be confused with the naltrexone of 50 mg per day for alcohol dependence.

How to Take This Medicine

Take naltrexone 50mg according to your prescription. Open a package with the prescribed tablets, put them into your mouth and swallow with a glass of water or other liquid. Official manufacturer's information states that naltrexone hydrochloride is swallowed together with liquid.

Follow the schedule prescribed by your doctor carefully. The effects of naltrexone 50 mg are not affected by food and drinks.

It is important to avoid the use of additional naltrexone tablets after missing the dose if there are no instructions for that and not to use opioid medicines while undergoing naltrexone therapy.

How it works in the body

The intake of naltrexone is followed by its rapid and virtually complete absorption from the gastrointestinal tract. Then, there is an occurrence of first pass metabolism and formation of the active metabolite called 6 beta-naltrexol. Naltrexone hydrochloride and its metabolites are mostly excreted by means of kidneys.

A 50 mg dose may provide a clinically meaningful opioid blockade for 24 hours. However, individual differences should be taken into consideration.

Dosage Explanation

The recommended naltrexone dosage for alcohol dependence in the USA is 50 mg once per day. Labeling information indicates that naltrexone was proved to be effective in adjunctive therapy with the 50 mg per day once daily dose for up to 12 weeks.

As for the treatment of opioid dependence, the therapy usually starts with 25 mg. If withdrawal does not start, the next day the patient will get 50 mg of the medicine per day. In case of a prior dependence on the short acting opioids, the opioid-free period should last for at least 7-10 days before naltrexone therapy.

There is no generally recommended dosage for children younger than 12. It is not suggested to use naltrexone hydrochloride by kids and teenagers under 18 years old as it is not proved to be safe in children and adolescents.

What to expect during the treatment

In most cases, naltrexone is not felt immediately after its intake. Its efficacy in treatment of alcohol dependence can be determined by the decrease of the drinking, cravings and relapse episodes and adherence to the treatment program.

As the result of clinical trials, it is proved that 50 mg once per day naltrexone can improve several alcohol related indicators in combination with psychotherapy and counseling. Still, the positive results were achieved not by all patients.

Follow-up is necessary in order to control the progression of treatment, tolerance and possible side effects.

Side Effects

Mild or commonly occurring side effects may be following:

• Nausea: stomach upset or nausea
• Headache
• Abdominal discomfort
• Dizziness
• Nervousness
• Sleep changes

Not everyone experiences such side effects. You should tell about any persistent side effects to your healthcare provider rather than adjust the dose by yourself.

Drug Interactions

It is very important to be aware of naltrexone interactions because this drug blocks opioid receptors. Therefore, naltrexone interaction with such medicines as pain killers and cough syrups can occur. In most cases, the simultaneous treatment with such opiate products should be avoided.

With regard to naltrexone and alcohol interaction, according to the information of naltrexone manufacturer there is no known direct interaction between naltrexone hydrochloride and alcohol. However, that does not mean that drinking is recommended during the treatment.

Inform your doctor about all the medicines you are taking.

Naltima vs Alternative Treatments

There are alternative drugs for the treatment of alcohol dependence such as acamprosate and disulfiram. They operate with a different mechanism and have a different scope of the treatment.

Naltrexone works by blocking opioid receptors. On the contrary, acamprosate is aimed at the development of abstinence in different ways. Disulfiram discourages alcohol consumption because of the undesirable effect on drinking.

The problem of low dose naltrexone and weight loss is also worth considering. In addition to naltrexone, there is bupropion in a special prescription treatment designed for the weight management. Therefore, naltrexone weight loss should not be confused with the use of naltrexone 50 mg alone, which is not an approved weight-loss drug.

Precautions and Warnings

Inform your doctor about all the recent and current use of opiates before starting the treatment with Naltima. Naltrexone therapy should not start if the person remains opioid dependent because of the possibility of withdrawal syndrome.

Your doctor should know also about any problems with liver and kidneys, about pregnancy, about breastfeeding and about all currently used medications.

After the discontinuation of the naltrexone therapy, the opioid sensitivity may increase. Any attempt to overcome naltrexone's blockade with a high amount of opiates may cause fatal opioid poisoning.

Cost and Affordability

The cost of Naltima depends on the manufacturer, pharmacy, number of pills, location and availability. Generic naltrexone hydrochloride is more affordable than the branded one.

Those customers interested in Naltima can find the availability of the pill through Grant Pharmacy on-line and purchase it through this service if the product is legal and the prescription is needed.

Practical Tips for Better Results

It is necessary to take Naltima regularly at the prescribed time and to combine with behavioral or other kinds of treatment. The regularity of Naltrexone usage is the main indicator linked to the success in the treatment of alcohol dependence in clinical trials.

Let your doctors, dentists, pharmacists and emergency staff members know about Naltrexone treatment because it influences the opioid pain relief methods. Having a list of your medicines updated may be useful for this purpose.

 Storage Instruction

It is important to observe storage recommendations stated in the package of the real Naltima because there are differences between these recommendations of different manufacturers.

The latest label with naltrexone hydrochloride 50 mg in the USA states that the drug should be stored at the temperature 20°C to 25°C with excursions between 15°C and 30°C.

Store the tablets in the container in which you received the medicine and out of the reach of children.

FAQs

1. What is the usual naltrexone dosage for alcohol dependence?

As mentioned above, the generally recommended oral dosage of Naltrexone in the USA is 50 mg per day. Still, the prescription of a particular dosage is always an individual issue.

2. Can alcohol be consumed while taking Naltima?

There is no alcohol aversion reaction like with disulfiram. However, there is no possibility that drinking would go along with the treatment.

3. Can Naltima be taken with opioid pain medicines?

Opioid pain relievers are not allowed to be used simultaneously because Naltrexone blocks the opioid receptors. That is why the treatment with pain killers requires the disclosure of Naltrexone therapy to a specialist.

4. Does Naltrexone help with weight loss?

There is a separate prescription medicine that consists of Naltrexone and bupropion and prescribed to the patients with excess weight. This does not mean that Naltrexone 50 mg is recommended to be used for weight reduction.

5. How should Naltima 50 mg be stored?

Follow the storage instructions of the purchased pills. According to the information provided in the latest label with 50 mg naltrexone, there should be a storage in the room with controlled temperature.

Final Conclusion

Naltima (Naltrexone) 50 mg contains Naltrexone Hydrochloride as a blocker of the opiate receptors used for the treatment of both alcohol and opioid dependence in a treatment program. For the treatment of the former, Naltrexone dosage in the USA is 50 mg once per day. However, the instructions of your provider are still the most important information for you.

During treatment it is very important to follow the instructions of your doctor. It is necessary to inform about the current opioid use and never try to overcome Naltrexone's blockade with opiates.

 

Medically reviewed by the Grant Pharmacy Pharmacists Medical Team.

 

Medical References

DailyMed – Naltrexone Hydrochloride Tablets, USP 50 mg, Official U.S. Drug Label
https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=adb7c4dc-221a-4d91-9687-0d78913a92ad

Official Manufacturer Information – Naltrexone Hydrochloride 50 mg Film-Coated Tablets, Summary of Product Characteristics
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/8968/smpc

Official Manufacturer Patient Leaflet – Naltrexone Hydrochloride 50 mg Film-Coated Tablets
https://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/product/8968/pil