Effect of naltrexone on alcohol “high” in alcoholics
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Subjective effects of alcohol in alcoholics treated with naltrexone or placebo were compared. METHOD: In a previously reported double-blind clinical trial of 50 mg/day of naltrexone or placebo for treatment of alcoholism, 36 of 70 detoxified male veterans deviated from abstinence. Of these 36, 29 subsequently reported on the subjective effects of drinking during the trial. RESULTS: A larger proportion of naltrexone-treated subjects (seven of 12) than placebo-treated subjects (two of 17) reported that the "high" produced by alcohol during the study was significantly less than usual. The naltrexone-treated subjects also drank less alcohol than the placebo-treated subjects during the first drinking episode. There was no difference between groups in reported intoxication, craving, memory, or loss of temper. CONCLUSIONS: The lower alcohol consumption by the naltrexone-treated subjects may have resulted from naltrexone's blockage of the pleasure produced by alcohol.
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Altering euphoric and pleasurable effects of alcohol is hypothesized to underlie in part the efficacy of opioid receptor antagonists, including naltrexone and nalmefene.
“The findings may have relevance to medication development, as altering euphoric and pleasurable effects of alcohol would be important targets for novel treatments and are hypothesized to underlie in part the efficacy of opioid receptor antagonists, including naltrexone and nalmefene(67–76).”
From A Prospective 5-Year Re-examination of Alcohol Response in Heavy Drinkers Progressing in Alcohol Use Disorder (2016) · cites this paper as [72]
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Naltrexone in the Treatment of Alcohol Dependence
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- Authors
- Volpicelli, J. R., Watson, N. T., King, A. C., Sherman, C. E., & O’Brien, C. P.
- Affiliations
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Venue
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Published
- 1995-04-01
- Volume
- 152
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 613-615
- ISSN
- 0002-953X (ISSN-L)
- 1535-7228
- OpenAlex
- W1553583298
- Cited by
- 308
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 18.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA-07517)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA-05186)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- naltrexone, alcoholism, subjective effects of alcohol, alcohol craving, alcohol consumption, veterans, abstinence, opioid antagonists, alcohol intoxication
- MeSH terms
- Alcohol Drinking, Alcoholic Intoxication, Alcoholism, Double-Blind Method, Emotions, Humans, Male, Memory, Naltrexone, Placebos, Temperance
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