Naltrexone for Alcohol & Opioid Treatment in Kansas City

Naltrexone is a prescription medication used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). This medication is not addictive, is not an opioid, reduces cravings, and does not produce any withdrawals when a patient stops taking it.1 For these reasons, naltrexone can be a powerful support for someone battling an opioid or alcohol addiction. 

At Empowered Recovery Center in Kansas City, our experienced addiction professionals will develop a personalized medication-assisted treatment plan to help you overcome your addiction. Call us today to see what that could look like for you. 

What Is Naltrexone? 

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist, also called a narcotic blocker.2 The medication is prescribed to treat opioid and alcohol addiction because it blocks the euphoric and sedative effects of the substances. So, if someone on naltrexone uses heroin, they wouldn’t be able to feel any of the desired effects. Naltrexone has the added benefit of reducing cravings for opioids and alcohol. 

There are two main forms of naltrexone: pill and injectable. The pill is taken once a day and is approved to treat people struggling with AUD. If a person has OUD, on the other hand, they’ll be prescribed the extended-release injectable, which is administered once a month by a medical professional. 

As naltrexone has been shown to have no risk of abuse, it isn’t a controlled substance.3 Brand names for naltrexone include Depade®, Vivitrol®, and ReVia®.2,4

How Does Naltrexone Work To Treat Addiction? 

By blocking the opioid receptors in the brain,1 naltrexone effectively eliminates the reward from taking an opioid or drinking alcohol. This reduces cravings for drugs like hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, and heroin. 

However, for the medication to work as directed, a person must be completely detoxed before taking naltrexone.1 For someone taking naltrexone for opioid use disorder, that means they must wait seven days after taking a short-acting opioid before they can start this medication. For long-acting opioids, a patient must wait 10 to 14 days before they are allowed to start their naltrexone treatment. 

The same is true for someone with AUD. A person taking naltrexone for alcohol use disorder must wait until their body is no longer physically dependent on alcohol or other substances before beginning their naltrexone protocol. 

Side Effects of Naltrexone 

Like many prescription medications, naltrexone has the potential to cause side effects in some patients. Some common naltrexone effects include:1,2

• Upset stomach
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea 
• Headache
• Nervousness
• Fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Joint pain
• Toothache

Many patients consider the side effects to be manageable compared to the benefits that the medication offers. 

Is Naltrexone Safe? 

Naltrexone for OUD and AUD is considered to be an incredibly safe and effective treatment option. The safe nature of the medication is reflected in the fact that it is not a controlled substance and has been found to not have any risk of abuse.3

There is a low chance of toxicity to the liver from taking the medication, but this has mostly been seen in people taking much higher doses than routine prescriptions for an extended period of time. Even then, the effects are reversible.4

While naltrexone itself comes with few risks, there are two dangers to be aware of when taking it.1  

1. If someone takes an opioid while on naltrexone, they won’t feel anything. However, if a person desperately wants to experience that “high” feeling, they may take an extremely high dose of an opioid to try and “beat” the naltrexone. In this case, they could overdose.
2. Patients who have been taking naltrexone may have a reduced tolerance to opioids. This means that if they tried to take the same amount they used in the past, it could have disastrous health implications, including an overdose.2 

To avoid these outcomes, it’s recommended that naltrexone be part of a whole-person addiction treatment plan, which also includes various types of therapy and classes focused on learning healthy coping mechanisms. This support system, combined with naltrexone treatment, allows healing to happen at the physical, mental, and emotional levels. 

Naltrexone vs Other Addiction Medications 

When it comes to medication-assisted treatment (MAT), there are several options available. For treating opioid use disorder, other popular medications besides naltrexone include buprenorphine and methadone. These medications work differently than naltrexone, as they activate the opioid receptors in the brain to suppress cravings. This is different from naltrexone, which blocks the opioid receptors to prevent cravings. 

While a patient has to wait until after they are detoxed to take naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone are designed to manage withdrawal symptoms, meaning they can be taken almost immediately after the last use of the misused substance. The best treatment regimen for a person’s opioid addiction will depend on many factors, and an addiction professional will be able to provide a clinical recommendation for what’s best for you.

For treating alcohol use disorder, other MAT options include acamprosate and disulfiram. It’s not fully known how acamprosate works, but it may restore certain neurotransmitters in the brain that became disrupted from chronic alcohol use.5 Through this process, it can reduce cravings and prevent a person from returning to alcohol. Disulfiram works by creating unpleasant effects if alcohol is consumed, including vomiting, chest pain, sweating, and headache.6 

As these three medications differ greatly in their approach to treating alcohol addiction, a medical professional will give their clinical recommendation on what medication would be the right fit for your unique circumstances. 

How Long Is Naltrexone Prescribed For? 

The length of a person’s naltrexone treatment depends on several factors, including why they’re taking it. 

If a person is taking naltrexone for alcohol addiction, there are stricter parameters in place. In general, naltrexone for AUD is scheduled to last between three to four months.1

On the other hand, if a person is taking naltrexone for opioid addiction, there is typically more flexibility. Naltrexone is considered to be a long-term treatment plan for treating OUD, so a specific duration would be decided by your medical team.7 

If you and your medical team decide it is time to stop taking naltrexone, there are no withdrawals involved with stopping use. This means it is a fairly straightforward, painless process when you stop taking the medication.

Does Insurance Cover Naltrexone? 

Yes, most insurance plans will include coverage for MAT, which includes naltrexone and other medications your doctor may prescribe to treat AUD or OUD. This coverage comes from The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008, which requires health insurers to provide the same benefits for substance use treatment and services that they do for medical care.8

However, the amount of coverage will depend on the details of your specific policy. To find out exactly what your insurance plan includes, call your insurance company directly. Our admissions team is also happy to verify your insurance benefits on your behalf. After confirming your level of coverage, our team can walk you through the process of being admitted into our program. 

Naltrexone for Addiction Treatment in Kansas City 

Many people have achieved long-term sobriety with the help of naltrexone. Our experienced team at Empowered Recovery Center in Kansas City is here to help you do the same. 

At our outpatient programs, which include partial hospitalization (PHP), intensive outpatient (IOP), and standard outpatient, our medical and clinical team get to know our patients before crafting a personalized treatment plan. In addition to your naltrexone protocol, your care will include a combination of therapy modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and trauma therapy. Our dual-diagnosis sessions will also address any co-occurring mental health issues, such as anxiety disorders, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 

Our knowledgeable admissions team can share more details about our program, as well as verify your insurance benefits or discuss other ways to pay for naltrexone treatment for opioid addiction or alcohol addiction.

If you think naltrexone could be an option to heal from your alcohol or opioid addiction, give us a call or fill out our contact form. We’d love to show you what life without cravings can look like.  

References 

1. 1. What is Naltrexone? Side Effects, Treatments & Use. (n.d.). SAMHSA. Retrieved May 9, from https://www.samhsa.gov/substance-use/treatment/options/naltrexone
   2. What is naltrexone? (n.d.). Psychiatric Research Institute. Retrieved May 9, from https://psychiatry.uams.edu/clinical-care/outpatient-care/cast/what-is-naltrexone/
   3. Ginzburg, H. M. (1985). Naltrexone: Advances in Alcohol & Substance Abuse. Retrieved May 9, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3832903/
   4. Treatment, C. F. S. A. (2009). Chapter 4—Oral naltrexone. Incorporating Alcohol Pharmacotherapies Into Medical Practice – NCBI Bookshelf. Retrieved May 9, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK64042/#:~:text=Naltrexone%20has%20the%20capacity%20to,light%20of%20its%20hepatotoxic%20effects
   5. Medications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. (n.d.). Office of Addiction Services and Supports. Retrieved May 10, from  https://oasas.ny.gov/providers/medications-treatment-alcohol-use-disorder
   6. Disulfiram: MedlinePlus Drug Information. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, from https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682602.html
   7. Medications for opioid use disorder. (2025b, March 27). National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved May 10, from https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/medications-opioid-use-disorder#naltrexone
   8. Division, D. C. (2023, May 30). Does insurance cover treatment for opioid addiction? HHS.gov. Retrieved May 10, from https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/treatment/insurance-coverage/index.html