Will drinking alcohol make me sick, while taking naltrexone?
Question posted by sandman88 on 21 May 2011
Last updated on 6 January 2021 by Willm
6 Answers
So first off i am aware that this was incredibly stupid but i thought id share anyways. I got Naltrexone to help with abstaining from drinking. I thought id "have one last hoorah" and then start taking the meds. After a night of heavy drinking (8shots and 7-8 beers) i thought it would be a good idea to take it before going to sleep so that it was kicking in come the next day... TERRIBLE mistake,i started to feel like i was freezing about 45mins later,slept with a hoodie and 2 blankets,had the shakes and my whole body hurt every where. It finally stopped at about 7 hours later but i felt like complete crap the entire day. I am still running a fever of 101.7 16 hours later and very restless. Do not make the same mistake i did,i felt like what i see people going through on documentaries when they are "dope sick" is what this felt like,i cant imagine having this for more than a day. I have not seen any answers from people saying they drank first and then took it...
im curious if anyone else experienced this because im hesitant to try it again at this point although i probably will,the proper way this time
I’m taking Naltrexone for binge drinking. Last weekend I thought I would have about 5 glasses of wine. I felt ok whilst drinking them but as I went to bed I felt really nauseous and threw up. I’m glad this happened because it made me nauseous for hours!
I won’t be doing this again... the nausea wasn’t your standard nausea, it was horrible!
I have found that drinking while on Naltrexone had made me extremely ill. Vomiting and headache. Ive only had alcohol twice since taking it, and been very sick both times. I look at it as divine intervention.
I am on a combination of 50 mg of Naltrexone and 666 mgs of Campral daily. I drank tonight for the first time after being abstinent for over 2 1/2 months. I decided to indulge and "gather more research" as they say. My findings: drinking is just not as pleasurable as it was before. I had 2 generous glasses of white wine and found that I did not like the taste of it and it made me mildly queasy. I used to be a hardcore binge drinker who thought nothing of consuming 2 large bottles of wine and following it up with a 6 pack. This just is not fun and I feel little incentive to do it again. Leave it to Big Pharma to recalibrate my brain.
YES!! I became violently ill after a heavy night of drinking on Naltrexone. Dizzy, massive headache, sweats, extreme nausea and projectile vomiting. Worst sickness I can remember. However, I can't seem to find anything on the web that says it will make you sick.
This happens to me too.
I also became extremely sick while drinking on Naltrexone.
Hey sandman,
No, it will not cause you to become sick immediately as in nauseated or vomit, but there is the following warning:
naltrexone ↔ ethanol
Applies to: naltrexone, Alcohol (contained in alcoholic beverages) (ethanol)
GENERALLY AVOID: Coadministration of naltrexone with other agents known to induce hepatotoxicity may potentiate the risk of liver injury. Naltrexone, especially in larger than recommended doses (more than 50 mg/day), has been associated with hepatocellular injury, hepatitis, and elevations in liver transaminases and bilirubin.
MANAGEMENT: The use of naltrexone in combination with other potentially hepatotoxic agents (e.g., acetaminophen; alcohol; androgens and anabolic steroids; antituberculous agents; azole antifungal agents; ACE inhibitors; endothelin receptor antagonists; interferons; nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors; retinoids; thiazolidinediones; anticonvulsants such as carbamazepine, hydantoins, felbamate, and valproic acid; lipid-lowering medications such as fenofibrate, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, and niacin; herbals and nutritional supplements such as black cohosh, chaparral, comfrey, DHEA, kava, pennyroyal oil, and red yeast rice) is generally not recommended unless the potential benefit outweighs the risk. Patients treated with naltrexone should be advised to seek medical attention if they experience potential signs and symptoms of hepatotoxicity such as fever, rash, itching, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, right upper quadrant pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, and jaundice. Periodic monitoring of hepatic function is advisable.
So the excessive use of naltrexone with excessive or prolonged use of alcohol may cause liver damage.
Hope this helps,
Laurie
Related topics
Further information
- Naltrexone uses and safety info
- Naltrexone prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Naltrexone (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.
