Can Naltrexone Make You Sick If You Drink Alcohol On It?

Today I wanted to clarify a common question about naltrexone for alcohol use disorder, which is:

"Can naltrexone make you sick if you drink alcohol on it?"

This is a common misunderstanding with how naltrexone works, and people often confuse it with Antabuse. If someone drinks on Antabuse it's very dangerous and they can get VERY ill...that is not true for naltrexone.

Antabuse and naltrexone are completely different medications.

In fact, there have been countless research studies demonstrating that if someone drinks on naltrexone, it can actually help them 1️⃣ drink less alcohol and 2️⃣ have fewer alcohol cravings.

So the short answer is NO, for most people, naltrexone will not make them sick if they drink on it.

However, for some people, there can be temporary side effects in the beginning that may be uncomfortable. 

The most common side effects of naltrexone include nausea, sleepiness, brain fog or upset stomach.

Thankfully, these side effects usually go away after the person has taken naltrexone a few times and their body has adjusted to it. 

Additionally, most knowledgable doctors will start people at a lower dose just in case there are side effects.

And the good news is, most people do not have side effects, or if they do they are mild, and they go away pretty quickly. Only about 10% of people do not tolerate naltrexone at all.  

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, I made a video discussing it which you can find here. 

I hope this helps you understand a bit more about naltrexone and what you can expect on this medicine.

If you're ready to get started on The Sinclair Method, or even if you've been on the method and would like to plug into a program for daily support, personalized guidance and resources, you can learn more about The Alcohol Freedom Program here! 😎

Have a great day!

Cheers,

Katie

PS, Of course this email is not medical advice. Please ask your doctor if naltrexone is a good option for you! At Thrive, we work with telemedicine physicians around the US and Canada who specialize in naltrexone for alcohol use disorder. You can learn more here.