Naltrexone appears to be an effective and safe strategy in alcoholism treatment. Even though the sizes of treatment effects might appear moderate in their magnitudes, these should be valued against the background of the relapsing nature of alcoholism and the limited therapeutic options currently available for its treatment.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of naltrexone in the treatment of alcohol dependence in Taiwan.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of naltrexone in Taiwanese Han males with alcohol dependence. In conjunction with limited supportive psychotherapy, 40 alcoholic patients, who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version III revised (DSM-III-R) criteria for alcohol dependence, were assigned to a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of naltrexone hydrochloride (50 mg/day) for 14 weeks following alcohol detoxification. Among recruited patients, 45% (n = 9/20) of the naltrexone-treated subjects and 35% (n = 7/20) of the placebo-treated subjects dropped out (p = 0.374). The relapse rates between the two groups were not significant (p = 0.671). Subjects taking naltrexone reported less alcohol craving compared with placebo-treated subjects. In support of previous reports, the present results suggest that naltrexone may be safe and effective in craving reduction in alcohol-dependent subjects.