May 2000 Vol. Over the past decade, research on pharmacotherapy for alcoholism treatment has burgeoned. While symptoms of acute alcohol withdrawal are important, they generally can be managed with benzodiazepines and other medications, Gordis told Psychiatric Times .
Naltrexone antagonizes the opioid system.
The original work on naltrexone, Gordis said, was conducted at Yale University School of Medicine by O'Malley et al. Naltrexone seems to interfere with the craving for alcohol that abstinent people feel, Gordis explained. Naltrexone-treated subjects drank less, took longer to relapse and had more time between relapses. They also exhibited more resistance to, and control over, alcohol-related thoughts and urges. The therapeutic effects of CBT and naltrexone may be synergistic, the researchers concluded.