There are times when medications can soothe the transition from intoxication to sobriety. These medications, when used properly, can correct chemical imbalances inside the brain, and with those tweaks, physical discomfort is lessened and people feel more relaxed and able to participate in therapy. ReVia, sold under the generic name naltrexone, is a medication designed to help people recover from an addiction to alcohol, as well as addictions to opiate drugs like heroin and Vicodin.

How It Works

Addictive drugs tend to cause a spike in pleasure chemicals inside the brain, making people feel euphoric and powerful. It’s an amazing feeling, and it’s something that’s often hard for people to experience without the help of drugs. ReVia is designed to block the euphoric quality of addictive drugs. In essence, this drug works like a coating over pleasurable receptors used by drugs, ensuring that the drugs can’t latch on and can’t cause the boost of euphoria that makes them attractive. A person on ReVia might not feel anything at all while taking drugs, allowing the link between drugs and pleasure to break.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that this drug is effective in the fight against addiction. For example, a study in the journal Science Translational Medicine found that rodents given access to naltrexone as part of a suite of drugs for addiction were able to reduce their self-administration of cocaine. The drug was helpful for them, and it can be helpful for some humans too.

Target Audiences

Since ReVia has been proven effective in studies, it’s often included on medication formularies, according to a study in the Journal of Addictive Diseases. This means that people with insurance can often get reimbursed for the cost of these medications, and they might often be used as a front-line treatment for addiction as a result. However, the medication isn’t right for everyone. ReVia doesn’t block the craving for drugs, so people might still be tempted to use, even while they’re taking the medication.

While the medication is designed to block euphoria, there are some people who might still feel the power of drugs while they take ReVia. For example, a study in the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease outlines the histories of four men who were given naltrexone for addiction, and they actually felt euphoria while on the medication. It’s not clear why this happened, but it’s possible that these men have unusual chemical makeup in their brains, and the drug just worked unusually for them.

In order to ensure that the drug is working as it should, medical staff members ask their clients to report back often while they’re in treatment, and they might be asked to provide urine samples, just so medical staff members can ensure that they’re not abusing drugs while on ReVia. In addition, the drug might only be provided to people at low risk of experiencing problems with the drug, including people who:

• Are in late stages of treatment
• Have been sober for several weeks
• Show a high motivation to stay sober
• Live in stable environments in which abuse is less likely

Using ReVia

Those who are provided this drug as part of a treatment program will need to continue to keep their therapy appointments and participate in support groups for addiction. The medication can only help to keep drugs from working; it’s not considered a treatment for the cravings and urges that can lead to drug use. That help comes in therapy, and it’s vital that people continue that work.

It’s also crucial for people taking this medication to avoid the use of the drugs they were once addicted to. While ReVia can block the action of drugs, it can also become inactive within the body at a different rate than addictive drugs. A person could be tempted to take very high doses of drugs, and still have those drugs swirling through the body when the ReVia has worn off. If those addictive drugs hit the body all at once, the person could overdose. It’s not something anyone would want, and it should be avoided at all costs.

ReVia is often taken once per day, and it can be taken with or without food. In an inpatient program, the person will be given the drug by a medical professional, but if the person is living at home, the person might need to ask a family member to take charge of the medication dosing, just to ensure that the temptation to abuse the drug or skip a dose doesn’t overpower.

At Axis, we provide ReVia to clients who might benefit, but we don’t provide the medication to everyone who walks through the doors. We believe that medication should be provided on an individual basis that takes into account the client’s medical history and needs. Please call us, if you’d like to find out more about our medication policy.