Yes, naltrexone can help reduce alcohol cravings for some adults with alcohol use disorder. It reduces alcohol's rewarding effects and may help prevent a return to heavy drinking. A medical assessment determines whether it is appropriate. Naltrexone does not treat alcohol withdrawal or make drinking safe.
For someone in New Mexico, the practical question is whether medication could make urges easier to manage while receiving the right support. Choice Recovery Path offers adult outpatient care and intensive outpatient treatment in Albuquerque and Las Cruces. A specific medication or formulation depends on an individual medical decision.
How can naltrexone help alcohol cravings?
Naltrexone is a prescription medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for alcohol use disorder. It blocks opioid receptors involved in alcohol's rewarding effects. These receptors are part of the body's signaling system, even when a person does not use opioid drugs.
Reducing that reward can make alcohol less compelling. For some people, this means less urge to drink or less pull to keep drinking. The effect varies, and it does not mean every thought about alcohol will disappear.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's treatment overview describes naltrexone as one medication option that can support changes in drinking. Medication selection should reflect the person's health, treatment goals, and other medications.
Cravings can also involve learned habits and emotional distress. A familiar route home, an argument, or a gathering where alcohol is present may bring up an urge. Naltrexone does not change those circumstances. Treatment can address how you respond when they happen.
For example, an evening associated with drinking still needs a different routine, even if alcohol feels less rewarding. Medication may support that change, while counseling helps make the new routine workable.
What reduced cravings may feel like
A craving can feel like a repeated thought, a strong expectation of relief, or a pull toward a familiar activity. It may be brief or occupy much of your attention. You do not need to describe it perfectly to deserve help.
The goal is meaningful improvement in drinking and daily functioning, rather than a promise that urges will vanish. Possible signs of progress include:
- You may find that an urge takes up less of your attention.
- You may feel more able to pause before acting on a thought about drinking.
- You may have fewer episodes in which drinking continues beyond what you intended.
- You may find it easier to use support when a familiar trigger appears.
These are examples of possible changes, not expected results for every person. A quieter craving does not establish that alcohol use disorder has resolved. A persistent craving does not establish that you have failed.
The NIAAA explanation of addiction and recovery describes how reward, stress, and learned cues interact. That helps explain why medical treatment and support for everyday behavior can address different parts of the same problem.
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A medical assessment comes before a medication decision
Naltrexone is not suitable for everyone. A prescriber considers alcohol use, withdrawal risk, opioid exposure, liver health, other medical conditions, and current medications. Pregnancy or breastfeeding also requires an individual medical discussion.
This assessment is different from deciding whether your cravings seem serious enough. The important issue is whether the medication's potential benefits fit your health needs without creating avoidable risks.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's medication overview identifies opioid use and severe liver disease as important concerns with naltrexone. A clinician may use laboratory testing and follow-up to inform the decision.
- Current medicines matter because some contain opioids or affect treatment choices.
- Liver problems require medical evaluation rather than assumptions based on how you feel.
- Previous withdrawal symptoms can affect which care setting is appropriate.
- Mental health symptoms deserve attention alongside concerns about drinking.
You do not need to diagnose yourself or arrange your own medication plan before contacting Choice Recovery Path. An assessment is part of understanding care needs. Our article on addiction assessment before outpatient treatment explains the role of that evaluation without treating a blog post as medical clearance.
Opioid use creates important safety risks
Naltrexone's opioid blocking action matters even when it is prescribed for alcohol cravings. Taking it while physically dependent on opioids can trigger sudden, severe opioid withdrawal. A clinician must determine whether starting it is safe.
Opioid exposure includes more than heroin or fentanyl. Certain prescription pain medicines and some cough or diarrhea medicines contain opioids. Methadone and buprenorphine also matter in this assessment. Do not stop prescribed opioid treatment to try naltrexone on your own.
Trying to overcome the blockade with more opioids can cause a fatal overdose. People who previously used opioids may also be more sensitive to them after naltrexone treatment ends. Reduced tolerance creates another overdose risk.
If you need surgery, dental treatment, or emergency care, the treating medical team needs to know about naltrexone. It can affect pain management. The MedlinePlus naltrexone medication guide explains these precautions.
Naltrexone is not naloxone. Naloxone is used to reverse an opioid overdose; naltrexone is used in ongoing treatment. SAMHSA explains the role of overdose reversal medication. If someone is unresponsive or has trouble breathing, call 911. Do not wait for an outpatient program to respond.
Oral and injectable naltrexone involve different considerations
Naltrexone is available as an oral tablet and an extended-release injection administered by a healthcare professional. Both require a prescription and medical oversight. This description does not establish that either form is available at a particular Choice Recovery Path location.
The decision involves more than convenience. A prescriber considers medical suitability, tolerability, the person's ability to follow a prescription, and practical access. Neither form is automatically the right choice for everyone.
An injection remains in the body for an extended period and cannot simply be removed if circumstances change. Injection-site reactions are also possible. These differences deserve attention before choosing a formulation.
The MedlinePlus guide to naltrexone injection explains formulation-specific precautions. Follow the prescribing clinician's instructions rather than borrowing another person's medication or using an online dosing method.
Starting requirements can differ by formulation and clinical situation. The extended-release injection prescribing information says patients should not be actively drinking at the first injection. A blog cannot establish when you should begin treatment. There is also no requirement to test the medication by drinking alcohol. Drinking to see whether it works can expose you to harm.
Side effects and follow-up deserve attention
Possible side effects include nausea, headache, dizziness, and stomach discomfort. Tell the prescriber about symptoms that persist, become severe, or interfere with daily life. Do not assume that feeling unwell is something you must tolerate to benefit from treatment.
Yellowing of the skin or eyes, dark urine, or significant upper abdominal pain needs prompt medical attention because these can indicate liver problems. Breathing difficulty or swelling of the face or throat requires emergency care. Call 911 for a life-threatening reaction.
For injectable naltrexone, worsening injection-site pain, marked swelling, or skin breakdown also needs prompt evaluation. The oral and injection medication guides linked above describe additional warning signs.
Follow-up is a chance to review both benefit and safety. Less drinking does not make a troubling side effect irrelevant, and a mild side effect does not automatically mean the medication cannot be used. Those judgments belong with the prescriber.
If depression worsens or thoughts of self-harm develop, seek help promptly. Call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for a mental health or suicide crisis. Call 911 if there is immediate danger. Choice Recovery Path's admissions number is not an emergency line.
Alcohol withdrawal needs separate medical care
Naltrexone does not manage alcohol withdrawal. Withdrawal can become dangerous when someone who is physically dependent on alcohol stops or substantially reduces drinking. Reduced cravings do not remove that risk.
If you drink heavily or have experienced withdrawal before, seek medical advice before making a sudden change in alcohol use. This article cannot provide a safe withdrawal or taper plan.
- Shaking, sweating, vomiting, or a racing heartbeat after reducing alcohol use warrants prompt medical attention.
- A seizure, hallucinations, severe confusion, or an irregular heartbeat requires emergency care.
- Call 911 for a seizure, severe confusion, loss of consciousness, or another medical emergency.
The MedlinePlus alcohol withdrawal overview explains why some people need hospital treatment and close medical monitoring.
Detoxification, inpatient care, and residential treatment are different from ongoing outpatient care. They are discussed here as education about care outside Choice Recovery Path's verified scope. Choice Recovery Path offers outpatient care and IOP in Albuquerque and Las Cruces; it does not provide onsite detox, inpatient care, residential treatment, or PHP.
A need for withdrawal management does not make ongoing treatment unimportant. It means the immediate medical risk must be addressed in an appropriate setting before an outpatient plan can safely meet the person's needs.
Why craving treatment can include outpatient care or IOP
Medication addresses one part of alcohol use disorder. Outpatient treatment can provide a place to work on the situations, relationships, and routines connected with drinking. IOP provides greater treatment intensity than standard outpatient care when that level fits the person's needs.
Taking naltrexone does not by itself determine which level of care you need. The same is true of having strong cravings. Medical stability, daily functioning, support, and the broader pattern of alcohol use all matter.
Choice Recovery Path's verified services include individual therapy, peer support, medical provider support, and early recovery skills. Those services offer different kinds of support; a specific medication decision remains individualized.
Work on cravings can include practical situations such as:
- A familiar evening routine may need alternatives that do not revolve around alcohol.
- Conflict may need attention so that drinking is not the only response available.
- A social setting may require boundaries that support the person's recovery goals.
- A return to drinking may require changes in treatment support rather than silence or shame.
These examples describe treatment concerns, not homework you must complete before calling. You can contact Choice Recovery Path while you are still unsure what kind of help fits.
The intensive outpatient program overview explains Choice Recovery Path's IOP. For a closer comparison of treatment intensity, read IOP vs. standard outpatient treatment. Medication support and treatment intensity are related decisions, but they are not interchangeable.
Persistent cravings are a reason to reassess care
If cravings continue during treatment, the useful response is to review the plan with the treating clinician. Persistent urges can reflect several needs, and changing a prescription independently can create additional risks.
Progress involves more than whether alcohol crosses your mind. Drinking patterns, health, ability to function, side effects, and the support available around you all contribute to the assessment. A medication that helps one part of the problem may still need other treatment alongside it.
A return to drinking deserves an honest medical discussion. It does not automatically prove that medication is useless or that you cannot recover. It may show that the current plan needs adjustment or that a different level of support is appropriate.
Do not increase naltrexone, combine medications, or change treatment based on another person's experience. Other medications for alcohol use disorder exist, and a prescriber can consider alternatives when appropriate.
You also do not need to decide how long you will take medication before seeking help. Continuing, changing, or ending a prescription depends on an individual medical review. There is no universal endpoint that this article can assign to you.
Getting support in Albuquerque or Las Cruces
Choice Recovery Path provides adult outpatient care and IOP at two verified New Mexico locations: Albuquerque and Las Cruces. People elsewhere in New Mexico may call to discuss care at either location. That does not mean Choice Recovery Path operates additional offices or offers telehealth.
- The Albuquerque location is at 11401 Menaul Blvd. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87112.
- The Las Cruces location is at 715 East Idaho, Building #4, Units A and B, Las Cruces, NM 88001.
For someone traveling from another New Mexico community, the treatment destination remains Albuquerque or Las Cruces. Program fit, access, and any medication decision require individual review. An interest in naltrexone does not guarantee admission or a prescription.
Staff verify Medicaid coverage and eligibility and coordinate available transportation; coverage, eligibility, and any ride are not guaranteed. There is no promise of lodging or a particular treatment start date.
If alcohol cravings are taking up more of your day, you can call Choice Recovery Path at (505) 526-3649 to discuss outpatient care or IOP. You do not need a prepared script, a self-diagnosis, or a completed medication plan before calling. The admissions page also explains how to contact Choice Recovery Path.
Naltrexone may be one useful part of treatment. The next decision is whether it fits your medical needs and how care can support the daily changes you want to make.
Written by: Tim Francis, SUD Content Expert. Approved by Clinical Staff.