Do Patient Characteristics Moderate Naltrexone’s Effects on Drinking?
Moderators of naltrexone’s effects on drinking are not well understood. To address this, researchers randomized 180 heavy drinkers* who were not seeking alcohol treatment to receive 3 weeks of daily naltrexone (50 mg) or placebo. Subjects kept a real-time electronic diary about their drinking at specific times during the day. • Sixty-three percent of subjects had alcohol dependence. • Overall, naltrexone was associated with a significantly lower mean percentage of drinking days (57% for the naltrexone group versus 65% for the placebo group). However, naltrexone was not associated with other drinking outcomes (drinks per day, drinks per drinking day, heavy drinking days) or subjective outcomes (e.g., drinking urge, stimulation, sedation).
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