Opioid Antagonists
NaltrexoneNaltrexone Hydrochloride
Naltrexone blocks opioid receptors and is used to treat alcohol use disorder and to prevent relapse in opioid use disorder after detoxification. The daily tablet is a cheap generic; the monthly injection is a brand product; and low-dose naltrexone, used off-label for chronic pain, is made by compounding pharmacies.
This page is general information about a medication and how cash prices for it are set. It is not medical advice and does not replace the label, your prescriber or your pharmacist. How we handle medical information
Tablets have several manufacturers; the monthly injection is a brand product.
About Naltrexone
Naltrexone occupies opioid receptors without activating them. In alcohol use disorder it reduces the rewarding effect of drinking and cravings, and is taken daily alongside counseling. In opioid use disorder it blocks the effect of opioids, which helps prevent relapse, but it can only be started after a person has been free of opioids for seven to ten days, because taking it with opioids in the body causes sudden withdrawal. The monthly injection avoids the need for daily tablets.
Nausea, headache and fatigue are common at the start. Because it blocks opioid painkillers, people taking it should carry information saying so in case they need emergency pain relief, and should know that after stopping, their tolerance is lower and an overdose more likely. Liver tests are checked periodically.
Low-dose naltrexone, a small fraction of the standard dose, is prescribed off-label for fibromyalgia, chronic pain and some autoimmune conditions; the evidence is limited but growing, and it is made to order by compounding pharmacies because no low-strength product is manufactured.
Taking Naltrexone
- How to take it
- Once a day, with or without food, or as a monthly injection given at the clinic. You must be free of opioids for 7 to 10 days before starting, or it can cause sudden withdrawal.
- If you miss a dose
- Take it as soon as you remember, unless it is nearly time for your next dose; in that case skip the missed dose and carry on as usual. Never take two doses at once to make up.
- Storage
- At room temperature in the original container, away from heat and moisture (so not in a bathroom cabinet), and out of reach of children.
- Interactions to know about
- It blocks opioids, including opioid pain relievers and some cough and diarrhea medicines. Trying to overcome the block with large amounts of opioids can be fatal, and after stopping, tolerance is lower, so an old dose can cause overdose. Carry a card or tell medical staff you take it. The liver is monitored.
This summarizes the official prescribing information. Your prescriber’s and pharmacist’s instructions, and the leaflet that comes with your medicine, take priority.
Why the cash price for Naltrexone differs from pharmacy to pharmacy
Naltrexone tablets are an inexpensive generic, so the cash price of the daily tablet is mostly the dispensing fee. The monthly injection is a brand product in a different price bracket and is usually administered at a clinic. Low-dose naltrexone is compounded, and compounders price capsules and liquids very differently for the same strength, so comparing compounding pharmacies matters.
Upload it and licensed pharmacies reply with their own cash price. You pay the pharmacy, not us.
Ways to pay less for Naltrexone without insurance
- For the standard dose, ask whether naltrexone is on the pharmacy’s flat-price generic list, and for a ninety-day prescription.
- For low-dose naltrexone, compare several compounding pharmacies and ask for capsules versus liquid prices.
- Ask whether the daily tablet would suit you if the monthly injection is unaffordable.
- Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies, including compounders, can quote their cash price. You pay the pharmacy directly.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for Naltrexone
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your Naltrexone prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Questions to ask your pharmacist about Naltrexone
- 1.How long must I be free of opioids before starting?
- 2.What should I carry in case I need emergency pain relief?
- 3.Which side effects are common at the start?
- 4.Do I need liver tests, and how often?
- 5.For low-dose naltrexone, how is the preparation made and how long does it keep?
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Sources
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.