Naltrexone use in addiction treatment is best described by which statement?

Naltrexone use in addiction treatment is best described by which statement?

• A. To prevent withdrawal symptoms in opioid-naive patients
• B. To reverse opioid overdose
• C. To treat acute pain
• D. To block euphoric effects of opioids in addiction treatment

Answer: (D)

Naltrexone works by blocking the effects of opioids at the brain's mu-opioid receptors, so it prevents the rewarding, euphoric experience that opioids produce. This makes it useful in addiction treatment as a relapse-prevention strategy: if someone uses opioids while on naltrexone, they won’t feel the usual high, which discourages continued use. This is the best description because the drug’s main role is to blunt opioid reinforcement, not to provide pain relief, prevent withdrawal, or treat an overdose. It does not reverse an overdose (that role belongs to naloxone) and it can actually precipitate withdrawal in someone who is currently opioid-dependent if given before opioids have cleared from the body. Additionally, it blocks opioid analgesia, so it isn’t used to treat acute pain. In practice, patients are typically opioid-free before starting naltrexone to avoid precipitated withdrawal, and it can be given orally or as a long-acting injectable to support ongoing abstinence.

Naltrexone works by blocking the effects of opioids at the brain's mu-opioid receptors, so it prevents the rewarding, euphoric experience that opioids produce. This makes it useful in addiction treatment as a relapse-prevention strategy: if someone uses opioids while on naltrexone, they won’t feel the usual high, which discourages continued use.

This is the best description because the drug’s main role is to blunt opioid reinforcement, not to provide pain relief, prevent withdrawal, or treat an overdose. It does not reverse an overdose (that role belongs to naloxone) and it can actually precipitate withdrawal in someone who is currently opioid-dependent if given before opioids have cleared from the body. Additionally, it blocks opioid analgesia, so it isn’t used to treat acute pain.

In practice, patients are typically opioid-free before starting naltrexone to avoid precipitated withdrawal, and it can be given orally or as a long-acting injectable to support ongoing abstinence.