Naltrexone For Alcohol Dependence: A Double Blind Placebo-controlled Trial.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic effect and the safety of naltrexone on the patients with Alcohol Dependence.Methods: 68 outpatients with Alcohol Dependence were randomly assigned to naltrexone group and control group,treated with naltrexone or placebo respectively for 12weeks.The MAST,alcohol craving scale,drinking recorder scale,SCL-90,adverse events,blood biochemistry,ECG were tested to evaluate the effects and safety of naltrexone in different therapeutic time.Results alcohol craving scale,drinking recorder scale and relapse of the study group was significantly superior to that of the control group(P＜0.05).The results of SCL- 90 Test indicated that the incidence rate of anxiety,fear,crankiness and somatization symptoms, in naltrexone group is markedly lower than that in control group (P＜0.05).The blood biochemistry,ECG,blood pressure and body weights in the two groups were similar(P＞0.05).The major adverse effects of naltrexone was Digestive Tract Reaction(9/34), hypodynamia,headache and other Nervous System Side Effects(5/34).Conclusion:The naltrexone can effectively inhibit the alcohol craving, decrease the consumption of the alcohol and the incidence of the relapse.It can also relieve alcohol abuse-induced anxiety,fear, crankiness and somatization symptoms and the adverse effects were slightly and transitorily.The naltrexone is effective and safe for the treatment of the alcohol-depentdant patients.