One Year Later: Violinist successfully tapers off naltrexone
Last year we presented the story of Nienke – who started on naltrexone to help with cravings for alcohol. One year later, we checked in to see how she is doing:
In a sentence, she’s doing great! Learn about her treatment journey below.
Last year, Nienke, a retired professional violinist, visited her family doctor for a conversation about new treatment options for alcohol use disorder. Nienke had known for many years that she struggled with alcohol consumption, but the available treatment options of abstinence or a program like AA didn’t appeal to her or fit her goals.
This time, after discussing her history and goals with her doctor, Nienke started on a prescription for naltrexone. To begin, she took two pills daily. After just three days her cravings had disappeared. “It really was incredible,” she says. She experienced a few days of brain fog when she first started the medication, but the side effects also disappeared within days.
After a few months, Nienke was able to taper down to one pill per day. And, one year later, she no longer needs to take naltrexone at all. “Now, after two glasses of wine, I don’t feel that I need any more,” she explains. “I don’t have those cravings. They’re totally gone.”
While Nienke no longer takes naltrexone, she is comforted by the idea that she can safely go back on the medication at any time if she feels she is slipping or starts to feel that she needs to drink.
In addition, Nienke has consulted with her physician in order to keep a small amount of medication on hand in case she feels she wants to take naltrexone before an event where there will be drinking, which is another proven method used to curb cravings.
So far, she has not needed to take naltrexone at all. “We have our happy hour with a non-alcoholic drink but for special occasions or when we go out to dinner, I have my one or two glasses of wine or my Caesar and it seems to be just plenty for me.”