An old medication is gaining new attention for some very challenging health problems. The FDA first approved naltrexone in 1984 under the brand name Trexan. This drug was originally designed to help people better cope with a dependence on opioid drugs such as heroin. It works by blocking the effects of narcotics.
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A decade later, the FDA approved naltrexone (ReVia) for treating alcohol dependence. In this case, the compound works to limit alcohol cravings because it interferes with opioid receptors in the brain. These provide a critical link between alcohol consumption and the buzz brought on by booze. By interrupting the reward pathway in the brain, naltrexone disrupts the feedback system that reinforces drinking.
Although it’s been available for decades, people haven’t been clamoring for naltrexone prescriptions to help them stop drinking. That may now be shifting.
Researchers used to think that moderate alcohol consumption had health benefits. A research team recently suggested, however, that even moderate alcohol consumption could be harmful (Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, June 8, 2026). The authors concluded that “Alcohol consumption, including at what may be perceived as ‘moderate’ levels, is associated with increased mortality and morbidity risks. These results support tightening alcohol use guidance in the United States, for both males and females, to no more than 1 drink per day.”
This advice could well encourage current drinkers to cut back. That is exactly where naltrexone comes in. People who find it hard to drink less may discover that taking naltrexone could help.
One reader described her experience: “A year and a half ago I was drinking a bottle of wine a night (sometimes more). I could stop drinking for long periods of time, but I always wanted to drink. Eventually I would go back and start drinking the same amount as before.
“‘This Naked Mind’ by Annie Grace is a wonderful book and helped me a lot. However, I was still struggling. I heard about the Sinclair Method from Annie Grace and her YouTube channel, where she interviewed Claudia Christian. I then watched Claudia’s TED talk about naltrexone.
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“I started taking naltrexone using the Sinclair Method. When I started tracking my drinks on an app, I was at 60 drinks a week. With the first pill, my drinking immediately dropped to 30 drinks per week and never got any higher.
“I followed the Sinclair Method completely for over a year and my drinking plummeted to less than 8 to 10 drinks per week. Now I have two glasses of wine a week when I go out to dinner. I don’t drink at home at all.
“The best part about this: in the past, I could stop drinking, but I hoped to stop wanting to drink. That is what naltrexone did for me. No craving, no obsessive thoughts, I don’t even think about alcohol anymore. I feel completely in control and I’m so thankful for this pill and the Sinclair Method.”
The Sinclair Method entails taking a naltrexone pill an hour before a drink. That blocks the buzz and makes it easier to stop at one or skip the drink altogether.
Low-dose naltrexone (3 to 5 mg) is also gaining traction for hard-to-treat conditions such as long COVID, fibromyalgia and chronic pain. Renewed interest in this old medication might help many Americans live longer, healthier lives.
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In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of this newspaper or e-mail them via their Web site: www.peoplespharmacy.com. Their newest book is Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them (Crown).
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