Five-year follow-up of opiate addicts with naltrexone and behavior therapy.

A group of 58 heroin addicts were treated with naltrexone and behavior therapy and followed for 5 years. At one-year post-treatment, almost half of the naltrexone-treated subjects were opiate free. Follow-up results at 5 years post-treatment indicate that over 90% of those patients treated with naltrexone became re-addicted for various periods of time. However, naltrexone-treated subjects did feel their treatment with naltrexone had provided them with the ability to remain opiate free for blocks of time. The results suggest that naltrexone is not a "cure" for opiate dependence, but is a medication which can be useful in protecting patients from re-addiction and is a modality patients should be encouraged to return to if they feel vulnerable to re-addiction.