Dual Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorders: Combining Naltrexone With Other Medications

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are among the most prevalent of all the addictions in the world. Increasing the number of medications available for treating AUD is a worldwide priority. Currently, naltrexone (NTX) is the “gold standard” used to treat AUD. Although NTX can reduce alcohol drinking and alcohol relapse in many individuals, it is not effective for all alcohol-dependent individuals, and it is not without side effects. Our research demonstrates that combining NTX with drugs that have been developed to treat other disorders, such as anxiety, depression, or tobacco craving, often results in a combined medication that can reduce alcohol intake when used in low doses that allow for avoidance of the potential side effects of each drug. Combinatorial pharmacotherapeutics is a useful approach for treating AUD and may be particularly valuable for individuals who want to reduce their alcohol intake, but who find NTX alone to be ineffective.