Naltrexone no cure for heroin addiction, warns doctor
The principal investigator of a rapid detoxification trial at Sydney Hospital believes the drug Naltrexone has been oversold as a wonder cure for heroin addiction.
Dr James Bell, who ran the Naltrexone treatment program as part of a national trial, released the results today at the National Methadone Conference in Sydney.
Dr Bell says one patient died as a result of overdosing once relapsing onto heroin and another two patients died in another New South Wales trial. "What I think we need is realism about the role of Naltrexone because it has been oversold," Dr Bell said.
"And I think the main reason people are drawing attention to the deaths is to emphasise this is not a miracle -- it has a down side, and a lot of people do relapse and when they relapse there is this terrible possibility of a fatal consequence."
