Naltrexone is a standard prescription medication doctors prescribe to treat opioid use disorders. The medication can also assist with weight loss, helping individuals reach their goals and improve their health.
You’ll learn everything you need to know about how Naltrexone works, how it affects a person’s weight, its overall effectiveness and when to take Naltrexone for the best effect. Understanding how the medication works to help people along their weight loss journey enables you to determine if the drug is right for you and your needs. Continue learning about Naltrexone and how it might be able to help you.
How Does Naltrexone Help With Weight Loss?
While higher doses of Naltrexone are used to treat drug addiction, you can use lower doses to help with weight loss. The same way that the drug manages a person’s addiction is the same way that the drug can help a person manage their eating habits. Naltrexone helps with weight loss in the following ways:
- Managing appetite: When the body functions normally, it signals your appetite to prompt hunger to ensure you get the right calories each day. For some people, this signal may continue even after someone has eaten enough calories for the day, causing them to gain weight. A person’s appetite may also slow or hormonal issues can cause a person’s body to signal a need for more calories than necessary. Naltrexone can help bring back balance to the body, allowing a person’s appetite to function correctly. The medication can help individuals consume less than they would without it.
- Reducing inflammation: Inflammation can cause numerous issues that contribute to weight fluctuations, such as thyroid issues, diabetes, hormone levels and more. Individuals already struggling with their weight can experience additional challenges due to inflammation. Low doses of Naltrexone can help with inflammation and pain, which could resolve some issues that cause weight gain.
- Improving sleep: Poor sleep can create issues with weight gain since it can cause inflammation, which we’ve discussed above how it can contribute to weight gain. Sleep trouble and weight gain can become a vicious cycle, contributing to numerous health issues. Naltrexone can help with insomnia and other sleep issues that contribute to a person’s weight gain.
- Increasing growth hormones: There are growth hormones that the body produces in the pituitary gland, which is responsible for controlling fat, maintaining bone density, building muscle and managing cholesterol. When a person gains weight or has hormonal imbalances, it affects their growth hormone, which can cause a person’s fat levels to increase along with other issues. Naltrexone can potentially increase the growth hormone in a person’s pituitary gland, helping them lose weight.
- Assisting with thyroid issues: Inflammation caused by thyroid issues can contribute to weight fluctuations. Naltrexone can help reduce inflammation, allowing people to lose weight and improve their overall health.
- Lowering insulin resistance: Insulin resistance can also contribute to weight gain. Naltrexone can help people with insulin resistance caused by hyperinsulinemia, helping them lose weight while restoring healthy insulin levels.
Does Naltrexone Work?
According to the Journal of American Family Physicians, Contrave (Naltrexone/Bupropion) is effective at helping people lose weight and sustain their weight loss. In all the studies cited in the journal, Naltrexone combined with dieting and an exercise routine contributed to significant weight loss compared to a placebo.
It’s essential to note that while Naltrexone works to help individuals lose weight, it works best when paired with a diet and exercise routine. Behavioral and lifestyle changes can help a person lose weight and reach their goals sooner than if they were taking the medication independently. A person should always talk with their doctor before starting new medications and disclose their medical history, including conditions they have or had in the past.
Best Time of Day to Take Naltrexone for Weight Loss
Different drugs are meant to be taken at different times of the day to increase their effectiveness, so when is the best time to take Naltrexone? The drug manufacturer doesn’t recommend the best time to take Naltrexone, but many people take Naltrexone in the morning. Taking Naltrexone in the morning is often easier for many people since taking it after breakfast, or first thing along with other pills is a good reminder. After a long, stressful day, people might forget to take their medication if they wait until night.
However, some people may feel sleepy after taking Naltrexone as they get used to the medication. If you’re one of the people who become drowsy after taking Naltrexone, you may want to talk to your doctor about taking the medication at night. Some people may also experience insomnia from taking the drug, meaning they might be better suited to taking the medication in the morning.
If your doctor recommends a specific time of day to take Naltrexone, then it’s best to follow their instructions. You can always talk with your doctor if you need to switch up the routine and take your medication at a different time of day than recommended.
How Long Should You Take Naltrexone to Lose Weight?
The amount of time you take Naltrexone will depend on your weight loss goals. A medical professional will give you a prescription for a low dose of the medication in a pill or as a pellet implanted under the skin. Before you start taking the drug, a medical professional will take you through an assessment to ensure that you’re a good candidate for the medication.
During your time taking the medication, a medical professional will monitor different factors, such as:
- Body fat percentage
- Obesity
- Extracellular water weight
- Visceral body fat
- Metabolic rate
- Skeletal muscle mass
- Segmental fat
As you progress through your weight loss journey, your doctor will mark down the above information to see how close you are to achieving your goals. You will likely also take supplements alongside Naltrexone to help you sustain healthy nutrient levels and help you progress sooner through your weight loss journey.
Optimize Your Weight Loss Results With Medication and Supplements
If you’re considering using weight loss medication and supplements to help you reach your goals, Synergy Wellness is here to help. We have various medications and supplements to help you lose weight, including Naltrexone, Phentermine, vitamin B12, CMWL multivitamins and trimolin. Our specialists will work with you to determine which combination of medications or supplements would best suit your individual needs and help you reach your goals.
Finding the right balance of medications and supplements is essential to ensure your health while maintaining your ideal weight. As you go through your weight loss journey, we’ll monitor how you’re doing on the current regimen and determine if we need to make any changes. If you’re ready to start your weight loss journey, contact Synergy Wellness to learn more about how we can help.
