Naltrexone Implant

I have beena member of this forum for the past couple of weeks.  I am 76 days clean after being on Suboxone for nearly 4 years nd vicodin before that.  I went through an 8 day medically assisted detox in June and on the last day of the detox, I received a Naltrexone Implant to help with relapse prevention and cravings and had a very negative experience with it.  I was interested in finding out if anyone else has had any experience with Naltrexone, good or bad.  I started to experience extreme anxiety and could not sleep.  This went on for the entire 5 weeks before the implant finally dissolved. THe anxiety was constant and absolutely horrible to experience. I will never get another one of these again.  I am lucky, I have not experienced any cravings at all since the detox, even after the implant was gone.  I have completed stopped using all mind altering substances, including alcohol and have not had cravings for that either.  I question the efficacy of the implant due to my experience with it.  Please tell me about your exeriences.  Thanks,

[mr.lucky66]

I'm sorry nobody commented on your post. I never had the implant but was on naltrexone once biefly. No problems really except I  shot dope once and felt nothing. Are you clean now?

[salsinator]

Thanks Lucky,

Yes, I am 77 days clean, but had the implant after the detox - which they give to prevent relapse.  I guess it works because you did not feel anything after using.  I went through the detox to get off te suboxone and am glad I did.  No cravings and hated the Naltrexone.  It appears that most people on here go through detox on their own - been there, done that.  Glad I had the opportunity to go thought it medically.  I am thrilled being clean - never felt better. Thanks for the reply.

[recovery911]

congrats on your 77 days i'm so happy for you and also gives me hope even if it takes 4 years on sub, i'm on sub now for 7 months I have a new doctor and he up my dose and also change to subutex. I have a questions why were you on sub for 4 yrs and were you on other meds along the sub?
Thanks

[salsinator]

Hi Recovery,
I started on sub with a doctor in AZ back in 2005.  He told me that some of his patients take it long term and that it was the best route for some.  Looking back - that was not correct.  However, I maintained on a low dose, about 4 mg for years.  In the fall of 2006, I moved back to VA and my doc wrote me a script for 120 sub.  I went on vacation to the dominican republic that Christmas and ran out a few days before and was in full w/d by the time I left on my trip.  The w/d was 10 times worse than the vicodin and never seemed. to end.  Long story short, I was able to find codeine on the trip to fend off the w/d and when I got back, I started seeing a new sub doc in VA. I worked with him on the same low dose for years and finally just decided that I wanted to be off the sub.  I opted to see an additction specialist and went through an 8 day detox in June.  It was the best decision I ever made.  The good thing - other than the long withdrawal - about staying on sub is that my drug seeking behavior was long gone.  I have never experienced a craving and other than the problem with the naltrexone implant, I have done very well.  Send me an email if you want some more direct info on my experience.  Best of luck to you.