How long do people usually take naltrexone for alcohol?

Commonly six to twelve months, though it varies widely. It is not assumed to be lifelong, and the decision to continue or stop is revisited with your provider rather than set at the start.

Do you have to take naltrexone forever?

No. Naltrexone is not generally intended as a lifelong medication for alcohol use disorder. Many people take it for a period while other changes become established, then discuss stopping with their provider.

What happens when you stop taking naltrexone?

Naltrexone does not cause physical dependence, so stopping does not produce withdrawal. Some people notice craving returning, which is useful information and a reason to discuss restarting rather than a sign of failure.

Can you restart naltrexone after stopping?

Yes. Restarting is common and is a clinical conversation with your provider, who will re-check for contraindications such as opioid use before resuming.

Can you take naltrexone only on days you plan to drink?

Some people use naltrexone in a targeted, as-needed way rather than daily. Whether that suits your pattern and goals is a question for evaluation, not something to try on your own, since dosing approach affects whether it works.

Learn

How Long Do People Take Naltrexone?

Commonly six to twelve months — but the honest answer is that duration is a clinical decision, not a calendar one.

Medically reviewed by Dr. Nageley Michel, DNP, PMHNP, FNP, Board-Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner · Published 2026-09-09

This is one of the first questions people ask, usually before they have even started. It is a reasonable thing to want to know: no one wants to begin something open-ended without a sense of where it goes.

The usual range

Naltrexone is commonly taken for six to twelve months, though it varies considerably. Some people take it for a shorter period around a specific goal. Others continue longer because it is working and there is no particular reason to stop. It is not assumed to be lifelong, and it is not assumed to be brief.

Why there is no fixed end date

Duration is not set by the medication. It is set by what is happening in your life. A provider is generally weighing a few things together:

Whether the medication is doing what you hoped — fewer drinks, less craving, more control
How stable the change feels, and for how long it has held
What else is in place: routines, relationships, other support, other treatment
Whether periods of higher risk are coming up
How you are tolerating it

Someone six months in whose drinking has changed substantially but who is heading into a stressful year is in a different position from someone at the same point whose circumstances have settled. The number of months is the same; the decision is not.

Stopping is a conversation, not a deadline

Naltrexone does not cause physical dependence, so stopping does not involve tapering off a withdrawal syndrome the way some medications do. That makes stopping simpler mechanically — but it does not make it automatic.

The question worth asking is not "has it been long enough?" but "what changes if I stop?" That is a conversation with your provider, and it is a reasonable one to have at any point. Some people stop and do well. Some stop, notice craving returning, and restart — which is information, not failure.

If you are taking it situationally

Some people take naltrexone before drinking occasions rather than daily, an approach associated with targeted or as-needed use. Whether that fits you depends on your drinking pattern and your goals, and it is something to raise at evaluation rather than to try independently — dosing approach affects how and whether it works.

Duration is reviewed, not fixed At EnnHealth, monthly follow-up visits exist partly for this. How long you stay on medication is revisited as circumstances change rather than decided once at the start.

Safety check Naltrexone is not safe to combine with opioids, including prescription pain medication. A provider screens for this and other contraindications during evaluation. Individual results vary, and naltrexone is not a substitute for emergency or detox care.

If you drink daily or heavily Stopping suddenly after sustained heavy drinking can cause withdrawal that is medically serious — shaking, sweating, a racing heart, confusion, or seizures. Do not stop on your own to "get ready" for treatment. Tell a provider how much and how often you drink; that shapes how treatment is started safely. If you are in medical distress, call 911.

Talk it through with a provider

A 45–60 minute video evaluation with a board-certified psychiatric provider. Same-week appointments are typical.

Book an Evaluation → Check My Drinking

This article is general health information, not medical advice, and does not create a provider–patient relationship. Only a licensed provider can diagnose alcohol use disorder or determine whether a particular treatment is appropriate for you, after a full evaluation. Individual results vary. EnnHealth provides outpatient telehealth care and is not a detox or emergency service.