An advocate for the Sinclair method pointed out, in an online debate, the study “Targeted Naltrexone for Problem Drinkers.” Here is my response:
That 2011 study (“Targeted Naltrexone for Problem Drinkers”) is a
12-week trial, and the study considers “moderate drinking” a successful
outcome. This is a very short trial period, and short-term studies since
the 1960s showing alcoholics “successfully” drinking moderately have,
if followed up, shown the same drinkers having serious drinking problems
five or 10 years later (the most famous example of this is Sobell 1973,
showing “moderate” drinking among alcoholics, but Pendery 1982 showed
that the same “moderate” drinkers were either dead, abstinent, or
drinking heavily a decade later).
The meta-study (a study looking
at other studies) “Meta-analysis of naltrexone and acamprosate for treating alcohol use disorders: When are these medications most helpful?” (PMC3970823) points out that “Several reviews and
meta-analyses have reported small or mixed effects for each medication
(both naltrexone and another medication called acamprosate), and
treatment providers cite concerns over efficacy as one barrier to
greater medication use.”
This isn’t the first study which showed
good results for Naltrexone, but considering the number of other studies
which show only a modest effect, and considering the need for a long
term follow up to see if an alcoholic is in fact successfully moderately
drinking, I will need to see studies with five-year or 10-year follow
ups showing continued “moderate” drinking before I will believe this
drug is a functional way to let alcoholics control their drinking.
