NALTREXONE ASSOCIATED SEIZURE: A CASE REPORT

Abstract

Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist prescribed to treat opioid use disorder and as an anti-craving medication for alcohol use disorder. Gastrointestinal side effects are considered the most common, and liver damage is a serious and rare side effect of naltrexone. In this case report, we describe a 40-year-old patient who developed a seizure after initiating treatment with naltrexone. Although the mechanism is not clear as naltrexone is not a well-known pro-convulsant medication, a few hypotheses for association with seizure have been postulated based on the studies on opioid agonists and similar opioid antagonist naloxone. Based on this case report, we strongly recommend that clinicians should thoroughly assess the risk factors for seizures in patients before using naltrexone and start long-acting injectable naltrexone only after an adequate trial of oral naltrexone to minimize the risk of seizure.