We used it for years back in the dark days of HIV as an immune booster without much luck.
There are companies studying it as a treatment to reduce food cravings. This study used a combination of Naltrexone and Wellbutrin with good results. However, Wellbutrin can be too stimulating for some people causing anxiety and irritability. In HIV we did not have side effects with Naltrexone, so it seems to be a safe drug. If it worked well enough by itself they would not be combining it with an antidepressant (just my opinion)
"Combination naltrexone-sustained release (SR) 32 mg and bupropion SR 360 mg (NB32) is a fixed dose drug combination under investigation as a treatment for obesity.[SUP]
5[/SUP] Bupropion is approved for marketing in the United States for depression and smoking cessation. Functionally, bupropion is thought to increase the level of dopamine (DA) activity at specific brain regions, which appears to lead to a reduction in appetite and increase in energy expenditure. Bupropion is used in the treatment of depression not only for its clinical efficacy but also because of its side effect profile, which includes modest weight loss.[SUP]
6[/SUP] Bupropion is also used as a treatment for smoking cessation, and ongoing trials are evaluating its utility to treat other types of drug addictions.[SUP]
7 [/SUP]Naltrexone is approved in the United States for the treatment of opioid addiction and for the treatment of alcoholism. Naltrexone works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain and inhibits the reinforcing aspects of addictive substances, reducing their perceived reward.[SUP]
8[/SUP] Naltrexone might also decrease reward sensitivity to natural reinforcers as shown by reports of reduced reward to sweet-tasting foods in opioid addicts treated with naltrexone.[SUP]
9[/SUP] Moreover, the combination of naltrexone and bupropion has been demonstrated to result in greater weight loss compared with either agent alone.[SUP]
5[/SUP] " Source:
http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/ijo2013145a.html
Diabetes Care. 2013 Oct 21. [Epub ahead of print]
Effects of Naltrexone Sustained- Release/Bupropion Sustained Release Combination Therapy on Body Weight and Glycemic Parameters in Overweight and Obese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.Hollander P,
Gupta AK,
Plodkowski R,
Greenway F,
Bays H,
Burns C,
Klassen P,
Fujioka K;
for the COR-Diabetes Study Group.
[h=3]Source[/b]Baylor Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
[h=3]Abstract[/b]OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and safety of 32 mg naltrexone sustained-release (SR)/360 mg bupropion SR (NB) in overweight/obese individuals with type 2 diabetes with or without background oral antidiabetes drugs.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS This was a 56-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in which 505 patients received standardized lifestyle intervention and were randomized 2:1 to NB or placebo. Co-primary end points were percent weight change and achievement of ≥5% weight loss. Secondary end points included achievement of HbA1c <7% (53 mmol/mol), achievement of weight loss ≥10%, and change in HbA1c, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, and lipids.
RESULTS In the modified intent-to-treat population (54% female, 80% Caucasian, and mean 54 years old, weight 106 kg, BMI 37 kg/m2, and HbA1c8.0% [64 mmol/mol]), NB resulted in significantly greater weight reduction (-5.0 vs. -1.8%; P < 0.001) and proportion of patients achieving ≥5% weight loss (44.5 vs. 18.9%, P < 0.001) compared with placebo. NB also resulted in significantly greater HbA1c reduction (-0.6 vs. -0.1% [6.6 vs. 1.1 mmol/mol]; P < 0.001), percent of patients achieving HbA1c <7% (53 mmol/mol) (44.1 vs. 26.3%; P < 0.001), and improvement in triglycerides and HDL cholesterol compared with placebo. NB was associated with higher incidence of nausea (42.3 vs. 7.1%), constipation (17.7 vs. 7.1%), and vomiting (18.3 vs. 3.6%). No difference was observed between groups in the incidence of depression, suicidal ideation, or hypoglycemia.
CONCLUSIONSN B therapy in overweight/obese patients with type 2 diabetes induced weight loss, which was associated with improvements in glycemic control and select cardiovascular risk factors and was generally well tolerated with a safety profile similar to that in patients without diabetes.