Hi! I am new here and saw a few threads on Kava and Vivatrol however didn't see a real answer. I am on the Vivatrol shot for alcohol abuse. I was looking for an alcohol alternative and found Kava however not sure if Vivatrol lessons the affects of Kava? Anyone on Vivatrol and Kava? Any research on how Vivatrol affects Kava?
Vivitrol or naltrexone is a pure opioid antagonist, meaning that it binds to but does not activate opioid receptors.
Here's where the fuzziness of the situations comes in. They're using this drug to reduce alcohol abuse disorder by way of blocking the endorphin release initiated euphoria. So really they're using it to reduce a specific feeling related to consuming alcohol. Does this euphoria arise from the same mechanism in kava? This is where I believe the two differ drastically. I do not see any evidence that kava's psychological effects are mediated through this avenue.
Here's a little about kava from research regarding this question:
"Furthermore, the opioid antagonist naloxone, in doses which inhibited morphine-induced analgesia in both tail immersion and hot plate tests, was completely ineffective in reversing the antinociceptive (pain relieving) activities of the kava preparations, indicating that kava produced the analgesia via non-opioid mechanisms (Meyer and May, 1964)."
Singh, Yadhu N. 2004.
Kava: From Ethnology to Pharmacology (Medicinal and Aromatic Plants - Industrial Profiles). CRC Press.
