Yes, naltrexone can potentially cause liver injury, especially at high doses or in people with existing liver issues, with severe cases risking liver failure, though serious liver failure is rare; it's contraindicated in acute hepatitis and requires careful monitoring for symptoms like fatigue, jaundice, or abdominal pain, with doctors often prescribing lower doses or avoiding it in significant liver disease.
It is not likely that naltrexone will cause liver damage when taken in recommended doses. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had hepatitis or liver disease.
Currently, naltrexone is not recommended in pregnancy because of both the required 7- to 10-day period of opioid abstinence and the potential for relapse as well as concerns for fetal well-being from that period of abstinence and the unknown fetal effects.
Naloxone is extensively metabolized in the liver, but largely by conjugation with glucuronide followed by its urinary excretion. Likelihood score: E (unlikely cause of clinically apparent liver injury).
l2–5.20; p = 0.01). Conclusion: Naltrexone is safe to use in patients with underlying LD, including those with compensated cirrhosis.
Naltrexone may not be appropriate for everyone. You should not take naltrexone if you're currently using opioids, experiencing opioid withdrawal, have active liver disease, or are pregnant or breastfeeding without consulting your provider first.
Early signs your liver is struggling often include persistent fatigue, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain/bloating (especially upper right), and itchy skin, with changes in urine/stool color and easy bruising also being key indicators, though sometimes symptoms are absent in early stages. Pay attention to changes like dark urine, pale stools, or jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), as these signal the liver isn't filtering toxins or processing bilirubin properly.
Acetaminophen or Tylenol® is the best known medication that can damage the liver. This medication is widely available without prescription and is present in many of the cold and flu remedies as well as in prescribed pain medications.
More serious but rare side effects include high blood pressure and arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms). It's a good idea to carry Narcan on you at all times if you or a loved one takes opioid medication. Narcan side effects aren't as dangerous as the life-threatening effects of an opioid overdose .
People with cirrhosis are encouraged not to consume any alcohol or illicit substances, as both will cause more liver damage. Because many vitamins and medications-prescription and over-the-counter-can affect liver function, a doctor should be consulted before taking them.
The only exceptions would be for an individual who had an allergic reaction to naloxone (Narcan) or a woman who was pregnant or nursing. If you suspect an opioid overdose, it is safe to give naloxone.
In summary, LDN can be seen as a fertility-friendly treatment. It may improve the factors that underlie infertility in conditions like PCOS and possibly endometriosis by inducing ovulation and reducing inflammatory impediments to pregnancy. And importantly, it doesn't inhibit fertility while treating symptoms.
It can take about 22 hours for naltrexone to leave your system entirely. However, naltrexone also gets metabolized by the liver to become 6-ß-naltrexol, an active metabolite that can have the same effect as naltrexone. This can prolong some of the effects of naltrexone for up to 70 hours.
Too Much Alcohol
Alcoholic fatty liver, which causes liver inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis), eventual scarring (cirrhosis) and even liver cancer, is a process that begins on as little as four drinks a day for men and two for women. By the time you show symptoms, your liver may be damaged beyond repair.
Assessment of liver safety with naltrexone use
Severe liver enzyme elevations for ALT and AST were defined as >10× ULN (ALT > 190 U/L for women, >300 U/L men; or AST > 1500 U/L; or Tbili > 10 mg/dl).
If a medicine causes damage to your liver, this is called Drug Induced Liver Injury or DILI. Your liver has an amazing ability to repair itself when it has been damaged. So, most people will fully recover from drug induced liver injury. But recovery can take time.
Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder.
Nausea. Nausea is the most common side effect of oral and IM naltrexone. It may occur with other gastrointestinal side effects, like diarrhea and stomach pain.
Naloxone can (but does not always) cause withdrawal symptoms, unpleasant physical reactions, in people who are physically dependent on opioids. Withdrawal symptoms are not life-threatening1 and may include fever, anxiety and irritability, rapid heart rate, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and tremors.
Four key warning signs of a damaged liver include jaundice (yellow skin/eyes), abdominal issues (swelling, pain), fatigue/weakness, and changes in urine/stool color, alongside symptoms like itchy skin, easy bruising, confusion, or nausea, indicating the liver isn't filtering toxins or clotting blood properly.
Here are 10 medications that in some instances can hurt the liver, plus ways to help protect it from damage.
Chemicals that are especially toxic for the liver include:
The first signs of a bad liver often include persistent fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, and a dull ache or tenderness in the upper right abdomen. Other subtle indicators can be general malaise, feeling unwell, or mild digestive issues like bloating or fatty stools, which might be overlooked but signal the liver isn't processing nutrients properly.
Vitamin E. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which means it's a nutrient that may help protect cells against damage. Research suggests that in people who have MASLD, vitamin E may boost the liver's natural antioxidants, help reduce liver inflammation and scarring, and help prevent fat buildup.
Some liver and kidney disorders and some urinary tract infections can turn urine dark brown. So can bleeding inside the body called a hemorrhage. A group of illnesses that mainly affect the skin or the nervous system, called porphyria, also can cause brown urine.