Ask Your Questions About-HCV! of our Hepatitis Experts:

ALT is up on Naltexone, in recovering heroin user--should Naltexone be stopped?

Question--

Antibody HCV test was positive in the first way at one young man 28.05.2001. Who has been taking Heroin for 3 years, the last six months iv. At the same time the enzumes are ALT=26,AST=28,gama GT=20, normal and Heroin test in urine was positive.

After Detoxication was given Naltrexon tbl a 50mg every day, 13.06.2001. We repeated the enzumes and the raised values are ALT=125,AST=69,gama GT=32.

My question is: Can we,in that case,continue with Naltrexone because"Naltrexon must not be given in Hepatitis acute" or is it OK?

Dr. Chung writes--

I would not necessarily attribute this to naltrexone. I would check an HCV RNA to confirm active HCV disease. if negative, then would think more along lines of drug.in either case, I would continue medicine and actively monitor ALTs every 2 weeks. if the trend upward continues, then you will have to stop drug. RC