Opioid Antagonists for PBC

Overview
Opioid antagonists are medications that can help relieve itching associated with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Doctors may prescribe opioid antagonists, such as naloxone or naltrexone, as a third-line treatment for itching associated with PBC if the first and second treatments don’t work or are too difficult to tolerate.

Opioid antagonists work by binding to opioid receptors in the skin, which in turn blocks the itchiness bile can cause when it leaks from the liver into the bloodstream.

How do I take it?
Opioid antagonists come in various forms, including intravenous or intramuscular injections and oral tablets. Always follow your doctor’s instructions about doses of opioid antagonists.

Side Effects
Side effects of opioid antagonists can vary, depending on the specific drug, dosage, and formulation. Side effects can include nausea, vomiting, injection site reactions, muscle cramps, musculoskeletal pain, headache, increased blood pressure, dizziness, loss of consciousness, drowsiness or sedation, anorexia, decreased appetite, or other appetite disorders. These types of drugs may also cause symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal, including anxiety, mood changes, sleeping difficulties, brain fog, abdominal cramps, night sweats, and difficulty with visual focusing.

Rare but serious side effects also may vary and can include severe injection-site reactions, liver damage or hepatitis, serious allergic reactions, pneumonia, and depression.

For more details about this treatment, visit:

Opioid Antagonist — Cleveland Clinic
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatment...

Drug Treatment of Pruritus in Liver Diseases — Clinical Medicine Journal
https://www.rcpjournals.org/content/clinmedicin...