Vivitrol is a med used to help prevent drug dependency and relapse, and is used expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release version of the drug Naltrexone, that one can get through injection once a month. It isn't habit forming, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would usually be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when someone takes a drink of alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they essentially cannot get high or drunk.
There are particular precautions that need to be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. First off, someone who plans to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of 7-10 days. This is including people who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, quitting quickly can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least seven days if they want to start Vivitrol.
These medications must be used as part of a treatment program in Lewiston which also offers medical supervision, individual therapy, and group therapy. Talk with your therapist or Dr. about how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the sober life you want.
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