Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs - Albany, MN.

Vivitrol is a medication used to prevent drug use and relapse, and is used specifically 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 is not habit forming, and is what is known as an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would usually be triggered by alcohol or opioids, so when someone drinks or tries to get high on opioids they basically cannot get drunk or high.

There are certain precautions that should be be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, an individual who intends to begin Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking medications like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been on Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation can be very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of a week in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

These drugs must be used in conjunction with a treatment program in Albany that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk with your therapist or Dr. in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you maintain and build the drug and alcohol free life you want.

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