Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Treatment Programs - Lakewood, OH.

Vivitrol is a drug used to help prevent drug dependency and relapse, and is administered specifically for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription medications. Vivitrol is an extended-release type 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 an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would usually be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when an individual drinks or tries to get high on opioids they essentially can't get high or drunk.

There are certain precautions that need to be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. First off, someone who with the intent to start Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including individuals who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given medications such as Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin addict or a person 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 a week in order to start Vivitrol.

These medications must be used as part of a treatment program in Lakewood which also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological aids can help you maintain and build the drug-free life you want.

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