Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Treatment Programs - Agency, IA.

Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol abuse and relapse, and is used expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release type of the drug Naltrexone, which one can get through a monthly injection. It isn't habit forming, and is what is known as an antagonist. When an individual takes Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when an individual takes a drink of alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they basically can't get high or drunk.

There are certain precautions that need to be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, a client who plans to begin Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for at least 7-10 days. This is including people who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given drugs like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been taking Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for a minimum of seven days if they want to begin taking Vivitrol.

These meds must be used in conjunction with a rehab program in Agency which also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk with your therapist or Dr. in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the drug-free life you want.

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