Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Treatment Facilities - Portsmouth, IA.

Vivitrol is a med mainly administered to prevent drug or alcohol abuse 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 via injection once a month. It is not addictive, and is what is known as an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when someone takes a drink of alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they essentially can't get high or drunk.

There are particular precautions that need to be taken before someone is administered Vivitrol. First off, someone who intends to start Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for at least 7-10 days. This includes people who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking meds like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin addict or someone who has been taking Methadone for several years, quitting quickly is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least 7 days in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

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

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