Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Treatment Facilities - Urbandale, 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 medication Naltrexone, which is available via injection once a month. It is not addictive, 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 drinks alcohol or takes opioids they basically cannot get high or drunk.

There are particular precautions that should be be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. First off, a person who plans to begin Vivitrol must have been off of opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This includes individuals who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given medications like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin abuser or a person who has been on Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least a week in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

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

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