Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers - Waterloo, IA.

Vivitrol is a medication used to prevent drug or alcohol use and relapse, and is administered expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release version of the med Naltrexone, that one can get through a monthly injection. It is not addictive, and is what is known as an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when an individual drinks alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they essentially can't get high or drunk.

There are certain safety measures that need to be taken before someone is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, someone who intends to start Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for at least seven to ten days. This includes people who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking meds such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been taking Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of 7 days in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

These meds must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in Waterloo that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk with your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the drug and alcohol free life you want.

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