Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs - St. Charles, IL.

Vivitrol is a drug used to prevent drug or alcohol use 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, that one can get through injection once a month. It isn't addictive, and is what is called an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would usually be triggered by opioids or alcohol, 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 should be be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. First off, a person who with the intent to start Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for at least 7-10 days. This includes clients who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin addict or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, quitting quickly is very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least seven days in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

These drugs must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in St. Charles that also includes medical supervision, individual therapy, and group therapy. Talk with your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological aids can help you maintain and build the sober life you want.

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