Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centers - St. Helens, KY.

Vivitrol is a med mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol dependency 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 is available via injection once a month. It is not habit forming, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual injects Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when someone drinks alcohol or takes opioids they essentially can't get drunk or high.

There are particular safety measures that need to be taken before someone is administered Vivitrol. First off, someone who with the intent to begin Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including individuals who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking drugs such as Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin addict or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of a week in order to start Vivitrol.

These medications must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in St. Helens which also includes medical supervision, individual therapy, and group therapy. Talk to your therapist or doctor in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the sober life you want.

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