Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs - Northfield, MA.

Vivitrol is a drug mainly administered to help prevent drug use and relapse, and is used specifically for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release version 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 an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when someone drinks or takes opioids they essentially can't get high or drunk.

There are certain safety measures that need to be taken before an individual begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, someone who with the intent to begin Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for at least 7-10 days. This includes people who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking meds such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or a person who has been taking Methadone for several years, quitting quickly is very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for a minimum of a week in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

These drugs must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in Northfield that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Speak to your therapist or Dr. in regards to how pharmacological aids can help you build and maintain the drug-free life you want.

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