Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers - Oxford, MA.

Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol use and relapse, and is administered expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription medications. Vivitrol is an extended-release type of the drug Naltrexone, which is available via a monthly injection. It is not habit forming, and is what is known as an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would normally be triggered by opioids or alcohol, so when someone drinks or tries to get high on opioids they essentially cannot get drunk or high.

There are particular precautions that should be be taken before someone is administered Vivitrol. First off, a client who with the intent to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including individuals who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or a person who has been on Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation is very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for at least seven days if they want to start Vivitrol.

These medications must be used as part of a rehab program in Oxford that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the sober life you want.

For All Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs In Oxford, Click Here.