Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Programs - South Barre, MA.

Vivitrol is a drug mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol dependency and relapse, and is used specifically 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 called an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would usually be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when an individual takes a drink of alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they basically cannot get high or drunk.

There are particular precautions that should be be taken before someone is administered Vivitrol. First off, a client who plans to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including individuals who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given drugs like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin abuser or a person who has been on Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for a minimum of a week in order to start Vivitrol.

These medications must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in South Barre which also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your doctor or therapist in regards to how pharmacological aids can help you maintain and build the drug-free life you want.

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