Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Treatment Programs - Cumberland Center, ME.

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 pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release type of the medication Naltrexone, which is available through injection once a month. 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 someone drinks or tries to get high on opioids they basically cannot get drunk or high.

There are certain safety measures that need to be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, a person who intends to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of 7-10 days. This is including clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or someone 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 if they want to start Vivitrol.

These meds must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in Cumberland Center which also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Speak with your therapist or doctor in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you build and maintain the sober life you want.

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