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

Vivitrol is a drug used to help prevent drug use and relapse, and is administered 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 through a monthly injection. It isn't 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 takes a drink of alcohol or takes opioids they basically cannot get drunk or high.

There are certain safety measures that need to be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. First off, an individual who with the intent to start Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for at least seven to ten days. This includes people who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking drugs such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or a person 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 if they want to begin taking Vivitrol.

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

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