Vivitrol is a medication used to prevent drug abuse 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 medication Naltrexone, that is available via 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 normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when an individual drinks alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they essentially can't get high or drunk.
There are particular safety measures that need to be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. First off, someone who with the intent to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given medications like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin abuser or a person who has been taking Methadone for several years, quitting quickly is very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of 7 days in order to begin taking Vivitrol.
These medications must be used in conjunction with a rehab program in Pullman that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your doctor or therapist in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you build the drug and alcohol free life you want.
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