Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs - Hopkins, MO.

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 pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release version of the drug Naltrexone, which one can get through injection once a month. It isn't addictive, and is what is known as an antagonist. When someone takes Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would usually be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when someone drinks or takes opioids they basically can't get drunk or high.

There are particular precautions that should be be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, someone who plans to begin Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for at least seven to ten days. This includes people who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking medications like 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 endure for a minimum of a week if they want to start Vivitrol.

These drugs must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in Hopkins which also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological tools can help you live the drug-free life you want.

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