Vivitrol is a drug mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol 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 med Naltrexone, which one can get via a monthly injection. It is not addictive, and is what is known as an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, 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 safety measures that should be be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, an individual who with the intent to begin Vivitrol must have been off of opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including individuals who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given drugs such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or a person who has been taking Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least a week if they want to begin taking Vivitrol.
These meds must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in Sullivan that also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Speak to your doctor or therapist about how pharmacological tools can help you build the drug and alcohol free life you want.
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