Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centers - Pleasant Valley, NY.

Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to prevent drug or alcohol dependency and relapse, and is used expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release version of the drug Naltrexone, that is available through a monthly injection. It is not habit forming, and is what is known as an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would usually be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when someone drinks alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they basically can't get drunk or high.

There are particular precautions that should be be taken before someone is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, a client who plans to start Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This is including people who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds such as Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin addict or a person who has been on Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation can be very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of a week in order to start Vivitrol.

These meds must be used in conjunction with a treatment program in Pleasant Valley that also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Speak to your doctor or therapist in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you build the drug-free life you want.

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