Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers - Smithville, AR.

Vivitrol is a medication used to prevent drug or alcohol abuse and relapse, and is administered specifically 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 injection once a month. It is not addictive, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when an individual drinks or takes opioids they essentially cannot get high or drunk.

There are particular safety measures that need to be taken before an individual begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, an individual who intends to start Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This includes individuals who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking meds like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least 7 days in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

These medications must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in Smithville which also includes medical supervision, individual therapy, and group therapy. Talk with your therapist or doctor in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you build the drug-free life you want.

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