Vivitrol is a drug used to help prevent drug or alcohol use and relapse, and is used specifically 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 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 usually be triggered by opioids or alcohol, 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 precautions that should be be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. First off, a client who with the intent to begin Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for a minimum of 7-10 days. This is including individuals who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given drugs like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation can be very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least a week in order to begin taking Vivitrol.
These medications must be used as part of a treatment program in Lemon Cove which also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk with your therapist or doctor in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you build the drug and alcohol free life you want.
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