Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centers - Santa Barbara, CA.

Vivitrol is a drug used to help prevent drug abuse and relapse, and is used expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release type of the medication Naltrexone, which is available through a monthly injection. It isn't habit forming, and is what is called an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would normally be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when someone drinks or takes opioids they essentially can't get high or drunk.

There are certain precautions that should be be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, a person who intends to start Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of 7-10 days. This includes clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking medications such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or a person who has been taking Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for at least seven days if they want to start Vivitrol.

These drugs must be used as part of a treatment program in Santa Barbara that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological tools can help you live the drug and alcohol free life you want.

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