Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs - Mansfield Center, CT.

Vivitrol is a drug mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol use 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 medication Naltrexone, that is available through injection once a month. It is not addictive, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual injects Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when someone takes a drink of alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they basically cannot get drunk or high.

There are certain safety measures that need to be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, an individual who intends to begin Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for at least seven to ten days. This is including individuals who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or a person who has been on Methadone for several years, quitting quickly can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for a minimum of a week in order to begin taking Vivitrol.

These medications must be used in conjunction with a treatment program in Mansfield Center that also offers medical supervision, individual therapy, and group therapy. Talk to your therapist or doctor in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the drug-free life you want.

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