Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to prevent drug or alcohol dependency and relapse, and is administered specifically for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription medications. 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 someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would usually be triggered by opioids or alcohol, so when someone drinks or takes opioids they basically cannot get high or drunk.
There are particular safety measures that should be be taken before an individual begins treatment with Vivitrol. First off, a client who with the intent to begin Vivitrol must have been off of opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This includes individuals who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or a person who has been on Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for at least 7 days in order to begin taking Vivitrol.
These drugs must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in West Simsbury that also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Speak to your doctor or therapist about how pharmacological aids can help you maintain the drug and alcohol free life you want.
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