Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Centers - Charlestown, MD.

Vivitrol is a drug mainly administered to help prevent drug 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 drug Naltrexone, that one can get through a monthly injection. It is not addictive, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual takes Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when an individual drinks or takes opioids they essentially can't get drunk or high.

There are certain precautions that need to be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. First off, a person who intends to start Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten 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 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 a minimum of 7 days in order to start Vivitrol.

These meds must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in Charlestown that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Speak to your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological tools can help you build and maintain the drug-free life you want.

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