Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Rehab Centers - Shelter Island, NY.

Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol abuse and relapse, and is used expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription medications. Vivitrol is an extended-release type of the med Naltrexone, which one can get through a monthly injection. It isn't habit forming, and is what is called an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would usually be triggered by alcohol or opioids, so when an individual drinks or tries to get high on opioids they basically cannot get drunk or high.

There are certain precautions that should be be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, someone who with the intent to begin Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for at least 7-10 days. This includes people who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking meds such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been on Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation is very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for at least seven days in order to start Vivitrol.

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

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