Vivitrol is a drug mainly administered to prevent drug or alcohol abuse and relapse, and is administered expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended-release type of the medication Naltrexone, that one can get through a monthly injection. It is not habit forming, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when someone drinks alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they essentially cannot get drunk or high.
There are particular safety measures that need to be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. First off, an individual who intends to begin Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for a minimum of 7-10 days. This includes individuals who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given medications such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or a person who has been on Methadone for several years, quitting quickly is 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 in conjunction with a rehab program in Alba which also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your therapist or doctor in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you build and maintain the drug-free life you want.