Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to help prevent drug abuse and relapse, and is administered expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended-release version of the drug Naltrexone, which is available through injection once a month. It is not addictive, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would normally be triggered by alcohol or opioids, so when an individual takes a drink of alcohol or takes opioids they essentially cannot get high or drunk.
There are particular precautions that should be be taken before an individual begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, an individual who intends to begin Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for at least 7-10 days. This is including clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking drugs like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, quitting quickly can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for a minimum of 7 days in order to begin taking Vivitrol.
These medications must be used in conjunction with a rehab program in Burnham that also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk with your therapist or Dr. about how pharmacological aids can help you maintain and build the drug and alcohol free life you want.
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