Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol abuse and relapse, and is used specifically 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 isn't addictive, and is what is called an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would normally be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when someone drinks alcohol or takes opioids they basically can't get high or drunk.
There are certain precautions that need to be taken before someone is administered Vivitrol. First off, someone who plans to begin Vivitrol must have been off of opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This includes people who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given drugs like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin abuser or a person who has been taking Methadone for several years, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least seven days if they want to start Vivitrol.
These medications must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in Catasauqua which also offers medical supervision, individual therapy, and group therapy. Speak with your doctor or therapist about how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the drug-free life you want.
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