Vivitrol is a medication used to help prevent drug dependency and relapse, and is used expressly for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release version of the medication Naltrexone, which is available via injection once a month. It is not habit forming, and is what is called an antagonist. When an individual injects Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would usually be triggered by alcohol or opioids, so when someone drinks alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they essentially cannot get high or drunk.
There are certain precautions that need to be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, a client who intends to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for at least seven to ten days. This includes individuals who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given medications like Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin addict or a person who has been on Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for a minimum of 7 days if they want to start Vivitrol.
These medications must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in Schaefferstown which also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological aids can help you build and maintain the drug-free life you want.
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