Vivitrol is a drug used to help prevent drug dependency and relapse, and is administered specifically for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription pain killers. Vivitrol is an extended release type of the drug Naltrexone, which one can get via injection once a month. It is not habit forming, and is what is known as an antagonist. When someone is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would usually be triggered by alcohol or opioids, so when someone drinks or tries to get high on opioids they essentially cannot get high or drunk.
There are certain precautions that should be be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. First off, someone who intends to begin Vivitrol needs to have abstained from opioids for a minimum of 7-10 days. This includes clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking drugs like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for at least a week if they want to start Vivitrol.
These medications must be used in conjunction with a treatment program in Sligo that also includes medical supervision, individual therapy, and group therapy. Talk to your doctor or therapist in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the sober life you want.
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