Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Rehabilitation Facilities - St. Thomas, PA.

Vivitrol is a med 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 version of the drug Naltrexone, that is available via a monthly injection. It isn't 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 an individual drinks alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they basically can't get high or drunk.

There are particular precautions that should be be taken before someone begins treatment with Vivitrol. Firstly, someone who intends to begin Vivitrol must have been off of opioids for at least seven to ten days. This includes people who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given meds such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or a person who has been taking Methadone for a long time, abrupt cessation is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of 7 days if they want to begin taking Vivitrol.

These meds must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in St. Thomas that also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Speak to your therapist or doctor about how pharmacological tools can help you live the drug-free life you want.

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