Vivitrol is a drug mainly administered to prevent drug abuse and relapse, and is used specifically for alcohol and opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription medications. Vivitrol is an extended release version of the drug Naltrexone, that one can get through injection once a month. It is not addictive, and is what is known as an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by opioids or alcohol, so when someone takes a drink of alcohol or takes opioids they essentially cannot get high or drunk.
There are certain precautions that need to be taken before an individual begins treatment with Vivitrol. First off, an individual who intends to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for at least 7-10 days. This is including clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given drugs like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, quitting quickly is brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of a week if they want to begin taking Vivitrol.
These drugs must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in South Boston which also offers individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk to your doctor or therapist about how pharmacological aids can help you build the drug and alcohol free life you want.
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