Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs - Shepherdstown, WV.

Vivitrol is a medication used to prevent drug or alcohol 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 med Naltrexone, which is available through injection once a month. It isn't addictive, and is what is called an antagonist. When someone injects Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would normally be triggered by alcohol or opioids, so when someone drinks or takes opioids they basically cannot get high or drunk.

There are particular precautions that need to be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. First off, someone who intends to begin Vivitrol must have abstained from opioids for at least seven to ten days. This includes people who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking medications like Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin addict or someone who has been taking Methadone for a long time, quitting quickly can be brutal, but withdrawal is something they will have to go through for at least a week in order to start Vivitrol.

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

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