Vivitrol Used in Treatment - Alcohol and Drug Treatment Centers - South Charleston, WV.

Vivitrol is a medication mainly administered to help prevent drug or alcohol use 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 medication Naltrexone, which is available through a monthly injection. It is not addictive, and is what is known as an antagonist. When an individual is adminstered Vivitrol, it cuts off the receptors that would usually be triggered by alcohol or opioids, so when someone drinks or takes opioids they basically cannot get drunk or high.

There are particular safety measures that need to be taken before an individual is administered Vivitrol. Firstly, someone who with the intent to start Vivitrol needs to have been off of opioids for a minimum of 7-10 days. This includes individuals who are involved in opioid maintenance therapy and are taking drugs such as Methadone or Buprenorphine. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been on Methadone for a long time, quitting quickly is very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of seven days if they want to begin taking Vivitrol.

These medications must be used in conjunction with an addiction treatment program in South Charleston that also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. 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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