Vivitrol is a med used to help prevent drug or alcohol 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, that one can get through injection once a month. It is not habit forming, and is what is known as an antagonist. When someone takes Vivitrol, it blocks the receptors that would normally be activated by alcohol or opioids, so when an individual takes a drink of alcohol or tries to get high on opioids they basically can't 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 must have abstained from opioids for a minimum of seven to ten days. This includes clients who are participating in opioid maintenance therapy and are being given drugs such as Buprenorphine or Methadone. For a heroin abuser or someone who has been on Methadone for several years, quitting quickly is very difficult, but withdrawal is something they will have to endure for a minimum of a week in order to start Vivitrol.
These meds must be used as part of an addiction treatment program in Twilight which also includes individual therapy, group therapy and medical supervision. Talk with your therapist or Dr. in regards to how pharmacological tools can help you maintain the sober life you want.
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