Vivitrol: The Recovery Aid You’ve Been Looking For

Vivitrol treatment is now available for addiction recovery at AspenRidge Recovery.

For people who suffer with drug addiction or alcoholism, their conditions are often ongoing. Addiction is a disease that is incredibly difficult to overcome on your own. Quite often, people will attempt to stop using alone before they’ll agree to professional help. This can create years of pain, suffering and relapses. It also puts them at danger for overdose.

Vivitrol offers hope to so many people who suffer from addictions. It is a drug that has already saved the lives of addicts all over the country.

Perhaps you’ve read information about Vivitrol, and you’ve been wondering where you can find it. You may have spent your entire adult life trying to stop using drugs or alcohol. This might be the key to your addiction recovery.

Still, you may have a lot of questions about how Vivitrol can help you. You may be wondering:

• What exactly is Vivitrol, and how does it work?
• What types of addictions can Vivitrol help with?
• What is the difference between Suboxone and Vivitrol?
• Are there any side effects to Naltrexone?
• What are the costs associated with Naltrexone treatment?
• Can you become addicted to Vivitrol like you can with other addiction treatment medications?
• How do Vivitrol doctors give this drug to their patients?
• If you relapse on Naltrexone, what happens?
• What are other patients saying about how Vivitrol has worked for them?

We’d like to answer these questions for you so that you’re informed and educated.

What is Vivitrol (Naltrexone)?

For many people with addictions, doctors are beginning with Vivitrol, which is also called Naltrexone. Wiki states that Vivitrol treats alcohol dependence and opioid drug abuse. It is an opioid antagonist medication. This means that it works by reducing cravings for alcohol. It also blocks the effects of any opiate medications and street drugs.

Because of its many uses, Vivitrol has become such a useful medication in the treatment of addiction.

Types of Drug Addictions Naltrexone Can Help With

Naltrexone can help with a number of different types of addictions. These include:

• Addictions to Oxycodone (OxyContin)
• Percocet addictions
• Addictions to heroin
• Vicodin addictions
• Alcohol addictions

Naltrexone is extremely effective at treating both alcoholism and prescription drug addiction. Incidentally, these are two of the most prominent addictions in the United States today. They are also the two addictions in which people commonly experience relapses. Naltrexone aims to change that, and it appears to be extremely effective.

Vivitrol vs. Suboxone: What’s the Difference?

In many ways, Vivitrol and Suboxone are similar, but there are also some differences.

Suboxone was approved by the FDA in 2002. It is commonly used to treat opioid dependence. It works by blocking the opioid receptors in the brain, much like Vivitrol does. However, Suboxone also has the ability to help with withdrawal symptoms. People who use Suboxone often find that they need to be on it for a very long period of time. If they’re not, they run the risk of having their opioid withdrawal symptoms return. In this way, Suboxone may not be as effective as Vivitrol.

For those who choose Vivitrol, alcohol dependence and opioid dependence can both be treated. This is especially helpful for those who suffer from both addictions. Vivitrol doctors do not administer this drug until withdrawal symptoms have passed. It helps to prevent a relapse back to opiate use. It is also an extended-release drug. This means it’s given on a monthly basis, and it works all month long.

Most experts believe that Suboxone leaves much to be desired. While it can be effective for some people, Vivitrol holds much more promise long-term.

Common Vivitrol Side Effects to Be Aware of

Vivitrol can cause some side effects in some people when they first begin taking it. However, these side effects should be short-lived.

Common side effects of Vivitrol include:

• Cramping or pain in the stomach
• Sleeping problems
• Feeling nervous or anxious
• Slight headache
• Pain in the joints or muscles
• Nausea or vomiting
• Feeling unusually tired

Once you begin taking Vivitrol, it’s important to be in contact with your doctor about side effects. If they become bothersome, there are ways to ease them. Still, you should find that they don’t last for very long.

How Much Does Vivitrol Cost?

For someone who is a drug addict or an alcoholic, Vivitrol can be a life-changing medication. Still, one of the issues that is always on many people’s minds is the cost of this treatment.

The retail price of Vivitrol may change as time goes on. However, it is currently around $1,700. There are some coupons that offer as much as $500 off this price.

That price can be off-putting for many; especially those who are on a budget. Fortunately, with health insurance, this can bring the cost of this drug down considerably. Many health insurance companies will offer a very low co-pay for Vivitrol. There are even those that will cover it completely.

If you choose to go to a professional drug treatment facility, your cost will be explained to you. It’s best to have them contact your health insurance company for you. They’ll be able to explain the reasons behind this treatment and minimize your out of pocket costs.

Is Vivitrol Addictive?

One of the concerns that many people have when taking addiction treatment drugs is secondary addiction. This is a valid concern. There are many drugs that can lead to secondary addictions after patients have been on them a while. Suboxone and Methadone are two very good examples of this.

When these secondary addictions occur, it is very difficult for the patient to cope. They often need to go through the detox process again once the drugs are stopped. They could suffer from withdrawal symptoms such as:

• Chronic headaches
• Anxiety or depression
• Shakiness in the hands
• Cravings for the drug
• Insomnia or other sleep disturbances

Fortunately, with Vivitrol, this is not an issue at all. Vivitrol is a non-addictive opiate antagonist medication. That means there is no risk of secondary addiction when taking it.

This fact alone is something that makes Vivitrol such an appropriate choice for many alcoholics and drug addicts. When possible, patients should try to avoid secondary addictions if they can. Vivitrol allows them to reach their sobriety goals without a risk of addiction.

How do Vivitrol Doctors Administer This Drug?

As we previously stated, Vivitrol is not prescribed as a way to treat opiate or alcohol withdrawal symptoms. When patients use Vivitrol, alcohol and opioid drugs need to be out of their systems. This usually means waiting between 10 and 14 days before the drug can be taken.

Once the physician is ready to administer Vivitrol, this is done via injection. The Vivitrol shot is given once a month into a muscle in the buttocks. Doctors may feel more comfortable giving their patients a smaller dose of the medication at first. This allows them to check for any potential interactions or side effects. Dosage amounts will vary, depending on your medical history and your addiction. If you tolerate the drug well, your dosage may be increased the next time you get it.

It is possible to use Vivitrol shots at home, on your own. If this is what it prescribed for you, you’ll receive extensive instructions on how to administer it. It is important for you not to increase the amount of the drug you take on your own. You should also not discontinue it without talking to your doctor first. It may be required for you to taper down the dosage before stopping Vivitrol completely.

Using Drugs or Drinking on Vivitrol

When you use Vivitrol, alcohol’s temptations won’t be as severe for you. In the past, if you were frequently tempted to drink, you may find that those feelings disappear completely. Still, there are some people who will drink while taking this drug. This is not recommended, of course. The combination of Vivitrol and alcohol can be toxic to the liver. This is definitely something to keep in mind.

While using Vivitrol, taking any type of opiate drug can be very dangerous. This includes drugs like heroin, Oxycodone, or any other narcotic prescription drug. Vivitrol will make you much more sensitive to the effects of these drugs. This means that even a small dose of opiates could put you in danger. People have tried to get high on opioids after using Vivitrol. In these cases, they were at a high risk for overdosing. This is especially true if they used the amount they were previously using before starting the drug.

If your Vivitrol doctor has recommended this medication to you, it’s best to trust the process. You’ll find that your cravings for opiates and alcohol will significantly decrease. They may even disappear altogether. This is what this drug is intended to accomplish in your body.

Vivitrol Reviews: What are Other Patients Saying About Naltrexone?

It’s always interesting to read what other patients have to say about their addiction medications. These patients have used Naltrexone in the past. Here is what they had to say:

Carla says, “The withdrawal process was very difficult for me to get through once I stopped drinking alcohol. Vivitrol was presented to me as an option for treatment. I’ll admit that I was pretty skeptical about it. I certainly didn’t want to take anything addictive. I trusted my doctor, and I received my first Vivitrol shot. I had no idea that it was going to work so well for me. Any side effects were minimal, and they went away after the first two weeks. It was as though my cravings for alcohol completely went away. I used Vivitrol for a few months to help me stay on the right path, and it worked really well for me.”

Eric says, “I had been an opiate addict for years when I went to drug rehab. I was a mess, and it had reached the point where I had to get sober or go to jail. I’d failed at drug rehab before, and I was desperate for a solution that would really help me. When my doctor suggested Vivitrol, I thought it sounded like a good option. After all, I’d tried almost everything else. I was impressed at how well it worked. I’ve been sober for several months now, and I’m really glad I gave it a try.”

Can I Find the Vivitrol Shot Near Me?

AspenRidge Recovery now offers services that include Vivitrol for addiction treatment.

Whether you’re an alcoholic or a drug addict, overcoming an addiction is hard to do. In fact, it’s something that many people spend years trying to accomplish without success. We want to set you up to be successful. That’s the main reason why we’ve decided that Naltrexone should be a part of our program.

Drug rehab or alcohol rehab should be your primary focus during this time. Ongoing treatment is essential for people to remain abstinent from their substance abuse. Vivitrol allows us to provide our patients with the additional help and support they need during recovery. We regularly offer it as a part of our 5-Day IOP program.

If you’re looking for support during this important time in your life, we want to help you. At AspenRidge Recovery, we’ve been able to provide assistance to so many patients. These are individuals who suffered from both alcoholism and drug addiction. With the addition of Naltrexone, we’re only able to help that much more.

Do you have questions about Vivitrol for addiction recovery? We want to give you the answers you need. Please contact us today.

Sources:

• RxWiki.com. (2016). Vivitrol. Retrieved from: https://www.rxwiki.com/vivitrol
• OpiateWithdrawalFacts.com. (2017). Vivitrol vs Suboxone – A Side-By-Side Comparison. Retrieved from: http://www.opiatewithdrawalfacts.com/vivitrol-vs-suboxone/
• Drugs.com. (2017). Vivitrol Side Effects. Retrieved from: https://www.drugs.com/sfx/vivitrol-side-effects.html
• WebMD.com. (2016). Vivitrol Intramuscular. Retrieved from: http://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-144395/vivitrol-intramuscular/details