Vivitrol – How Does It Work?

Vivitrol can make the difference between white-knuckling a person’s way through the early stages of becoming sober and being able to succeed with minimized discomfort. Many do not realize is that there is an FDA-approved medication that can be administered to those who suffer from certain substance use disorders. If you want to overcome an addiction to alcohol or opioids, Vivitrol may be the missing key to your recovery.

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What is Vivitrol?

Vivitrol is an opioid blocker that comes in the form of an injection. It received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2006 for use in helping people in recovery from addiction to alcohol. In 2010, approval was further extended to use Vivitrol to treat opioid addiction.  Vivitrol may only be obtained via prescription from a physician and is the brand name for naltrexone. While other brand names exist, many doctors and addiction treatment facilities favor the use of Vivitrol. Additionally, Vivitrol offers the advantage of being non-addictive.

How Does Vivitrol Work?

When a person uses alcohol and/or drugs often, a tolerance builds – meaning that the person has to use more substance to achieve the same desired effects. When someone builds a tolerance and they cease to use any substances, a number of uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms can occur due to the substance’s lack of presence in the body resulting in cravings. Vivitrol or Naltrexone blocks the brain from feeling the euphoric effects of drug and/or alcohol and reverses the brain’s expectation of pleasure when the substance is consumed.

Vivitrol involves giving an intramuscular injection that has long-lasting effects. Shots are given on a monthly basis. Someone who needs a Vivitrol shot must receive them from a healthcare professional licensed to dispense the drug. The use of this medication can help people avoid relapses and stay focused on their recovery. It works best in conjunction with other forms of substance use disorder treatment, such as talk therapy and other types of therapy.

Vivitrol is considered a vital part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT). For those who qualify to incorporate MAT into their recovery, it can provide the boost they need to help them have an easier time going through the initial stages of recovery.

Vivitrol Side Effects

How Much Does Vivitrol Cost?

How much Vivitrol costs depends on a couple of things. The first is what kind of insurance plan a person has and what coverage it provides. Additionally, what each treatment facility charges for Vivitrol factors into the cost of using it. Many private and public insurance plans cover the cost of this beneficial drug.

Additional Ways To Treat Addiction at Buckhead Behavioral Health

Medications provide a wonderful avenue for treating addiction to alcohol and drugs. However, a multi-pronged approach is needed in order to set a person up for lifelong sobriety. Both residential and outpatient programs offer different types of therapy modalities proven to help people with substance use disorders. Residential programs require a person to live in a facility for 30 days or more. Alternatively, outpatient programs provide a similarly wide range of types of treatment options that allow the person to receive treatment while still living at home. Outpatient care can also work well for people residing in sober living homes.

Outpatient care commonly occurs in three types of treatment programs. These include regular outpatient programs (OP), intensive outpatient programs (IOP), and partial hospitalization programs (PHP). The length of time spent in outpatient care depends on the individual’s unique circumstances. This includes which substance is the focus of their addiction, how long they have been abusing it, and their mental and physical health. Sessions can range from two to seven days per week, with PHP treatment requiring the highest level of commitment in terms of days and hours per week.