What is a Vivitrol Shot? Vivitrol Shot for Alcohol Alcohol Abuse Recovery

If you drink alcohol and have questions about how to stop drinking before taking Vivitrol, talk with your doctor. Long-term side effects such as liver disease, including hepatitis (swelling in your liver), can occur during the use of Vivitrol. Serious side effects from Vivitrol aren’t common, but they can occur. You may experience nausea after the first injection of this medicine that should be mild and subside a few days afterwards. You will be less likely to have nausea with your next injections. Naltrexone injection also blocks the useful effects of narcotics.

Yet, since the pharmacokinetic properties of oral naltrexone lead to significant fluctuations in plasma levels with oral daily dosing, its general effectiveness has been limited by two consequential factors. First, the low plasma trough level of oral naltrexone diminishes its efficacy, which could explain why medication adherence above 85% is required in order for there to be a therapeutic response (Volpicelli et al 1997). Second, high peak levels are deemed responsible for adverse events (Croop et al 1997; King et al 1997), and up to 15% of oral naltrexone recipients drop out of treatment because of adverse events, especially nausea (Croop et al 1997). Naltrexone is an FDA-approved opioid antagonist used to treat alcohol use disorder and opioid dependence.

Vivitrol (Naltrexone) Shot for Alcoholism: Treatment & Clinics Near Me

There is no reason to go it alone when it comes to battling this disease. There is a Vivitrol addiction treatment program that can help you regardless of your age and duration of addiction. One study indicated that the injection of a 380 mg dose of naltrexone resulted in a 25% reduction of heavy drinking days, while a 190 mg dose reduced heavy drinking days 17%. In one large study looking at the use of naltrexone to treat alcohol use disorder, of those taking a 380 milligram dose, 14.1% dropped out of the treatment due to side effects, including nausea, headache, and fatigue.

Psychosocial support should be scheduled to coincide with the monthly visits to the treatment center (ie, when injections are administered) or more frequently for some patients. Thus, treatment centers that use long-acting depot formulations for the treatment of alcohol dependence must be flexible in monitoring the adequacy of patient care and delivering psychosocial support (Johnson 2006). Antagonists are medications that block certain receptors (proteins on the outside of cells that act like docking stations).

What Happens if You Take Opioids While on Vivitrol?

On the other hand, its effectiveness is substantially higher in individuals who can abstain from alcohol for 4-7 days before starting treatment. The FDA lists the following possible side effects for https://www.excel-medical.com/5-tips-to-consider-when-choosing-a-sober-living-house/ medicines to treat alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorder. It also tells what researchers have found about how well the medicines work to treat alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorder.