Once-A-Month Naltrexone Injection for Substance Use Disorders

Separate tracking of patients treated with buprenorphine or prescriptions written is no longer required. You may notice pain, redness, itching, bruising, swelling, or a hard lump where the medicine was injected. Call your doctor if you have this type of reaction, especially if it gets worse or does not clear up within 2 weeks. This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur.

  • Once you’re dependent, your brain can’t work like usual without the opioids or alcohol.
  • You’ll receive Vivitrol as an injection into a muscle of your buttock.
  • An hour of time can give the body a nice cushion and prevent alcohol poisoning.

Ahealthcare professional will give you the injections at your doctor’s office. Vivitrol is the only medication that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved for opioid dependence that isn’t a controlled substance. This is because Vivitrol isn’t addictive and can’t be misused.

Empowered In Recovery: Injections for Alcohol Use Disorder

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) says that people who are being treated with naltrexone may have a reduced tolerance to opioids after the dose goes away. Medications for addiction treatment, used alongside behavioral therapies is considered best practice and the most effective treatment for certain substance use disorders. There are not currently any medications that have been approved in the treatment of stimulant use disorder.

For cases of moderate-to-severe dependence, either specialized counseling or naltrexone with medical management might be used first, reserving other approaches for treatment failures. Naltrexone can cause immediate https://accountingcoaching.online/three-inspirational-recovery-stories/ and severe withdrawal in patients who are physically dependent on opiates. A clinical review of opiate use is mandatory, and opiate-drug screening should be considered before naltrexone is prescribed.

VIVITROL is a once-monthly injection

Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you have about naltrexone injection. If you miss an appointment to receive naltrexone injection, schedule another appointment as soon as possible. Most people get a Vivitrol injection once every 4 weeks, or once each month. You can see this article for more in-depth information about Vivitrol’s recommended dosage.

  • These medicines may contain opioids and may not work as well while you are using naltrexone.
  • Do not drive a car, operate machinery, or do other dangerous activities until you know how this medication affects you.
  • An illness marked by consumption of alcoholic beverages at a level that interferes with physical or mental health, and social, family, or occupational responsibilities.
  • However, naltrexone (the active drug in Vivitrol) can be used with another medication called bupropion for weight loss.

We may receive advertising fees if you follow links to promoted online therapy websites. Complete the form and a treatment advisor will contact you at the number provided. Like with most other types of treatment for disease, the cost of VIVITROL® depends on your insurance and the coverage it provides.

Serious side effects

If you have serious side effects from Vivitrol, call your doctor right away. But if you think you’re having a medical emergency, call 911 or your local emergency number. Here’s a list of some of the mild side effects Vivitrol can cause. To learn about other mild side effects, talk with your doctor or pharmacist, Understanding Powerlessness and Acceptance in Early Recovery or you can see this article for details about its side effects. The recommended dose of Vivitrol is 380 mg delivered intramuscularly (IM) as a gluteal injection, every 4 weeks or once a month, alternating buttocks for each subsequent injection. You are about to enter a site for US healthcare professionals only.

Opioids act mainly via the mu receptor, although they affect mu, delta, and kappa-opioid receptors. Naltrexone injection is used along with counseling and social support to help people who have stopped drinking large amounts of alcohol to avoid drinking again. Naltrexone injection should not be used to treat people who are still drinking alcohol, people who are still using opiates or street drugs, or people who have used opiates within the past 10 days. Naltrexone is in a class of medications called opiate antagonists. It works by blocking activity in the limbic system, a part of the brain that is involved in alcohol and opiate dependence. If opioid pain medications are needed, doctors may first give you another type of drug that reverses the effects of Vivitrol.