There are various ways in which alcohol addiction is treated and one of them is the use of Vivitrol. This is a drug used in treating drug and alcohol dependence. The role of the drug is to reduce the urge to take any drug or substance abuse. Mostly it is in the form of Vivitrol injection. To some extent, it helps in the prevention of drug relapse when a disorder comes back after a period of making progress.
In this article, you will learn more about how the administration of Vivitrol is done, risk factors, side effects, and the advantages of this injection. Read on to learn more.
How is Vivitrol administered?
Vivitrol injection is done in the muscle. The injection is done once every 4 weeks by a health expert from a drug treatment center. It is more effective when it is done consistently.
Some of the side effects of the injection are itchiness, swelling, lump, redness, and some pain that disappears after some time. However, you are required to see your doctor in case this persists.
In addition, you still need to consult your doctor more because this is part of the treatment program to overcome drug use.
This is what you need to know before taking Vivitrol
Before you take a Vivitrol injection, you need to be aware of a few things that may disqualify you from taking it. It is of utmost importance for you to disclose this information to your doctor.
In this section of the article, we are going to share some of the things that limit you from receiving Vivitrol injection
- If you are using opioid medicine – opioid medicine is used to treat pain, coughing, and diarrhea
- In case you are allergic to naltrexone – this is a medication for treating alcohol and opioid use disorder
- You should also not take Vivitrol if you have an addiction to opioids or withdrawal symptoms for the same.
- Should you have taken medication against cold, cough, or pain in the past 7 days
- Your doctor should also be aware if you have a liver or kidney disease or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding
Benefits of Vivitrol Shot
In the journey of achieving sobriety, Vivitrol has a 90% success rate when done concurrently with counseling and therapy. This is to say this injection has numerous advantages for the user. If your doctor has recommended a Vivitrol shot to you, these are the benefits you stand to gain
1. Injections are easy to administer
Regardless of age, gender, health status, or weight, a muscle injection is effective because it gets the drug inside the bloodstream. Also, the fact that this injection is done once a month, makes it even better.
If you compare having to take prescriptions daily or having an injection, the chances of having an injection are high as opposed to sticking to a certain schedule.
2. Takes effect immediately
Vivitrol is quite a fast-acting drug. The fact that you take one shot a month, means the drug stays in the body for 30 days. This helps the body recover and get most of the benefits and thus reducing the chances of relapse, the high success rates which are proven medically also add to this fact
3. It is not addictive
Research has shown that it is impossible to develop a dependence on Vivitrol. This means that it is not open to abuse and misuse thus it remains only for medication. This is another great advantage of this drug to someone who is battling addiction and is desiring to overcome it.
4. Mild side effects
The side effects of Vivitrol are mild and not severe. As much as the side effects are there, they go away within a few days and weeks. When you compare the side effects and the greater benefits the benefits carry the day. This means that if you are considering taking a Vivitrol injection, you can go ahead.
Side Effects of Vivitrol Injection
As you have read in this article, Vivitrol is not right for everyone and you may actually not take it if you are in any of the above categories.
However, if you are not, it is of utmost importance for you to know the risks and the side effects of this injection so that you not what to expect. The good thing is that these side effects go away within a few days or weeks depending on an individual.
Some of the risks include;
- Muscle reaction
After an injection, you are likely to experience pain, tenderness, and bruising in the area. To some people, it may be a mild while to others it is severe, in case it is severe, seek medical intervention from your doctor
- Damage to the liver
As mentioned earlier on, you should tell your doctor if you are suffering from liver disease. This is because Vivitrol injection can cause liver disease or hepatitis B. However, a medical expert will always run numerous tests on your liver before administering this injection to you.
Some of the ways to tell your liver have an illness are through dark urine, persistent stomachaches, yellow eyes, and lethargy. In case you experience any of these, seek medical attention immediately.
- Overdose
Overdose is a situation where you take an excessive amount of drug than what is medically required. In most cases, this happens when a person takes a higher quantity of opioids while still using Vivitrol. Should you find yourself in such as case, inform your doctor so that necessary measures can be taken.
- Sleeplessness
In other words, this is known as Insomnia this is a condition where a person is not able to sleep and stays awake all through. Before your body gets used to Vivitrol, you may be unable to sleep well or even sleep for very hours but normally this goes away.
The other side effects of Vivitrol are vomiting, flu-like symptoms, headaches, and joint pains. However, you have no reason to worry because your doctor is a call away.
Bottom line
Research has proven that Vivitrol injections are beneficial to the body with the success rate standing at 90%. As much as there are some side effects such as insomnia, muscle pain, liver damage, etc, when used in the right method and administration done by the right persons, you are more likely, to benefit more.
In addition, always seek the help of a medical expert from a certified drug treatment center for you to achieve maximum benefits.
