In such cases, you may need to stay in a hospital or be monitored for symptoms such as a fast heart substance abuse group activities for adults rate and high blood pressure. Most of the serious side effects that can occur while you’re taking Vivitrol can happen whether you’re taking the medication for alcohol or opioid dependence. To have opioid withdrawal, you must’ve been taking an opioid medication. Methadone can be used as a pain reliever in some people who don’t respond to certain other pain medications.

While you’re taking Vivitrol, it’s important that you don’t take any opioid medications. And you shouldn’t take any opioids within 7 to 10 days before starting Vivitrol treatment. This is because if you use opioid medications during these times, you may have symptoms of opioid withdrawal.

What should I know about Vivitrol vs. naltrexone?

Going to counseling or support groups can help you to deal with the anxiety and emotional changes from not taking a drug or alcohol that you’ve become used to. The 24-week time frame was the average time that people in the trial continued taking the medication being studied. Usually, dropping out of an opioid-treatment study indicates that the person has relapsed. Vivitrol and naltrexone both contain the active medication naltrexone. Therefore, both drugs can cause very similar side effects.

Related questions

If you need pain treatment while you’re taking Vivitrol, mixing suboxone and alcohol talk with your doctor. They may recommend non-opioid pain medications such as ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Your doctor may also suggest local pain treatments that can numb the area of your body that’s hurting. The dose for opioid dependence is one 380-mg injection every 4 weeks.

Response and effectiveness

1. Weight gain is probably not a side effect of Vivitrol use because naltrexone is also used for weight loss.
2. A healthcare professional will give you Vivitrol as an injection into the muscle (intramuscular) of your buttock.
3. For some people, naltrexone can immediately help change their relationship with alcohol.
4. Your tolerance for opioids may be decreased due to Vivitrol.

About 60% of people who took Vivitrol stayed in treatment for 24 weeks. In comparison, about 28% of people who took naltrexone tablets stayed in the study treatment for 24 weeks. Injection site pain occurred in about 5% of people who took Vivitrol for opioid dependence. In comparison, injection site pain occurred in only 1% of people who received a placebo injection. In clinical studies, about 33% of people who took the approved dose of Vivitrol (380 mg) for alcohol dependence had nausea.

In clinical studies, about 25% of people who took Vivitrol for alcohol dependence had headaches. In comparison, about 18% of people who took a placebo also had headaches. In a long-term clinical trial that looked at opioid dependence, more than 5% of people who took Vivitrol had nausea. It’s not known how many people who took a placebo had this side effect. In a 24-week clinical trial for the treatment of opioid dependence, no one reported a depressed mood or suicidal thinking.

To learn more, see “Is Vivitrol used for other conditions? If you have questions about how Vivitrol is used to treat alcohol dependence, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. Vivitrol is used in certain situations to treat or prevent dependence solution based treatment and detox on alcohol or opioids. It isn’t known whether Vivitrol is safe to take while pregnant. But it’s known that untreated opioid or alcohol dependence can cause harm to a pregnancy. Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed.

Who should not receive Vivitrol?

Below are answers to a couple of common questions about taking Vivitrol. Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Vivitrol that’s right for you. Below are common dosages, but the dosage you receive will be determined by your doctor. Vivitrol and Suboxone have some similarities, but they have important differences as well.