Vivitrol
Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Land of Cotton
Posts: 3,433
No, but I did have a long conversation with my son's rehab counselor (actually the director) about it, and she said that "It saves lives." She's a big believer in it. If my son can get 30 days clean (or whatever the time constraints are), he will be very interested in taking the shot. I did some research and yes, the side effects are more than a little scary......but not 1/10th as scary as active heroin addiction.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 267
I have made several posts about this, I think. The short form: I have a 19 year old son who did the usual progression from marijuana to percs and oxys. He went through several rehabs and relapses and was one week shy of completing an extended care program and hitting his one week clean mark. He relapsed and spent 5 weeks in a downward spiral that finally reached IV heroin. He reached out for help to his sponsor and others he knew from his program and AA. He went to his psychiatrist who suggested he try Vivitrol.
The doctor first put him on a two week trial of oral naltrexone to see how he would tolerate the drug before committing to the shot. He waited 7 days after his last use before starting, but all the opiates were not out of his system. He went through a bad period of withdrawal, including a psychotic episode. He made it through the two weeks though and got his first shot mid-June. He's since had 3 shots, and is a little over 3 months clean.
The stated side effects include depression, and I have noticed that he is a little more "edgy" right about when he gets the shot. When he was considering it, the guys from AA discouraged him, saying it was a crutch. He went ahead anyway, feeling that it was his last shot.
The risk is that some addicts try to beat it with large quantities of dope- this produces overdose. The risk of overdose at "regular" dosages is also increased after it is stopped. So an addict needs to be really committed to recovery, because if you relapse, you are at greater risk of death. I was terrified when he told me he was trying it - but - it wasn't my choice, it was his.
It seems to be working for him. He is working a program of recovery, holding a job, and attending college. He swears by the shots, and says he would recommend them to anyone.
The doctor first put him on a two week trial of oral naltrexone to see how he would tolerate the drug before committing to the shot. He waited 7 days after his last use before starting, but all the opiates were not out of his system. He went through a bad period of withdrawal, including a psychotic episode. He made it through the two weeks though and got his first shot mid-June. He's since had 3 shots, and is a little over 3 months clean.
The stated side effects include depression, and I have noticed that he is a little more "edgy" right about when he gets the shot. When he was considering it, the guys from AA discouraged him, saying it was a crutch. He went ahead anyway, feeling that it was his last shot.
The risk is that some addicts try to beat it with large quantities of dope- this produces overdose. The risk of overdose at "regular" dosages is also increased after it is stopped. So an addict needs to be really committed to recovery, because if you relapse, you are at greater risk of death. I was terrified when he told me he was trying it - but - it wasn't my choice, it was his.
It seems to be working for him. He is working a program of recovery, holding a job, and attending college. He swears by the shots, and says he would recommend them to anyone.
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