Side Effects of Vivitrol

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Vivitrol WorksCommon Side EffectsSerious Side EffectsRisk of Opioid OverdosePrecautions to Take

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Vivitrol Works

Common Side Effects

Serious Side Effects

Risk of Opioid Overdose

Precautions to Take

Vivitrol is the brand name for an FDA-approved drug namednaltrexone.

Vivitrolis most often prescribed to treat alcohol and opioid addiction.It is administered in the form of an intramuscularinjection—the standard dosage is 380 milligrams injected into the buttocks once a month.

It is part of medication assisted treatment (MAT) programs for substance use disorder that combine medication along with other treatment modalities such as counseling and social support.

One of the major advantages of Vivitrol over other medications that treat substance use disorder, such asmethadone, is that it is not addictive and therefore does not have any potential for abuse.

However, Vivitrol does have some side effects that you should be aware of. This article discusses the potential side effects of Vivitrol as well as some strategies that can help you use it safely.

Common Side Effects of Vivitrol

These are some of the common side effects of Vivitrol:

It’s important that you report any side effects you experience to your healthcare provider.

Serious Side Effects of Vivitrol

Vivitrol can also cause some serious side effects, such as allergic reactions, liver damage, pneumonia, and depression. These are some of the symptoms to look out for:

If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to contact your healthcare provider immediately or go to the emergency room for treatment.

It’s important to note that taking Vivitrol injections can increase your risk of having an accidental opioidoverdosein the following ways:

These are the symptoms of opioid overdose:

If you or a loved one experience any of these symptoms, call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately.

Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Precautions to Take If You’re on Vivitrol

These are some precautions you should take, if you’re on Vivitrol, to make your treatment more effective and reduce the chances of experiencing side effects:

4 Stages of Alcohol and Drug Rehab Recovery

Overall, Vivitrol is considered to be asafe and effective medicationwhen used as prescribed.However, if you experience any side effects, it’s important to report them to your healthcare provider and seek emergency treatment immediately if needed.

10 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Naltrexone.National Library of Medicine.Naltrexone injection.University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.What is naltrexone?University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.Fact sheet: Naltrexone.Srivastava AB, Gold MS.Naltrexone: A history and future directions.Cerebrum. 2018;2018:cer-13-18.National Cancer Institute.Naltrexone hydrochloride.Younger J, Parkitny L, McLain D.The use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic pain.Clin Rheumatol. 2014;33(4):451-459. doi:10.1007/s10067-014-2517-2Cleveland Clinic.Depression.American Lung Association.Pneumonia symptoms and diagnosis.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Naltrexone.

10 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Naltrexone.National Library of Medicine.Naltrexone injection.University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.What is naltrexone?University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.Fact sheet: Naltrexone.Srivastava AB, Gold MS.Naltrexone: A history and future directions.Cerebrum. 2018;2018:cer-13-18.National Cancer Institute.Naltrexone hydrochloride.Younger J, Parkitny L, McLain D.The use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic pain.Clin Rheumatol. 2014;33(4):451-459. doi:10.1007/s10067-014-2517-2Cleveland Clinic.Depression.American Lung Association.Pneumonia symptoms and diagnosis.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Naltrexone.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Naltrexone.National Library of Medicine.Naltrexone injection.University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.What is naltrexone?University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.Fact sheet: Naltrexone.Srivastava AB, Gold MS.Naltrexone: A history and future directions.Cerebrum. 2018;2018:cer-13-18.National Cancer Institute.Naltrexone hydrochloride.Younger J, Parkitny L, McLain D.The use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic pain.Clin Rheumatol. 2014;33(4):451-459. doi:10.1007/s10067-014-2517-2Cleveland Clinic.Depression.American Lung Association.Pneumonia symptoms and diagnosis.National Alliance on Mental Illness.Naltrexone.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Naltrexone.

National Library of Medicine.Naltrexone injection.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.What is naltrexone?

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School.Fact sheet: Naltrexone.

Srivastava AB, Gold MS.Naltrexone: A history and future directions.Cerebrum. 2018;2018:cer-13-18.

National Cancer Institute.Naltrexone hydrochloride.

Younger J, Parkitny L, McLain D.The use of low-dose naltrexone (LDN) as a novel anti-inflammatory treatment for chronic pain.Clin Rheumatol. 2014;33(4):451-459. doi:10.1007/s10067-014-2517-2

Cleveland Clinic.Depression.

American Lung Association.Pneumonia symptoms and diagnosis.

National Alliance on Mental Illness.Naltrexone.

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