Reported by data published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, around 20 million Americans are afflicted with drug or alcohol dependence. That unbelievable number implies that close to 10 percent of Americans over the age of 12 are addicted to alcohol or drugs, that is more or less the equivalent number as the population in Texas. For lots of Americans, dependence on alcohol or drugs is a problem they may never find a way to get away from. However, a new medicine has been authorized for use on people who are recovering from opioid addiction. People recuperating from opiate abuse and undergoing opiate rehab have the opportunity to get helped by Vivitrol. Even though doctors and scientists detest the phrase “miracle drug”, it would appear that Vivitrol is just that for some addicts.
What is Vivitrol?
Vivitrol is the brand for a naltrexone injectable medicine. It has been used to treat alcohol addiction for a few years and just recently was approved to assist in treating people recovering from an opiate addiction. Vivitrol is just intended for individuals older than 18 and it has to be given from a healthcare professional. The medicine is shot intramuscularly in to the affected person one time every four weeks and works to bind with the opioid receptors in the body and block the craving and effects of harmful drugs like methadone and heroin.
Potential Unwanted Effects
There are a few significant side-effects of taking Vivitrol such as reactions at the site of the injections, liver damage, and liver disease. The flesh surrounding the injection site may even die (necrosis) and need to be surgically removed. Also the medicine isn’t recommended for those who have taken opioids within the previous 10 days leading up to treatment of Vivitrol as it may result in serious reactions. Then again the most typical side effects are actually less serious, such as nausea or vomiting, headaches, low energy, appetite loss and also muscle pains.
Life Changing For A Few
A person who has made some headlines just recently is Nicole Kapulsky, who has recovered from her opioid addiction through the use of Vivitrol and swears by it. Kapulsky, a 35 year old mother lost every thing as soon as she grew to be dependent on opiates during 2009 and couldn’t find a treatment that helped her. She turned to Vivitrol and has now been sober for a year and a half, saying the medication saved her . She no longer thinks about heroin or any other drugs anymore and claims to have her own life back in order.
Currently, in the us, more than 23.5 million individuals are suffering from addiction to drugs or alcohol. With the aid of medicines like Vivitrol, that figure can be reduced. Vivitrol is believed to be a “miracle drug” by some when it comes to breaking the cycle of opiate abuse. People who’ve recently been through opiate rehab are actually finding a way to remain drug free permanently, and they simply take the medication once per month. Check out https://www.thewatershed.com/resource/opiate-abuse/ to learn more about opiate abuse in the us.
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