You should be treated with Vivitrol only if you have not recently used: any opioid medicine, buprenorphine, methadone, or medicine to treat a cold, cough, diarrhea, or pain. Using these medicines in the 7 to 14 days before starting Vivitrol can cause sudden opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Do not use opioid medication, heroin, or other street drugs while you are receiving Vivitrol. Doing so could result in dangerous effects, including coma and death.
Call your doctor if you have ongoing or worsening pain, redness, itching, bruising, swelling, or a hard lump where the medicine was injected.
Naltrexone can harm your liver. Tell your doctor if you have upper stomach pain, dark urine, or yellowing in the whites of your eyes.
After receiving Vivitrol, your body will be more sensitive to opioids if you use an opioid medicine in the future. Using the same amount you used before could lead to overdose or death.
Before taking this medicine
You should not receive a Vivitrol injection if you still use opioid medicine, or you could have sudden and severe withdrawal symptoms.
You should not be treated with Vivitrol if you are allergic to naltrexone, or if:
you are currently addicted to opioids;
you are having withdrawal symptoms from opioid addiction;
you have used any opioid medicine within the past 7 to 14 days (including fentanyl, Vicodin, OxyContin, and many others);
you have used methadone or buprenorphine (Subutex, Butrans, Suboxone, Zubsolv) in the past 14 days; or
you have used any medicine to treat a cold, cough, diarrhea, or pain in the past 7 to 14 days.
To make sure Vivitrol is safe for you, tell your doctor if you have ever had:
liver disease;
kidney disease; or
bleeding problems such as hemophilia.
Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
It is not known whether Vivitrol will harm an unborn baby. However, if you use opioid medicine while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the drug. This can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. Babies born dependent on opioids may need medical treatment for several weeks.
How is Vivitrol given?
Vivitrol is injected into a muscle. This injection is usually given once a month (every 4 weeks) and can be given only by a healthcare professional. Get your Vivitrol injection regularly to get the most benefit.
You may notice pain, redness, itching, bruising, swelling, or a hard lump where the medicine was injected. Call your doctor if you have this type of reaction, especially if it gets worse or does not clear up within 2 weeks.
Vivitrol injections are only part of a complete treatment program that may also include additional forms of counseling and/or monitoring. Follow your doctor's instructions very closely.
In case of emergency, wear or carry medical identification to let others know you are using this medicine.
After using Vivitrol, your body will be more sensitive to opioids. If you use an opioid medicine in the future, you will need to use less than before naltrexone treatment. Using the same amount you used before could lead to overdose or death.
