Vivitrol and Alcohol Withdrawal
Alcohol withdrawal can be a painful and unpleasant experience for both the client and those around them. If you or someone you know has an alcohol use disorder and is going through withdrawal, it’s only natural that you’ll want to look for anything to make the process go by more quickly or, at least, less painfully.
However, as with most home remedies, it can be difficult to determine how successful it will be before trying it out. Further, if the alternative treatment doesn’t work, it can make things significantly worse. Let’s take a look at alcohol withdrawal and its symptoms, then we’ll look at whether or not Vivitrol can help alleviate the symptoms or help with the underlying condition itself.
What Is Alcohol Withdrawal? What Are the Symptoms?
When people with a long history of drinking heavy amounts of alcohol suddenly quit “cold turkey” (i.e., without drinking increasingly smaller amounts until their body adjusts), they will often experience a condition known as alcohol withdrawal.
Symptoms can begin up to a few hours after the person’s last drink and come in three separate categories based on severity. The first set is made up of mild symptoms, which include insomnia, shaking, increased blood pressure, anxiety, nausea, heart palpitations, and headaches.
The next phase contains more severe symptoms, including auditory hallucinations and withdrawal seizures. In rare cases, people will suffer seizures that are epileptic. Others will experience delirium tremens or “the DTs”.
Clients with delirium tremens will experience an increased heart rate, visual hallucinations, hypertension, heavy sweating, hyperthermia, and agitation. This condition can last for seven days or, in extreme cases, even longer.
What Is Vivitrol? What Does It Do?
Vivitrol is a popular brand name for naltrexone, a prescription injection that is classified as an “opioid antagonist.” This means that it works by shutting down the body’s endorphin receptors. For this reason, it was originally designed and marketed to help opiate users recover from their withdrawals more quickly.
However, it has also become popular and has been approved by the FDA for treating alcohol use disorders. The medication reduces the client’s cravings for alcohol. It does this by blocking the feelings and effects they would normally experience when drinking by shutting down the endorphin receptors in the brain. As the body no longer receives a rush of endorphins when thinking about alcohol, the user becomes less tempted to break their sobriety. If the individual does consume alcohol, however, they will experience severe discomfort, nausea, and vomiting, among other side effects.
Vivitrol is administered as an intramuscular injection in the gluteus region. It generally lasts inside the body for at least a month. Once you have received an injection, it cannot be removed.
As Vivitrol is an opiate blocker, it can interfere with prescription painkillers and cause serious medical issues for people who have been prescribed opiates for acute or chronic pain. The administering physician should be made aware of all prescription and over-the-counter supplements and medications their clients take to prevent severe side effects from occurring.
Does Vivitrol Help With Alcohol Withdrawal?
Although it is used to reduce alcohol cravings, Vivitrol will not help clients experiencing alcohol withdrawal. According to Vivitrol’s official website, “Use of Vivitrol does not eliminate nor diminish alcohol withdrawal symptoms.”
Further, as Vivitrol’s main function is to reduce cravings by blocking the pleasurable effects of alcohol and thereby reduce cravings, it is dangerous to have any amount of alcohol left in the body at the time of injection. It can cause severe side effects like nausea and vomiting.
What Does Help With Alcohol Withdrawal?
The most common treatments for alcohol withdrawal include intravenous benzodiazepines like diazepam (Valium) or lorazepam (Ativan), IV fluids, and an electrolyte solution. For this reason, it is highly recommended that those experiencing withdrawal symptoms receive immediate medical attention.
Another major reason is the possibility that an individual could also have Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, a lack of vitamin B1 which often presents in cases with chronic alcohol consumption. The medical term for this is “co-morbid condition.” As Wernicke-Korsakoff can lead to permanent brain damage, clients are also often treated with a “banana bag,” an IV solution that contains B1 and other vitamins.
Clients who have only mild or moderate symptoms of alcohol withdrawal are often treated as outpatients and may require only an overnight stay in the hospital. However, there are a few factors that may lead a doctor to recommend an in-patient program or a longer hospital stay, including being at high risk for delirium tremens.
If individuals with alcohol use disorder don’t have an adequate support system, they can also enter an inpatient treatment program. Other factors that make them eligible for inpatient treatment include a history of withdrawal seizures, abnormal test results, psychiatric or psychological conditions, or experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Post-Withdrawal Treatment
After the withdrawal symptoms have subsided and clients are feeling better, steps should be taken to ensure that their recovery journey stays on track. At this point, clients may consider receiving a shot of Vivitrol as an intramuscular injection, provided that they have been medically cleared to do so.
Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or similar organizations can help provide a support structure for sobriety if the client doesn’t have a strong support system at home or they would like to improve upon the system they already have.
Depending on the severity of the alcohol use disorder, some clients may wish to explore the possibility of spending time at an inpatient rehabilitation center. Others may choose a sober living facility that allows them to work and gradually reintegrate into society.
Perhaps the most important factor in achieving and maintaining a sober lifestyle is therapy or counseling to explore the reasons why a person developed an alcohol use disorder in the first place. For some clients, it could be a trauma response like PTSD, while others may have grown up in a home with one or more parents who also drank large quantities of alcohol.
Regardless of the specific circumstances, identifying the cause is the first step to being able to overcome an addiction. A professional and licensed therapist can help determine the reasons behind the drinking and provide solutions to help maintain a healthy, sober lifestyle.
As mentioned above, Vivitrol can also help reduce cravings for alcohol by shutting off the body’s opiate receptors. Disulfiram, commonly marketed as Antabuse, can be used either as an addition to or an alternative for people who are allergic to Vivitrol, prefer not to receive injections, or would otherwise prefer a pill-based solution, either medically or for personal reasons.
Taking a pill every day can also help establish healthy behaviors by establishing sobriety as part of the client’s daily routine. It is also important to note that Antabuse works differently than Vivitrol, as it is designed to produce alcohol sensitivity by making even the smallest amounts of alcohol severely unpleasant.
Other ways to reduce triggers include removing oneself from stressful situations, taking up yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, or any other form of relaxation and stress relief that can help curtail the urge to consume alcohol.
Alcohol Withdrawal, Vivitrol, and Depression
Alcohol use disorder, post-withdrawal, and Vivitrol have all been potentially linked to depression and suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know has recently quit drinking and you’re struggling with depression, it’s important to remember that you are not alone.
Oftentimes, people are afraid to admit that they’re depressed or that they’re experiencing suicidal thoughts. However, the stigma around depression and mental health in general has lessened considerably in recent years. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 16% of adults in the United States will experience depression at some point in their lives.
Possible symptoms of depression include not finding enjoyment in previous activities you enjoyed; sleeping too much or insomnia; feeling sad or anxious constantly; issues with decision-making, memory, or concentration; feeling hopeless, worthless, or guilty; increased or decreased appetite; feeling tired even after a long night’s sleep; and suicidal thoughts, ideation, or attempts.
If any of these symptoms sound familiar, it’s highly recommended that you speak with a therapist or a doctor. They can offer solutions like medication or lifestyle changes that can help make depression manageable. This is especially important for Vivitrol users, as opiate blockers reduce endorphins and can make depression worse if untreated.
Clients who have depression and wish to start taking Vivitrol injections may also get a referral to start treatment either before or after the dose is administered to make sure their mental health isn’t negatively affected. Although all clients who receive the medication are urged to see a counselor or therapist as part of their treatment, the physician who administers the injection should also be informed.
Final Thoughts
Although Vivitrol can provide many benefits to people experiencing alcohol use disorders, it is only designed to be taken with absolutely zero alcohol in the client’s system. Taking this medication too soon after consuming alcohol can result in side effects, like nausea and vomiting.
Alcohol use disorder and withdrawal can be a very difficult experience, and although you may feel like you’d rather detox at home, the best way to treat alcohol withdrawal is to seek professional medical advice from a licensed physician. They’ll be able to provide prescription medication and the monitoring that you will require to help you get back to normal. A few days after the withdrawal symptoms subside, it will be safe to get a Vivitrol injection to help curb alcohol cravings if desired.
Alcohol Awareness
If you are struggling with an alcohol addiction, call our 24/7 hotline, Alcohol Awareness. We can transfer you to addiction specialists as well as treatment centers near you. Please remember that you are not alone, and help is always available.