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Opioids Vivitrol (Naltrexone Injection ????)

Trikki

Trikki

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Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
1
So I'm basically being pushed against my will by family to receive this shot in a few days and I need SERIOUS feedback about a concern regarding depression after the injection, if anybody has had the shot/knows from people who have had the shot.

I've battled major depression on the day to day for a while.. esp since getting off the junk... I have read that VIVITROL's mechanism of action in the brain is that in which it blocks all opiate receptors INCLUDING the ones that would provide for NATURAL ENDORPHINS that our bodies start to re-produce after abstaining from opiates for a while.

On the other hand, I have also heard that it helps "re-stimulate the chemical production of natural endorphins in the brain" in the long run. Now, being a BS Bio grad.... I simple CAN NOT see how it would be possible for the brain to "start re-producing" natural endorphins if those receptors in the brain are constantly filled with naltrexone... I mean, are there other opiate/opioid receptors in the brain that naltrexone does NOT affect that I am unaware of?

My doctor, of course, tells me I'll be fine.. but he is going to push the drug no matter what cause the scumbag gets a kickback every time he writes the script for this very expensive drug (which my insurance co has decided to pay for... great.. lucky me).

My depression has gotten a bit better since getting clean, I'm just super scared that this mega-dose shot of naltrexone each month is going to put me back it that depressed state, constantly... and that no amount of exercise/healthy living/pleasure is going to truly felt while I'm on the shot. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks. :?
 
I've never had it myself(nor would i want it), but the side effects range from insomnia and nausea to severe depression.

I believe i read one injection will last you a whole month. Basically if you try to take opiates during this month you won't get any effect at all.
If you take opiates when the naltrexone leaves your system, your tolerance will be that of a opioid virgin, or at least a shit ton lower. If you relapse you could probably die.

I'm no doctor so i advise you to do a little research about the benefits & risks of this medication.

Doctors nowadays must think that opiates(even endorphins if you get this) are some demon drug. IMO everybody needs their endogenous chemicals left alone, time will sort it out. They push prozac and lexapro like candy, but if you need something for pain that actually works, here's some tramadol. Fuck the government.

SOrry about the rant bro.

Good luck getting and staying clean man, i know it's difficult, but you will heal with time.
 
crimsonjunk said:
Dont let anyone push you onto this decision.
Click to expand...

Agreed. Naltrexone and opiate antagonists alike were designed to bring people out of 'od's'
Flooding your system with an antagonist on a monthly basis just seems to be asking for trouble.
Personally you couldn't pay me to get an injection of that shit.
It's your call though.
 
Depression is a common side effect of Vivitrol. Also I don't think it's good idea to use something like that solely out of pressure from someone else. I have seen that happen and wind up badly, with people using huge doses of heroin to try to overcome the blockade. If you are going to try it, start by taking oral naltrexone that doesn't last for a month+ so you can see how it affects you, instead of going straight for the injection.

Trikki said:
On the other hand, I have also heard that it helps "re-stimulate the chemical production of natural endorphins in the brain" in the long run. Now, being a BS Bio grad.... I simple CAN NOT see how it would be possible for the brain to "start re-producing" natural endorphins if those receptors in the brain are constantly filled with naltrexone... I mean, are there other opiate/opioid receptors in the brain that naltrexone does NOT affect that I am unaware of?
Click to expand...

So the idea is that because your opioid receptors are blocked, your body may gradually start producing more endorphins to compensate. So supposedly when you stop the Vivitrol you would have higher levels of endorphins than before you started getting the shot. Another theory is that the naltrexone sensitizes the opiate receptors themselves, so that your receptors would be more sensitive to endorphins (and opioid drugs) after you stop the shots. Or it may be both. Hopefully someone who has actually used it will chime in about their experience.

As for what opiate receptors it blocks, naltrexone (and it's active metabolite) is a competitive antagonist of μ- and κ-opioid receptors, and (less strongly) δ-opioid receptors. μ-opioid receptors are the main target of opiates and of endorphins. β-endorphin - the main/most studied/understood endorphin - acts mainly on μ-opioid receptors, a little bit on δ-opioid receptors, and a tiny bit on κ-opioid receptors. So naltrexone will be antagonizing the receptors that it acts on.

There is controversy about whether specific activities release endorphins and whether certain feelings, like pleasure from exercise, are due to endorphins or not. Naltrexone isn't going to block other pleasurable neurotransmitters. But I would be legitimately concerned about depression and increased sensitivity to pain while on it.
 
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Yeah, pure pressure from the other side helps about as much as it does down on 22nd street. Everyone's different, but when I was talked into this vivitrol crap, I was sick for a while after the injection. Nothing else will work the entire month, although I didn't really try that hard. I think it was about four weeks after that first shot I went back to regular opiates, which I can actually tolerate. That stuff did nothing for cravings, and boy did it actually LOWER my tolerance. I can't say it made me depressed, I mean, it was already depressing being on something that does literally nothing.
 
Yeah I've heard a lot of negatives regarding vivitrol.. one detox I was in tried pushing it really hard on everybody, hailing it as wonder drug, etc. But, it didn't even take that much research and speaking with those who had tried it to see that its got a lot of issues.

I'd never get that shot.
 
naltrexone is an evildrug in my opinion, 18 months i was on it orally and feltshit the whole time, also even after being 3.5 weeks clean started them again and instantly (well 30 min or so) i felt like i was 3 days into a full on heroin rattle again! evil shit, no amount of money would convince me to touch that drug again
 
Trikki said:
So I'm basically being pushed against my will by family to receive this shot in a few days and I need SERIOUS feedback about a concern regarding depression after the injection, if anybody has had the shot/knows from people who have had the shot.

I've battled major depression on the day to day for a while.. esp since getting off the junk... I have read that VIVITROL's mechanism of action in the brain is that in which it blocks all opiate receptors INCLUDING the ones that would provide for NATURAL ENDORPHINS that our bodies start to re-produce after abstaining from opiates for a while.

On the other hand, I have also heard that it helps "re-stimulate the chemical production of natural endorphins in the brain" in the long run. Now, being a BS Bio grad.... I simple CAN NOT see how it would be possible for the brain to "start re-producing" natural endorphins if those receptors in the brain are constantly filled with naltrexone... I mean, are there other opiate/opioid receptors in the brain that naltrexone does NOT affect that I am unaware of?

My doctor, of course, tells me I'll be fine.. but he is going to push the drug no matter what cause the scumbag gets a kickback every time he writes the script for this very expensive drug (which my insurance co has decided to pay for... great.. lucky me).

My depression has gotten a bit better since getting clean, I'm just super scared that this mega-dose shot of naltrexone each month is going to put me back it that depressed state, constantly... and that no amount of exercise/healthy living/pleasure is going to truly felt while I'm on the shot. Feedback is greatly appreciated. Thanks. :?
Click to expand...

What happened, OP?

I was on Vivitrol.

Just so you know... I did NOT experience depression (though I take a very low dose of Celexa), and for the most part, hard no negative side-effects. Mostly minor headaches for the first few days after the shot (easily cleared up by Ibprofen, etc), and sometimes it messed up my stomach a little (again, only for a day or two).

While many posters are willing to speak negatively about Vivitrol, I don't see more than one other person here who has actually had the shot.

However, I Wanted the shot... I wanted to have that crutch. If you are being pushed into it, well, my guess is you won't have the best experience on it. Feel free to ask questions if you have them.
 
I took vivitrol for 2 months. The only side effect i had and im actually still having is i cant seem to ejaculate only once and awhile. My last shot of vivitrol was a month and a half ago. Has any experienced this? Please help my gf thinks im not attracted to her because when we have sex i cant cum......
 
anderson112 said:
I took vivitrol for 2 months. The only side effect i had and im actually still having is i cant seem to ejaculate only once and awhile. My last shot of vivitrol was a month and a half ago. Has any experienced this? Please help my gf thinks im not attracted to her because when we have sex i cant cum......
Click to expand...

Hmm, I have never heard of that, in fact there have been studies that found that naltrexone actually increased numbers of orgasms in men (for example this one). But "paradoxical" or unusual drug side effects can happen. Or, if you were using the Vivitrol after stopping opioids, could it perhaps be due to stopping opioids? I know for me ever since I quit opioids I have decreased libido and difficulty reaching orgasm (I'm female though, not sure if that makes a difference), even though many other people report the opposite.
 
Yes I took the vivitrol for stopping opiads. But the thing is before I took the vivitrol I was fine. I dont know what to do
 
Maqybe find a middle ground with naltrexone pills or atleast for the first few weeks so if you dont like it you are not committed to a month.
 
anderson112 said:
My last injection was over a month and a half ago
Click to expand...

Even though you're supposed to get them once a month they last longer than that, so it could still be affecting you. Maybe you will find improvement once it's all out of your system. Not sure if there is anything you can really do in the meantime... Some guys say the amino acid l-arginine helps with orgasms.
 
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