• HEALTH & RECOVERY
    Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules Thread Directory 1 Thread Directory 2
    Mindfulness Links Addiction & Mind
    Sober Living Partner Program (SLiPP)
  • H&R Moderators: streaM Freak

Vivitrol shot- your opinion.

H

hunny143

Greenlighter
Joined
Sep 7, 2014
Messages
3
Hi Y'all.
I am 25 yr old female who brilliantly started shooting dope last January (prior to that- it was 3 years of a perc 30 habit). Within a matter of months, my life went to shit and I was brought to my knees. I am now on probation for the next 18 months, which requires weekly drug screens (unless I get the vivitrol shot- then I will only have to get a drug screen every 3 months). There is no question in my mind that I need to get this shot, because every chance I get, I use. If I have testing on Mondays, I will use up until Thursday/Friday and freak myself out teetering on the edge of barely passing my drug screen each week. I know, it's incredibly foolish to do and it's no way to live. It's pretty much insanity, because then I deal with withdrawals for 3-4 days and start it all over again. If I get this shot, I know I won't try to use because you physically cannot get high and it would be a waste of $40+. I 'd love to hear reviews on it before getting it. It seems like the best option at the moment, because it will guarantee clean drug screens & stability, so I can finally live a normal life. Anyway, I would like to hear people's opinion on the shot. Did it/does it work for you? How long have you been clean? How are the cravings?
 
I don't have any personal experience with it, but I've watched friends on it. I've heard both extremes. My one friend put it as, "It makes you not give a fuck about heroin", which must be true (at least for him) because he was dealing it for a while and never picked it back up despite being around it and all the old people and places all day everyday. On the flip side, my other friend is on it right now and she sent me a text the other day that said, "I would give anything for a shot right now."

Either way, you know that trying to use would be completely useless, and that will keep you away from it, which is good because it sounds like your purpose is to just stay clean for as long as you need to pass your drug tests. There is no way around using while on Vivitrol unlike other maintenance drugs, so I would say go for it. It sounds perfect for what you need right now :)

Just keep in mind that there is NO way you can break through the Vivitrol to obtain a high. None. By the time you get there, you'll be in overdose territory already. Someone I knew last year was trying to double up his heroin dose and it still wasn't working, so he got frustrated and eventually decided "hey I know, I'll try fent!" which of course is even more potent. Combine that with a lower tolerance and it leads to nothing good. From what I heard, he passed the getting high stage and was dead within 20 minutes, they tried to revive him but the antagonist they gave him wouldn't even touch him (I'm assuming because it was already there in the form of Vivitrol, though I could be wrong, maybe it was just too late by the time they finally called an ambulance). I don't know what the person who was with him was thinking even letting him do that, knowing the situation. I didnt really like the kid, he was a shady thief and had burned me and a few other people like 2 days before that pretty bad, but it was still sad because it could have been prevented easily.

Soo yeah. Moral of the story: Vivitrol is a good bet as far as maintenance goes, just as long as you aren't stupid about it. :)
 
Super expensive, I'd get it if I could... why not? I looked into it and my state has a program that is basically giving it out for free, but I would have to be in outpatient services and I do not qualify for them (I have been clean too long and am too stable I guess).

I've heard it is good for opiate and alcohol cravings. I guess it can make you feel a little funky for a day but after that you are good.
 
Personally I wouldn't want to be in the same room with the stuff. Does your probation allow for methadone or suboxone? Those 2 would be my choice. However the drug screen thing is tempting because I could use other drugs. Tough decision just be aware that the shot is unlikely to stop the cravings. I also highly recommend you read up on the side effects. I don't want robe reading your post about trying to dig the beads out from under your skin in a couple months.
 
First off, I will say I've seen Vivitrol be successful as a safety net for people who already have some clean time and are in active recovery (SLE, meetings, outpatient treatment, etc).

But it's really hard for me to swallow anything that forces someone to be sober. You need to want sobriety and be willing to do the work or it will never happen. I've seen a lot of people do some really desperate shit trying to get high while on the shot. I've also seen people given the shot 3 days into detox (sometimes coming off long acting opioids even) and they're basically forced to go through withdrawal for a month. Because you can't change your mind once you get it. Not to mention before there was the shot there was the implant, and people used to cut them out of their arms in desperation.

What have you tried in the past as far as treatment? If you can't do inpatient then detox then outpatient is an option. Or like a previous poster mentioned, a buprenorphine or methadone taper combined with outpatient treatment. Or there's group therapy, counseling, 12 step meetings, and other options available.

I really think the shot should be used as a last resort or as a safety net for someone in active recovery. I think it's too easy to go get it then change your mind after and either desperately try to get high or be suffering withdrawal all month. And it just seems to be a band aid for a bigger problem, it doesn't encourage active recovery.
 
When I was in treatment, I noticed lots of people in the medical profession were required to take the shots monthly in order to get their license back.
 
Hell yeah, sounds like just what you need, like other people said you need to want it and implement other things to stay clean, but what this will do is stop your mind from racing about getting high 24/7. It was an ultimatum for me (although I'm the one who came up with the idea, knew I'd use and fuck it up otherwise). This drug will give you a taste of what sobriety is about past withdrawals. Try it out if you haven't, I've been on it for 10 months out of the past year and had 2 week long relapses, but only 2 weeks oUT of a whole year? I never could have done that on my own in my hometown out of rehab with money coming in and holding down a job and college. I still want to get high, but I can't so why torture myself?
Besides you NEED to stay clean for probation, doesn't matter if you want it or not, do it to stay out of jail and actually get off probation , then decide if you wanna keep using.
 
rhun said:
F

But it's really hard for me to swallow anything that forces someone to be sober. You need to want sobriety and be willing to do the work or it will never happen. I've seen a lot of people do some really desperate shit trying to get high while on the shot. I've also seen people given the shot 3 days into detox (sometimes coming off long acting opioids even) and they're basically forced to go through withdrawal for a month. Because you can't change your mind once you get it. Not to mention before there was the shot there was the implant, and people used to cut them out of their arms in desperation.
Click to expand...

I would argue that ultimately you are making the choice to get the injection, its not really "forced". You can always say no... sure there will be consequences in some cases but that is what it is all about. I cannot see how it could be anything but positive. As for people cutting stuff out of their arms... well if that doesn't show the insanity of addiction then nothing will.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top