After detox
Vivitrol is started once your body is clear of opioids — usually after medical detox — so it can work the way it's meant to. The opioid-free interval is determined by your medical provider.
Vivitrol, one month at a time.
For opioid or alcohol use, Vivitrol is a once-a-month injection that blocks opioids and quiets cravings — no daily dose to remember. At Jasper Grove it's started after detox and managed by a qualified medical provider as part of residential care, paired with therapy.
What it is
A monthly injection, not a daily reminder.
Vivitrol is a long-acting form of naltrexone. One injection, administered by nursing staff on a qualified medical provider's order, blocks the effects of opioids and reduces alcohol cravings for about a month. Because it works only when you're already clear of opioids, it usually follows detox — a steady way to hold your ground while you focus on recovery.
How it works here
Timed right, managed by our team.
Vivitrol depends on good timing and medical oversight. Here's how it fits into your care at Jasper Grove.
One monthly injection
Administered by nursing staff on a qualified medical provider's order, a single injection lasts about a month — no daily dose to remember, one less thing to think about while you focus on recovery.
Carried into aftercare
As you plan for life after treatment, we help arrange how your monthly injection continues, so treatment doesn't lapse when you leave — a gap in dosing is when overdose risk rises.
Is it right for you?
Vivitrol may be a fit if…
You've completed detox and are clear of opioids
You want a monthly option instead of a daily medication
You're recovering from opioid use, alcohol use, or both
You're ready to pair medication with therapy, not use it on its own
Coverage
Indiana Medicaid accepted.
Vivitrol treatment is accepted through Indiana Medicaid — Anthem, CareSource, MHS, and Humana Healthy Horizons — plus most major insurance. Call and we'll verify your specific plan, what it covers, and your exact cost up front, before you commit to anything — no surprise fees.
Indiana MedicaidAnthemCareSourceMHSHumana Healthy HorizonsMost major insurance
Accredited by The Joint Commission — an independent standard for quality and safety in care.
Common questions
Vivitrol treatment, answered.
What is Vivitrol?
Vivitrol is extended-release naltrexone, given as an injection roughly once a month. It's an opioid antagonist — it blocks opioid receptors rather than occupying them the way buprenorphine does. It's approved for both opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. Vivitrol is not an opioid and does not produce opioid physical dependence.
How is Vivitrol different from Suboxone?
They work in opposite directions. Suboxone is a partial agonist that satisfies the receptor enough to quiet withdrawal and cravings. Vivitrol is an antagonist that blocks the receptor entirely, so opioids produce no effect. Suboxone can be started during withdrawal; Vivitrol requires being fully opioid-free first. Neither is universally better — they suit different people and situations.
Do I have to be off opioids before starting Vivitrol?
Yes, and this is the critical part. Because Vivitrol blocks the receptors, starting it with opioids still in your system causes immediate, severe precipitated withdrawal. Before treatment for opioid use disorder, patients generally need an opioid-free interval determined by the medical provider, based on which opioid was used and your own history rather than a fixed number of days. Completing withdrawal management before the injection is precisely why it fits residential care.
Does Vivitrol work for alcohol too?
Yes. Vivitrol is approved for alcohol use disorder as well as opioid use disorder, and it reduces cravings and the rewarding effect of drinking. It's the medication option we use for alcohol use disorder at Jasper Grove.
What happens if I use opioids while on Vivitrol?
You generally won't feel the effect, because the receptors are blocked — and that itself carries a serious risk. People sometimes take escalating amounts trying to overcome the block, which can cause overdose when the medication wears off. Overdose risk is also elevated at the end of the monthly cycle and if a dose is missed, because tolerance has dropped. This is discussed frankly as part of starting it.
What are the side effects of Vivitrol?
Injection-site reactions are the most common, alongside nausea, headache, fatigue, and joint or muscle aches, particularly after the first dose. Injection-site reactions can be serious. Ya qualified medical provider reviews liver risk, mood symptoms, injection-site risk, pain-management considerations, and overdose vulnerability — at the end of a dosing interval, after a missed dose, and after discontinuation. Tell your medical provider about side effects rather than skipping a dose: opioid tolerance falls while you are on Vivitrol, so a missed dose or discontinuation raises overdose risk.
How long do people stay on Vivitrol?
It varies. Many people continue for months while the rest of recovery becomes established, and some longer. Because it's monthly rather than daily, continuity depends on keeping appointments after discharge — which is planned into your aftercare rather than left to chance.
Does Indiana Medicaid cover Vivitrol?
Vivitrol is accepted through Indiana Medicaid plans and most major insurance. Call and we'll verify your specific plan and your exact cost up front.
Take the next step
A month of steady ground to build on.
You don't have to do this alone. Admissions answers 24/7 — call and we'll talk through whether Vivitrol fits your plan, and verify your coverage first.