If you’ve been struggling with an addiction, especially an opioid or alcohol use disorder, your doctor may discuss potentially prescribing Sublocade or Vivitrol for you. 

Both of these are prescription drugs that were created to help individuals overcome their physical and mental dependence on drugs and alcohol. They each work in different ways, but both are best used in the early stages of recovery and can be highly beneficial for recovery.

Depending on your unique situation and individual needs, one of these medications will be better suited for you than the other. By reaching out to a professional advisor, you can receive an evaluation that clearly reveals what the best option for you is.

In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at both Sublocade and Vivitrol, what they’re used for and how they work. 

What is Sublocade?

Sublocade is a medication used as a tool in the early stages of addiction recovery, often during medical detoxification.

Its main active ingredient is called buprenorphine which is considered a controlled substance and belongs to a group of drugs referred to as partial opioid agonists. This means that Sublocade works similarly to opioids; both have high-like effects on the mind and body.

While users receive a minimal high when being administered Sublocade, it’s still significantly less than the euphoria caused by opioids. When distributed slowly Sublocade can work to not only reduce a person’s cravings but prevent or relieve withdrawal symptoms as well.

What is Vivitrol?

Vivitrol is another medication used during the detoxification phase in order to help individuals overcome a substance use disorder, but it works differently than Sublocade does.

Its main active ingredient is naltrexone, which belongs to a group of drugs called opioid antagonists. Rather than cause similar effects to opioids like agonists, antagonists block the effects of opioids and other opioid-like drugs.

This blocks the receptors in the brain that would normally trigger a euphoric high in the individual and helps to lower the frequency and intensity of opiate cravings.

Sublocade vs vivitrol: an overview

Both Sublocade and Vivitrol are prescription medications that are commonly used to assist in the treatment of substance use disorders, especially opioid and alcohol use disorders.

While both medications can aid a person in their journey to sobriety, they work in very different ways and are not at all compatible with one another. 

While Sublocade works as a partial opioid agonist (meaning it has opioid-like effects on your body), Vivitrol is an opioid antagonist (meaning it blocks opioid-like effects). This is why these two medications cannot be used simultaneously — they would cancel each other out at best, and produce unpleasant side effects at worst.

Because Sublocade affects you similarly to opioids, there’s a potential for abuse and addiction. Vivitrol, on the other hand, has little potential for abuse due to how it affects a person by blocking any opioid-life effects on their body.

Both of these prescription medications are best used in the initial phases of recovery — the detoxification process specifically — but they are not the final stage. After completing your prescription of Sublocade or Vivitrol, you’ll be enrolled in an inpatient or outpatient rehabilitation program in order to complete the next stage of the recovery process.

How to get on Vivitrol or Sublocade?

One should only pursue a prescription to Vivitrol or Sublocade under the recommendation and guidance of a doctor, addiction specialist or other qualified healthcare individuals.

These two medications may not be compatible with one of your current medications, or they may result in uncomfortable or severe side effects. Working with a medical professional to help you navigate the ups and downs of finding a new prescription medication is essential.

To speak with an advisor and figure out if one of these medications is the right next step for your recovery, send us a message today and we’ll discuss your options thoroughly.

Reach out to us

Real Recovery provides personalized addiction rehabilitation and mental health treatment to adult males struggling with substance use or mental disorders. Regardless of where you’re at in your journey with substance abuse, we’re here to support you in whatever way we can.

Our organization revolves around providing treatment that draws upon deep intervention, individual change and continued support. Understanding that each individual is uniquely their own person, your treatment plan will be carefully and intentionally designed for you.

To begin learning about how you can take the first steps towards sobriety today, send us a message or call us today at 855-363-7325.