What Drugs Interact With Vivitrol?

Vivitrol is an addiction treatment medication that can interact with certain substances, including narcotics, street drugs, and prescription medications for pain or cough.

Taking Vivitrol with these substances could cause Vivitrol to not work as well, or prevent the beneficial effects of medications for certain health conditions.

Learn more about the benefits of taking Vivitrol for addiction treatment

Drugs To Avoid While Taking Vivitrol

Before taking Vivitrol, be sure to tell your doctor about any medications, including supplements, you are currently taking. This may require adjustments to your treatment.

Here are drugs that Vivitrol may interact with:

Opioid Pain And Cough Relievers

Vivitrol is an opioid antagonist medication that can precipitate withdrawal symptoms if a person takes Vivitrol with opioids in their system. This can cause physical sickness.

Examples of opioid pain and cough relievers include:

• morphine
• codeine
• oxycodone (OxyContin)
• hydrocodone (Vicodin)
• fentanyl (Duragesic)
• oxymorphone (Opana)
• hydromorphone (Dilaudid)
• tramadol (Ultram)
• meperidine (Demerol)
• methadone (Methadose, Dolophine)
• Tylenol with codeine

Dextromethorphan (DXM)

Dextromethorphan, also known as DXM, is an ingredient in some cough syrups, including Robitussin, Wal-tussin, and Robafen Cough.

Dextromethorphan should be avoided, if possible, while taking Vivitrol or naltrexone for alcohol or opioid use disorder in order to prevent any sort of drug interaction.

Antidiarrheal Medications

Some medications approved to help relieve diarrhea contain opioids or opioid derivatives, which can interact with Vivitrol shots.

Antidiarrheal medications that can interact with Vivitrol include:

• loperamide (Imodium)
• diphenoxylate
• difenoxin

Taking Vivitrol with this type of drug could precipitate opioid withdrawal symptoms and prevent the beneficial effects of the antidiarrheal medication.

Blood Thinners

Certain blood thinners, also known as anticoagulants, can interact with Vivitrol.

This includes:

• warfarin (Jantoven, Coumadin)
• enoxaparin

Street Drugs

Street drugs, such as heroin, should be avoided while taking Vivitrol. Mixing Vivitrol with illicit drugs could lead to an adverse reaction, including a rapid onset of opioid withdrawal symptoms.

Alcohol Use Disorder Medications

Vivitrol may negatively interact with disulfiram, also known as Antabuse, which is another medication commonly used to treat alcohol use disorder.

Taking disulfiram with Vivitrol could increase the risk of experiencing liver problems, including acute liver injury.

Other Medications For Opioid Use Disorder

Vivitrol is one of three medications currently approved to treat opioid use disorder, with the others being methadone and buprenorphine. Both are used for maintenance therapy.

Other names for these medications include:

• Methadose
• Dolophine
• Subutex
• Suboxone
• Zubsolv
• Suboclade
• Bunavail
• Probuphine

Because both methadone and buprenorphine are opioid agonist medications, combining them with Vivitrol should be avoided to prevent a negative interaction.

Call Today To Find Vivitrol Treatment

If you’re looking for more information about Vivitrol, or want to find Vivitrol for yourself or a loved one struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, we may be able to help.

Call us today to learn more about Vivitrol or how to find Vivitrol treatment options at a rehab center near you.

Written by the Addiction Resource Editorial Staff