Vivitrol Shot for Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder in Fort Lauderdale
Same-day visits are often possible
See us in our Fort Lauderdale office or by video anywhere in Florida. We take Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare and most major insurance plans. Se habla español.
Vivitrol is a monthly shot of naltrexone. It lowers cravings for alcohol and blocks the effects of opioids, which helps people stay on track after they’ve stopped.
We give Vivitrol at our Fort Lauderdale office as part of our substance use treatment for alcohol and opioid use disorder.
What Is Vivitrol?
Naltrexone is an opioid blocker, not an opioid. It isn’t addictive and doesn’t cause a high. It’s also sold as a daily naltrexone pill, but the shot lasts a month, so there’s no daily decision to make.
What It’s Used For
- Alcohol use disorder: for people who can stop drinking as outpatients before starting. You shouldn’t be drinking when you get your first shot.
- Opioid use disorder: to help prevent relapse after detox
It works best alongside counseling and support. Its safety hasn’t been established in children and teens.
Before Your First Shot
You need to be off all opioids, including tramadol, methadone and buprenorphine, for at least 7 to 10 days. If there are still opioids in your system, Vivitrol can set off sudden, severe withdrawal. People coming off methadone or buprenorphine may need up to 2 weeks. We may test for recent opioid use before giving it. No naltrexone pills are needed first.
How the Shot Is Given
One of our medical providers gives it deep in the buttock muscle every 4 weeks, switching sides each month.
Is It Right for Me?
Your provider will ask about liver or kidney disease, bleeding problems like hemophilia or low platelets, depression or suicidal thoughts, and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Side Effects
Common ones include nausea, headache, dizziness, tiredness, trouble sleeping, anxiety, less appetite, joint or muscle aches, and tenderness, bruising or itching where the shot went in.
Call us right away or get emergency care if you have:
- Pain, hardness, swelling, blisters, an open wound or a dark scab where the shot went in
- Yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, light stools or pain in the upper right belly
- Coughing, wheezing or shortness of breath
- Rash or swelling of the face, lips or throat
- Feeling hopeless or having thoughts of suicide
Important Safety Information
Vivitrol blocks opioids. Using a lot of opioids to try to get past the block can cause serious injury, coma or death. After a shot wears off, or if you miss one, your body is more sensitive to opioids than before, so a dose you used to take can now cause an overdose.
Vivitrol won’t treat withdrawal. It stays in your body for about a month and can’t be removed. Carry a card or wear an ID saying you’re on it, since it changes how emergency pain medicine works.
If You Miss a Shot
Call us and get your next shot as soon as you can.
Getting Vivitrol at One Stop Psychiatry
1. Reach out
Call (754) 270-6322 or request an appointment online. We’re open Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. If you already get this shot somewhere else and need a new place to keep it going, tell us when your next one is due so we can try to see you in time.
2. We check your coverage
Our staff verify your insurance, send your intake packet and confirm the time of your visit. Some plans require prior authorization before they’ll cover an injection. Our staff send your insurance company the information it asks for, but the insurance company makes the final decision on coverage.
3. Evaluation
Your provider goes over your history, the medicines you’ve tried, how you’ve done on them and your medical health. If you’re coming off opioids, we’ll plan the timing of your first shot with you.
4. Your injection visits
Shots are given by our medical providers at our office at 3015 N Ocean Blvd, Ste C101, Fort Lauderdale. Between shots, many check-ins can happen by video if you’re in Florida.
Common Questions
Is Vivitrol addictive?
No. Naltrexone isn’t an opioid and doesn’t cause a high or dependence.
How long do I need to be opioid-free?
At least 7 to 10 days, and sometimes up to 2 weeks if you’re coming off methadone or buprenorphine.
Does Vivitrol help with alcohol?
Yes. It lowers cravings and is approved for alcohol use disorder in people who’ve stopped drinking before starting.
Can I drink on Vivitrol?
It’s meant to help you stop. Talk with your provider about alcohol at every visit.
How is Vivitrol different from Sublocade?
Sublocade is buprenorphine, which partly activates opioid receptors. Vivitrol blocks them completely and also helps with alcohol.
Related Pages
Insurance and Cost
We take Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Humana and Optum, and we offer sliding-scale self-pay rates for visits. What you’ll pay for the medicine itself depends on your plan. We check your benefits before your first shot, though your insurance company makes the final call on coverage. More on insurance.
Several of our providers and staff speak Spanish.
We aren’t an emergency service. If you’re thinking about suicide or you’re in crisis, call or text 988. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 911.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Andrew C. Rucker, DO, psychiatrist, on October 6, 2026.
Sources: FDA label: Vivitrol; MedlinePlus: Naltrexone Injection. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Who You'll See
Your care is with our team of psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and physician assistants. Some of them speak Spanish. Our staff can help you choose someone who's a good fit.
Dr. Andrew C. Rucker, DOPsychiatrist
Dr. Murtaza Ali, DOAddiction specialist and family physician
Dr. Heather Brathwaite, PhD, PMHNP-BCPsychiatric nurse practitioner
Michelle KovalPsychiatric nurse practitioner
Neal Fouke, PAPsychiatric physician assistant
Muhammad Nawaz, PMHNP-BCPsychiatric nurse practitionerRequest an Appointment
Tell us how to reach you. Our team calls back the same business day, Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Your appointment is confirmed once staff call you to set the time and place.
Prefer to talk to someone? Call (754) 270-6322.
Our Office
3015 N Ocean Blvd, Ste C101, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308. Phone: (754) 270-6322. Open Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Video visits are available anywhere in Florida. Directions and parking.