Vivitrol and Tiredness: What Users Say

• Pal...
• March 9, 2019

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I've struggled with alcoholism for 10 years. Vivitrol was suggested before but I couldn't afford it. I was able to find a clinic that got a federal grant for Vivitrol. The first 4-5 days I was tired, leg cramps up through my buttocks (felt like the flu), hip and ankle pain, irritable, sad, nauseous. Side effects eventually went away after 1 week. Cravings have been minimal to non-existent. Yesterday I was irritable; had a bad day at work which triggered me. Decided what the hell and see if the drug really did take away that feel-good feeling. I drank about half the amount I usually do and it didn't do anything other than the physical side effects. I ended up pouring the rest out and went to bed. This is a miracle! I am so grateful! Looking forward to continuing using it for this year while I complete my 12 steps in the AA program so I will not only be physically healthy, but mentally and spiritually too! THANK YOU VIVITROL AND THANK YOU TO MY CLINIC AND GRANT MONEY!"

• thi...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 27, 2023

For Alcohol Use Disorder "OMG. I feel like I'm dying of apathy at best, and a shaking, sweating, angry ball of anxiety at worst. I had gone through alcohol and benzo withdrawal a month ago, then got this horrible shot and immediately felt like I was going through it all over again, plus other weird side effects like ringing ears, insomnia but exhaustion, lack of motivation, and no interest in anything... at all. Today is only a week since I got the shot, and I can't stand to think that the next 3 weeks will be like this. Do your research, unlike me. If you have depression or anxiety, think this over. Yay, I'm not drinking or thinking about drinking, but I feel like I wouldn't get off the couch if the house was on fire, either. I would do benzo withdrawal twice over rather than deal with these awful side effects. Never again."

• Mar...
• February 7, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "I came off a two-year opiate habit. I’d bounce between heroin and Suboxone. I could get off the H and onto the Suboxone just fine. The problem was I couldn’t get off the subs. I went to a 30-day inpatient rehab. I detoxed, tapered off subs quickly, and felt fine for the next 14 days. I was getting better every day. Then I got the shot. Sick every day, no energy or motivation, trouble sleeping, etc. It’s been almost 3 weeks after the shot, and these side effects are not going away. I’ll never do it again. It’s not PAWS. I know the difference. For whatever reason, Vivitrol is a bad mix for me. I don’t really have any cravings, but I feel awful. Not dope sick awful, but bad enough that I won’t be getting a second shot. All of this got me to do some in-depth research, and I found some sketchy stuff with regard to how the mfg. tested this medication and used lobbyists to get it approved and into the court systems, etc. If it works for you, great. For me, not so much."

• San...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 24, 2018

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I'm on my 4th month of Vivitrol. I haven't drunk at all. I only think about drinking again when emotionally triggered. I think the drug is doing its job and will continue. I am tired and depressed, but that's just part of this whole cleanup process. A+ Vivitrol."

• Hob...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 19, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "I couldn't stop using dope for the life of me. Literally. I used within 24 hours of getting the Vivitrol shot. My doctor knew, but he also knew if he didn't get it into me, I would keep using and die. I had two days of intense withdrawal. Worse than I'd ever had. Then about five more days of laziness and being agitated. But once your mind finally gives up and comes to terms that you can't get high, you calm down. The hustle stops. This was my only option to stop. Feeling like death for two days was worth the lifelong nightmare I was pursuing."

• Max...
• August 20, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "Vivitrol is a lifesaver for sure, but the mental aspects, such as the depression, lethargy, lack of motivation, and gastro problems, are all really side effects. But I was so depressed and lethargic from the shot I couldn't bear to stay on it any longer than a month. By day 25, the Vivitrol depression was lifting, and I started to feel normal again. You have to weigh the pros and cons of the shot. Nobody talks about how Vivitrol blocks the heroin from entering your opiate receptors, but it also blocks the natural production of serotonin and dopamine from entering these receptors as well. Vivitrol cannot differentiate between the two. It's a proven fact, and I know from experience. But the makers of the shot don't want you to know this. In the end, I have a love-hate relationship with Vivitrol. It gave me the time to heal, but the depression and lethargy the shot causes I wouldn't wish on everyone."

• Tom...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 22, 2017

For Opioid Use Disorder "I just want to let everyone know Suboxone withdrawal can happen days after the last dose. It's not the shot that makes you sick. As for feeling lethargic and lazy as well as everything else, welcome to recovery. It can take several months for your body to recover back to normal. That means having energy, a good appetite, sleeping normally, regular bowel movements. And that can all happen even if you're not on the Vivitrol shot and just doing cold turkey. So please, people, do your research before you post information that could sway someone from taking this method of recovery. Because it could decide on if they live or die. And yes, I am talking from experience."

• Anonymous
• November 9, 2018

For Opioid Use Disorder "I was drinking a lot every day and taking about 20 to 30 drops a day, plus other things. I woke up one day and decided that I needed to do something about it before I ended up dead. It was hard to do, my wife had no idea for the last 14 years I was an addict. The first thing I did was come clean with her, which was the hardest thing to do when you spend so much time covering your tracks. It's hard to humble yourself and come clean, but that is the first step. After that, I had to be clean for five to seven days before I could get Vivitrol. Days before I got the shot, I remember sitting in the living room in tears, wondering if I'll ever be right. But getting the shot is the best move, it does not hurt bad at all, it's like a flu shot, and all of this about no energy and whatnot, I did not experience. I felt great the night I got it, I had more energy and more of an appetite. It has now been two months, and I have not had a drink or any opioids. If I can give you any advice, get the shot and get your life back."

• Ies...
• September 25, 2020

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I received the Vivitrol injection yesterday morning and have felt tired, (like can’t really get enough sleep) tired. I was worried until I read comments on this platform. It seems to be a common feeling for the first 4 days. I’m hopeful."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 21, 2022

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Made me extremely ill. Not an opiate user. Got the 30-day shot. Feel anxious, problems with my digestive system, headaches, trouble sleeping, and overly tired somehow. Fatigued all day, and my body aches. It's awful. I feel like I have the flu, and simultaneously, all the joy has been sucked out of my life. I can't take pleasure in anything during the day."

• Lyn...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2018

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I received the Vivitrol shot 3 days ago for alcohol dependency. So far, it has helped with the craving to want to drink. The side effects that I have are I’m constantly tired and have no motivation. I just feel blank and withdrawn from the world. I hear this lasts for only 4 days or so, I truly hope that’s true. Hopefully, my body adjusts to this medication (injection) so I can get up out of bed and enjoy life again. I’m just so not used to being down, I’m normally full of energy and have motivation to do things. Fingers crossed."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 11, 2019

For Opioid Use Disorder "The first couple of days after I get the shot, I feel a little out of it, like “blah” and tired, but that goes away. This shot significantly helps my cravings to get high. There’s no obsession anymore. It’s just a thought, and then it passes. Plus, after a while, it resets your dopamine levels back to normal, and your brain heals. I recommend it to every opiate abuser out there and alcoholic!"

• Bek...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 11, 2018

For Alcohol Use Disorder "I have been getting the shot for four months now. I love how it helps with cravings. I have noticed, though, that about a week before I'm due for my next shot, I get very irritable. I also feel more tired than usual. I can deal with the tiredness, but the irritability can be unbearable."

• Tbi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 22, 2018

For Opioid Use Disorder "Was on Suboxone for years and tampered with it to be able to use heroin consistently. Have been off heroin for 10 months and Suboxone for 6. Got onto Vivitrol 6 months ago, and at first felt like garbage. Thought it was the Vivitrol because I always felt fine taking Suboxone, but in reality, it was my body adjusting to being without an opioid. After 2 months, I started feeling better. Forcing myself to exercise has helped a ton. Now when I get my Vivitrol shot, I feel a little lethargic and unmotivated for the first few days, but it goes away. Honestly, worth the annoyance for saving a life."

• Far...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2018

For Alcohol Use Disorder "Just started and noticed sleepiness and lethargy. I am also taking 5 mg of Valium 2x a day to wean off of Ativan. I think that, in conjunction with other meds, the shot is causing the effects. I take HBP medication, which itself causes drowsiness, so I'm hopeful that I will be able to adjust all of my meds to accommodate staying off the alcohol. Has anyone had side effects the first time/first few days similar to this? Extreme sleepiness/lethargy?"

• Aro...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2021

For Alcohol Use Disorder "On day 5, I had 1 beer the other day, and I tried to drink a second but couldn't stomach it. Granted, I don't love beer, but the desire was not strong to want to get drunk. BUT, it has taken a toll on my sex drive. I just don't feel the need to cum. I hope this doesn't continue and affect my relationships. Also, I am a wee lethargic, but I can battle that for now. YEAH, THE SEX DRIVE THING SUCKS. BTW, I take the VIVITROL pills."