Different Methods of Opiate Detox
Opiate detox is a painful if not dangerous process. Withdrawal from the drug causes distinct symptoms that should be monitored and cared for by a physician. Different methods of opiate detox have come into use over the last decades.
The worst idea for opiate detox and opiate rehab is to try to withdraw from the drug cold turkey on your own. You do not have enough will power to compensate for the drastic extent to which your brain and body have been altered. Opiate rehab cannot start without opiate detox, and for that you need medical supervision.
Another method for opiate rehab is the use of opiod agonist drugs. These drugs are similar to naturally occurring opiates. They can block the cravings for opiates. They can also help with the painful withdrawal symptoms of opiate detox.
Opiod agonist drugs include Methadone, and LAAM. While they have the beneficial effects of making opiate detox easier, they have another benefit. They do not produce a high like opiates generally do. This makes it easier for patients to acquiesce when it is time to reduce and then eliminate the opiod agonist.
Clonidine is a medication that is used in opiate rehab. It can be administered through a patch that is adhered to the skin. The first couple of days, pills will be taken until the patch kicks in. This medication is used in several methods of opiate detox.
One of the newer methods of opiate detox is rapid detox, or as it is sometimes called, ultra-rapid detox. This method is designed to shorten the process and provide strict medical supervision of the procedure. It is still a controversial topic.
If you go through rapid opiate detox, you will be intubated and put under general anesthesia for several hours. You will be receiving medications like naltrexone and Clonidine, or Lofexadine to help with withdrawal symptoms. The theory is that the opiate detox will take place under controlled circumstances, and that you will feel little of the trauma. You will be ready to get on with opiate rehab.
Rapid detox can only lead to opiate rehab if the patient survives intact. Studies show that this is often not the case. Patients who go through this method of opiate detox can experience severe withdrawal symptoms. They can suffer everything from heart or renal failure, to psychosis, to suicidal attempts. They even risk death. Until the method is better understood, it is wise to be very aware of the possible outcomes.
The type of opiate rehab you use can determine your success. However, one treatment will not work for everyone. As a matter of fact, most abusers of opiates suffer from a very long term problem. They may try to quit from ten to twenty-five times during their lifetimes. Even then, they may never quite break the chains of addiction.
It takes an inner strength to suffer through opiate detox. Some people do not even know that they have such power. Yet, to make it through opiate rehab and keep from relapsing, it takes an extraordinary type of determination. You will not recognize that you have it until you try. |
