Opioids are one of the most addictive prescription drugs today. To safely remove the drugs from your system, you need an opioid detox which is a medical process. In a facility like Newport Beach relapse prevention, the body is successfully and safely purged of opioids in your system. The goal of the detox is to minimize or limit the effects of opioid withdrawal to enable the patient to proceed with the treatment process successfully.
Not all opioids are legally prescribed, but still, they are highly addictive. The drugs stimulate and interact with opioid receptors in your brain, which makes your body adapt to the drugs. Eventually, you are incapable of functioning without taking the drugs.
Someone with opioid dependence experiences many symptoms when they quit consuming the drugs for 6-12 hours. The process is commonly known as withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms can be dangerous and very uncomfortable. However, these symptoms vary depending on how dependent you are on the drugs.
What Are the Withdrawal Symptoms?
Common withdrawal symptoms include:
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Anxiety
- Tension in your muscles
- Abdominal cramps
- Sweating
The detox process is designed to minimize symptoms and keep patients safe from severe symptoms like seizures and hallucinations. The withdrawal treatment makes it possible that a patient will complete the opioid detox successfully without relapsing. Besides, it leaves you in a better mental state and increases the chances of attaining long-term sobriety.
Opioid Detox Process
This is a necessary step in addiction recovery and can be done in several ways. One way is to stop using the drugs and start taking medications that alleviate your withdrawal symptoms.
Medication-Assisted Treatment is another way. This process uses a combination of counseling and medication together with behavioral therapy to treat your opioid use disorders. The medications you consume include Buprenorphine, methadone and Naltrexone to reduce your cravings after your detox.
Rapid Opioid Detoxification
Doctors often induce withdrawal rapidly which is referred to as Rapid Opioid Detoxification (ROD). During the process, the patient is put under IV sedation under the watchful eye of monitoring doctors. This process happens in a hospital setting or clinic. The IV sedation treatment places the patient under general anesthesia, which allows them to sleep throughout the withdrawal. In this case, the patient doesn’t experience intense pain associated with the withdrawal process. To complete the process, patients take medications such as Nivitrol or Naltrexone to reduce cravings after the detox.
Anesthesia helps deal with the intense pain from the ROD process. Naltrexone helps prevent relapse and Methadone helps reduce cravings. Clonidine can be used to reduce acute withdrawal symptoms. The drug mimics opioid effects as the body adjusts to lower drug doses to enable completion of the detox process easily.
Rapid Opioid Detoxification is quicker and gives great results. The patient recovers fully and can resume normal functioning in a short time with fewer symptoms. The patient continues to take medications to alleviate some symptoms like nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
How Long Does Opioid Detox Take?
The treatment can be ongoing because of the increased relapse rate. The length of a detox treatment depends on factors like:
- Genetics and age
- Overall health
- Level of opioid dependency
- The duration of opioid abuse
- Amount of opioid intake
- Type of opioid used
- Other consumed addictive substances
- Detox process to be carried out
If you consider all the above factors, you realize that detox can range from a few hours to a whole month before your body resumes normal functioning.
Conclusion
If your loved one or friend is addicted to opioids, you need to put them in a detox process. It is more painful to continue watching them abuse opioids than to watch them go through the painful detox or withdrawal process. Doctors administer the right medications that help alleviate the pain. Contact a dedicated team of specialist doctors to give you the right detox treatment.