Opiate Detox Centers: Accelerated & Rapid Detox and More
The things you need to know about medicated(buprenorphine, methadone, codeine phosphate, clonidine) & vs non-medicate, accelerated, rapid and ultra-rapid detox for opiate or opioid. Also, about the difference between outpatient vs residential programs offered by detoxification centers.
Discontinuing opioids and opiates drugs lead to withdrawal symptoms.
The best solution is to perform opioid or opiate detox. It helps to safely discontinue opioid abuse.
The opiates or opioid drug detoxification programs may vary from days three (3) to 10 days.
The duration depends on the severity of abuse, the support available, financial capability, and the environment the addict lives in, etc.
The opioid and opiate detox centers provide various drug abuse cleanse program options including inpatient detox, outpatient detox, medical detox, non-medical detox, rapid detox, ultra-rapid detox, ultra-rapid detox for opioid and opiate drugs, and more.
After opiate or opioid detoxification, maintenance drugs are provided to the patients to relieve their drug-related urges and withdrawal symptoms.
Gradually, the maintenance drug dosage is reduced significantly to allow the patient to return to a normal life.
So what is detoxing from opiate or opioid?
Opiates and opioids are the most addictive drugs. The good news is that these drugs can be successfully and safely flushed out or purged from the body with the help of a drug or alcohol detox facility services.
The Detox for these prescription drugs is performed to minimize the drug withdrawal impact and to continue further treatment.
Opioids are prescribed as primary painkillers, but the mind and body can adapt fast to such drugs and may fail to function properly in their absence.
Opioid detoxification is performed in a number of ways. The opiate detox centers will help to choose the best detox option, depending on the following factors:
- The situation of the patient
- The dependence level
- The type of opioid
- The amount of intake
- The financial capability of the patient
The types of opioid detox
They include:
- Rapid Opioid Detoxification (ROD) to induce rapid withdrawal by sedating the user
- Anesthesia-assisted rapid detox by giving anesthesia (not recommended)
- Ultra-rapid detox
- Accelerated detox
- Using drugs like Methadone, Clonidine for detox for opiate drugs
Detoxification is a repetitive process because of the possible relapse that patients endure. The length and duration of opioid detox depend on the following factors:
- Age
- Health history
- Chemical dependency on opioids
- Genetics
- The period of opioid abuse
- The detoxification program used
- Types of opioids and other substance abuse
Related: The cost Of substance abuse detox programs
The withdrawal symptoms
Withdrawal symptoms are one of the problems a patient faces after stopping the consumption of opioids or opiates.
After opioid & opiate detox, withdrawal symptoms are intense and gradually reduce over time with medication.
Withdrawal symptoms might start within 6-12 hours of quitting the drugs. The withdrawal symptoms depend on the level of the patient’s chemical dependence.
Detox for opioid drugs minimizes the symptoms and helps patients stay protected from severe symptoms.
The user’s tolerance to drugs results in different withdrawal symptoms. After opiate detoxification, the withdrawal symptoms typically start in stages. The stages are listed below.
After 6-24 hours of stopping drug use
- Vomiting
- Depression and anxiety
- Intense cravings
ROD is performed at this stage. The patient is also medicated during this stage.
After 35-50 hours of stopping the intake of the drug
- Watery eyes
- Running nose and sweating
- Nausea
- Abdominal cramps
The medications during this stage are increased. This is considered to be one of the most challenging and difficult phases of withdrawal in detox for opiate drugs. Special supervision and security are needed to prevent relapse.
50-75 hours of stopping drug intake
- Muscle pain
- Diarrhea
- Insomnia
The medication is gradually decreased in this stage. The severity of withdrawal is reduced after 2-4 days.
Supervision is mandatory to prevent the patients’ relapse and to help them to feel comfortable.
The above symptoms are divided into four stages based on the severity of symptoms. These are:
- Anticipatory stage
- Early acute stage
- Fully-developed, acute stage
- Post-acute withdrawal syndrome
Rapid detox for opiates or opioids abuse and addiction
The research on Rapid opioid detoxification (ROD) states three important results. First, ROD appears to be a valuable tool in the treatment of opioid addiction. Second, the optimal method of ROD is yet to be determined; a continuum of approaches is available. Third, ROD is probably most suited to designated outpatient centers.
Opiate detox makes use of oral antagonists like naltrexone in the case of ROD. Moderate sedation is given to the patient in ROD. ROD was developed because traditional detox services were unsuccessful and painful.
Patients are placed under anesthesia and given Naltrexone and other opiate blockers. They do the work of blocking endorphin receptors. Rapid withdrawal occurs in this case.
Detox centers perform ROD in the intensive care unit.
Patients are allowed to go home only after careful examination of the physical characteristics and anesthesia recovery.
The patient has to stay in the opioid detox facility for 2-3 days, the recovery time might take a bit longer as well.
Benefits
- The patient is taken care of in the intensive care unit
- Experts manage the withdrawal symptoms
- Highly experienced and trained practitioners perform ROD
- ROD almost always works
Risks
- ROD might cause cardiac arrhythmias or pulmonary edema
- A major sudden disturbance is caused to the patient’s internal system
- ROD does not understand the underlying cause of the abuse
- ROD might cause immediate relapse
Ultra-rapid detox for opioids & opiates
One of the painless forms of opiate or opioid detox is ultrarapid detoxification. Ultrarapid detoxification is also carried out in the intensive care unit of opiate detox centers.
Anesthesia is given to the patient to sedate them.
After sedation starts, a dose of narcotic antagonists like Naxolone is injected into the patient. A small dose of Naxolone is slowly infused into the patient.
This helps the patient to withdraw from the opioid with no discomfort or suffering from the withdrawal syndrome.
The whole procedure takes up to 4 hours. After that, hospitalization of 2 to 3 days is mandatory. The ultrarapid detox claims that the patient experiences no withdrawal symptoms.
It also helps to solve physical dependency and reduce psychological cravings as well.
Ultrarapid detox does not provide psychological support and hence it tends to lessen the impact of the treatment in the long run.
After the detox, patients may feel sore and lethargic.
The ultrarapid treatment is true to its name and causes stress on the patient’s body.
Some patients may recover after 3 days of bed rest while others may require more time for recovery.
The patients may also face some of the post-procedure withdrawal symptoms.
The symptoms include sleep disturbances, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting. They may last from few days to few weeks.
Benefits
- Painless withdrawal from opioid abuse
- Solves physical dependency
- Reduce psychological cravings
Risks
- Renal failure
- Infection
- Vomiting
- Heart-specific complications
- Gastric ulcer
- Diarrhea
- Adverse effects of anesthetics such as death
Accelerated detox for opiates & opioids abuse and addiction
Accelerated opioid & opiate detoxifications make use of Naltrexone and sedative medicines in the treatment of opioid abuse. Within three days’ time, patients are comfortable and safely detoxed.
There are no risks caused by general anesthesia.
Patients can immediately resume their daily routine after three days. Before the detox, the patients are examined to make sure they are ready for the process.
Narcotics must not be consumed 8 to 16 hours prior to the process initiation.
Patients have to visit the detox centers drug abuse and addiction for the process. They have to take the prescribed dose of sedatives and visit the center in the morning.
In this drug detoxification, an IV line is inserted into the patient and monitored for a period of 6 to 8 hours.
Medicines such as narcotic antagonists are used to push the opioids out of the brain. This continues until the patient’s body is completely detoxified and clear.
To relieve the patient from any symptoms and uncomfortable feelings, sedatives are used. After the discharge, Naltrexone therapy is continued to ease the withdrawal effects and to reduce relapse chances.
Patients might feel moderate withdrawal during the process.
After the process is complete, the patient goes through Post-Acute withdrawal symptoms.
The receptors of the brain are in the healing process, raising endorphin levels back to normal.
Supervision is required in this phase to help prevent relapse.
Benefits
- No risk of side effects of anesthesia
- Fast recovery and return to a daily routine
- Extremely safe process
- During the detox period, the patient eats and sleeps well
Risks
- Chance of relapse
- More intake of medications can lead to cravings for the same
- Discomfort and anxiety
Buprenorphine, Methadone, Codeine phosphate, and Clonidine use for opioid & opiate detoxification
Buprenorphine
Buprenorphine is given during the detox as a medication to manage severe to moderate withdrawal symptoms. It helps to reduce cravings. It is a partial opiate agonist and is prescribed only when the patient starts to feel withdrawal symptoms.
It is mandatory to give buprenorphine after 8 hours of opioid consumption. The doses of buprenorphine must be monitored by doctors. The dose must be adjusted daily based on the side effects and symptoms the patient is experiencing.
The dose of buprenorphine is proportionate to the amount of opioids consumed by the patient.
Benefits
- Reduces cravings
- Alleviates pain
Risks
- If given within 8 hours of opioid intake, it might cause relapse
- Should be given carefully to patients who suffer from Diabetes, Respiratory deficiency, Urethral obstruction.
- Not all symptoms are reduced by buprenorphine
Methadone
According to findings, approximately 400,000 patients are enrolled in or are actively seeking methadone therapy.
Methadone medication is one of the effective ways of alleviating opioid withdrawal symptoms.
It is the best suitable medication for opioids like morphine, which acts longer.
Like buprenorphine, methadone dosages must be reviewed daily by the detoxification facility on check into and changed according to symptoms and side effects.
Benefits
- Reduces cravings
- Alleviates withdrawal symptoms
- Suitable for opioids that act for a long time
Risks
- Great caution is required if the patient suffers from a hepatic impairment, head injury, respiratory problems, ulcerating colitis, or MAOI.
- It may lead to relapse if methadone doses are not gradually reduced.
Codeine phosphate
Codeine phosphate is another medication used to reduce cravings and to help solve withdrawal symptoms from opioids.
The doses are proportionate to the intake of opioids.
Benefits
- Reduces cravings
- Alleviates pain
Risks
- Must be used cautiously if the patient suffers from a hepatic impairment or respiratory deficiency
- Codeine phosphate may not affect 2 to 10% of patients
Clonidine
Clonidine is considered an agonist of alpha-2 adrenergic type. It is one of the best medications to treat many withdrawal symptoms, including chills, sweating, tremor, diarrhea, dizziness, anxiety, vomiting, fluctuating blood pressure, insomnia, and more in detoxification programs.
Clonidine must always be given along with symptomatic treatment after the detox for opioid or opiate drugs is completed.
Before prescribing clonidine, the heart rate and blood pressure of the patient must be administered.
Benefits
- Treats almost all withdrawal symptoms
Risks
- Poses great risk if given along with an opioid-substitution
The Inpatient opiate detox facility services
Inpatient detox services provide an intensive and safe care unit where experts observe and treat patients during and after the detox period. This is required because the patient experiences withdrawal symptoms which might result in relapse.
Hence, the inpatient facility provides 24/7 supervision. It is suitable for high-risk patients and may tend to be costly compared to another facility.
Types of Inpatient opiate detox clinics
- Hospitals
- Medically supervised detox
- Detox wings
- Peer support detox
Factors to choose the best inpatient opioid detox centers
- The type of opioid
- Specialized population
- Location
- Treatment plan
- Cost
- Insurance
- Extra cost
Non-medical vs medical programs
The non-medical opioid detox program is also known as social detox. It involves the patients completely quitting the opioids by themselves under the guidance of professionals.
The medical professionals give the patients psychological and emotional support. No medications are given to the patient.
Lots of challenges are faced by patients. It is suitable only for people mildly or lightly addicted to opioids.
For severe opioid addictions, withdrawal symptoms are uncomfortable and dangerous and can lead to relapse.
When relapse happens, the user will tend to overdose, which will inevitably lead to deadly consequences.
Hence, non-medical detoxification programs are seldom suggested.
Medical detox programs
In detox for opiate drugs, proper medical treatment and medications are prescribed to the patient.
Medial professionals address the complications of withdrawal as well.
In opioid detox programs, a medicated residential/inpatient detox facility is suggested.
This is because withdrawal symptoms like seizures require immediate medical action.
Besides that, medications must be monitored properly to prevent relapse.
Connect with an admission counselor and get help today! 866-579-8780
Part of getting treatment for one’s drug or alcohol abuse is to start a detox program. Opioids detoxification centers program is one of the safest ways to start an adult or teen drug addiction treatment program.
So please call 866-579-8780 now to be connected with an admission counselor for a free consultation.