What are My Options for Opiate Detox?
There are a couple of choices when it comes to opiate detox for anyone who is struggling with opiate dependence, whether that be prescription painkillers or heroin. If you are thinking about trying to get clean from drugs then it might be good to know your options.
Cold turkey
Since you are here reading this we are going to assume that cold turkey is not even an option for you. Although it is perfectly possible for anyone to detox from opiates this way (it is not generally life threatening to do so), the level of discomfort is so incredibly high as to make this a non-option. Very, very few people would find success with this method of detox.
Find a local treatment center
One of the best options for most people is going to be to find a local treatment center. Call them up, figure out the funding situation (how you can pay for it), and get checked in. If you do not have insurance, most treatment centers take Medicaid, and failing that, some of them can get you hooked up with assistance through the government to help pay for it. Either way, if you can secure funding for local treatment this is generally going to be the best option for you.
If you can get into a local drug rehab then they will generally detox you from the opiates in about 3 to 7 days using prescription medication to manage your withdrawal symptoms. They can generally provide a decent level of comfort for you so that you are not sick as a dog while detoxing from the drugs. They can help manage your withdrawal symptoms regardless of what type of opiates you were using, be that prescription pain pills or heroin.
In addition to this, going to drug rehab provides the essential second step as well if you attend residential treatment: not only do they detox you, but they will also start teaching you how to live a clean and sober life, and how to get support from others so that you can maintain your new found sobriety. If you simply detox from opiates then you still have a problem: psychological dependence on the drug. In order to overcome this dependency you need to do more for your recovery.
Rapid detox and ultra rapid detox
There are a couple of fairly new procedures out there known as “rapid detox” and also “ultra rapid detox.” There are actually two separate things here, as rapid detox might refer to a 3 to 5 day detox process that is managed with medications, while ultra rapid detox generally refers to a process where the addict is under anesthetic for the duration.
This is an appealing idea for many addicts, to be put under general anesthetic and be completely or almost completely detoxed while they are “sleeping.” However, there are some problems with ultra rapid detox, and it is certainly not a magic bullet.
1) You might still have withdrawal symptoms when you wake up with ultra rapid detox.
2) It is generally more expensive than other forms of treatment.
3) It is potentially dangerous and quite risky to stay under general anesthetic for such long periods of time (up to 24 hours). Some patients have died during the procedure.
4) There is no guarantee against relapse; addicts still need to put in a great deal of effort to remain drug free.
Drug therapy – avoiding detox altogether
One final option would be to get put on some sort of drug therapy for opiate dependence, such as methadone or suboxone maintenance therapy. These are not really detox options because in effect you will not be detoxing from opiates, you will merely be switching to a different opiate drug and then taking it on a regular basis.
There are definitely pros and cons to drug therapy. It is an appealing option for a lot of addicts because it allows them to avoid the discomfort of withdrawal altogether. On the other hand, you are really creating another dependency by going this route. However, if this can keep you off your drug of choice and allow you to start experiencing real recovery, then it might be worth it. Just realize that drug therapy is not a magic bullet by any means, and many people who go this route end up back on their drug of choice eventually.
Wrap up
My opinion should be pretty clear in all this: try to get into a local treatment center if you can secure funding for it or somehow afford it. I believe that is the best option for most people in attempting to overcome their opiate addiction.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I’ve been clean from my original addiction witch was crack.August 8th it will be 3years off that, but for those last 3yrs I’ve slowly become hook on pain pills. As of late I’ve been going overboard spending more than I should and I don’t want to continue this cycle. I’ve been off pill for 3days now and the withdraw is horrible (cold turkey)I don’t want to take other drugs (I’ve seen what its done to others)this is my second. Attempt last time I was completly done detoxin but I started again basicly I want to know if there is anything that can help with cold turkey method.please email me@ rilla_79@yahoo.com thanx.
There are a few things that might help with cold turkey opiate detox.
One is to try to sleep through it, but do not go overboard with sleep medications or drugs to help you sleep. At most take maybe 50mg of Benadryl at bedtime to help you sleep. This can also help with anxiety, take it every 4 hours as needed.
Use Tylenol and IBU, alternating every 4 hours, to help with body aches and pains. Use Immodium for diarrhea.
That’s about it really. Stay on the couch and sleep it off if you can. Good luck.
I’ve done some research (and a lot of thinking) to help get a friend some ideas. He & I are both prescribed benzodiazapines (i.e. Xanax, Valium, Klonopin, etc.) for anxiety & I think that doing what Patrick said, but with using benzodiazapines would be a better way to sleep it off & be more comfortable. Of course, you have to have access to them, since they are prescription & I would definitely consult with a medical professional before doing so.
Well Jeff, you might be on to something that works for you. And, it might work for others too. But, I have to say that it is a pretty dangerous route in some regards. Using Benzos such as Valium to treat opiate withdrawal is questionable at best. You might just as well drink in order to get through the withdrawals, the effect would be somewhat similar.
I just see a lot of people at rehab who struggle with addiction to benzodiazipines as well….so it is a slippery slope for sure. I hope that it works for you….
DON’T USE SUBOXONE…….DETOX IS WEEKS…..MONTHS….TERRIBLE
Hi there John
I have heard similar things from other people as well.
But on the other hand, I work in a detox center as a nurse aid, and I see them detox people using Suboxone every single day. All of these people get weened off the drug within a matter of about 10 days or less. No big deal for hardly any of them.
Maybe about 3 percent of the people cannot tolerate coming off the Suboxone and they stay on it long term. But I would say almost 99 percent have no such problem, and end up walking out of 2 week rehab with no withdrawal symptoms and completely opiate free.
Glad to hear about the suboxone patients getting off easily enough.
Personally I’m on a methadone maintenance program. It’s been about four years now, and last month, my Dr. and I decided that I was ready to start a regular decrease of my dose. I’m going down one (1) mg per week, so it’ll take just over a year for me to complete the process. I have to admit though, that I am worried about the later stages and how that will go. Hopefully with some inner strength, trust in both myself and my Higher Power, it won’t be so bad, or even bad at all.
Great site Patrick. I was just searching/browsing the web for more spiritually oriented recovery programs and stumbled upon your site here.
Take care guys,
Jonathan
I was wodering about rapid detox from methadone. has anyone heard of someone doing that, and how did it go. I have been on methadone for a long long time, and I feel like it is a noose around my neck. It cost so so much and I am dependant on this clinic. I wish I had never heard of methadone and wish I were free.
ive been using methadone for about 2 months, i have to say its helped me get my life back on track i have a job, got my foodstamps back take care of my bill etc…
when i was using oxys i was spending upto 8,000 a week my girlfriend was stripping also pulling trics(having sex for money) and drinking like a fish always came home drunk, since we been on methadone she quit drinking quit dancing quit everything bad i recommend methadone to anyone who can’t afford rehab