Medical detoxification is often the first step towards getting clean. Many substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana do not pose a health threat if you detox on your own. Sure, you may experience physical symptoms but nothing is life threatening. Then you have drugs such as opiates-opioids and synthetic opiates (i.e. suboxone, subutex and subsolv) that can provide extreme withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, hot and cold sweats, headaches, restlessness and anxiety. You will not die from going through withdrawal on your own, the the symptoms are much more manageable with medication. The two most dangerous drugs to detox from are alcohol and benzodiazapines. Those using those substances should absolutely be in an acute medical detox facility first.

The classes of substances most likely to cause discomfort during withdrawal are; opiates/opioids/heroin, alcohol and benzodiazepines (i.e., Valium, Xanax and Ativan) When someone is about to enter a drug treatment facility, it is critically important that the clinical staff is very well aware of what drugs the patient is using, and to what extend he or sure is using them. For instance, a heroin addict who shoots 3 grams per day is much more likely to require medical detox (with Suboxone or Subutex) than someone who just smokes a little bit here and there, which in fact is quite rare.

There are many detox programs out there – ranging from outpatient (often unsuccessful) to residential (often referred to as inpatient rehab) – where there are medical professionals on staff at all times, and also stand-alone detox facilities. Before someone enters a treatment center for substance abuse, there are a number of questions that are commonly asked in order to ascertain whether or not he or she requires medical detox first.

SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO THE ADMISSION STAFF:

• Does your treatment center offer “medical detox” services?
• What is the detox protocol there?
• What common medications does your facility utilize during the detoxification process (i.e., Suboxone, Subutex, Methadone, etc.)?
• What type of medical staff do you have on-site

While you are detoxing and not feeling your best physically, your decision making is poor. The risk of relapse can increase as client’s are reacting to how they feel. To best prevent this, make sure no one in your life will co-sign your wanting to leave and ask all the questions you need to in order to make sure you admit to the most appropriate facility for you.

Treatment for drug and alcohol addictions should always occur after a proper detox has taken place, assuming it was needed in the first place. Be sure to ask lots of questions and remember, this is yours or your loved one’s life we’re talking about, so don’t ever allow yourself to take shortcuts! For more information on drug or alcohol treatment, medical detox or anything else addiction related, contact Valley Detox Center 24/7 at (888) 544-6049.

The post Questions for a Drug Rehab to see if Medical Detox in Needed appeared first on Forward Recovery.

. In this year of presidential politics, we are hearing more and more about the heroin epidemic that is infiltrating communities large and small, urban and suburban, rich and poor, young and old. As the politicians attempt to grapple with the complexity of heroin, prescription pain killers (Vicodin, Percocet, Oxycontin, etc.) and opiate addiction, as well as how to provide better treatment services on a national level, the overdoses continue on a daily basis! The general public is increasingly aware of the need to treat heroin and opiate painkiller addiction on a level never before seen.

For decades, the general consensus has been that heroin use occurred primarily in urban centers, and mostly by the underprivileged population.  As a result, the problem got swept under the rug by a large swath of the country.  Over the last decade or so, heroin has become much more available and often the drug of choice for middle and upper class people, affecting students in affluent communities as well as youngsters in blue collar areas.  At the same time, the use of prescription pain killers (which are highly addictive opiates) has increased dramatically throughout the entire populations.  Statistics show that pain pill addiction truly has no socioeconomic barriers at all.  Drugs like Vicodin, Percocet and Oxycontin have become mainstream, across all segments of society. They also show that the addiction to pills is becoming increasingly prevalent among all age groups.  It is not unusual to find middle-aged and older aged adults abusing opiates.

Medical detox programs are the most effective and humane way to help an individual begin the arduous process of recovery from this insidious disease.  With proper supervision, Suboxone therapy can wean the client off the physical effects or heroin, opiates and opioids.  For those of us who have witnessed a loved one going through the painful physical withdrawal from these substances, we are both grateful and relieved to know that Suboxone therapy is now available through medical detox programs.

More and more insurance companies are now becoming willing to recognize these addictions as diseases that require inpatient treatment; Suboxone therapy is not a SUBSTITUTE for heroin or opiate use, but the beginning of a long-term commitment on the part of the client to strive for sobriety.

We need to be cognizant of the fact that medical detox using Suboxone therapy is only a short-term commitment; the average stay for a client is 7-10 days.  By that point, all physical symptoms of withdrawal should be under control and the medical detox team will work with the client to take the next steps toward recovery.  Those steps will most likely include the transfer to an inpatient or outpatient rehab facility until the client and staff feel that he/she is stable enough to enter a “step-down” program.  Without a continuation of rehab in one of several forms, the likelihood of relapse is almost inevitable.  On the other hand, if the client and his support system (family, friends, co-workers) are willing and able to offer the encouragement to the client to work diligently on his/her recovery, the hope for sobriety will increase as each day passes.

These days, heroin and prescription pain killer addiction are no longer a guaranteed predecessor to a week or two of utter mysery, and we have Suboxone to thank for that!

For more information on medical detox services for heroin, opiates, opioids or any other classification of drugs or alcohol, contact Valley Detox Center in Los Angeles, California 24/7 at: (888) 544-6049.

The post Medical Detox and Suboxone for Heroin or Opiate Pill Addiction appeared first on Forward Recovery.