Opiate Detox Under Anesthesia

What is Opiate Detox Under Anesthesia?

Opiate detox under anesthesia is a procedure that is designed to shorten the drug detoxification process on your body. People who go through this procedure are put under a brief sedation that lasts from 30 to 90 minutes. During their sedation, they are given a medication called naloxone, which is an opiate antagonist that eliminates the presence of the addicted medication from their bodies and lessens their physical cravings for it after they awaken.

Opiate detox is only carried out in a surgical center and is not permitted to be available at other medical facilities like a doctor’s office or rehabilitation clinic. Medical staff must be trained and accredited in this procedure to ensure patients’ safety and best chances of recovery from their drug addictions.

The detox process takes two to three days to complete. During that time, you can expect to undergo a physical evaluation to determine if you are physically capable of withstanding the treatment. You also will spend a day or two under observation in the surgical care center.

Opiate detox under anesthesia was introduced as a drug treatment option in 1988. Despite its relative newness, it has proven to be one of the most effective ways for opiate drug abuser to recover from their addictions.

Candidacy for Opiate Detox Under Anesthesia

As effective as this procedure is, it still is reserved solely for addicts who are physically and emotionally stable enough to withstand this unique detox process. Your doctor must ensure that you have a minimal chance of experiencing ill side effects like an allergic reaction to the naloxone or organ failure during sedation.

As such, your physical examination will determine whether or not you are a good candidate for the detoxification. Your physician may clear you to undergo the procedure if you are free from conditions like high blood pressure, heart failure, kidney malfunction, diabetes, and other illnesses that could compromise your health and chances for recovery.

You also must be addicted to one of the prescription medications for which this detox measure is designed. The procedure exists to help people overcome addictions to medicines like hydrocodone, suboxone, and oxycodone. It is not meant for people who are addicted to cocaine, alcohol, and other illicit substances.

Your candidacy will also depend greatly on what kinds of medicines you take on a regular basis and whether or not those substances will negatively react to naloxone and other medications used during the sedation process. You must disclose a full list of both prescribed and over-the-counter medications that you take regularly. You also should tell your medical team about other drugs or alcohol that you use on a regular basis.

How is Opiate Detox Under Anesthesia Done?

As noted, this detox process takes two to three days to complete. It will start by you undergoing a thorough physical examination. Afterward, you will be admitted to the surgical center where you will remain under close observation and monitoring until you are released to the retreat center for recovery.

Your medical team will carry out the procedure either in the surgical center. This precaution allows your doctor and nurses to have easy access to medical equipment in case you suffer an adverse reaction to the medications used during the detoxification. You can expect to be sedated for a half hour to 90 minutes. After you wake up, you will remain at the surgical center for observation until the next day.

The procedure eliminates your physical need to take the drugs to which you are currently addicted. You also should not experience severe withdrawal symptoms like shaking or vomiting. However, that is not to say that you will not suffer from minor post-procedural symptoms that could vary from physical pain to emotional distress.

During the time that you are in the surgical center, your nurses and doctors will observe you closely and respond to your precise physical and emotional needs before releasing you to the retreat center to finish your recovery. When you are deemed stable enough to return home, you will then be released. As such, it is important that you take enough time off from work or school to allow yourself the best chance for a full recovery.

What are the Advantages of Opiate Detox Under Anesthesia?

Opiate detox under anesthesia is unlike other drug treatment programs on the market. It hastens the detox process so that you do not have to deal with prolonged physical and emotional withdrawals. It also leaves your body free from the cravings to use again after you are released from treatment.

Because it is unlike other drug treatment options, it is not typically covered by most health insurers and tends to be more expensive. You may have to pay for your procedure out-of-pocket. However, many patients do not mind the higher price or the lack of coverage for the treatment because they are afforded a higher level of privacy and confidentiality. They do not have to worry about their employers or family members finding out about their drug treatment from an insurer.

This opiate detox program also takes less time to go through than traditional drug rehabilitation programs, which can take weeks or months to complete. When you want to maintain a certain level of discretion while recovering from your addiction as quickly as possible, this detox procedure could be the ideal choice for you.

Opiate detox under anesthesia is a fast and effective way to recover from an addiction to prescription opiates. Learn if you are a good candidate for this relatively new drug treatment procedure by discovering more about the way it is carried out and what advantages it can offer you in your journey toward sobriety.