Rapid Opiate Detox Center

Opiate detox is intended to treat addictions to both natural opiates and synthetic opioids. The most common drug dependencies that patients present with are to heroin, methadone, oxycodone and fentanyl, although a number of other prescription pain medications also fall into this category.

Is Rapid Detox Safe?

The protocols for rapid detox are designed with safety in mind. The procedure will take place in a surgical center under the supervision of medical professionals. This allows for a full evaluation of each person’s health status before treatment, and the ability to handle any unexpected situation that may arise.

Rapid detox is personalized. Patients stay in private rooms and receive individualized attention from their doctors. The staff will determine the best method of treatment based on each person’s health status and level of addiction. The rate at which each patient moves through the steps of treatment will also be optimized, with some being released more quickly while others receive a few more days of support.

This support includes aftercare. It is common for patients who have completed the detox phase to be dehydrated and to suffer from insomnia. The rapid detox center makes sure that each patient has truly recovered from the procedure before being released.

Perhaps the most important safety feature of modern rapid detox is that, unlike older programs, it does not require hours under general anesthesia. Modern methods carry a much lower risk and allow for more rapid recovery from the detox procedure.

What Happens During Rapid Detox Treatment?

The first step will take place in a private room before the detox phase. The staff will spend about a day obtaining a written medical history as well as evaluating the patient for heart disease and high blood pressure, lung, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, obesity, and smoking behavior.

Once the patient’s health status has been evaluated and adjustments to the detox procedure have been planned to accommodate any concerns, the patient is ready to proceed to the actual detox.

The patient is taken to the operating room of the surgical center to undergo the detoxification. A board-certified anesthesiologist first sedates the person. Then a drug called naloxone is administered through an IV. This drug is an opiate antagonist, preventing the addictive drugs from binding to cells in the nervous system and thus allowing them to be eliminated from the body. The use of naloxone enables the detox to proceed much more quickly than if the opiates were left to clear through normal metabolic processes.

Patients remain under sedation for 30 to 90 minutes. During this time their bodies experience the unpleasant and painful symptoms of withdrawal, but the patients are not consciously aware of the physical effects. They may awaken to some minor physical discomfort but will not experience cravings for the drug on which they were dependent.

Patients are closely monitored following rapid detox. They will be given fluids and electrolytes to support and stabilize their systems, and will receive any other medical care that they need for their comfort.

Once the patients are deemed stable, they are released into the recovery phase. They will remain at this treatment level for a couple more days. The staff is concerned not only with the patients’ physical health, but also their emotional health. It is not uncommon for people to be a bit shaky after detox, and it is important for them to feel strong and ready to face their families and their lives before they are discharged.

How Does Rapid Detox Differ From Traditional Methods?

The purpose of rapid opiate detox is to break the physical addiction as quickly as possible with as little discomfort as possible. This is in stark contrast to the most common traditional methods of “cold turkey” or rehab center programs.

When people who are addicted to opiates attempt to “go cold turkey,” or simply quit taking the drugs, they will suffer debilitating withdrawal symptoms. These include muscle pain and possibly seizures, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, irritability, anxiety and insomnia. These symptoms are often so severe that people begin using the drug again just to make the pain of withdrawal stop. They may be hesitant to try detox again and may try to stay on a maintenance dose of the drug in an attempt to stay functional in their lives.

Rehab centers offer physical detoxification, but they also include therapy. Time in rehab may last 30 days or longer, during which the person may receive individual and group therapy. The therapy is designed to improve their mental health and teach them to avoid relapse.

Rapid opiate detox centers eliminate the problems with cold turkey detox by eliminating the conscious awareness of withdrawal symptoms. They produce results much faster than rehab centers and do not include therapy. Many people who choose rapid detox have otherwise stable lives. They may have become addicted to painkillers after a medical procedure and just need to break the physical dependence.

New, Safe and Effective

A dependence on opiates can be frightening and destructive, and it warrants professional intervention. While visiting a rapid opiate detox center may not be the best fit for everyone, we do offer a newer option that is the most appropriate treatment for many people: a safe, effective procedure that is tailored to the individual and offered in a secure, private setting.