Part of any medical detox protocol to help someone stop misusing drugs and alcohol are medications. Whether is it over-the-counter medications to aid in regular discomfort, or specific and targeted medications to help with withdrawal, medications can play a key role in helping a patient get through any physical and mental discomfort and act as a necessary bridge through the difficult first days and weeks of early recovery.
Medications, detox procedures, and titration protocols are up to the oversight and experience of a facility’s medical director and medical team of doctors and nurses. A drug detox facility should have a medical staff well-versed and trained in treating patients suffering from addiction, substance use disorder, and co-occurring disorders. Often, patients suffering from addiction and in need of detox will also be dealing with mental illness or a host of mental health issues that also require medication. The medical team will make sure the medications a patient receives helps them deal with all issues they may be facing as they enter detox, going through their detox experience, and get them medical stabilized to continue their process of recovery.
Here are some of the medications often used during a alcohol or drug detox:
Clonidine
Often used to treat withdrawals from opioids and alcohol, the medication Clonidine reduces anxiety, sweating, cramping, and muscle aches. In many cases, Clonidine will also be prescribed to stop tremors and seizures.
Buprenorphine/Suboxone
Buprenorphine is a medication used for moderate or severe opioid addictions. It binds to the same opiate receptors in the brain as heroin or painkillers and helps to reduce cravings and overall symptoms of withdrawal that someone with a history of opioid misuse will often experience when stopping opioid use.
Naltrexone (Vivitrol)
Naltrexone during a detox stay is often used for alcohol, although it can also be used for opioid addiction, although that is often in the injectable form Vivitrol, which is given several days after being fully detoxed from any type of opioids, and thus after detox. Naltrexone blocks receptors in a patient’s brain that produce the pleasurable effects of alcohol and therefore subdues the normal urge to drink.
Disulfiram (Antabuse)
Antabuse is a medication that makes a person sick with nausea and vomiting if they ingest alcohol. It was the first medication ever approved for alcoholism.
Acamprosate (Campral)
Acamprosate is a medication that helps to relieve both the physical and mental distress that can often be caused by alcohol misuse or an addiction to alcohol. Acamprosate can often help prevent mental health issues associated with alcohol addiction, such as feelings of anxiety and depression.
Benzodiazepines
While benzodiazepines are medications that can often cause substance misuse or addiction, and many individuals actually need to seek out detox and treatment for them, benzodiazepine medications can be very helpful during a short-term medical detox to reduce feelings or anxiety and irritability. The sedative effect of this medication can often help with withdrawals from alcohol, opioids, heroin, and cocaine.
Antidepressants
Depression often occurs in those suffering from addiction because when they stop using drugs, their brain cannot produce the natural chemicals needs to feel good. Having chemically highjacked their brains, drug users often suffer from depression in early recovery, especially during the first few days of stopping drug and alcohol use. Therefore, antidepressant medications, such as Zoloft and Prozac, can help with feelings of depression in early recovery, until the individual’s brain self-regulates and is able to produce the natural chemicals it needs.
Drug Detox in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania
If you or someone you know needs help for addiction or co-occurring disorders, please give our drug detox in Abbottstown, Pennsylvania a call. Innovo Detox offers the latest in evidence-based medical, psychiatric, and clinical care for those in need of detox and medical stabilization in Pennsylvania and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic area. If we aren’t the best fit for you or a loved one, we will take the necessary time to work with you to find a detox, rehab, treatment center or provider that better fits your needs. Please give us a call at (717) 619-3260 or email our team at info@innovodetox.com. For more information on our company or services, please visit our website at www.innovodetox.com.