What is the Success Rate of Medical Detoxification?

Many recovering addicts and their families ask what is the success rate of medical detoxification. Treatment centers are reluctant to publish medical detox success rates because of patient confidentiality concerns. According to the authors of “Essentials of Clinical Psychopharmacology,” (2013, 3rd ed.), medical detox success rates depend upon the substance-related addiction from which the addict is recovering, and where the medical detox treatment is administered. A recap of medical detox success includes:

Opioid

“Heroinism’s” long history of pharmacotherapy and varying success rates. Recent abuse of opioid derivatives has outpaced heroin use. Most medical detox therapies rely upon “short-term” substitution of another narcotic for the addictive substance. Methadone is often used for this purpose in treating opioid addiction as it successfully suppresses opioid withdrawal symptoms resulting from opioid abstinence. Methadone administration continues for one to six months. Recent therapeutic options include the use of a partial agonist (often buprenorphine) to manage withdrawal. The medical detox treatment helps stabilize the patient so that treatment continues in a drug-free environment. Medical detox research understands that total ‘cold-turkey’ abstinence or placebo methods place the recovering addict at grave risk.

Treatment Programs and Success Rates of Opioid Withdrawal

Abstinence percentages of research studies following opiodic withdrawal management and medical detox progams report lower than average success, approximately 10 to 19 percent. Recent research following inpatient treatment with clonidine show astounding success rates of 80 to 90 percent, according to authors Alan F. Schatzberg, M.D. and Charles B. Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D. Comparative outpatient treatment with clonidine has been less successful, with rates of about 31 to 36 percent published for recovering heroin addicts treated as outpatients. Researchers theorize that the reason for lower outpatient success rates has to do with continuing availability of opioids. According to Mayo Clinic, not all patients can tolerate clonidine. Risks of clonidine treatment include:

• chest pain and discomfort
• irregular heartbeat/pulse; tachycardia
• pounding/slow heartbeat

For those reasons, alpha-adrenergic agonists such as guanfacine, lofexidine and guanabenz have been studied as detox medicines. These drugs appear to have fewer cardiovascular risks associated with medical detox treatment.

Other Regimens for Opioid Medical Detox

Naltrexone has been studied as a potentially competitive agonist (added to clonidine) regimen with the goal of hastening relief of withdrawal symptoms while blocking the impact of any continuing opioids taken by the addict. Research studies following treatment progress with naltrexone show high success rates of 82 percent as patients completed detox in five days or less with one daily does of clonidine combined with 12.5 mg of naltrexone.

Rapid Medical Detox for Opioid Addiction has Been Studied

According to the authors, patients were first anesthetized (methohexital or midazolam) and then given naltrexone to accelerate the abstinence passage. Some patients successfully completed medical detoxification in approximately 48 hours. However, the patients required other medical interventions, including intubation; i.v. fluids; or mechanical ventilating) because they bore the risks of general anesthesia. According to studies of Collins et al (2005), patients phased through rapid detox strategies using anesthetics fared no better than addicts submitting to longer-term medical detox strategies.

Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000

According to DATA 2000, treatment allowed for opioid dependence treatment, doctors may treat recovering addicts as outpatients or in a residential treatment center. Medicines used must be FDA approved. The treating physician must be a uniquely qualified, having a U.S. DEA license to prescribe medical detox therapies to patients under the law.

 

5 Tips On Making Detox Work for You

At the most basic level, a detox program holds you long enough to get the last physical vestiges of a drug out of your system. This program holds you in one place, making sure that you have food, shelter, and protection until you have dealt with the physical aspects of your addiction. Though detox can be difficult and though getting through is certainly an achievement, it is still important to understand that this is only the first step of your recovery. Take a moment to consider these five steps to make sure that you are getting the most out of your time in a detox center.

1. Use the Counseling

If there is counseling at the place where you are getting detox, use it. It is always a good idea to talk to people about your issues, and you will discover that insights are entirely possible. Use the counseling to get new resources and make sure that you are taking in everything that you can. This can help you move forward more quickly with your recovery.

2. Plan a Network

When you are in detox, there may be rules about whether you are allowed to contact anyone at all. When you are alone, you will find that this is a good time to start planning what kind of network you are going to have when you get out. Think about people who you know are willing to help you, and the people who you will go to first. They may be people who can help you with physical things like food or shelter, or they may be able to help you with the emotional after-effects of detox.

3. Look Towards the Near Future

Plenty of people in detox look forward to a distant future where they have their addiction taken care of and where they are completely healed. While it is important to have distant goals to think about, you should also think about the near future. The part directly after detox is not going to be easy, and in many ways, it is more difficult, more boring, yo might think! and more tedious than what detox was like.

4. Keep a Journal

You can have a lot of revelations about yourself and what you realize about where you have been when you are in detox. Many people with addictions end up doing a lot of back and forth, in that they come to the same conclusions over and over again. The truth is that you can have a lot of revelations about yourself when you are in detox, and you can hang on to them if you write them down. Ask for a journal, or even just some paper to help you get started.

5. Take the Treatment That Is Offered

Professional centers offer various treatment methods that can help ease the discomfort associated with withdrawals, in order to increase the chances of success during detox. These treatment methods can range from yoga, acupuncture, exercise therapy, nutritional therapy, and art therapy. Some clients with severe withdrawal may be offered medication under a doctor’s guidance to ease their symptoms and possibly prevent life-threatening conditions. Some people that enter a detox center are convinced that they should never partake in the treatment methods offered. This can lead to them missing out on opportunities that can be very helpful to them.

If you are in a spot where you need to think about detoxing, remember that there is a whole new world waiting for you afterwards. Some people go straight from detox to a rehabilitation center, and this gives you a lot of the support that you might need to move ahead. Make sure that you know what your plan is before you close the doors of the detox center behind you, and you’ll be in better shape than you might think.

 

What the First 24 Hours of Detox is Like

Possible Symptoms in the First 24 Hours

Alcohol and drug addictions are serious conditions not to be taken lightly. Although most drugs and alcohol are poisonous to the body, when they are heavily abused, they become part of a “new normal” for the addict’s bodily functions. Taking alcohol or drugs out of the system could put the body into a state of shock. The first 24 hours of detoxing from drugs or alcohol is a critical period. Early withdrawal symptoms are possible including:

• Anxiety
• Hallucinations
• Insomnia
• Disorientation
• Nervousness
• Rapid heart rate
• Tremors
• Profuse sweating
• Headaches
• Paranoia
• Mood swings
• Withdrawal seizures
• Hyperactivity
• Heart palpitations
• Depression
• Gastrointestinal upset
• Irritability
• Emotional Instability
• Fatigue – Both physical and emotional
• Involuntary eyelid tremors
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Blackouts

Details About Symptoms That Can Occur In The First 24 Hours

While substances are being consumed they are bathing the brains neurons and causing the neuron’s functions to be diminished. This diminished functioning becomes evident shortly after the removal of the substance. This is what leads to many of the above nervous system dysfunctions seen above such as anxiety, nervousness, shaking, hyperactivity and depression.

The seizures and blackouts that can occur within that first day of withdrawal can endanger the person by causing them to fall, hit their head or bite their tongue. The falls could also lead to sprained muscles or broken bones. During a seizure it is common to bite the tongue. Biting the tongue could cause bleeding and swelling. There is a large vein that runs through the tongueand a great loss of blood could be suffered and swelling of the tongue may obstruct the person’s airway.

Why Detoxification Under Medical Care Is Important

There are multiple different types of detox. Because the symptoms of detoxification can range from mild to extremely dangerous and can happen at a moment’s notice, it is always preferable to detox under the direct care of a doctor or a facility specialoized in medical monitoring of those who are in detox.

What Happens In The First 24 Hours At a Detox Facility?

The person suffering from addiction will be asked a series of questions to determine his or her treatment plan. The length of time spent in a detoxification program and the measures taken will be determined by multiple factors. The questions asked to determine these factors could include:

• Do you have any medical disorders besides the addiction that could somehow interfere with your treatments?
• Do you have any mental disorders that we should know about?
• How long have you been substance abusing?
• What kinds of substances have you been abusing?
• What amount of alcohol or other drug content have you been consuming in a 24 hour period?
• Have you experienced any large traumas in your life?
• If so, have any traumas you experienced been due to substance abuse?

Severe alcohol and drug addictions become so heavy a burden that the withdrawal of these substances will become physically evident within 5-24 hours of the last use. Get knowledgeable help before beginning the detoxification process. In 2013 there are more advanced detox types available than ever before.

 

What is Medical Detoxification

An addiction to drugs or alcohol represents a habit that is almost impossible to break without help, and for many years individuals who have been addicted have been heading to rehabilitation facilities to help get into a state of recovery. In recent years, there has also been an emergence of medical detoxification opportunities, and this is a method of ridding one’s self of a chemical dependence through the use of certain medication.

Traditional Detoxification

Detoxification has existed as a variety of methods for several years, although the act of receiving medical detox is something that has been popular only in the last fifty years within standard treatment protocols. Doctors often rely on a three-step process for drug detoxification created by The United States Department of Health and Human Services:

1. Evaluation: Doctors will first test a patient to see what types of drugs might be in their system.
2. Stabilization: Detoxification will commence through medication or the natural means of time.
3. Treatment: Once a person is free of toxins, he or she will be recommended for further treatment.

Rapid detox is a method sometimes utilized to reduce the number of days or weeks a person will have to suffer through withdrawal symptoms. But the process does come with certain risks, and unfortunately, the rising popularity of this method has caused some difficulties in certain patients exiting the detoxification process in a healthy way.

Recently, a particularly fast method of detoxification called “ultra rapid” has come into existence, and this means that someone might have all the drugs in their body removed in just a few hours and have no withdrawal symptoms. There have been studies by different groups, such as a group from Australia that suggested rapid detoxification was an effective way of starting an addict onto the road to recovery.

Outpatient Detoxification

One option for an individual seeking medical detoxification is an outpatient method where the detox might be performed in a doctor’s office, after which standard follow-ups would occur. This method usually carries the most controversy with it since a person isn’t under the constant care of a medical professional, and must go into the doctor’s office of his own volition.

One of the issues that some recently addicted people experience with this method is the formation of an addiction to the other drugs taken during the detoxification process. For example, methadone treatments used during heroin detoxification do carry the risk of addiction, and a person will still experience lengthy withdrawal symptoms during this type of medical detoxification.

Inpatient Detoxification

An inpatient style of detoxification requires the individual to remain in a treatment or medical facility for the entirety of the detoxification process. The type of detox process undertaken might be a rapid detox, after which enrollment in a treatment facility would be the best course of action. In some cases, an inpatient detoxification may be performed more quickly due to the constant presence of medical personnel during the detox process.

Alternatively, traditional medical detoxification that might take much longer would also require a stay within the medical facility until the patient’s system was free of drugs and withdrawal symptoms. Traditional treatment time frames for slow medical detox might be anywhere from six days to two weeks.

When a person decides to seek treatment for an addiction to drugs or alcohol, one of the discussions held with a medical professional might be regarding the medical detoxification process. Each method does carry with it certain risks and advantages, and it’s important for individuals seeking treatment to make sure that their choice of detoxification style will benefit their level of willpower and will include counseling and further treatment.

 

5 Mistakes People Make During Medical Detox

Not everyone knows what to expect from medical detox. As a critical part of drug rehab, medical detox makes a significant difference in recovery rates: people who go through detox are 20% more likely to get clean and kick their addiction. However, before beginning detox and rehab, it is important to be prepared and to know what to expect from the staff and from yourself. Knowing some of the common mistakes people make during detox can help you avoid them.

Mistake #1: Not Asking Questions

Although the staff on your treatment team will do their best to prepare you for the detox process, they won’t be able to answer any questions you have if you do not ask them. Even when they do go over information about detox, it is easy to forget about specific points because of withdrawal symptoms you have or if you are intoxicated at the time they give you the information. You may need to ask questions about:

• withdrawal symptoms, especially if a particular symptom you are having is so severe that you are afraid for your health
• how long withdrawal symptoms are expected to last
• how long detox will last

These are only a few questions you may have. The rehab facility staff members are there to make sure you feel as secure as possible, and they should be happy to answer any questions you have.

Mistake #2: Expecting too Much too Quickly

Detox is a slow process because your body needs time to rid itself of all of the drugs or alcohol that you’ve taken. Depending on what substances are in your body and how long you have been addicted, detox could last for weeks. Some people coming off of drugs, such as crack cocaine, experience withdrawal symptoms for up to 90 days. Although it is difficult to remember when you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms, you must remember that your symptoms will pass. Most people only need up to one week for detox.

Mistake #3: Thinking That After Detox, Recovery Will be Easy

Recovery is a difficult path, and it does not end after detox is over. People in detox should prepare themselves for cravings for drugs. Between 40 and 60% of people who complete a rehab program, including detox and therapy, will experience at least one relapse in the four years following their completion of the program. Although detox makes your recovery more likely, it will not make it certain.

Mistake #4: Not Having a Plan for After Detox

Most inpatient detox facilities strongly encourage their patients to undergo treatment after detox is finished. Many addicts do not think that far ahead and are simply trying to get through the day. Once detox is finished, you may feel the urge to leave the facility because you are thankful that detox is over. However, you need to work with staff to make a plan for treatment and sober living. Having a plan gives you something to refer to when you are feeling lost or unsure of your future.

Mistake #5: Thinking That Detox is Enough

After finishing detox, you may feel as though you don’t need to complete counseling or a program. However, people who complete a treatment program after their detox remain sober for 40% longer than people who only go through detox. Many more do not relapse at all. Following through with treatment makes sure that you not only stay sober, but that you form connections with other people in recovery so that you have support from other people, which is crucial to getting and staying clean.

 

What is it Like to Experience Withdrawal From Drugs?

As a destructive addiction, drug use impacts the body in extremely negative ways, and various drugs cause everything from permanent changes in behavior to organ failure to death. Unfortunately, sometimes the threat of death isn’t enough to cause someone to make the decision to attempt recovery since the withdrawal symptoms from some drugs are terrible and almost unbearable. Most people addicted to drugs must undergo a detox program to quit drugs because the process itself may cause health problems and the feelings of withdrawal can cause someone to relapse quickly.

Different withdrawal symptoms may result from addiction to depressants, stimulants, or opioids, so a medical professional will often create specific types of detox plans (sometimes called withdrawal therapy) depending on the type of addiction. The effects of withdrawal are often the exact opposite of the type of experience a person would have while abusing the drug. This means that the naturally addictive properties of drugs are made much worse because of the reversal of a person’s “high” into a type of unbearable pain. It is particularly common for drug addicts to avoid recovery just to avoid withdrawal symptoms. The National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine offers some startling timelines regarding when withdrawal symptoms may impact the body. The effects of withdrawal may begin anywhere from a few hours after the last use, such as with stimulants like cocaine, or after a few days, such as with hallucinogenic drugs like marijuana.

Depressants

Different types of depressants include drugs like barbiturates (Phenobarbital and Nembutal), alcohol (ethanol), gamma hydroxybutyric acid (sleeping pills), and benzodiazepines (Xanax and Valium). Side effects from withdrawal range from minor to extreme. Some of the lesser types of withdrawal symptoms include:

• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Sweating

There are also a variety of much worse symptoms that heavy addiction to depressants will cause on the body during the detoxification process and those symptoms often include:

• Hallucinations
• Tremors
• Seizures

Opioids

Whenever someone is prescribed a drug for pain after surgery or after an accident, the drug offered will be opioids. Different types of opioids to which people commonly become addicted include Oxycontin, codeine, and morphine. Heroin is also a type of opioid although it hasn’t been used for medicinal purposes for over a hundred years since it was declared a harmful narcotic by the United States government with the 1914 Harrison Narcotic Act. The impact of opioid withdrawal is always severe and will begin within 24 hours of the last use of the drug. Some of the less stressful types of withdrawal symptoms for opioids include:

• Anxiety
• Cravings
• Sweating

The most severe symptoms are extensive and extreme and mean that quitting this type of drug represents one of the hardest types of detoxification. Severe symptoms include:

• High Blood Pressure
• Diarrhea
• Insomnia
• Stomach Cramps
• Vomiting

Stimulants

As the name would suggest, stimulants increase the level of alertness within the body, and one of the most destructive elements of stimulant addiction is that the body experiences an increased tolerance for the drug over time. This means addicts must take higher concentrations of drugs during a long addiction. Different types of stimulants include drugs like cocaine, ephedrine (common as a herbal supplement), and even caffeine. Some of the basic symptoms of withdrawal from stimulants, like cocaine, include:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fatigue

More advanced symptoms of withdrawal that come during the recovery process include:

• Paranoia
• Psychosis
• Thoughts of Suicide

The best way to avoid having to experience withdrawal symptoms is to avoid addiction in the first place. Unfortunately, millions of people are addicted to various types of drugs and must undergo an extraordinarily difficult detoxification filled with unbearable pain and withdrawal. The rates of drug abuse are climbing each year, which means more people than ever will have to go through withdrawal in order to quit a drug addiction. It’s important to have a strong support system during any attempts to recover from drug addiction.