Rapid Opiate Detox

Opiate addicts must suffer through withdrawal before recovery from the addiction can begin. Withdrawals can last for weeks. With symptoms ranging from muscle aches, flu like symptoms, vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, chills, sweats, and even convulsions, the addict can often suffer miserably. To prevent unnecessary suffering Detox of South Florida has expertly  trained staff to assist the addict throughout the withdrawal also called detox period. The longer the addict suffers, the more likely they are to relapse. In an attempt to relieve the suffering the addict often returns to their drug of choice. The concept of rapid detox is to put the patient under anesthesia and initiate detox with the administration of a narcotic antagonist, reducing the suffering from weeks to essentially none.

Problems With Rapid Detox

The idea behind rapid detox is to have the person sleep through withdrawal, bringing the addict from full blown addiction to a point to where he can begin the recovery process. However, some people are under the false belief that once the rapid detox is complete, the person is cured of the opiate addiction. If the underlying cause of the addiction isn’t addressed, relapse is a distinct possibility. The withdrawal process is taxing on the body. This is intensified when the person goes under anesthesia. Withdrawal symptoms such as insomnia and appetite irregularities last far longer than the acute symptoms, which are avoided with rapid detox.

Cost Of Treatment

The high cost of rapid detox puts the procedure beyond the resources of most addicts. At an estimated cost of $15,000.00 per treatment, its an expensive procedure. Always call your rehab center to see if your insurance covers these types of procedures. For most of these  people, addiction to prescription pills is the issue causing the need for detox. The belief they can go to detox on Friday and return to work on Monday, cured of the addiction, drives these people to rapid detox. Getting a person drug free is one thing, keeping them drug free is different all together. Follow up treatment, called rehab should be available to get to the root of the addiction.

Safety of Procedure

The safety of rapid detox is debatable. According to H.Wesley Clark Director of Substance Abuse at the Health and Human Services Department, some studies show it’s safe but others say it’s not. However, the stress of rapid detox cannot be overlooked. One treatment center reported six deaths out of 2350 treatments. Federal officials view this as un- acceptable. With conflicting opinions on the safety of rapid detox, it’s left up to the addict to research and make an informed decision on whether to seek this treatment or not.

Potential of Rapid Detox

The concept of rapid detox is viable. Until more research and results are examined it will remain controversial. The traditional method of opiate detox, while safer, takes around thirty days or longer. It can also require years of attending support groups. The cost of traditional treatment averages out to be about the same as rapid detox. However, due to the idea of being completely drug free in a fraction of the time it takes for traditional treatment, rapid detox will continue to be popular.