Popular Medications Used in Drug Detox

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Are you seeking to quit your alcohol addiction problem? If so, your first step is detoxing and getting rid of the drug in your system. Excessive consumption of alcohol and drugs often leads to dependency, and a sudden stop could lead to severe withdrawal, which in some cases is very serious. The withdrawals sometimes go over physical symptoms and could affect your mental health. 

When such severe withdrawal happens, a medical practitioner is often involved in helping reverse or manage the symptoms. Doctors from rehab facilities will thus recommend specific medication to either stop or reduce the discomfort associated with the withdrawal effects. Specific medications come in handy during this process, as explained below.

Knowing Where to Detox

First things first, it is essential to detox at the right place. It is one thing to want to recover from addiction and another to get the right kind of help through this process. After all, your efforts will yield positive and permanent results only with the right kind of support. Taylor Recovery is an excellent example of a facility that offers the necessary support to all addicts who need to be helped through the journey.

Doctors or medics at the facility will evaluate your situation and determine which program to recommend the best fit for you. Some of the elements they evaluate include:

  • Mental health
  • Physical health
  • Your concurrent use of the substance
  • Patterns of alcohol and drug abuse in the family
  • Past addictions and detox programs
  • Violence and suicide risks

The information gathered from such an evaluation will be used to determine the possibility of experiencing difficult withdrawals. Based on this, the experts will then recommend the proper medical support, including appropriate medication. Usually, such programs offer round-the-clock support and monitoring.

Medications that Help

Medications are meant to ease the problematic aspect of recovery and not replace the abused substance. The medicines are often prescribed either as an inpatient or outpatient program solution. Moreover, doctors in charge can constantly adjust the medication depending on the stage of recovery and the response to the medication. Some of the most popular medications used include:

  1. Benzodiazepines: These include the likes of Diazepam/ valium and Lorazepam/Ativan, which are majorly used for alcohol withdrawal symptoms. They are excellent comfort medicine for addicts recovering from opioid addiction.
  2. Gabapentin: This can be used for alcohol withdrawal symptoms, especially if the addict struggles with seizures. It is used as a neuroleptic for seizure prophylaxis
  3. Acamprosate: Also known as Campral, this a great medication used for alcoholism treatment as it helps reduce alcohol consumption and could help in achieving abstinence, especially when combined with counseling sessions and other therapies. It is best administered orally as tablets. It is believed to stabilize and regulate brain chemical signals which may end up working abnormally due to the alcohol withdrawal symptoms. However, using it may lead to abdominal cramps and diarrhea.
  4. Suboxone: This medication contains buprenorphine and naloxone. When used as prescribed by the doctor, this medication can alleviate cravings and eliminate withdrawal symptoms for people addicted to opioids.

How Rehab and Medical Rehab are Connected

It is best to detox under the supervision of a medical practitioner who is seasoned and experienced to help with the process. While some people prefer detoxing on their own, this can be dangerous if the withdrawal symptoms become too severe to handle. 

Close monitoring helps determine the best remedies. However, medical detox should be something people with other medical conditions should always request. These may need specialized care to deal with any interaction challenges. Some of the medication used under medical detox programs includes:

  • Methadone reduces addicts’ desire or craving to use the drug they abused before, especially opioids
  • Buprenorphine is also used in medical detox for opioid addicts. It works best for patients who don’t want to visit the clinic daily, which is the case with methadone.
  • Naltrexone is an oral drug used for alcohol and opioid detox treatment. It helps curb cravings and support the addict’s recovery journey.

Regardless of the type of detox one opts for. Taylor Recovery is an excellent solution for Houston residents. Call today for assistance and bookings.