Drug Rehab Advisor

Medical Detox Center nurse

Medical Detox uses medications as well as medical care to assist the withdrawal from alcohol, heroin or pain killers, methadone, heavy prescription drug, or alcohol abuse.

Medical Detox should be considered when:

• disturbing symptoms occur when attempting to withdraw and person started taking the drugs, alcohol or medications again
• when people want to withdraw more quickly than would be possible on an outpatient basis
• doctor recommends that they withdraw in an inpatient facility
• person feels more secure withdrawing on an inpatient basis.

An important distinction between detox and rehab should be made.

While medical detox usually takes one to two weeks at the most, rehab takes many weeks or months, and is designed to handle drug abuse and the underlying issues associated with such abuse.

The types of drugs people generally require medical withdrawal from are:

• Antipsychotics
• Opiates/Opiods, ie Methadone
• Alcohol
• Benzodiazepines
• Antidepressants

Prescription drugs like: high dose methadone, benzodiazepines, and long term use of psych meds require the most skilled medical detox. While medical detox can assist through the withdrawal of most medicines, ironically, medicines and not street drugs can present greater difficulty to fully detoxify from.

Cold turkey withdrawal refers to un-assisted or at-home withdrawal without any real understanding or assistance given. If nutritional therapy, medical supervision or holistic care is given the withdrawal is greatly eased. Those wishing guidance should get withdrawal manuals or download at-home advice.

The simplest drugs to detox from cold turkey are marijuana and cocaine. The depression and cravings which attend cocaine withdrawal often scares abusers off and they relapse back into using. Marijuana, cocaine and meth users often have difficultly sleeping during withdrawal.

Other Problems

Difficulties with sleep, anxiety, no appetite, aches and pains etc occur due to an absence of knowledge of what to do. Withdrawing from drugs at home is best done with the help of home manuals or expert advice on withdrawing at home. Both of these are available through our site.

Integrative Medical / Holistic Detox:

Holistic detox

The withdrawal from all drugs, alcohol and medication can be eased considerably through the use of proper hydration using electrolytes, nutrients, chelation therapy (IV drips of vitamins / nutrients), touch therapy and caring and concerned nursing care.

Many people will detox off of cocaine and heroin either themselves at home, simply stop use, or with the help of holistic withdrawal. Nutrients, hydration, care, rest and quiet provide the basis of an effective and safe withdrawal environment.

I’ve done extensive surveying of clients who’ve been through medical detox. I’ve found several repeating factors for people to consider before sending someone to a medical detox facility.

Checklist to do before checking into a medical detox facility:

1^st Does the facility usually deliver medical detox for the drugs one is coming off of?

2^nd Is the medical facility knowledgeable in taking people off of all medications while in detox? Ie, the person doesn’t leave the center on meds and with a prescription.

3^rd Are you simply rushing into any facility simply because they were connected to a hospital and therefore assumed they must know what to do? If so, re-evaluate the facility before considering detox

4^th Have you made arrangements for aftercare / live-in rehab once detox is complete?

5^th Does the medical clinic / center use alternative or complimentary / integrative medicine approaches at their clinic? Medical detox can be a restorative and bolstering experience if done well. Rapid recovery occurs if the detox uses nutritional and complimentary support to traditional medicine.

6^th Have you got a referral or consultant to advise you on detox center options before rushing into detox? While this step may not be considered vital, I have seen and heard from many clients who could have had a much more successful recovery if they would have followed this simple checklist prior to detox.

7^th Contact me if you consider medical detox as a needed or important step in your medical detoxification or you or a loved one is needing long-term rehab as part of your recovery plan.

Contact us about getting the Right Medical Detox program for you or a loved one!

Drug Rehab Advisor 1-888-840-0927