Heroin Detoxification and Withdrawal
What is Detox
Detox, short for detoxification, is the first step of the drug treatment process. Withdrawal is the term used to describe the body’s reaction to the removal of any substance it is dependent. Detox is the first step because until there is no alcohol or drugs in a person's body, withdrawal can cause severe craving for more. Additionally, while in a drug or alcohol induced state, a person is not fully prepared to participate in the educational and therapeutic process of rehab and treatment. Until the detox process is complete, someone is simply not ready for rehab, treatment and recovery. Withdrawal is caused by stopping or dramatically reducing drug use after heavy and prolonged use. The reaction frequently includes sweating, shaking, headache, drug craving, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, inability to sleep, confusion, agitation, depression, anxiety, and other behavioral changes. Certain types of drugs require a period of medical detox; others do not. Opiates, such as heroin and methadone do require medical detox. Prescription medications, of all classifications, require medically supervised detox. Other illegal drugs, such as marijuana, crystal meth and cocaine (crack) do not require medical detox.
What is Heroin
Heroin is an addictive drug, processed from morphine. It usually appears as a white or brown powdery substance. Short-term effects include a surge of euphoria followed by alternately wakeful and drowsy states and cloudy mental functioning. Long-term users may develop collapsed veins, liver disease, and lung complications.
Heroin Withdrawal and Detox
Heroin, being a form of morphine requires medically monitored detox. Heroin use causes a strong physical dependence and therefore withdrawal can result in serious complications. Heroin detox, detoxification and withdrawal symptoms can include seizures, heart irregularities, vomiting, insomnia and the sweats. Once the body has adapted to the presence of the drug, withdrawal symptoms may occur if heroin use is reduced or stopped. Withdrawal, in regular abusers, may occur as early as a few hours after the last administration. It may also produce drug craving, restlessness, muscle and bone pain and diarrhea, cold flashes, goose bumps (cold turkey), leg kicking movements and various other physical symptoms. Most heroin detox and withdrawal symptoms peak between 48 and 72 hours after the last dose. Sudden heroin detox, withdrawal, by heavily users can be fatal. Several different schools of thought exist as to the best method for heroin detox. Medical heroin detox always includes closely monitoring the person’s vital signs (blood pressure and heart rate) for complications. Medical heroin detox, detoxification usually takes 4 to 7 days to complete the process.
Changing the Culture of Drug Abuse Treatment
In 2000, Congress passed the Drug Addiction Treatment Act, allowing qualified physicians to prescribe narcotic medications (Schedules III to V) for the treatment of opioid addiction. This created a major paradigm shift that allowed access to heroin treatment in a medical setting rather than limiting it to methadone clinics.
Buprenorphine has also helped change the mindset of many community treatment providers in this country, who for the most part have been unwilling to consider the use of medications to treat drug addiction. Some of these programs now use buprenorphine to assist in opiate detoxification. |
