Recovering From Opiates Addiction
Opiates are a group of drugs that are used to treat pain which originated from the opium poppy plant. Manufacturers use opium poppies to synthesize various types of opiates such as such as morphine, codeine, and thebaine. Heroin, on the other hand, is a semi-synthetic opioid obtained from morphine. (1)
Opioids go by a variation of names such as opiates and narcotics. The term opiate is often used for closely related drugs like codeine, morphine, and heroin. While the term opioid is used for the whole class of drugs including synthetic opiates such as oxytocin. Whichever name you use, there is only one thing that you have got to remember, they all have a high potential for abuse, addiction, and overdose.
List of Common Opioids in Growing Strength
- Hycodan, Vicodin (hydrocodone)
- MS Contin Kadian (morphine)
- Percocet, Oxycontin (oxycodone)
- Dilaudid (hydromorphone)
- Duragesic (fentanyl)
The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has estimated that there are about 26.4 million to 36 million people around the world who have been reported to abuse the use of opiates. This opiates drug abuse includes prescription pain relievers and heroin which is an illicit drug. (3)
Mechanism of Opiates Drug
Opiates change the course of action of the brain’s response to pain stimuli by producing a “high” feeling by disturbing the reward and pleasure centers in the brain.
The brain, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, which are all connected to the central nervous system, has opioid receptors that accept opiate drugs. These drugs lead to dozens of physical and emotional effects such as lowered heart rate, respiration, blood pressure, and body temperature. Opiates amplify the pleasant stimuli the person receives.
Frequent consumption or misuse of an opioid drug can literally change how the brain chemistry works, and in effect may lead to physical and psychological vulnerability. The body may not feel normal anymore without the drug’s interaction. Once individual stops taking in opiates withdrawal symptoms may start right away. (4)
Overdosing on opioids can cause death from cardiac or respiratory arrest. Leeway to the euphoric effects of opioids spreads faster than tolerance to the threatening effects. Hence, a lot of people overdose by fault since they are trying to get excessively high and take too much.
Quitting Opiates Addiction
1. Cold Turkey
Patients could spend a lot of time quitting opioids with cold turkey. The cold turkey method requires the user to suddenly or immediately cease the consumption of the drug.It can be challenging and painful due to a sudden burst of withdrawal symptoms for the patient.
Opiate withdrawal reactions materialize quickly after discontinuation and can be quite uncomfortable as individual may experience agitation, anxiety, increased tearing, insomnia, muscles pain, severe sweating, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, dilation in the pupils, goose bumps, nausea, and vomiting.
Suddenly taking out opiates out of your system and on your own is against many doctors’ recommendations because it’s is really dangerous and you may experience relapse quickly after a sudden opiate discontinuation. (5)
2. Slow Taper Method
Unrushed tapering off opiates can wholly eradicate withdrawal symptoms.Normally, the unhurried you taper, the less agonizing your opiate withdrawal symptoms will be because you will be gradually lowering your dose.
Decreasing your dosage is quite feasible and often even a recommendable way to quit but one must be very disciplined as sometimes slow taper method ends up to be an excuse for an individual to prolong continual drug use.(6)
3. Suboxone – Buprenorphine/Naloxone Method
Users can use suboxone for withdrawing and detoxifying from opioids. Users often combine it with mild opiate called buprenorphine and naloxone to reverse the effects of opiates if taken intravenously.
The patient can take the suboxone drug as a tablet by hold it under their tongue until it fully dissolves. If Suboxone goes into solution and is given intravenously, the naloxone plays the part of reversing the effects of buprenorphine, which blocks the effect of getting high. Buprenorphine, though an opioid drug, it does not lead to a greater high even if you take more, therefore, there is less danger of diversion. (7)
4. Inpatient Rehab
Inpatient rehab requires that a patient stays in a specialized facility. Users can consider this option if they require extensive emotional or physical support through this method is not for everyone as this may be too expensive. Click here to see the cost of various addiction treatment.
Inpatient opioid rehab therapy presents a planned and structured day-to-day activity in a safe territory for the user. Professionals observe in-patients properly. They also have full access to physiological treatments. Rehab centers help patients establish a healthy lifestyle before their release.
5. Outpatient Rehab
Outpatient rehab, on the other hand, allows patients to visit their doctors occasionally, and stay in the comfort of their own homes. It avoids unintended trauma and stigma that the patient may receive in an inpatient facility. However, doctors are not able to properly and rigorously monitor the status of the patient.
This alternative is cheaper than inpatient as there are no costs for hospitalization and boarding. This treatment normally includes visits with doctors and counselors with a specific treatment plan put in place and monitored.
6. Medical Detox Under Light Anesthesia
This method is also known as Waismann Method which allows the patient to sleep through withdrawal and detox period under the presence of light anesthesia.
Doctors will put the patient to sleep in a light coma while doctors monitor and pump medication to the patient that will cleanse and restore their body. The patient will wake up 4-5 days later with no withdrawal symptoms.
Though this may be a perfect solution as the user doesn’t have to undergo withdrawal symptoms anymore, this method is extremely costly. The other drawback is that even though your withdrawal symptoms will be prevented, your addiction and cravings will not disappear instantly. The patient should always follow-up treatments with therapists or counselors. This would cost you a little more money, but hopefully worth it.
7. Ibogaine Narcotic Addiction Recovery Therapy
One can find Ibogaine, an indole alkaloid, in the bark of the root of the African shrub Tabernanthe iboga. It has powerful anti-addictive components, inclusive of high efficacy in drastic opioid withdrawal and addiction. It 100% eliminates opiate withdrawal syndrome in just 24 hours and eradicates the desire for opiates.
This may sound like a magic pill for eliminating opiates withdrawal and addiction, however, there are still several studies that need to be done. Researchers claim that the mortality rate is 1 in 300. Bradycardia and lethal combinations with other drugs cause most deaths. (8)
There are many other ways that you can find to help you quit opiates drug addiction. Remember, finding the right treatment that will best fit you will help you succeed in your battle against opiates drug.