Opiate Detox Methods

Opiates are narcotic analgesics that can contain natural or synthetic opium intended to be used medically for pain relief. Opiate drugs can be highly addictive when used in large doses over a long period of time. The abuse of opiates is linked to the increased risk of drug overdose. Common natural opiates are codeine and morphine. The semisynthetic variety includes heroin, hydromorphone and hydrocodone, while examples of synthetic ones are methadone and propoxyphene. There are several detox methods for opiate addiction

Opiate Agnostic Drugs

• Some heroin detox programs use opiate agnostic drugs to block the withdrawal symptoms that accompany detox or rehabilitation. Clonidine and methadone are examples of such opiate agonist drugs. The drug is administered via a transdermal patch that continuously releases the clonidine over a seven-day period. Patients are also given an oral dose of the drug during the first two days, because it takes that long for the transdermal drug to reach stable effectiveness. Constant monitoring of the patient's blood pressure is important, because clonidine tends to promote sedation and hypotension.

Accelerated Neuro-Regulation

• Accelerated Neuro-Regulation is a quicker version of heroin detox. It is a rapid treatment that has successfully treated opiate addiction. Also called the Waismann Method, this procedure treats the addiction as a form of physical disease that can be resolved using techniques in advanced medicine. The ANR method helps eliminate the opiate cravings that are often present during detox therapies. It is a clinically proven method to treat heroin addiction.
  During the ANR, the patient's opiate receptors undergo a cleansing process to eliminate the opiates. Medications are administered to facilitate the cleansing. This is done while the patient sleeps under a light anesthetic. It is the procedure's goal to stop the body from the addiction, physically withdrawing it while the patient sleeps.

Ultra-Rapid Detox

• Ultra-Rapid detox is done when the patient is under general anesthesia. It is accompanied by intubations for six to eight hours. Clonidine and Naltrexone are the usual drugs that are administered in this procedure.
  As its name suggests, the process accelerates detoxification. While sleeping under general anesthesia, the patient is given medications that counteract the opiates' addictive properties. When the patient awakens, his cravings may be partially or completely absent, thus eliminating withdrawal symptoms. This procedure must be followed with therapy that treats the emotional and psychological aspects of the addiction.