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Drugs Used in Detox Centers

Drug detoxification is an essential part of rehabilitating drug addicts. Drug rehabilitation facilities wean addicts off of highly addictive substances through counseling and the controlled use of drugs that allow patients to slowly come to terms with their addiction. Drugs used during detoxification are very important because they allow recovering addicts to gradually adjust to living without the substance.

  1. Addictive Drugs

    • Prescription and illegal drugs are highly addictive, causing many addicts to seek refuge in drug detoxification centers. A few highly addictive drugs include heroin, cocaine, barbiturates, tranquilizers, Vicodin, Oxycontin and alcohol. These drugs cause addicts to suffer painful and often life-threatening physical withdrawals if they are stopped cold turkey. Therefore, rehabilitation centers use alternative drugs that mimic the effects of addictive drugs in a controlled environment.

    Methadone

    • Methadone is a synthetic opiate that has been in use since World War II. Methadone is an analgesic with a longer half-life than other synthetic opiates; its analgesic effects generally last two to three times longer. Methadone slows the withdrawal symptoms of opiates, and it is used as a substitute for heroin during drug detoxification. The drug is administered once a day, and its effects can last for 24 hours. However, methadone is a highly addictive drug that is harder to recover from than heroin or other opiates. Many heroin addicts transfer their heroin addiction onto methadone, and the detoxification process ultimately becomes counterproductive. The majority of addicts report that they would stop using methadone if they could be guaranteed that their withdrawal symptoms would not return.

    Buprenoprine

    • Buprenoprine is a semi-synthetic drug that is used to detoxify addicts suffering from opiate addiction. Buprenoprine is administered to the muscles, intravenously or taken under the tongue to relieve moderate or severe pain. The drug relieves the sharp symptoms of withdrawals and also reduces the likelihood of patients using other opiates. Buprenoprine has proven to be highly effective and is a better alternative than methadone.

    Chlordiazepoxide

    • Chlordiazepoxide is a synthetic hypnotic drug that is sold under the brand name Librium. The drug is used to treat anxiety disorder; however, it is also effective in the treatment of withdrawal from acute alcoholism. Chlordiazepoxide has a long half-life that allows for a smooth withdrawal from alcoholism. The drug is administered at fixed dosages to ensure its effectiveness and to reduce the risk of dependence. However, the drug does have addictive properties, including physical dependence and benzodiazepine withdrawal symptom. The higher the dose and the longer the period the drug is taken, the worse the withdrawal symptoms.

    Helpful Tips

    • Detoxification drugs should be administered by a health care professional.
      Do not try to self medicate to treat drug dependence.

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