Prescription Drug Detox

There are several different ways to detox off of prescription drugs. This can be done with the help of a replacement therapy drug or by doing a titration of your own prescription medication. Quitting cold turkey is one way people detox; it is not comfortable, but it can be done. Here are some of the prescription drug detox options that are offered and their comfort levels. All methods should be done with your doctors' consultation.

Cold Turkey

• Cold turkey is one way to rid yourself of prescription drugs, though it is not usually recommended. When immediately stopping a drug that you are addicted to, you will have some uncomfortable physical and psychological symptoms. Cold turkey detox comes with symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, chills, depression, anxiety and many other uncomfortable behaviors. It may also cause medical problems such as a rise in your blood pressure and seizures. The symptoms vary depending on length of time you have been on the drug and dosage.

Rapid Detox

• There is a rapid prescription drug detox for opiates that is medically performed while you are in the hospital. This method is administered under general anesthesia. You are given a medication that accelerates the physical reactions to the rapid withdrawal process, which lasts between four to six hours. This process eliminates the opiates from your system and by the time you wake up from the anesthesia you have completed the detox. It can be extremely costly and is usually not covered by insurance. However, you will not have to suffer through the detox symptoms.

Titration

• Another way to detox from prescription drugs is to do a drug titration. This is done by slowly decreasing the amount of the drug you take each day. The daily decrease of the drug is dependent upon your prior daily dosage and length of time you have been on this drug. It is best to do this under your doctor's care. If you do this slowly, you may not experience any of the regular harsh detox symptoms.

Replacement

• Drug replacement therapy is another way to do a prescription drug detox from an opiate-based drug. This can be done with drugs called Methadone and Suboxone. These are opiate-based drugs that are given in place of the prescription drug. This method is done under strict supervision. You are given just enough of a dose to keep you in a comfort zone and away from detox symptoms. You are then slowly titrated off of the drugs. The replacement drugs block the effects of the other opiate drugs, so it is useless to take the opiate drugs. This is a controlled-prescription drug detox.

Detox In Patient Unit

• Another detox method for prescription drugs is to go into a detox program. This usually involves a three- to five-day stay on a supervised unit. In this type of detox center you will feel the effects of the detox. You are given drugs that have a mild tranquilizing effect to take the severe edge off of the detox process. You are medically monitored for blood pressure and any other medical needs. There are supportive counselors and groups that you can attend. It is not a comfortable experience, and for that reason you might think twice before putting yourself in the situation again.