Heroin Detox Now

If many morphine addicts knew what  was like before they started abusing the drug, many would look at the high it gives in a different light. Unfortunately, morphine addicts don’t know what the withdrawal is going to be like until they are admitted into a treatment center, their life is upside down, and they are in extreme pain.

When morphine is used as prescribed by a doctor for legitimate pain control there are limited to no withdrawal symptoms to be dealt with. Small amounts of the drug for short periods of time generally don’t create intense urges for most people. It is when an addiction to the drug forms that the withdrawal years later can become unbearably painful and uncomfortable.

Morphine works by rewarding the brain with a sense of intense pleasure. Since human brains are wired to seek that type of pleasure, it is very easy to become addicted to the drug. Unfortunately, the brain develops a tolerance to the drug and then begins to crave higher and higher doses in order to seek that intense reward of pleasure over and over.

A serious morphine addict can end up taking super high doses of the drug, with symptoms of morphine withdrawal setting in just days after the last dose. Since withdrawal symptoms include intense mental components, it keeps the cycle of abuse alive and the addict will do just about anything to obtain the next hit of morphine.

The longer the drug is abused and the higher the doses become, the more intense the eventual morphine withdrawal will be.

Morphine withdrawal causes a lot of problems with the stomach. Addicts will experience intense cramping, diarrhoea, nausea, and may throw up.

They will also experience body chills as their body temperature rises. They may sweat excessively and most will experience hold and/or cold flashes. Some will also have moments of uncontrollable sneezing.

More serious symptoms include high blood pressure and increased heart rate. This is why it is best that morphine withdrawal be monitored by medical professionals to make sure care is delivered if needed.

During the detox phase of recovery, someone withdrawing from morphine will have a lot of trouble sleeping and will be very restless and irritable. They may have outright insomnia or just may be unable to go into a very deep, restorative sleep due to being on edge and restless around the clock.

As if this were not enough, all morphine addicts will experience intense cravings for the drug. This comes from the brain demanding that pleasure reward even when the addict wants to turn their life around and get clean. An addict trying to withdrawal on their own will likely end up seeking the drug and relapsing before it can fully be eliminated from their system. The uneasiness coupled with the cravings is just too much to overcome without the support and help of medical professionals.

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Morphine withdrawal is a long term process. The symptoms can feel as if they are getting worse rather than better in the first few days and it can take a week or longer for most of them to start easing off. Since the drug remains in the fat tissues of the body potentially for years, cravings can continue for months if not years.

The cravings will become more bearable, but all morphine addicts need ongoing support so they have the tools to overcome cravings.

 
Withdrawal symptoms from heroin addiction are predictable and identifiable. Management of withdrawal can be accomplished with clonidine (Catapres) or methadone. Patients for whom clonidine is indicated include intranasal heroin users, outpatients and those who are motivated to achieve abstinency. Patients for whom methadone is indicated include intravenous users, inpatients, those who have medical and psychiatric complications and patients with a history of poor compliance when withdrawing from opiate. Federal regulations do not allow the use of methadone for detoxification if opiate withdrawal is the primary diagnosis. However, methadone may be used if the primary diagnosis is a medical condition and the secondary condition is withdrawal from opiates. 

Acute symptoms of withdrawal from psychedelic agents may be diminished or reversed by using therapy with haloperidol (Haldol), 5 to 10 mg intramuscularly or orally every three to six hours as tolerated and needed for behavior control. Lorazepam, 1 to 2 mg intravenously, or diazepam, 5 to 10 mg orally every three to six hours, can also be given as needed. Behavior control may also be indicated (e.g., isolation and restraints).

 
Disulfiram is a major aversive agent. It has been shown in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multisite trial12 to be effective as an adjunct to other forms of addiction treatment.

The key components to effective use of disulfiram are overall patient motivation for abstinence and expectation of adverse reactions. Selected patients who have a commitment to working with other treatments for alcoholism may benefit from the addition of disulfiram therapy. The usual dosage of disulfiram is 250 mg per day, or 125 mg per day in patients who experience side effects such as sedation, sexual dysfunction and elevated liver enzymes.

Disulfiram inhibits acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, an enzyme that catalyzes the degradation of acetaldehyde (formed by the action of alcohol dehydrogenase on alcohol). An accumulation of acetaldehyde produces an unpleasant reaction when alcohol is consumed that is similar to a severe hangover. It is potentially lethal, although only a small number of fatalities have been reported. The reaction to disulfiram is characterized by headache, diaphoresis, tachycardia, nausea and vomiting, cardiovascular collapse, delirium, seizures and, occasionally, death. Before using disulfiram, patients must have a blood alcohol level of zero and must be able to comprehend the risks and benefits of treatment.

 
Methadone maintenance is a form of pharmacologic management of opiate addiction. Methadone maintenance is performed in programs that are in compliance with federal regulations. Patients must meet admission requirements and must conform to clinic standards to participate in the program. Typically, methadone is given daily in oral doses ranging from 30 to 100 mg or greater. Methadone is administered under the supervision of a physician. Studies of methadone maintenance show initial efficacy following entrance to the program, and the medication remains effective in conjunction with other psychosocial forms of addiction treatment. Moreover, some studies show a reduction in intravenous drug use as well as in the rate of tests positive for human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Methadone is an opiate agonist that acts competitively at opiate receptor sites to produce effects similar to those of other forms of opioids, such as heroin. Methadone is itself addicting, and patients commonly relapse to use of other drugs such as cocaine, alcohol, benzodiazepines and heroin. Nonetheless, methadone maintenance can be an alternative for patients who are addicted to intravenous heroin, particularly those who cannot or will not accept an abstinence-based addiction treatment program.

 
Naltrexone (ReVia) is an opioid antagonist that acts at opiate receptors to competitively inhibit effects of opiate agonists. It has no analgesic activity of its own. Preliminary controlled double-blind studies suggest that naltrexone is effective in decreasing the mean number of drinking days per relapse and in reducing the subjective craving for alcohol. Study subjects who relapsed tended to drink less alcohol and had shorter relapse periods than control subjects. Naltrexone was considered to be an adjunctive treatment, since all study subjects also were undergoing psychosocial forms of treatment for alcoholism.

While interest in developing these agents appears warranted, caution is urged because of disappointment in the clinical efficacy of naltrexone in previous studies of patients addicted to opiates (except those who are most highly motivated).

 

 

Heroin Addiction: DREAMSELLER CHAPTER FOUR: THE HEROIN EXPERIENCE by JOE FRANTZ

Dreamseller The Documentary Chapter Four: The Heroin Experience Documentary about Brandon Novak’s life conflicts with normality through his battle with heroin addiction. With Ryan Dunn Directed / Produced by Joe Frantz
Video Rating: 4 / 5

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