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Heroin Detox Programs

Heroin detox programs should take place in a medically monitored setting, located within a drug rehab facility such as Stepping Stone’s. Since a large number of drug rehab facilities do not have their own heroin detox program you need to become aware of its importance. The importance of having heroin detox programs located directly inside the drug rehab is, because most of the patients entering heroin detox will need to go on to drug rehab. Please note:

• Drug rehab and heroin detox are two completely different levels of addiction treatment.
• By having the heroin detox program alongside the drug rehab, the continuity of addiction treatment remains intact.
• Please keep in mind that even with the heroin detox program located in an ideal position, there is no guarantee of recovery from heroin addiction.
• The relapse rate is high, as many people do not allow themselves to complete detox and then progress into drug rehab.
• Recovery from heroin addiction takes time, structure and great desire.

If you would like additional information or admission to Stepping Stone's heroin detox programs, please call 1-800-237-3150.

Heroin detox programs offer treatment for heroin addiction. This can be one of the more challenging drug addictions to recover from. With heroin addiction, the heroin addict’s nervous system becomes accustomed to the chronic exposure to heroin, which is an opiate. Heroin abuse creates a physical addiction to heroin. When heroin use is discontinued, it creates a challenging process best handled in a heroin detox program.

Heroin Detox Withdrawal Management

Heroin detox programs manage the withdrawal symptoms created from heroin addiction. Generally heroin withdrawal symptoms start within 10 hours of discontinuing the use of heroin. They normally peak after two to four days. Heroin withdrawal is much less uncomfortable than it was years ago. Our heroin detox programs are medically supervised. All medical problems are managed in conjunction with any presenting heroin detox issues.
Heroin withdrawal symptoms include:

• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Diarrhea
• Abdominal pain
• Insomnia
• Chills
• Sweating
• Sniffing
• Sneezing
• Weakness
• Irritability

Heroin detox methods have improved dramatically over the last few years. Several kinds of heroin detox exist which includes opiate agonist drugs such as methadone or Clonidine. These block some of the heroin withdrawal symptoms. The opiate agonist drugs act like heroin, but do not provide the same high and are administered in gradually decreasing doses. Because these medications act like heroin there are few heroin withdrawal symptoms. Patients are administered Clonidine by a transdermal patch continuously releasing the drug over a seven day period. Patients using the patch should also take an oral dose of Clonidine for the first two days since it takes two days for the transdermal medications to reach a steady effectiveness. Blood pressure monitoring is essential for patients on Clonidine because it creates hypotension and sedation.

Another type of heroin detox is ultra-rapid opiate heroin detox under anesthesia. Ultra-rapid detox for heroin addiction is done under general anesthesia with intubations for six to eight hours. Naltrexone and Clonidine are a combination of drugs usually administered during this time. Ultra-rapid heroin detox is generally very expensive and therefore, unobtainable for many. Another unfortunate occurrence is that heroin addicts tend to remove the patch on their own, leading to another episode of heroin addiction. The greatest obstacle to overcoming in heroin addiction are the heroin withdrawal symptoms that occur during detox and these are also the main cause of relapse.

If you would like additional information or admission to Stepping Stone's heroin detox programs, please call 1-800-237-3150.