Can I use medication to treat addiction?

The process of detox and rehab can be quite uncomfortable. As you detox, you may also find that mental health issues and mood disorders that have been masked by addiction rise to the top. Detox and rehab are not more effective if your suffering is more extreme. Can I use medication to treat addiction? With professional help, yes.

Depending on what you’re detoxing from, the first step in your medication routine in rehab may just be a saline drip. The impact of dehydration, paired with nausea, will add greatly to your misery. IV hydration could actually limit other discomforts, such as muscle aches and cramping.

The Right Help Is Critical

Detox is dangerous. No matter what you’re detoxing from, the symptom of nausea should never be ignored. Nausea can make you dizzy, it can lead to vomiting, and you may be at risk of aspiration if you faint or collapse and vomit. Nausea can also make it hard to stay hydrated, which may impact the function of your heart.

Depending on what you’ve been using and how long you’ve been abusing drugs, the withdrawal discomfort can be extreme. If you have become addicted to opioids because you suffer from nerve pain, that pain may come roaring back once the drug starts to leave your system. Effective pain medication may be necessary to help you endure the remainder of your detox.

Once you’re through detox, you may need to be reassessed for your current

  • mental health symptoms
  • pain level
  • fluid and nutritional deficiencies

No matter what symptoms are bubbling up, you cannot safely go through detox and you should not try to go through rehab without support. If your schedule, budget and family life don’t allow you to enter inpatient rehab, you can get psychological support and the necessary medications to get through rehab, especially those early stages by attending an outpatient rehab treatment program. You may even be able to find a halfway house where you can go through a supervised detox to protect yourself, your family and your friends.

Addiction changes the brain. It takes time, safety and comfort to allow the brain to heal and begin to function as it did before you started using drugs. There are medications that you can take to reduce the anguish of detox and discomfort of rehab which will reduce the stress and pressure that is limiting your brain’s ability to heal.

Detox and rehab can be made easier with certain medications, but you are not the best person to decide what to use. The action of the drug may be different or slower than what you were taking before, but with time and safety, you can track the benefits of these drugs on your body and brain.

One of the greatest hazards among those who self-medicate with legal or illegal drugs is that every reaction is different. Unlike a prescription drug that was created for your weight, age and physical condition, one black market pill or drink of alcohol will impact a 120 pound teenager much differently than a 200 pound adult with diabetes or than a 150 pound senior citizen with emphysema. If you’ve been managing physical pain, anxiety or depression with illegal drugs or alcohol and getting inconsistent results for years, that’s not an accident.

The drugs that can make detox bearable and rehab more comfortable need to be chosen specifically for your body size, weight and age. You can’t use a black market drug such as heroin to get off illegal opioid pain medications and get a better result over the long term. The professionals helping you through your detox and rehab can help you find a better path and result, but the medications used must be tailored to your needs.

Those struggling with mental health issues are even more vulnerable. Proper care during detox may lead to symptoms that make you a danger to yourself and others. Without trained professionals around your, detox and rehab can be fatal.

We’ve all been warned that drug use can be dangerous. Stopping drug abuse can be uncomfortable, but there are medications that you can use to lower the discomfort of detox and rehab. Ready to get started? Call us today at 833-846-5669.