Approaches To Heroin Detox

by erin on December 22, 2011

Diamorphine, or heroin, as it is more commonly known, is the deadliest and most destructive of the twenty most widely used recreational drugs. It is the most destructive both in terms of the physical harm it causes and the potential for addiction. Most methods of heroin detox utilize either the 12-Step Program, widely accepted by recovering alcoholics, chemical analogues or antagonists that compete with the drug for opiate binding sites. These antagonists do not induce the same sense of euphoria as the addictive substance but they do bypass the unpleasant withdrawal symptoms that cause so many attempts at detox to fail.

Methods

Two disparate approaches to diamorphine detoxification are discussed. One, instant detox, relies on the injection of a cocktail of drugs while the patient is anesthetized. This method clears the drug in the space of less than an hour. The patient is then prescribed oral naltrexone, which they are required to take for a year. The other extreme approach is do-it-yourself cold turkey, or DIY, a carefully planned abrupt discontinuation of diamorphine. There are no meetings to attend or drug clinics to check into.

Instant Detox

Instant detox was first used by an Austrian doctor in 1988. He injected addicts with naloxone, the intravenous analogue to the oral naltrexone. By itself, the naloxone treatment cleared the drug but caused the patient immense discomfort. The doctor added a sedative to make the patients more comfortable. This approach reduces the drug clearance time from a period of several weeks down to a matter of a few days.

Cold Turkey

At the other end of the spectrum lies DIY cold turkey. Cold turkey is a term meaning the abrupt stoppage of a drug rather than gradually taking smaller and smaller doses or using drug antagonists. DIY involves careful planning if it is to succeed.

The Plan

DIY cold turkey begins by setting aside a two-week period to dry out. Another essential feature is to accumulate a tidy little nest egg to finance little rewards during the withdrawal process. The family is dispatched to the grandparents and friends are requested not to telephone or drop by. Explain why you are being antisocial for a little while as you will need their support later.

Where To Stay

These two weeks should be spent somewhere the individual feels comfortable. Some place they can be surrounded by their own possessions would be ideal, a place where they can chill out and do what they please. The first few days will be hell and it is important that they have pleasant ways to pass the time between bouts of depression, insomnia, chills, shivers and severe muscle cramps. If their own home won’t work, the home of a parent, friend or sibling will do.

Rewards

Take this process one day at a time. Set little milestones and indulge in a reward when each one is met. This can be watching a DVD, soaking in the bath with music and candles, or ordering take-out. After the two weeks have passed, maybe even sooner, the drug will have been stripped from the system and a new, drug-free and productive life will begin.

Instant detoxification and do it yourself cold turkey are two very different methods of heroin detox. The first one remains experimental and its safety is yet to be determined. On the other hand, the risks of this technique must be weighed against the potential for certain death if the drug is continued. The second approach is difficult but safe and effective. Before embarking on either of these methods, it is strongly urged that an individual discuss the pros and cons with a doctor or other medically trained expert. In addition to medical support one should enlist the help of family and friends. Family counseling is a key component as well as drug counseling to help someone kick an addiction.

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