Medical detox is a drug detoxification process that people dependent on opioids or other substances undergo under medical supervision. Put simply, this form of detoxification allows the body to eliminate toxins under the care of medical professionals who monitor patients and possibly administer medications to relieve withdrawal symptoms.
Although undergoing medical detox is safer than quitting “cold turkey” without medical supervision, detox alone cannot guarantee sustainable recovery.
This article will explain what medical detox is, why it doesn’t guarantee success, and what makes ANR the most effective opioid dependence treatment today.
What Is Medical Detox?
Medical detox, also known as medically supervised detox, is the process of ridding the body of drugs or alcohol with medical assistance. To make this process more comfortable, patients are typically administered medications that ease withdrawal symptoms.
Besides opioids, medical detox may be used to clear alcohol, benzodiazepines, and other substances that cause physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms upon discontinuation.
Although some medical detox centers advertise this procedure as a substance use disorder treatment, it doesn’t do anything to truly heal dependence. It simply eliminates substances from the system, stabilizing the patient and preparing them for further treatment.
Importantly, detox and rehab represent different stages of addiction treatment, even though these terms are often used interchangeably.
The difference between detox vs. rehab methods is that detox helps the body remove toxins while managing withdrawal symptoms. By contrast, rehab typically comes after detox and involves various long-term therapies that are supposed to help the patient stay sober. These may include group counseling, behavioral therapy, and so forth.
However, neither of these methods addresses the root cause of dependence, which is why they often lead to relapse.
On this note, let’s discuss how medical detox works in more detail.
How Does Medical Detox Work?
Medical detox works by helping the patient detox from drugs under medical supervision, with healthcare professionals administering medications to facilitate drug detoxification and ease withdrawal symptoms.
This process typically starts with the evaluation of the patient’s medical condition and substance use history. After this assessment, a treatment plan is created, and the patient is usually monitored as their bodies begin to eliminate drugs. Since withdrawal symptoms can be hard to bear and lead to complications when unmanaged, patients receive medications to ease them.
The medications used in medical detox differ based on the drug you’re detoxing from, the detox method, and the severity of your withdrawal symptoms, among other individual factors.
For example, lofexidine or clonidine may be used in detox for opioids to relieve withdrawal symptoms. Some symptoms can also be treated with specific medications (e.g., antiemetic drugs may be used to treat nausea and vomiting).
Furthermore, additional medications are used in rapid detox. Although this anesthesia-assisted medical procedure accelerates withdrawal, condensing the detoxification process into a few hours, it is not considered a safe detox method. In fact, it is associated with numerous life-threatening adverse effects, including cardiac arrest.
Depending on the detox program and the extent of your dependence and substance use, medical detox may last between several hours and several weeks.
Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms in Medical Detox
Opioid withdrawal symptoms refer to the physical and psychological effects opioid-dependent people experience after quitting these drugs.
Opioids are powerful pain medications that alter brain chemistry with prolonged use. Repeated exposure to opioids causes the brain to cease producing endorphins and create more opioid receptors, leading to tolerance. Tolerance is a sign of physical dependence that explains why your initial opioid dose eventually stops working.
Once you develop opioid dependence, your body will rely on opioids to function normally. Without them, it will go into opioid withdrawals. Opioid withdrawal symptoms, therefore, emerge as your body detoxes from opioids and tries to become accustomed to their absence.
Managing withdrawal symptoms under medical supervision is critical to reducing the risk of complications like dehydration. Medical detox attempts to ease these symptoms and prevent complications with the help of medications. However, treating withdrawal symptoms with drugs doesn’t eliminate them, which is why some people drop out of treatment and resume opioid use.
Although acute opioid withdrawals last a week or two, many continue to suffer from cravings, insomnia, and other psychological symptoms long after this.
While medical detox can alleviate acute withdrawal symptoms, it does not address the root of opioid dependence, thereby leaving patients vulnerable to post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). This condition is characterized by withdrawal symptoms that last for weeks, months, and sometimes even years after opioid discontinuation, amplifying the risk of relapse.
Therefore, anyone dependent on opioids should seek comprehensive opioid addiction treatment to increase the chances of making a successful recovery.
Symptoms of Withdrawal
Common symptoms of opioid withdrawal include:
- Chills
- Fever
- Anxiety
- Nausea
- Tremors
- Vomiting
- Agitation
- Diarrhea
- Cravings
- Depression
- Sleep disturbances
- Increased sweating
- High blood pressure
- Muscle and joint pain
- Runny nose and watery eyes
Certain opioids can also cause atypical withdrawal symptoms. For instance, tramadol, which has both opioid- and SNRI-like actions, can cause seizures and hallucinations upon discontinuation, among other unusual symptoms.
Risks and Challenges with Medical Detox
The main risks and challenges with medical detox include long treatment duration, a high risk of relapse, and a lack of post-detox care.
Let’s dissect each of these challenges:
#1. Lengthy Process
Medical detox can be a lengthy and uncomfortable process, especially for those who are severely dependent on opioids. While some detox programs promise a quick recovery, these can take an even larger toll on your body and mind than lengthier programs, increasing the risk of relapse.
Whether you opt for ultra-rapid detox that takes roughly 5 hours or a 28-day opioid detox program, remember that flushing opioids out of the system isn’t nearly enough to achieve lasting recovery.
The main limitation of medical detox is that it only facilitates opioid withdrawal management. Meanwhile, effective opioid dependence treatment requires addressing the chemical imbalance that occurs in the brain due to prolonged use.
#2. Increased Risk of Relapse
Medical detox exposes patients to a very high risk of relapse. Since this treatment fails to treat the root of dependence, it often leaves people struggling with persistent withdrawal symptoms post-discharge. Sadly, this drives many people to resume opioid use.
Relapse after detoxification can have fatal consequences. As your body detoxes from opioids, your tolerance to these drugs decreases. As such, even your usual dose may be potent enough to cause a life-threatening opioid overdose post-detox.
#3. Lack of Post-Detox Care and Treatment
According to Duke University Medical Center researchers, there’s a large detox-treatment gap. Only 13% of detoxification patients receive subsequent drug use disorder (DUD) treatment, such as rehabilitation. Worse yet, up to 14% of such patients are discharged against medical advice.
A lack of post-detox care and treatment significantly diminishes people’s chances of making a lasting recovery and increases the odds of relapse. After all, medical detox is not a comprehensive treatment by any means; while it removes opioids or other drugs from the system, it doesn’t repair the damage these substances cause to the brain.
ANR Treatment for Opioid Dependence and OUD
Accelerated Neuro-Regulation (ANR) is an ultra-modern treatment for opioid dependence that supports long-lasting recovery by addressing its neurobiological root causes. As of today, this treatment has helped almost 25,000 people worldwide successfully return to an opioid-free life.
Developed by Dr. Andre Waismann, ANR approaches opioid dependence from a scientifically based medical perspective. It is the only treatment that acknowledges and addresses the underlying causes of opioid dependence by re-regulating the endorphin-receptor system to its normal state.
The procedure is performed under sedation, allowing patients to avoid the discomfort of going through opioid withdrawals and eliminating the chance of drop-outs.
Since ANR effectively reverses opioid-induced changes to the nervous system, it eliminates the risk of persistent cravings and other withdrawal symptoms. As such, it allows patients to conquer opioid dependence once and for all and leave the fear of relapse in the past.
4 Reasons Why ANR Treatment Is Superior to Medical Detox
The four reasons why ANR treatment is superior to medical detox include lasting success, a personalized approach to treating opioid dependence, high patient safety standards, and short duration.
Here’s a detailed breakdown of the key benefits ANR offers:
#1. Lasting Results
Unlike medical detox, ANR is a comprehensive opioid dependence treatment that fosters long-lasting recovery by restoring normal brain function.
After undergoing it, you won’t have to transition to subsequent opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, take opioid-replacement drugs, and so forth. Since this treatment targets the root of the problem, you will be effectively healed from opioid dependence after completing it.
Furthermore, the ANR team will continue to work with you and guide you through the process of endorphin system optimization to facilitate lifelong success.
#2. Personalized Approach
ANR is not a one-size-fits-all treatment. ANR considers individual differences, creating a unique treatment plan customized to each patient’s medical history and needs.
Thanks to its personalized approach, ANR is a low-risk procedure that does not cause side effects. It can be safely performed on most people, including those with co-occurring health conditions.
#3. Patient Safety
Patient safety is ANR Clinic’s top priority, which is why this treatment is only carried out in an ICU setting of fully accredited hospitals with state-of-the-art medical equipment. Plus, it is performed by a team of highly experienced anesthesiologists, critical care physicians, nurses, and other board-certified healthcare professionals.
No matter which ANR center you choose to get treated at, rest assured you will receive the same level of patient care and safety.
#4. Short Treatment Duration
While medical detox and rehabilitation can take months and still lead to relapse, ANR achieves unparalleled results within a matter of days.
The procedure itself lasts just 4–6 hours. Most spend only 36 hours on average in the hospital. Therefore, ANR is not only highly effective but also very fast.
Don’t take our word for it—here’s a touching testimonial from Jonathan, who broke the cycle of opioid dependence with ANR after undergoing countless detoxes, rehabs, and other treatments:
Reclaim your life with ANR today by contacting us and scheduling a free, 100% confidential consultation!
Key Takeaways
The bottom line is that medical detox can make opioid withdrawals less uncomfortable with the use of medications, but it isn’t enough to treat opioid dependence and maintain lasting recovery.
Before you leave, let’s reiterate the key points we covered:
- Medical detox is the process of detoxing from alcohol or drugs under medical supervision.
- The risks and challenges of medical detox include long treatment duration, a lack of subsequent care and treatment, and a high risk of relapse.
- ANR treatment outshines medical detox and other traditional methods in terms of speed and effectiveness because it eradicates the root of opioid dependence.
Medical Detox FAQ
Medical detox differs from ANR treatment in virtually all aspects, as ANR is a comprehensive opioid dependence treatment. Unlike medical detox, it doesn’t merely clear opioids from the system; it restores the brain to its pre-dependence state. By addressing the root of opioid dependence, it eradicates withdrawal symptoms and the risk of relapse.
Medical detox should not be done at home because it is extremely dangerous. There have been cases of psychosis associated with the use of detoxification kits. Detoxing from opioids without medical supervision considerably increases the risk of other complications, relapse, overdose, and death.
How long medical detox takes depends on individual factors, such as the substance used and the extent of your dependence on it. Although it usually takes 7–10 days on average, some people may need several weeks to detox properly.
ANR works by modulating the endorphin-receptor system. Specifically, it decreases opioid receptor production while allowing the body to resume normal endorphin production. In other words, this innovative treatment repairs the damage repeated opioid exposure causes to the brain.
