Committed to Safety: Latest information on COVID-19 PrecautionsLearn More
269-280-4673 Skywood Recovery Skywood Recovery
  • About
  • Treatment
  • Mental Health
  • Programs
  • Resources
  • Patient Satisfaction
  • Referrals
  • Admissions
  • Bill Pay
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • About
    • What Makes Us Different
    • Your Experience at Skywood
    • Our Culinary Experience
    • Staff
    • Photos
  • Programs
    • Our Approach to Recovery
    • Sample Weekly Schedule
    • Skywood Outpatient at Royal Oak
  • Resources
    • Hall of Fame Health
  • Referrals
  • Mental Health
    • Understanding Depression
    • Understanding Anxiety
    • Understanding Bipolar Disorder
    • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
    • Understanding Trauma
    • Understanding Borderline Personality Disorder
    • Understanding Mood Disorder
    • Understanding ADD/ADHD
  • Treatment
    • The Basics of Drug and Alcohol Detox
    • Basics of Residential Rehab
    • Basics of Outpatient Rehab
  • Substance Abuse
    • Drug Rehab in Michigan
    • Understanding Alcohol
    • Benzodiazepines
    • Understanding Heroin Addiction
    • Understanding Methamphetamine Addiction
    • Understanding Opiate Addiction
    • Understanding Oxycodone
    • Understanding Hydrocodone Misuse and Abuse
    • Cocaine
    • Marijuana
    • Klonopin
    • Understanding Alprazolam Addiction
    • Prescription Drugs
  • Admissions
    • Insurance Coverage
    • Cost of Treatment
    • What To Bring
    • FAQs
  • Michigan Rehab
  • Careers
  • Contact
    • Online Bill Pay
    • Chat
  • Search
Search
  • 269-280-4673
  • Contact
  • Chat

Medications Used to Treat Withdrawal

Making the initial choice to get clean from drug abuse is a difficult first step. However, dealing with withdrawal symptoms can sometimes make an individual feel powerless against addiction. Withdrawal symptoms from alcohol and drugs can vary in intensity, but most people will experience some form of withdrawal. Anxiety, irritability, shaking, vomiting and insomnia are some common reactions to the body’s deprivation of a substance.

The signs of withdrawal may vary from person to person, depending on the length of drug use and the severity of the addiction.

Withdrawal symptoms often cause the person who has been using to use again to make the unpleasant symptoms stop. This cycle can be difficult to end, especially when the withdrawal process is severe. Luckily, there are some medications available—depending on the drug of addiction—to help ease the symptoms while an individual is seeking treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction.

Alcohol Withdrawal Medications

Those going through a withdrawal from alcohol may experience restlessness, insomnia, or anxiety. Psychology Today reports that while most alcoholics do not need to undergo hospitalization for alcohol withdrawal, some medications can prove extremely helpful in managing withdrawal symptoms, including the following:1

  • Benzodiazepines are medications that have been commonly used since the 1960s to assist in withdrawal and are among the safest to use. Examples of benzodiazepines—also called benzos—include diazepam (Valium) and chlordiazepoxide (Librium). Medications like these have been shown to decrease the restless feelings that some individuals experience during withdrawal. Benzos slow the central nervous system (CNS) and allow the body to reach an equilibrium without many of the negative effects of withdrawal.
  • Other medications in this class include lorazepam (Ativan), clorazepate (Tranxeme) and phenobarbitals.

Medications for Stimulant and Opiate Withdrawal

Currently, there are no FDA approved medications for stimulant withdrawal. However, some studies have shown a few different types of drugs to be effective for some people. Disulfiram, which is used to treat alcoholism; modanifil, which is used for narcolepsy; and lorcaserin, which is used to treat obesity, are all drugs that are used in studies to help with addiction to cocaine, a prominent stimulant drug of addiction.2 Other drugs that have been used in studies include balclofen, a muscle relaxer, as well as topiramate, an anticonvulsant.3

Because opiates carry such a high potential for addiction, they are considered one of the most dangerous classes of drugs.

Opiates, like heroin and OxyContin, can cause devastating side effects during use and withdrawal. In 2014, 4.3 million Americans used opiates, or narcotic pain medications, for non-medical reasons. While many people take opiates for legitimate reasons under the care of a physician, others use them recreationally.4

Two Most Commonly Used Medications

  • Clonidine is typically used for those fighting opioid withdrawal and can be used in outpatient settings, too. It helps reduce anxiety, agitation, and the cramping that accompanies opiate abstinence.
  • Methadone, perhaps the most well-known of opioid withdrawal medications, is often used to control withdrawal symptoms and can be continued for much longer to help the patient stay clean.4

Using medications can be an effective step in the recovery process, and they can often help patients begin to feel like their true selves again. Successful use of medications depends on the specific person and their desire to stay abstinent from drugs or alcohol. Some prescriptions require ongoing treatment at first to help prevent relapse. Especially in situations that require detox, medications should be administered under professional care to ensure that no adverse side effects occur. It is always best to detox in a medically-supervised environment.

You can have the same success too! If you have any questions about how medications can be used to treat withdrawal symptoms or addiction care in general, please call us at our 24-hour toll-free helpline, 269-280-4673. We want to help you begin your new life apart from drugs and alcohol.


Save on Pinterest
Share on Facebook
Tweet This
Share on LinkedIn


Sources

1 Jaffe, Adi, “Treating Alcohol Withdrawal With Benzodiazepines—Safe if Mindful.” Psychology Today. 27 May 2012. Accessed 6 November 2017.

2 “What is cocaine?” National Institute on Drug Abuse. June 2016. Accessed 6 November 2017.

3 “Overcoming cocaine or stimulant addiction.” Harvard Medical School. March 2009. Accessed 6 November 2017.

4 “Opiate and opioid withdrawal.” Medline Plus. Accessed 6 November 2017.

Related To This

The Dangers of Alcohol Use on College Spring Break
The gift of attending university is one of the most rewarding and challenging life adventures a person can experience. For many families, the college years are a rite of passage, and families that celebrate the first family member to ever attend college experience incredible pride. University life and young adulthood are also times of new...
Read more »
Alcohol Abuse on College Campuses
College life in America is often synonymous with weekend parties and alcohol. Many college students find it difficult to abstain from alcohol during social events when friends are also drinking. The college years can be even more challenging for those who have grown dependent on alcohol. On average, 10.8 million individuals between 12 and 20...
Read more »
Family Therapy and Involvement During Rehab
Family therapy is a type of mental health counseling that helps families gain communication skills, heal old arguments and traumas, and find recovery together. Family therapists understand how each person in the family unit is affected by other members in the family group, and have special education and experience in helping each individual heal and...
Read more »

Call us now at 269-280-4673

Or find us at

Foundations Recovery Network Skywood Recovery (855) 339-9838

10499 North 48th Street

Augusta, MI 49012

  • About
  • Programs
  • Photos
  • Mental Health
  • Treatment
  • Admissions
  • Online Bill Pay
  • Contact
  • Careers

Skywood Recovery is dedicated to providing the highest level of quality care to our patients. The Joint Commission’s gold seal of approval on our website shows that we have demonstrated compliance to the most stringent standards of performance, and we take pride in our accreditation. The Joint Commission standards deal with organization quality, safety-of-care issues and the safety of the environment in which care is provided. If you have concerns about your care, we would like to hear from you. Please contact us at 678-251-3100. If you do not feel that your concerns have been addressed adequately, you may contact The Joint Commission at: Division of Accreditation Operations, Office of Quality Monitoring, The Joint Commission, One Renaissance Boulevard, Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181, Telephone: 800-994-6610

Physicians are on the medical staff of Skywood Recovery, but, with limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not employees or agents of Skywood Recovery. The facility shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. Model representations of real patients are shown. Actual patients cannot be divulged due to HIPAA regulations. TRICARE is a registered trademark of the Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency. All rights reserved.

Copyright 2022 Foundations Recovery Network | Privacy Policy | No Surprises Act