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Understanding Healthcare
Medical Withdrawal from Opioids
Medical Withdrawal from OpioidsMaking the decision to address an opioid addiction isn’t easy, but with the help of your healthcareprofessional you can be successful. A medical provider will help create a treatment plan for the painfulsymptoms of withdrawal. That typically includes a combination of medications and therapy.Medications are used because of what opioids do to your brain. When you take opioids, they move throughyour blood and attach to certain brain cells or opioid receptors.Those cells then give off signals that relievepain and increase feelings of pleasure. These drugs help wean people off opioids by attaching to the samebrain cells the opioids would otherwise latch onto.The medications that help with opioid addiction are ones that work on the opioid receptor system in the bodyand they block opioid receptors.The theory behind it is that you can slowly kind of taper back the amount that someone is using.Methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone are those medications commonly used to treat opioid addiction.They help ease cravings and withdrawal symptoms - such as nausea, body aches, insomnia, sweating, diarrheaand anxiety. The withdrawal medications also reduce the risk of relapse.The medications are really important and what we’re seeing now is what they’re particularly important for isblocking the receptors so there won’t be an overdose. And so, the person is available to come back tocounseling the next day.Robyn Ellis is in recovery for opioid addiction. She went through several rounds of treatment before findingwhat worked for her. She was taking methadone in the early stages, which eased her symptoms ofwithdrawal.I didn’t really go through withdrawal. It was just kind of uncomfortable.Your medical provider will determine type and dose of medications you need to treat your opioid addiction.It’s very important that you follow their instructions consistently.For anyone prescribed methadone, they’re going to be going to a community treatment center and get theirdoses based on a phase schedule which can change as they progress through their treatment. For someonewho is prescribed buprenorphine or naltrexone, they’ll be going to their providers office based on a scheduledetermined by that provider.Your healthcare team will also monitor your overall health. Katie Schneider was closely watched when shestarted detox for an opioid addiction.They did give me medication to lower my blood pressure, to make the withdrawals not so difficult.There’s so many misconceptions in this area. One of them is that when you give an opioid medication such asmethadone or buprenorphine, you’re substituting one addiction for another. When somebody is stabilized onPage 1 ofthese on these medications, you really have achieved the treatment goals of they’re not high. They’re not inwithdrawal. That’s not addiction, that’s treating addiction.Your doctor will monitor you while taking withdrawal medications, but you should also talk to a mental healthprofessional. They can help get to the root of your addiction – which could be things like anxiety ordepression.When you’re meeting with an individual therapist or participating in a day treatment program, we’ll help youaddress those underlying issues that contributed to the substance use.Whether it’s one-on-one or in a group, therapy can also help you to recognize and avoid certain situations thatmight cause you to use drugs. Therapy helped both Robyn and Katie in recovery.I just really learned to open up to her. You know I had a trust with her and I could just really tell her anything.It definitely helps to be open about the addictions and your stories and what you did all that with otherpeople that were in the same position as you.With the help of medication and therapy, you can ease those symptoms of withdrawal.If you’re going to manage withdrawal, withdrawal management generally takes about a week.When starting recovery, talk to your healthcare provider. They can help guide you to the treatment plan thatcan put you on the path to a healthy addiction-free life.Page 2 ofThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
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