Methadone detox is best done through one of the best methadone detox centers in Brooklyn. When you wonder how to detox from methadone, doctors and drug treatment professionals can tell you that a successful detox is one that’s usually performed with medical assistance, followed by intensive therapy. Detox from methadone can also be done at home, but that can be risky to your health. At an outpatient treatment facility, on the other hand, you get the support you need, followed by a thorough introduction to the means of staying clean and sober.

As the opioid epidemic continues to rage beyond epidemic proportions, millions of people are struggling to be free from their addictions. Unfortunately, some of the drug substitutes intended to free people from opiates are proving to be equally as physically addictive and dangerous.

Suboxone is one and methadone is another of those drug replacements. Both are highly addictive. Introducing these substances to people who already suffer from addiction only serves to replace one dependency with another. Once you start taking methadone, you develop a tolerance very quickly. This means you have to regularly increase your dosage to continue achieving the desired effect.

Methadone Detox

When your body began to require methadone to function normally, you’ve reached the stage that’s known as dependency. After your body has become dependent, drug detox from methadone can be dangerous. While most withdrawal symptoms are extremely unpleasant, most aren’t fatal. Methadone detox has proven to be an exception.

If you’ve taken methadone in large doses or over an extended period of time, your detoxification process can be severe and potentially cause:

  • Seizures
  • Heart problems
  • Breathing difficulties
  • Chills
  • Fever
  • Anxiety
  • Nausea
  • Stomach and muscle cramps
  • Irritability
  • Paranoia
  • Insomnia
  • Depression

Detox from methadone is not something that you should attempt on your own. Any experienced detox counselor recommends you undergo methadone detox with medical supervision at any of the qualified methadone detox centers. If your dependency has become as problematic as your original dependency on opiates, you’re probably wondering how to detox from methadone. A medically supervised withdrawal is your safest option for successful recovery and subsequent treatment.

Methadone Detox Centers

Methadone detox centers are springing up around the world because methadone is growing into a unique and complex problem in the drug addiction recovery communities. While methadone is typically prescribed to ease your withdrawal from heroin and other types of opiates, you need additional and different medications to ease your withdrawal from methadone. These medications include:

  • Buprenorphine
  • Suboxone
  • Clonidine
  • Naltrexone
  • Certain mood-stabilizing drugs such as:
    • Antidepressants
    • Anti-anxiety medications

When your body is experiencing the symptoms of methadone withdrawal, it’s because the systems of your body are trying to adjust to the absence of methadone. Your body has to re-learn how to function normally without the drug. This can make recovery exceptionally difficult without the assistance of experienced counselors in drug addiction therapy and addiction recovery.

No Easy Answers

How to detox from methadone is slightly different for everybody. How bad your withdrawal symptoms are and how long they last are ultimately influenced by how much methadone you were taking and how long you were taking it. Your specific tolerance is what determines how well your body transitions through the withdrawal process. You may need an inpatient treatment center or the supportive services of an outpatient rehab to help you through this process.

The more severe your dependency, the more severe your withdrawal. Quitting cold turkey is never advisable. Your medical and recovery professionals recommend a gradual transition that’s centered on tapering off of methadone and easing any associated discomfort. When you go through a detox process, listen to your counselor and follow the advice.

It Doesn’t Last Forever

Withdrawal symptoms from methadone typically appear within the first 24 hours of your last dosage. But it generally takes from 15 to 60 hours for the drug to leave your system. There are some cases, however, where withdrawal symptoms can take several days to manifest.

The first week or two are usually the hardest to endure. Your physical withdrawal symptoms can feel a lot like having the flu. And your psychological symptoms, such as strong anxiety and paranoia can be even more distressing and upsetting. All of your symptoms fade out over the next several weeks until your body is once again comfortable functioning without methadone.

While medically detoxing takes a little longer, you’ll be very glad to have the extra added supervision and assistance. Medical and recovery professionals are well-trained and highly-experienced with transitioning methadone-dependent people back into normal, healthy, drug-free lives. They work directly with you to develop a custom treatment plan that’s designed around your specific recovery needs. You do not have to continue to suffer needlessly. Contact a medical recovery specialist at Pain Physicians NY today.

Page Updated on Jan 24, 2023 by Dr. Reyfman (Pain Management Specialist) of Pain Physicians NY