Rapid detox is a new trend in drug addiction treatment. It is only effective for people who have a problem with certain substances, specifically opiate drugs. There are a number of types of individuals who may be good candidates for rapid detox treatment.

People who have a heroin addiction and don’t want to use methadone but need more help can try rapid detox. It’s also an option for patients who have developed prescription drug addictions to painkillers like OxyContin, Percocet, or Vicodin. Some people use methadone to detox from these drugs and then have difficulty with a methadone addiction, and they may want to try rapid detox. Finally, addicts who have tried other addiction recovery methods in the past and relapsed after detox can consider this option.
Rapid detox is available in hospitals and certain detox treatment centers. It is necessary for trained medical experts to oversee this process, for obvious reasons. The opiate addict is placed under general anesthesia during the procedure, which usually takes about four to six hours to complete. A drug called Naltrexone is administered to remove the active opiates from the patient’s body. It is said that rapid detox treatment results in few side effects, compared to traditional detoxification from opioid drugs like heroin and OxyContin. The withdrawal period is shorter and much more physically comfortable.

Rapid detox is not a complete solution for opiate drug addiction. Patients must also be involved in a comprehensive treatment program. The most effective option is staying at a residential rehab center for a period of at least ninety days. Some individuals choose to use an outpatient treatment center instead, but the chances of relapse are higher. It is necessary for someone who has suffered from an opiate drug addiction to get counseling in addition to going through detox in order to learn a new way of living.