Rapid detox, also called rapid opiate detox, is a method of treating drug withdrawal in a person who is addicted to certain kinds of drugs. A physical addiction to drugs is a serious medical issue that must be supervised by health care professionals when a person reduces or eliminates the substance that the body has become dependent upon. In the past, detoxification was a long process, lasting anywhere from a few days to a week. Rapid detox is a medical procedure that allows detoxification to occur within the span of a day.
Rapid detox is used to quickly eliminate the extremely uncomfortable and life threatening withdrawal of opiates, heroin, prescription medications and alcohol. Withdrawal symptoms of these drugs include shaking, sweating, confusion, headaches, cravings, abdominal cramps, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, insomnia, agitation, depression and anxiety. Sometimes, seizures and heart attacks can occur from detoxification.
A person undergoing this type of detox is placed under anesthesia for about four to six hours. Under the supervision of doctors, the person is administered a special medication that speeds up the withdrawal process in the body. Because the patient is anesthetized and unconscious, he or she does not experience the withdrawal symptoms that accompany the traditional detox period.
The medications used in rapid detox work by blocking the receptors in the brain that are responsible for absorbing the substance that the patient is addicted to. This causes the body to begin to expel the toxins and consequently causes withdrawal signs and symptoms. Once a person’s body is free of the substance or substances that were abused, they can begin the drug or alcohol recovery and treatment processes. Substance abuse treatment usually includes education, psychiatric therapy and learning lifestyle changes.
Like almost everything, there are pros and cons to detoxing quickly. This method may help to encourage people with addictions to seek treatment because they do not have to fear the painful experience of withdrawal and detox. It is also positive because it allows a person to begin recovery sooner.
However, in rare cases, rapid detox has had unexpected side affects such as heart attack and death. It has also fallen under harsh criticism because it is seen by some as a ‘quick fix’, which is what addicts characteristically seek in the first place. For this reason, it is believed that rapid detox prevents addicts from experiencing the full consequences of their addiction, thereby making them more likely to begin using another type of drug or returning to the drug that they were addicted to.