Opiate Detox and Opiate Rehab

Opiates

Opiates are alkaloids (nitrogen containing organic compounds) that are found in opium, a substance that is extracted from the seedpods of opium poppy plants.

The term opiate has colloquially been used to refer to derivatives of the drug Morphine. But the broader term “opioid” is a more appropriate term to encompass any drug -- natural and synthetic – that produces an opium or morphine-like pharmacological effect.

The three main opiates derived from opium are morphine, codeine and thebaine. These narcotics are commonly used for their analgesic or pain relieving properties and act as depressants on a patient’s central nervous system.

Adverse Effects

Common adverse effects of using opiates include itching, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, dry mouth, miosis, urinary retention and constipation.

Overdose Symptoms

A user suffering an opiate overdose will commonly display the following symptoms: slow respiration, seizures, dizziness, weakness, loss of consciousness, confusion, cold or clammy skin, fatigue and coma.

Opiate Addiction

Prolonged use of any opiate will eventually change the user’s brain in fundamental and lasting ways. This helps to explain why the vast majority of addicts can’t simply quit using opiates without first seeking professional help.

Opiate rehab is essential if one is to live an opiate-free life. Drug abuse hijacks the brain's normal pleasure and motivational centers, making drug use the highest priority in a user’s motivational hierarchy. Such changes in brain chemistry are responsible for the user’s absolute compulsion to seek and use drugs, otherwise known as addiction.

Opiate Detox

Opiate detox is an absolutely critical first step in the opiate rehab process and must usually be completed before commencing opiate rehabilitation. Opiate detox, itself, is not a treatment for opiate addiction, but it usually helps relieve a user’s withdrawal symptoms while he/she adjusts to an opiate-free life. An effective and safe opiate detox may be conducted under the care of a supervising physician in a properly licensed facility.

Thankfully, there are plenty of effective ways of treating opiate addiction. But long-term opiate use should never be abruptly discontinued unless the user is under the supervision of an experienced physician. A doctor can manage a patient’s withdrawal symptoms and help minimize their withdrawal period.

During Miramar Treatment Center’s inpatient addiction treatment, patients are provided physician-assisted detox that is regularly monitored by health professionals. We also provide comprehensive rehabilitation services at our centers in Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, Calif.