Detoxification program

Treatment of drug addicts can be sqDarated into two phases detoxification and relapse prevention. Detoxification programs and treatment of physical withdrawal symptoms, respectively, is clinically routine for most drugs of abuse. However, pharmacological intervention programs for relapse prevention are still not veiy efficient. 

Backmund M, Meyer K, Eichenlaub D Schiitz CG (2001). Predictors for completing an inpatient detoxification program among intravenous heroin users, methadone substituted and codeine substituted patients. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 64, 173-80... 

For short-term detoxification, a person would decrease and stop methadone in less then a month. It should be noted that people in short-term detoxification programs have a higher likelihood of returning to heroin abuse than do people in a long-term methadone detoxification program. 

In a long-term detoxification program, people on methadone may spend up to six months gradually cut-... 

In a case-control study in 106 heroin-dependent individuals undergoing an opioid detoxification program (n = 19) or a methadone maintenance treatment program (n = 87) there were large significant differences in the mean values of some vitamins and minerals between the heroin-dependent individuals and the healthy, non-dependent controls (37). Dependent individuals had higher white cell counts and transaminases and lower erythrocyte counts and cholesterol, albumin, tocopherol, folic acid, sodium, selenium, and copper concentrations. 

Naltrexone (25 mg initially), a pure narcotic antagonist, is indicated for the treatment of the opioid-free state in formerly opioid-dependent individuals who have undergone a methadone detoxification program. Patients taking naltrexone may not benefit from opioid-containing medicines, such as cough and cold preparations, antidiarrheal preparations, and opioid analgesics. 

---