Oxycontin is a highly addictive opiod painkiller. It is easy to become addicted to this prescription medication, but not so easy to get off of it. For those who do become addicted, they may find their addiction is completely taking over their lives. An Oxycontin detox and reehab is necessary. However, there has to be an acknowledgement of the problem before most addicts will seek assistance. The addict has to be really motivated to go through it, too, because there is no such thing as a genuinely painless detox for Oxycontin.
Some Symptoms of Oxycontin Withdrawal
Oxycontin rehab usually begins with an Oxycontin detox to get the addict off the drug. The rehab teaches them to live without it. Detox is the hardest part of the whole rehab process. This is because of the symptoms that can be associated with coming off of Oxycontin. These include:
- Muscle aches
- Diarrhea
- Tremors
- Hot and cold flashes
- Nausea
- Vomitting
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
These symptoms can last anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks, depending on how long a person has been on the drug and how deep their addiction is at the time they do the detox. Sometimes, professional rehab centers will give a patient Clonidine, which is a medication that lowers blood pressure, to combat some of the withdrawal symptoms of Oxycontin detox.
Other Approaches to Oxycontin Detox
There is no one approach to getting someone off Oxycontin that works best for every addict. Sometimes, complete detox is not possible. In these cases, maintenance doses of methadone are given to the addict regularly under medical supervision. This is a treatment that has been going on for nearly 40 years and is generally considered to work well and has solid scientific evidence to support it. There are few side effects to methadone, and it is mostly considered safe. However, a person who is on it cannot be removed from it cold turkey without serious side effects. Any removal attempt must be done gradually.
Inpatient and Outpatient Treatments
Oxycontin detox can only be done safely under medical supervision, so it has to be done as an inpatient in a rehab center. After the Oxycontin detox is done, the addict will continue their rehab either on an inpatient or outpatient basis. If full Oxycontin detox cannot be achieved, the patient will need to continue visiting methadone clinics on a regular basis. The good news is, a normal life can be achieved.