A lot of people think that taking medications during substance use treatment trades one addiction for another. However, the Food and Drug Administration has approved several medications for drug treatment. Medication assisted treatment can be useful in treating addiction and helping people complete medical detox and rehab. Because of that, it can pave the way for successful, ongoing sobriety.

Medication Assisted Treatment Overview

Clinician talking with client about medication assisted treatment during detoxMedication assisted treatment is just what it sounds like. It’s a treatment approach that uses medicines to assist with detox and therapy. Medication assisted treatment is especially helpful during alcohol and opioid detox and rehab.

There are medicines that treatment centers use to reduce the intense cravings that people have when they stop drinking or taking opioids. The cravings can interfere with addiction treatment. With less severe cravings or none at all, people can focus better on their therapy goals. After initial treatment, some people continue medication assisted treatment to help them avoid relapse.

Federal law requires that people who participate in medication assisted treatment receive therapy. The medication isn’t enough to help them achieve abstinence for the long term. Medication assisted treatment complements all types of therapies, including cognitive behavioral therapy, addiction education, career counseling, and relapse prevention.

Process for Determining the Right Candidates

Medical detox centers use medication assisted treatment. They decide whether or not people are good candidates after a health assessment. The purpose of the exam is also to accurately diagnose the severity of the addiction. Detecting co-occurring physical and mental health disorders is essential as well.

People who are good candidates for medication assisted treatment have an official addiction diagnosis. They also have a willingness to comply with prescription instructions and understand their alternative options. It’s also essential that they don’t have physical health problems that the medicines could make worse.

Medication Assisted Treatment for Alcohol Addiction

Detox centers use a few standard medications to treat alcohol addiction. Acamprosate is the generic name for Campral, which helps people avoid drinking. They usually start taking it five days after they quit, and it becomes fully active five to eight days later.

Antabuse is the brand name for disulfiram, which assists with chronic alcohol addiction. People can start taking it during the initial stage of sobriety. It prevents them from drinking alcohol by causing side effects such as a headache, nausea, and trouble breathing when they drink. These symptoms can arise in as few as 10 minutes after consuming alcohol and last for at least one hour.

Naltrexone is the generic drug that sells under the brand names Revia and Vivitrol. It can block the euphoric state that alcohol causes. The drug allows people to reduce drinking so that they can complete treatment and avoid relapse.

Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction

Detox centers also use several medications to treat opioid addiction. They can assist with overcoming dependence to drugs such as codeine, heroin, hydrocodone, morphine, and oxycodone.

Buprenex, Butrans, and Probuphine are brand names for buprenorphine. This medication can reduce and suppress cravings for opioids. Evzio and Narcan are brands of naloxone, an injectable that can reverse opioid overdose. The drug used for Subutex detox treatment contains buprenorphine.

Methadone is the generic drug in Diskets and Dolophine. It prevents cravings by tricking the brain into thinking that methadone is the abused drug. Because of that, it also prevents withdrawal symptoms.

In addition to treating alcohol addiction, naltrexone is useful for treating opioid use disorder. It blocks the euphoric effects that opioids have on the body.

Quality Treatment at Serenity House Detox & Recovery

If you have an alcohol or opioid addiction, you are a good candidate for medication assisted treatment. Serenity House Detox & Recovery is a medical detox center with two locations in Florida. We offer a comfortable and safe setting for detox addiction treatment.

When you arrive at Serenity House Detox & Recovery, our staff will conduct a full assessment to determine your needs. Along with addressing your physical and mental health issues, we aim to improve your emotional and spiritual well-being. We can achieve that by offering a range of evidence-based and therapeutic treatment methods such as:

Stop letting alcohol or opioids destroy your life. Find out if medication assisted treatment can help you overcome a substance use disorder. Call 866-294-5306 to learn more about the services at Serenity House Detox & Recovery.