Medical Detox From Drugs & Alcohol

Medical detox is the first step in overcoming your struggle with substance abuse. During medical detox, we offer personalized comfort. Whether you want solitude, someone by your side, or simply the assurance of medical monitoring, your wish is our command.

What Is Medical Detox & When Is a Drug Detox Necessary? 

During medical detox, you are admitted to a treatment facility. There, you receive around-the-clock medical care to manage any withdrawal symptoms that arise. This helps your body slowly remove a substance from your systems in the most comfortable and well-managed way possible. 

Medical drug detox can be helpful when withdrawal symptoms could interfere with successfully ending substance use. By undergoing detox under medical supervision, withdrawal symptoms can be managed and controlled so you can avoid an early relapse and have a better chance at long-term recovery.

Stages of Detox 

After admission, you’ll receive a specialized treatment plan based on your initial assessment. Treatment can consist of:

• Intake and evaluation: Our medical team will conduct a full assessment of your needs during the intake process. After evaluating your overall health and substance use, they will develop a plan to wean you off those substances.
• Medication-managed detox: Medications are sometimes prescribed during the detox process to ease withdrawal symptoms. For example, a sleep aid might be prescribed if you have trouble sleeping. If you struggle with opioids, a replacement opioid like methadone may be prescribed.
• Transition to rehab: Detox is merely the first step on the lifelong road to recovery. After your system has been cleansed of substances, you can be transitioned to a rehab facility where treatment can begin to prepare you for a substance-free life.

How Long Does Drug Detox Last? 

Detox can last different lengths of time, depending on your personal withdrawal symptoms. The detox process is highly individualized, with some people needing a shorter detox duration while other people need a longer duration.

The duration of detox can also vary based on the substance. For example, the average length of an inpatient alcohol detox is two to eight days. In contrast, the average length of a detox taper of the opioid buprenorphine ranges from 0–120 days.

Drugs that Normally Need Medically Assisted Detox 

Although you may be able to safely detox from some substances at home, others may require medically assisted detox to control withdrawal symptoms. We take a progressive approach to detox, promoting your safety and comfort above all.

Our physician-prescribed detox programs include:

• Alcohol detox: Alcohol withdrawal can lead to agitation, seizures and deadly complications like delirium tremens. Detoxing from alcohol under medical supervision can help avoid these complications by treating you with medications when needed.
• Opioid detox: Detoxing from opioids like oxycodone, fentanyl or heroin often involves medication-assisted therapy with methadone to avoid withdrawal symptoms like muscle pain and agitation. A medically supervised detox can ensure that the correct methadone doses are chosen to avoid these symptoms.
• Prescription drug detox: Prescription drugs like alprazolam (Xanax) can cause hallucinations and seizures during withdrawal. Undergoing a medically supervised withdrawal can wean you off the drug at a controlled rate to avoid these symptoms.

Detox Programs at the Orlando Recovery Center Drug & Alcohol Rehab 

Our detox programs are fully licensed and accredited at Orlando Recovery Center Drug and Alcohol Rehab. We offer a continuum of care no matter where you are in the detox process and have rehab programs to help keep your recovery on track after detox. Caring and knowledgeable staff lead you through detox in a peaceful setting to help you wean off substance use in the easiest way possible.

What To Expect During Medical Detox

• Full assessment and evaluation upon intake
• Advanced treatment plans tailored to your needs
• Two 30-minute individual sessions with clinicians while in detox
• Medication therapy to facilitate the healing process
• Medical monitoring for optimal comfort and safety
• Life skills training, including experiential therapy
• Fitness training to promote wellness
• A smooth transition to the next phase of recovery

How the Orlando Recovery Center Uses MAT

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a cornerstone of medical care during opioid detox. Avoiding opioid withdrawal symptoms like nausea, muscle pain and agitation is important to helping you stay on track with detox. Our facility can prescribe both methadone and buprenorphine-based therapies for MAT. This strategy helps wean you off opioids while minimizing withdrawal symptoms.

What Comes After Detox?

Orlando Recovery Center is part of a full continuum of care. From the time of admission, you’ll have access to a system of integrated recovery services that include:

• Inpatient medical detox
• Residential treatment
• Partial hospitalization programs
• Intensive outpatient services
• Outpatient care
• Teletherapy programs
• Individual and group therapy
• Family and couples counseling
• Nutritional counseling and dietary planning
• Life skills training
• Fitness therapy
• Case management
• Aftercare services
• Transitional living facilities

Editor – Melissa Carmona

As the content manager at Advanced Recovery Systems, Melissa Carmona puts years of writing and editing experience to work helping people understand substance abuse, addiction and mental health disorders. Read more

Medically Reviewed By – Dr. Jessica Pyhtila, PharmD

Dr. Jessica Pyhtila is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist based in Baltimore, Maryland with practice sites in inpatient palliative care and outpatient primary care at the Department of Veteran Affairs. Read more