Is Rapid Detox in Nashville Safe? What are the Risks of Rapid Detox?

Rapid detox is a tool most used by people who are looking for a quick way to get clean. But, then what?

As of recent, rapid detox is on the decline due to the inherent medical risks that accompany it, and it’s lack of efficiency. Many of the larger rapid detox centers throughout the United States have either discontinued Rapid Detox, or have modified it to a much longer, safer process that includes ongoing treatment.

Why? Rapid detox simply has not proven to be effective in providing lasting recovery from opioid addiction, and actually increases the chance of death if/when a patient relapses.

Before you consider rapid detox, be sure to speak with a health professional in-depth, as their are many risks and concerns that accompany rapid detox.

Rapid Detox is Not a Cure
Rapid detox is a medical process that rather abruptly removes narcotic agents from a person’s body. The process entails sedating the patient, and then injecting them with Naloxone, forcing the patient into precipitated withdrawal.

The patient is sedated throughout the process, and typically does not feel discomfort.

I’m Clean. Now What?
This is where rapid detox falls under heavy scrutiny. Yes, it will “clean” the system of narcotics, but it comes with many medical and emotional risks, as well as bypassing the much needed care a patient needs to remain clean.

What Do the Professionals Have to Say about Rapid Detox
Many of the larger treatment centers across the U.S. have abandoned rapid detox (aka: Ultra Rapid Detox) to to the many risks involved.

Here’s an excerpt from one of the nation’s leading detox centers regarding the dangers and warnings associated with rapid detox:

1. General anesthesia carries considerable inherent risks itself. Anesthesia is directly responsible for thousands of unexpected deaths every year, and there’s no reason to expect it to be any less risky during rapid detox, and reasons for it to be even more so.
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2. Even though the patient is anesthetized, the body suffers enormous stresses as it experiences severe and traumatic withdrawal symptoms. One doctor commented that a patient had to be strapped to the table because their body was “flopping around like a fish out of water.” The effects of such stress cannot be predicted, and could have longer-term health consequences. Physical recovery can take days, weeks or months.
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3. Many patients complain of continuing withdrawal symptoms long after their rapid detox. They may have withdrawn from opiates, but are often given one or more medications to help deal with the stress and pain of the procedure, which is basically continuing a dependence on drugs, as well as risking interactions with other drugs if the patient relapses.
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4. The drugs used for rapid detox themselves carry certain risks, so much so that they require additional medical training to legally prescribe them. The training has been called less than perfect by some critics, for several reasons:

   a. If a patient has unknown or unreported medical conditions or allergies, a rapid drug detox drug, or the anesthesia, or both together, could be devastating. The training, skill and experience of the doctors is vitally important. For example, seven deaths were reported in New Jersey because patients had underlying heart conditions, or took cocaine some time after the treatment. Several deaths were reported in Michigan following rapid detox treatment, resulting in the suspension of the physicians’ licenses by the state’s Attorney General.

   b. A National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) report warned of complications with the procedure that are “unacceptable” for an unproven treatment method. The report went on to say that patients may be at risk of choking or cardiac complications when given large quantities of detox drugs in combination with anesthesia.
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   c. No two people are the same, and no two addictions are the same – everyone’s unique DNA, metabolism, level of health, addiction history and habits mean that any drug detox – not just rapid detox – is a unique situation. None of this is provided in the additional training.
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   d. Rapid detox – and indeed many drug detox programs in general – usually fail to take these critical factors into account, cheating patients of the chance for the complete care they should receive.
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5. People who complete rapid drug detox are statistically more likely to overdose if they relapse – and the number that relapse is high. The drugs used for rapid detox seem to set a person up to be highly sensitive to opiates, so a former opiate addict who relapses may think he or she can consume the amount they used in the past, which now could be fatal.
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6. Finally, rapid drug detox does absolutely nothing to rehabilitate an addict’s life. As it said in the NIDA report mentioned earlier, “detoxification is not a cure for opiate addiction.” Drug detox is only the gateway to full drug rehab which addresses the underlying reasons for any addiction.

If you or someone you know is thinking about rapid detox or ultra rapid detox, please speak to a medical professional about the many risks.

A Better Solution than Rapid Detox – Without Withdrawals and Cravings
Suboxone treatment along with one-on-one therapy is the way that hundreds of people are detoxing at Nashville Suboxone Recovery Clinic. This allows people to detox safely in their own environment, without missing work or family. Often people feel better within an hour or two of taking Suboxone, though experiences will differ.

Detox from opiates safely at Nashville Suboxone Recovery. Call or text us today for narcotic detox this week: (615) 431-3701.

It’s time to get your life back.