One of the greatest obstacles that prevents people from receiving addiction treatment is fear of withdrawal. The painful symptoms — sweating, shaking, nausea, anxiety, and ravenous craving — can be overwhelming. It actually helps or just another way to extend the misery. The solution, supported by decades of medical research, is actually quite simple: treating patients with chronic diseases of addiction not only works but, when prescribed cautiously and judiciously, can be life saving.

Understanding Withdrawal and Its Dangers

Withdrawal occurs when an individual who is physiologically dependent on drugs ceases or minimizes their drug consumption abruptly. The system, adapted to function with the substance, becomes imbalanced. Symptoms vary depending on the substance, but can include trembling, sweating, nausea, anxiety, sleeplessness and muscle pain as well an overwhelming desire to use. ​

For certain drugs — alcohol and benzodiazepines especially — untreated withdrawal can be medically dangerous, even lethal. Opioids: Withdrawal is almost never fatal, but it’s so brutal that among people who quit using drugs, many go back to taking them before they’ve finished detoxing — and those are the ones who may face a higher risk of overdose when their body goes through withdrawal again even though their tolerance has dropped.​

How Withdrawal Medications Work

The role of detox drugs depend on the drug in question and the goals of treatment:

For Opioid Withdrawal:

Remember, there’s a lot more to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) using buprenorphine or methadone than keeping withdrawal symptoms under control; it provides stability all the way through with much better outcomes in recovery. They do so by clinging to opioid receptors and forestalling withdrawal symptoms and cravings without producing a high. ​

More medication Snorting Lortab Other non-opioid drugs — such as clonidine, antiemetics (anti-nausea) medications and analgesics Medication intended to address individual symptoms of withdrawal – reducing anxiety, preventing nausea and relieving pain. ​

For Alcohol Withdrawal:

Alcohol withdrawal is treated with benzodiazepines and has been shown to be very effective in preventing seizures during it and in the reduction of potentially fatal consequences.

For Other Substances:

Different treatments influence the action of various neurotransmitter systems, which are acted upon by different drugs and are used to remedy imbalances without causing unpleasantness.

The Evidence: Do They Really Work?

Studies have overwhelmingly shown the high efficacy of withdrawal medications:

Dramatic Reductions in Overdose Risk

A huge study that included more than 40,000 people with opioid use disorder found that treatment with either buprenorphine or methadone was linked to a 76 percent decrease in an overdose at three months and a 59 percent reduction at one year. However, patients that received medications for longer than six months had an overdose rate of just 1.1 percent while those that didn’t take medication at home saw a rate almost three times higher standing at 3.6 percent. ​

Improved Treatment Completion

One systematic review which compared methadone with buprenorphine for opioid withdrawal found that both drugs had equal effectiveness in terms of treatment completion. People are much more likely to remain in treatment when symptoms of withdrawal are adequately controlled. ​

Reduced Serious Medical Complications

Another large study found that individuals with longer term medication treatment were less likely to use serious opioid-related acute care — just 2.6 percent for persons in treatment over 180 days, versus 3.6 percent of those who received no medication treatment. 

Gateway to Long-Term Recovery

Non-opioid medications for opioid withdrawal as a bridge to long-term treatment with naltrexone or psychosocial therapy. These medications make the unpleasantness of the initial detoxification more bearable and helps to engage people in more comprehensive treatment.​

Extended-Release Formulations: Game-Changing Innovation

New Developments in Extended-release Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder Recent innovations in extended-release buprenorphine offer promising developments. One hundred minimally to mildly withdrawal patients were shown that the 7-day injections are acceptable, well tolerated and safe with only seven percent developing precipitated withdrawal. ​

Patients overwhelmingly viewed extended-release buprenorphine as effective, with 78% saying it was worth the highest satisfaction scores. Cost savings came from no longer requiring daily drugs, not purchasing medication at the pharmacy, avoiding taking doses and reduced stigma. Thirty-three to 43% of patients were endorsed on daily ratings as having no cravings, which were correlated with large reductions in opioid use. ​

Importantly, there were none of the overdoses in the 7 days after patients received extended-release buprenorphine that there had been 6 reported overdose patients in the 7 days before they initiated treatment. ​

The Dangers of Medication-Free Approaches

There’s one sobering fact: In the case of abstinence-based treatments without medication, it is possible that they are worse than no treatment at all. A Yale-led study has found that short-term medical management of drug withdrawal and long-term abstinence-oriented treatment are no more effective than a simple good-attention alternative (an approach called “no continued treatment” in the study) at preventing drug overdose deaths. ​

This provides an emphatic reminder: medication treatment is not optional when it comes to opioid use disorder. The drugs stave off life-threatening withdrawal symptoms, dampen cravings and make the brain less receptive to other opioids — so it’s easy to wonder: Why not just eliminate them? ​

Common Concerns Addressed

"Won't I Just Become Dependent on Medication?"

Physical dependence on appropriately prescribed withdrawal medications under medical care is a completely different thing from addiction. In fact, when used as directed these are all medications which restore brain functioning, not damage it so patients can continue their focus on recovery.

"How Long Will I Need Medication?"

This varies by individual. Some people only require medications to get them through acute withdrawal(pds – weeks). For others — especially people with opioid use disorder — longer-term or even lifelong medication treatment leads to the best results. Studies consistently point out that increasing the treatment length improves outcome. ​

"Will Medications Just Delay the Inevitable?"

Absolutely not. It clearly works: Medically assisted treatment prevents relapse and overdose death. Medications are the scaffolding for patients to recover their lives through counseling, development of coping skills, and healing relationships as well as underlying factors that fuel addictions.

What to Expect

When beginning withdrawal medication treatment:

• Comprehensive medical assessment determines appropriate medications

• Dosing is carefully monitored and adjusted based on symptoms

• Ancillary medications address specific discomforts

• Medical supervision ensures safety throughout the process

• Transition planning connects you to ongoing care

The Bottom Line

Withdrawal medicines are not merely useful — they’re in fact crucial elements of evidence-based treatment for addiction. They turn a frequently unbearable ordeal to something tolerable, dramatically diminish overdose risk, increase treatment retention and set the stage for sustained recovery. The question is not whether medications for withdrawal are helpful: It’s why anyone would try to withdraw without them, when safe and effective alternatives are available.

If you yourself — or someone you care about — is thinking about treatment understand that nothing makes a difference like medical support. Withdrawal doesn’t have to be a living hell — and with the appropriate medications and professional support, sobriety is indeed attainable.

If your loved one addicted from drug and alcohol addiction and you are looking for nasha mukti kendra then your search stops here. Paryas Foundation Nasha mukti Kendra in Sangrur provides advanced addiction treatment with 91.7% recovery rate. Contact us today!