Painkiller Addiction

Addiction to painkillers is a common problem. Prescription opioid painkillers are used by almost two million Americans every year and, according to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse in 2002 (NHSDA), painkillers have been illegally used by almost 9 percent of the population. Current research indicates that more individuals seek treatment for addiction to painkillers than for addiction to heroin. This is most likely due to the fact that an accident, injury or illness that results in chronic pain is often treated with prescription narcotics and, over time, regular use of the drug-even when following a doctor's prescription exactly-can result in a painkiller addiction.

The Cycle of Painkiller Addiction

The initial dose soon isn't enough to make the pain bearable and higher doses are needed. When this happens, a biological process is triggered and your body is physically addicted to the substance. This means that it is necessary to maintain a base level of the drug in your system at all times to avoid devastating withdrawal symptoms in addition to the original pain for which the prescription was necessary. Now, in addition to severe pain, you are also dealing with a potentially fatal addiction to drugs.

Getting Help for Painkiller Addiction

The key to getting help for an addiction to painkillers lies in treating both the pain and the addiction at the same time. Withdrawal from painkillers can be fatal if not supervised by a doctor and done in a slow and controlled way. In the past, methadone was used to assist withdrawal because its effects on the body are less dramatic than other opiates. This, however, often just replaced one dependency with another.

Thankfully, scientists have discovered buprenorphine, a drug used to treat addiction that allows total withdrawal from prescription drug use without replacing the old addiction with a new one. This is what we use at Meditox. An opiate derivative, buprenorphine or "bupe" is similar to other opiates in that it curbs the body's withdrawal symptoms and cravings but different in its chemical makeup in that it allows a manageable and total detox.

Meditox Has A Detox Plan For Painkiller Addiction

The Meditox Method was created specifically for high functioning, motivated people who need help freeing themselves from chemical addiction but don't want to disrupt their lives or break commitments by enrolling in an inpatient drug rehabilitation center. After an initial appointment in which you undergo a complete medical evaluation and set up a personalized treatment plan with your doctor, you are free to go with your buprenorphine prescription which will allow you to become drug-free over a six-week period.

Meditox helps you find a local doctor who will assist you in pain management without narcotic prescriptions. Also, a support team is standing by to provide you with assistance every hour of every day as you go through the process of detox from painkiller addiction.

If you feel that Meditox might be the right solution for you or your loved one, please call us for a toll-free and private consultation:

Additional Resources

U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration: Oxycontin
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration: Narcotics
Prescription Drugs Abuse and Addiction
Medicamentos de Prescripción - Abuso y Adicción
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Prescription Medication

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“Today is week #5! I have my life back, this morning my husband told me he hadn't seen me like this in three years! My daughter told me "your back Mom"! My Fybromyalgia is down to 2 to 3 percent of what it was, I am fully able to live with the Joy and Love and Laughter which has always been my way.”

Mother, Real Estate Agent, 49
August 11, 2006

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