The effects of heroin on the body make quitting the drug “cold turkey” an unwise choice for many.

Inpatient detox can make this process more comfortable, safer, and ultimately more successful. Unsupervised withdrawal is often uncomfortable and ineffective and dependency on heroin causes the body to rely on its presence to sustain essential bodily functions like temperature, heart rate, and digestion. When we are addicted, the sudden absence of the drug from the body will throw these systems out of control.

Even people who feel ready and committed to quitting at home may be driven to relapse when the severe flu-like withdrawal symptoms set in. This does not only prolong the cycle of addiction; it can be potentially fatal. A user’s tolerance for heroin lowers as soon as they stop, and the same doses that seemed “safe” before are now serious risks for overdose.

Other physical effects of withdrawal include:

• Failure to regulate temperature
• Deep muscle and bone pain
• Vomiting and diarrhea
• Dehydration
• Cramps in limbs
• “Kicking” or uncontrolled movements

The psychological symptoms of withdrawal are intense and challenging to cope with. Many long-term users are flooded with negative or confusing emotions soon after quitting suddenly.

Our inpatient treatment program deals with these challenges and strives to make our clients as comfortable as possible during detox. Our medical staff prescribes medications that help alleviate withdrawal symptoms, then slowly taper off through the detox process. This means your body can heal under the 24-hour care of a trained medical team.

Emotional symptoms of detox are more manageable through the taper method. As feelings come back, our team of psychologists and psychiatrists supports can support you through any difficult emotions.

Cirque Lodge’s inpatient treatment plan incorporates the best medical strategies to make this initial transition towards sobriety safe and comfortable.

For patients that require it, this involves the prescription of medications that ease physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms. Below is an overview of the main medications we may prescribe:

Methadone

Heroin’s status as a short-acting opioid means that the initial effects start within a minute. The subsequent high only lasts a few hours before the user will begin to feel withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Methadone is a long-acting opioid with less potency than heroin. It is active within the body for between 24 and 36 hours, depending on the user’s physiology.

Methadone engages the same receptors in the brain that heroin does. We prescribe it for the early stages of withdrawal in low doses that do not produce a high. This supplements the body’s weakened dopamine production, and alleviates the stress on the system that occurs when you suddenly stop using heroin.

During treatment, we reduce the dosage of methadone and our clients are closely monitored throughout this time. Round-the-clock medical support ensures that the treatment is working well, and when done in-residence, methadone treatment allows our team to provide psychological assessments and counseling, so we can check for further addictive behaviors and alter the treatment as needed.

Buprenorphine

Like methadone, buprenorphine is a synthetic opioid. It is typically prescribed around 24 hours after your last dose of heroin, and can either be prescribed as a lozenge or strip placed beneath the tongue. As an opioid, it reduces the effects of withdrawal early on, before you safely taper off.

Buprenorphine is unique in that it has a chemical “ceiling” effect. This means that if it is taken at high doses, its influence on the body begins to flatten out before it produces intense or dangerous effects. We prescribe it in low safe doses that do not produce a high so that you can start your recovery with a clear mind.

We review the effects of buprenorphine on an ongoing basis and lower the dosage depending on how well it controls withdrawal symptoms. If specific symptoms persist, we can start some treatments while you are on a low dose of buprenorphine.

Clonidine

Clonidine is an antihypertensive medicine that is known to alleviate many physical symptoms of withdrawal. It is a non-narcotic painkiller and can also be prescribed to relieve:

• Excessive sweating and chills
• Insomnia
• GI cramping
• Anxiety
• Tremor

After detox, the real work begins. The psychological effects of heroin withdrawal can last for weeks or months after the initial medical detox.

Effective long-term care in a residential facility involves a post-detox program of consistent psychosocial support, therapy, and counseling. At Cirque Lodge, this means a personalized, structured, cognitive therapy program in the morning and experiential therapy and group work in the afternoon. During your time here, you will be able to focus on the key facets and processes that underlie sobriety.

Withdrawal both causes and requires vulnerability. Many of our clients find that privacy helps during the first steps on their path towards sobriety, and our state-of-the-art treatment center is a luxurious and serene cluster of buildings far from the distractions or stressors of every day life. We chose this location as the perfect setting for focused long-term care and a place to build insight and strength for the journey ahead.