Prescription painkillers are opioid medications that manage pain and, furthermore, exhibit activity throughout the brain’s pleasure centers. Their interaction with opioid receptors in the brain results in a down-modification of the sensations of pain and, in a dose-dependent manner, ultimately produces feelings of euphoria. While prescription painkillers are used safely and effectively by millions of people, they also carry a high risk of abuse.

As prescriptions for opioid painkillers have increased over the last decade, so has the number of people addicted to them. In 2017, an estimated 18 million people (more than 6 percent of those aged 12 and older) have misused painkillers at least once in the past year

If you or someone you know abuses prescription painkillers or has made unsuccessful attempts at quitting, immediate treatment in our painkiller detox program in Fort Wayne or Auburn is essential. During this process, it is important to understand that managing opioid withdrawal can be a trying process, as the symptoms have the potential to be overwhelmingly uncomfortable and can trigger a relapse.

Supervised medical detox helps to alleviate discomfort associated with painkiller withdrawal and set the stage for a comprehensive addiction treatment program.

When someone has been abusing painkillers, they may become dependent on the drug. Essentially, an opioid-dependent individual will begin needing the opioid in order to simply feel normal. This happens because the body is subject to repeated use of the drug and eventually adapts to its presence.

When physical dependency on opioid painkillers has set in, withdrawal syndrome is frequently experienced when the use of the drugs stops. The severity of withdrawal symptoms will depend on the person, as well as the frequency and severity of abuse. Symptoms can also manifest in stages.

Early Withdrawal Symptoms:

• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Muscle aches
• Insomnia
• Sweating
• Yawning

Late On-set Withdrawal Symptoms

• Abdominal cramping
• Diarrhea
• Dilated pupils
• Nausea
• Vomiting

Supervised detoxification often involves the administration of medications that provide a steady, low dose of opioids.  These medications act on opioid receptors in the brain, without giving the user the highs and lows of drug use.  As part of a long-term treatment plan, these “maintenance” medications may continue to be administered after detox is completed, and eventually tapered over time.

Intake

When you enter our inpatient detox program, a doctor or medical staff member will evaluate you to determine the severity of your painkiller (and any other substance) dependence. Questions might include the following:

• How long have you been taking the medication?
• Are you taking any other drugs?
• Do you drink alcohol?
• What are your drug-taking and drinking habits and patterns?
• Have you been in treatment before?
• Do you have other health problems?
• Are you taking any other medications for any other conditions?

Physical Examination

You will also undergo physical examination to check your physical health. You’ll be assessed for any medical conditions, including blood borne diseases such as HIV or hepatitis (high risks for injection users).

Treatment Plan

Afterward, tailored treatment options are laid out and goals for treatment are discussed. The timeline and protocol for detox will vary according to the individual. You may be given anti-anxiety agents or other supportive medications, for example, if you are experiencing especially distressing withdrawal symptoms.

Some centers will focus on a tapering methodology. This means that over time, medical staff will gradually reduce the dosage and/or frequency of administration. In doing so, the body will eventually become used to not having opioids in the system.

Examples of nonprescription pain medications include:

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Aspirin
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB)
• Naproxen (Aleve)

Examples of prescription medications include the following:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

• Diclofenac (Voltaren)
• Diflunisal (Dolobid)
• Etodolac (Lodine)
• Fenoprofen (Nalfon)
• Flurbiprofen (Ansaid)
• Ibuprofen (Motrin)
• Indomethacin (Indocin, Indo-Lemmon)
• Ketorolac (Toradol)
• Mefenamic acid (Ponstel)
• Meloxicam (Mobic)
• Nabumetone (Relafen)
• Naproxen (Naprosyn, Anaprox)
• Oxaprozin (Daypro)
• Piroxicam (Feldene)
• Sulindac (Clinoril)
• Tolmetin (Tolectin)

COX-2 inhibitor

• Celecoxib (Celebrex)

Opioid analgesics

• Acetaminophen with codeine (Tylenol #2, #3, #4)
• Buprenorphine (Butrans)
• Fentanyl transdermal patches (Duragesic)
• Hydrocodone with acetaminophen (Lortab Elixir, Vicodin)
• Hydrocodone with ibuprofen (Vicoprofen)
• Hydrocodone (Zohydro)
• Hydromorphone (Exalgo)
• Meperidine (Demerol, Merpergan)
• Methadone (Dolophine)
• Morphine and morphine sustained release (MS-Contin, Avinza, Kadian)
• Oxycodone sustained release (OxyContin)
• Oxycodone with acetaminophen (Percocet)
• Oxycodone with aspirin (Percodan)
• Oxycodone with ibuprofen (Combunox)
• Oxymorphone (Opana, Opana ER)
• Pentazocine (Talwin,)
• Propoxyphene with aspirin, propoxyphene with acetaminophen
• Tapentadol (Nucynta, Nucynta ER)
• Tramadol, tramadol with acetaminophen (Ultram, Ultracet)

Mixed opioid agonist/antagonists

• Pentazocine/naloxone (Talwin NX)
• Butorphanol
• Nalbuphine (Nubain)

Antidepressants

• Amitriptyline (Elavil)
• Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
• Desipramine (Norpramin)
• Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
• Imipramine (Tofranil)
• Venlafaxine (Effexor)

Anticonvulsants

• Carbamazepine (Tegretol)
• Clonazepam (Klonopin)
• Gabapentin (Neurontin)
• Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
• Pregabalin (Lyrica)
• Tiagabine (Gabitril)
• Topiramate (Topamax)

Fibromyalgia medication

• Milnacipran (Savella)

Anxiolytics

• Alprazolam (Xanax)
• Diazepam (Valium)
• Lorazepam (Ativan)
• Triazolam (Halcion)

Muscle relaxants

• Baclofen (Lioresal)
• Carisoprodol (Soma)
• Chlorzoxazone (Parafon Forte, DSC)
• Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril)
• Dantrolene (Dantrium)
• Metaxalone (Skelaxin)
• Methocarbamol (Robaxin)
• Orphenadrine (Norflex)
• Tizanidine (Zanaflex)

Corticosteroids

• Cortisone
• Prednisone
• Prednisolone
• Dexamethasone
• Methylprednisolone (Medrol, A-Methapred, Depo Medrol, Solu Medrol)
• Triamcinolone (Allernaze, Aristospan 5 mg, Aristospan Injection 20 mg, Kenalog 10 Injection, Kenalog Nasacort AQ)

The symptoms of prescription painkiller abuse will vary among individuals based upon genetic makeup, length of the addiction, and frequency of abuse. There are some common symptoms that are seen in most who abuse prescription painkillers. These include:

Mood symptoms:

• Mood swings
• Euphoria

Behavioral symptoms:

• Lying
• Social isolation
• Stealing to obtain more painkillers
• Visiting multiple doctors in order to obtain additional prescriptions

Physical symptoms:

• Constipation
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pinpoint pupils
• Sedation
• Slurred speech
• Itchy, flushed skin
• Increased risks for heart attack and other cardiovascular complications
• Respiratory depression
• Tolerance
• Seizures
• Coma
• Death

Psychological symptoms:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Worsening mood states
• Psychosis

The opioid epidemic is the most destructive public health crisis in the United States today.

A well-intentioned medical industry began prescribing opioids in the 1990s to alleviate pain experienced by their patients suffering from injuries, surgery, and chronic pain. Unfortunately, opioids have a high risk of abuse and anybody can easily become addicted. The opioid overdose epidemic is one of the greatest public health concerns in the United States today. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports more than 72,000 Americans died from some form of a drug overdose in 2017 alone. That’s nearly 200 people per day, an increase of nearly 10% from the year before. Much of this increase is a direct result of prescription and synthetic opioids.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA):

• Over 2.5 million Americans suffer from opioid dependence
• Use of opioids including heroin and prescription pain relievers can lead to a neonatal abstinence syndrome
• Opioid abuse contributes to the spread of infectious diseases like HIV and Hepatitis.

Pain management has now become a deadly enterprise in the United States. Even with the high risks associated with an opioid prescription, many doctors have been resistant to changing how to care for and prescribe pain treatment for their patients. No medical doctor would want to see a person suffer from chronic pain, so opioids have been widely used to alleviate discomfort associated with long-term and short-term acute pain.

Opioids trigger the release of endorphins, your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters. Endorphins muffle your perception of pain and boost feelings of pleasure, creating a temporary but powerful sense of well-being. When an opioid dose wears off, you may find yourself wanting those good feelings back, as soon as possible. This is the first milestone on the path toward potential addiction.

Anyone who takes opioids is at risk of developing an addiction. Your personal history and the length of time you use opioids play a role, but it’s impossible to predict who’s vulnerable to eventual dependence on and abuse of these drugs. Legal or illegal, stolen and shared, these drugs are responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in the U.S. today.

If you or someone you know is displaying signs of dependencies on any kind of pain medication, you should seek the help of a medical detox center and painkiller withdrawal treatment immediately.

Cost for medically treating painkiller addiction and withdrawal varies depending on a number of things. In general, outpatient care is less expensive than inpatient care, but inpatient care might be more effective for some people. To many, the added cost of successful treatment might outweigh the savings involved with cheaper programs that just do not work.

Additionally, we work with most major insurance carriers and it’s likely that much, if not all, of your treatment, could be covered by your insurance. The first step is to reach out to us, and we’ll walk you through it.