Many people don't know that in America the first opiate addiction crisis was because of morphine. Even if it resulted in many deaths, this opiate is still prescribed today and again we have a lot of addicts on it. It was first discovered in Germany in 1805 by Friedrich Serturner. One of the main uses was for military purposes in the Civil War. It works as antidepressant and painkiller.The largest crisis was in 1895 when 1 in 200 Americans was affected.
Even when it is half as strong as heroin, too many people are addicted to it. You should always report when you see someone misuse it. It is always great to help someone with a problem, so contacting a professional from a clinic for a rapid detox in Michigan or any center near you is for a good cause. Because it is legally prescribed as a painkiller, it is easy to take advantage, and if not use it, then sell it on the street.
Morphine Withdrawal Symptoms
You can compare the withdrawal symptoms of morphine as something you can experience from strong flue or cold. It always depends on the individual and how addicted they are, and how strong their metabolism is. Some people can take a lot of the substance and be in better shape than someone with a lower dosage. If someone is a long-time user, you can expect symptoms to appear continuously and with a higher intensity.
It is a rate thing that withdrawal is life-threatening, but it can happen that someone becomes suicidal. It mostly, happens that they become dehydrated from vomiting and diarrhea. For those who take a high dosage, there is a high chance of experiencing a heart attack or a seizure. Most common symptoms are mood swings, rising blood pressure, muscle spasms, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps.
Morphine Withdrawal Timeline
The first part of withdrawal begins after six hours of the last dosage and it typically lasts about a week. There are a lot of physical symptoms like minor aches and pains, teary eyes, a runny nose, and longings for a dosage of morphine. The cravings and physical pain become intense after the first 24 hours.
The first serious thing that happens continuously is vomiting and diarrhea and you can see blood pressure rising. For the client experiencing this, it looks like it lasts forever, but in reality it lasts about two or three days. The best day for the patient is around day four or five when the worse period ends. At the end of the week, every bad symptom will disappear, but it can happen that craving returns periodically for a few weeks.
Everything mentioned depends on the person and how far they've gone. The duration depends on a few factors including how emotionally and mentally a patient is healthy, the physical condition of the patient, and how frequently and how long the morphine has been taken. If the user used other drugs combines with morphine it can prolong the process.
Outpatient Treatment
There are great methods like inpatient treatment, but that isn't for everyone. There are advantages when someone is sent home even if they can get back to old, bad environment. But, when someone is among familiar people and is comfortable in familiar surroundings, it may be healthier for the person so they can recover faster.
Many users are enjoying outside responsibilities and they work as a great distraction from relapse temptations and stress. In the first few months, it would be a better idea to have professional therapy after physical detox. The solution is visiting aftercare facilities for a couple of times a week. The time they spend on aftercare depends on the patient, so there are intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and transition.Click here to read more.
Intensive outpatient is when the client is on site three days a week, three hours a day. Partial hospitalization is when the client is five days a week on site, six hours a day. The transition is when the treatment center is still operating for the first month after detoxification. The users that have less supervision are more vulnerable to relapse. It is crucial to have a detailed plan about relapse-prevention.
Tapered versus Cold Turkey
There are many doctors which don't have the right answer when it comes to the safest form of detox. Some clinics prefer the cold turkey approach which means you have to cut off all drugs and make the client feel comfortable as possible. This approach is good because there is a risk of certain opiates damaging the user.
Other clinics use medication-assisted treatment or tapered. This method uses opiates that are replacing a certain drug. One of the popular medications is Suboxone that satisfies cravings without the risk of using actual morphine. With this method, withdrawal is less agonizing. The disadvantage is that the user can become dependent on it. You will also need a plan to taper off the drug that is used as a replacement by reducing the dosage.
Recovery Success
The bad thing is that not every detox will work on the patient, and some people get post-acute withdrawal syndrome which impacts their life a lot. This syndrome causes morphine cravings, insomnia, and depression for months. What you do after detox is very important so relapse won't happen. This means that the client should have therapy and family support. The support group is also a great solution where they can share experiences.
