Accelerated Detoxification

Make an appointment to see our Addiction Specialist

Detoxifying from opiates has some unpleasant symptoms including insomnia, restlessness, pain, fatigue and diarrhoea. If someone detoxifies with no medication, the process and its symptoms will last for 3 to 14 days, or even longer, depending on the amount and type of opiate the person has been using.

Fresh Start uses a form of accelerated opiate detox which significantly reduces the withdrawal period. Before the detox procedure is started, patients are given sedatives, pain medication and anti-nausea medication to reduce the detox side effects. The withdrawal is done using small doses of naloxone, which kicks the opiates off the opioid receptors. The patient is then given increasing doses of naloxone and naltrexone. This process is done under the supervision of highly trained medical staff. After detoxification, patients are recommended to start daily oral naltrexone to prevent cravings.

All patients who undergo detoxification of any type need to be very careful if they choose to start using opiates again. They will find that their bodies have become much more sensitive to opiates so the dose they use should be much lower than before their detox. If you feel that you will not have the willpower to keep taking oral naltrexone and stay clean from opiates, you can speak to the doctor about having a naltrexone implant instead.

Accelerated detox research

A study was carried out comparing accelerated detox with clonidine assisted detoxification, a 7- to 10-day medicated process. Patients assigned to the accelerated detox group had a higher rate of completing the detox (88% compared with 28%). The patients in both groups reported about the same levels of withdrawal symptoms.