Addiction Treatment Medications: What Drugs are Used to Treat Addiction?
How Medications Work to Treat Addiction
Addiction medication can help ease difficult stages of substance abuse treatment and help those in addiction recovery remain sober. Often, those in addiction recovery relapse because of intense cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Some medications can mimic the effects of drugs and alcohol without the euphoric effect which relieves cravings and withdrawal. Part of medication assisted treatments is to use psychiatric drugs along with behavioral therapy to treat co occurring disorders which may be triggers for relapse. Addiction medication can be part of several levels of drug addiction treatment including drug and alcohol detox, inpatient treatment, outpatient treatment, and aftercare programs.
8 Medications Used in Addiction Treatment
Medications for Alcohol Addiction
Alcohol addiction can lead to withdrawal symptoms that last from weeks to months. Medications use for alcohol addiction include:
- Acamprosate (Campral)
Acamprosate is used after completing alcohol detox and can reduce the urge to drink by treating mental health disorders like anxiety and depression, which are often triggers for drinking.
- Disulfiram (Antabuse)
Disulfiram was one of the first addiction medications approved for alcohol use disorders. It causes a person to get severely ill if they ingest alcohol, which makes it a great deterrent for relapse.
- Naltrexone (Vivitrol)
Naltrexone works by blocking the effects of alcohol and reduces the urge to drink.
Medications for Opioid and Heroin Addiction
- Buprenorphine (Suboxone)
Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist and binds to opioid receptors in the brain, which reduces craving for opioids and withdrawals. It has a low addiction potential which allows users to take the drug at home instead of a treatment center.
- Methadone
Similar to Buprenorphine, it also blocks the effects of opioids and does not produce a high. However, individuals have become addicted to it and it has to be regulated.
- Naltrexone
Naltrexone is used both in opioid addiction and alcohol addiction by stopping the urge to use.
Medications used for Cooccurring Disorders and Medical Detox
- Benzodiazepines
Benzos are used to reduce anxiety, which is a common symptom in cocaine and opioid addiction withdrawal. It also helps ease alcohol withdrawals and will prevent seizures.
- Antidepressants
Withdrawal can include depression as the brain gets used to producing its own chemicals again. Antidepressants like Zoloft and Prozac can relieve these feelings.
Benefits of Medical Detox
Medically assisted drug and alcohol detox can help individuals go through cravings and withdrawal safely and comfortably. Some substances, including alcohol, may have life-threatening withdrawals when attempting to stop using. During medical assisted detox, a team of doctors and nurses will monitor your vitals around the clock to ensure detox is going as planned and provide you with medications to ease cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Medically assisted detox can also help you successfully complete the withdrawal. Often those who attempt to detox at home will quickly relapse because of cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can provide a solid foundation for drug rehab and throughout the addiction recovery process.
Benefits of MedicationAssisted Treatments (MAT)
Medication Assisted treatment has several benefits in the addiction recovery process. It can relieve severe pain associated with drug or alcohol withdrawal, reduce the potential of an overdose or relapse, curb drug and alcohol cravings, and increase drug rehab retention. Medication Assisted treatments will reduce pain and discomfort associated with withdrawal symptoms which will help individuals remain in treatment programs long enough for them to be effective.
Medical Treatment for Addiction at DayBreak
DayBreak Treatment Solutions offers medically supervised detox to help our patients stop their drug or alcohol use. We provide 24/7 medical care and medication assisted treatment to help clients go through withdrawal and detox safely. Every treatment program is customized for each client which improves addiction treatment efficacy. Our treatment facility is in a non hospital setting which provides greater comfort and more successful recovery.
If you or a loved one is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, please contact us today at (844) 695-0083 and learn more about how a medically assisted treatment program can help get you on the road to recovery.