If you’ve developed a habit of regular opioid misuse, you may require detoxification before you are able to begin treatment safely.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin as well as prescription pain relievers like fentanyl, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, and many others. These drugs interact with nerve receptors in the body and brain and produce euphoria and pain relief. For medical use, they are first prescribed by a physician for treatment of ongoing pain. When used as prescribed and for a brief period, they are a highly effective means of pain relief.
The unfortunate consequence of taking this type of drug is that they are highly susceptible to dependency or addiction. If opioids are misused, taken in a way not prescribed by a physician, or taken in larger quantities than recommended, a person can become dependent on them. The time it takes to become dependent on opioids differs from person to person, but opioid dependence can occur in as little as five days. Although dependence is different from addiction, it is still a serious issue and needs to be addressed and treated carefully. Overdose and even death can occur. Fortunately, dependency can be treated with the help of buprenorphine and buprenorphine with naloxone, more commonly known by the brand name Suboxone.
