Month: February 2022

What are the Symptoms of Fentanyl Withdrawal?

The idea of withdrawal from fentanyl can be scary. Many wonder about the effects of fentanyl on the mind and body and what withdrawal and detox will be like. Detox and sobriety following fentanyl addiction can be done with dedication and often requires the support of medical professionals.

At Starbridge Recovery, our luxury facility can support you through withdrawal from fentanyl. Our detox program combats the effects of fentanyl with multiple innovative and supportive steps.

Please speak with an admissions coordinator to see how we can support your fentanyl recovery today.

What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a highly addictive drug in the opioid family. This drug acts as a narcotic depressant that slows down the body’s functions. As a synthetically made opioid, this drug has been altered to be more effective than opium, morphine, and heroin. Fentanyl acts quickly to block pain receptors and, in doing so, causes a release of dopamine which has a difficult time being processed against the fentanyl. This excess causes a euphoric high, triggering the reward receptors in the brain. When this happens, the body identifies this “high” as ideal and begins the process of addiction.

While prescription fentanyl is found in pill or syrup form, illegally made fentanyl can be seen as a powder, dropped on blotter paper-like strips, in eye droppers or nasal sprays, or made into pills that look like prescription opioids. The different ways the drug enters the body affect how quickly the high occurs and how long it lasts. While pills might take longer to have an effect, they often last longer than powders or liquids, creating a quicker high.

Why is Fentanyl So Dangerous?

Fentanyl is a synthetically designed opioid that is more potent than opium, morphine, and heroin. In fact, fentanyl is said to be 50-100% more powerful than morphine.

While fentanyl is a prescription drug, but can also be made illegally. Street quality fentanyl is often mixed with other dangerous additives to balance the negative side effects, make the drug go further, or alter the high. Mixing fentanyl with drugs like cocaine, methamphetamines, heroin, and MDMA increases the risk of taking fentanyl, having a negative reaction, or experiencing an overdose.

Fentanyl also has an incredibly high overdose rate related to the increased potency of the drug. However, while Narcan/Naloxone, opioid overdose reversal drugs, are available, they are often ineffective or require multiple doses and immediately puts an individual into opioid withdrawal syndrome.

What are the Symptoms of Fentanyl Withdrawal?

Fentanyl withdrawal can be dangerous. The symptoms mimic those of other opioid withdrawals, but the extent of use and any possible mixing of drugs can worsen and create a much more difficult challenge for individuals who wish to stop using the drug.

Fentanyl withdrawal can cause individuals to experience “muscle and bone pain, sleep problems, diarrhea and vomiting, cold flashes with goosebumps, uncontrollable leg movements, and severe cravings.”

The symptoms of fentanyl withdrawal don’t stop with the detox process. Individuals can experience symptoms of fentanyl withdrawal for years following detox and initial withdrawal. Individuals who have gotten clean from fentanyl continue to experience cravings, mental health concerns, and physical health concerns from the toll that fentanyl can take on the body.

How to Find Fentanyl Detox Programs Near Me

Finding a ‘fentanyl detox program near me’ might seem like a challenge, but there are many supportive and informative options when searching for detox. What is most important is finding a fentanyl detox program that will help you transition into addiction treatment. Detox programs are supportive, but those that can seamlessly transition you from detox to addiction treatment are comprehensive centers that support your mental, physical, and emotional health.

At Starbridge Recovery, we can help you detox from fentanyl and then transition you into relaxing, supportive, and safe addiction treatment at our luxury addiction treatment center. We believe in recovery designed to meet your needs. Our residential inpatient treatment offers support from detox to aftercare and beyond. Supporting clients and addressing all of their mental health concerns is our highest priority.
Contact our admissions coordinators today to see how we can support you through fentanyl detox and addiction treatment.

How Long Do Opioids Stay in Your System

While opioids range dramatically from synthetically made fentanyl to prescription morphine, they all affect the body in a similar fashion with varying degrees of severity. Another thing that links them is their risk of dependence and how long they stay in your system. Opioids all process at a similar rate with similar highs and withdrawals.

At Starbridge Recovery, we’re ready to help you get opioids out of your system. Our detox and addiction treatment programs are designed to support clients in innovative ways. We believe you’re worth it and are ready to support you in making a difference in your life.

Contact Starbridge Recovery today to see how we can help you get off opioids.

What are Opioids?

Opioids are an all-encompassing name for opioids and opiates that are naturally and synthetically created painkillers. Common opioids are heroin and fentanyl, which are illegal, but they can also be prescription painkillers like morphine, codeine, oxycontin, and methadone. This class of drugs are addictive and can cause physical dependence. Individuals using opioids should be monitored by a doctor. If an individual is using opioids illegally, dependence and addiction can occur much quicker.

Individuals can misuse opioids by altering how the drug is taken, taking too much of the drug, or taking the drug with other contraindicated substances. This is most common in illegal use, but can also occur as some of the initial misuse steps of prescription medications.

How Do Opioids Affect the Body?

Opioids and opiates depress the central nervous system. These drugs block the opioid receptors and prevent individuals from feeling pain. It can also create a euphoric high that is addictive.

Opioids create a positive feeling during use. It can relieve pain and reinforce a positive emotional feeling for users. Opioid highs cause a reduction in stress by reducing “tension anxiety, and aggression.” Physically, users may experience drowsiness, loss of consciousness, nausea, constipation, and slowed breathing.

How Long Do Opioids Stay in Your System?

When it comes to testing for opioids, it is important to know how long the drug stays in your system. Opioids and opiates have a relatively quick half-life meaning that approximately half the drug has been processed through the system within an hour. However, the remaining drug can be detectable in the system for some time.

Saliva tests are accurate when testing for opioids for 12-36 hours.
Urine tests are accurate when testing for opioids for up to 5 days.
Hair follicle tests are accurate when testing for opioids for up to 90 days.

What are the Symptoms of Opioid Withdrawal?

Opioid withdrawal can range from mild to severe depending on the circumstances of the addiction. Individuals with more severe addiction may experience worse symptoms for longer than those who have a more mild addiction.

Opioid and opiate withdrawal typically lasts for 7-10 days, with the most severe symptoms peaking between days 3-4. Long-term symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years following withdrawal. Opioids impact the body’s ability to repair itself. Cravings for opioids and being conscious of medications and other necessary prescriptions will be a necessity for successful sobriety.

Physical opioid withdrawal symptoms include:

Nasal discharge
Goosebumps
Extreme muscle aches and pains
Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting
Pupil dilation
Light sensitivity
Rapid breathing
Muscles twitching
Increased heart rate
Sweating
Increased blood pressure
Increased temperature

More severe opioid withdrawal can lead to hospitalization. This is why all withdrawal should be completed under the care of a medical professional.

Opioid withdrawal can also initiate or worsen mental health symptoms. Things like depression and anxiety can be worsened while going through withdrawal. Insomnia and cravings are onset symptoms of withdrawal of opioids and opiates.

How to Find Opioid Detox Programs in Studio City, CA

Finding an opioid detox program in Studio City, CA, is the best way to help get the opioids out of your system. In a treatment facility like Starbridge Recovery’s, clients can detox under medical care and transition immediately into inpatient residential care in a luxury facility.

At Starbridge Recovery, we have redefined the addiction treatment process by offering individualized treatment plans, alternative therapies, and the most effective traditional and evidence-based therapeutic options.
Speak with an admissions counselor to see how our opioid detox program can get you on the path to recovery.

What is the Alcohol Detox Timeline?

When it comes to getting ready for detox, individuals should consider what the alcohol detox timeline is and how it may make them feel. Because alcohol impacts the body in a number of ways, the individual going through withdrawal may experience both physical and mental symptoms that are challenging to overcome.

At Starbridge Recovery, we believe in redefining addiction treatment, because you’re worth it. Contact an admissions coordinator today to see how our treatment programs can help you kickstart your recovery.

Can Alcohol Cause Withdrawal Symptoms?

Alcohol can cause withdrawal symptoms that range from mild to severe. Based on factors like age, amount of alcohol consumed, how long an individual has been drinking/addicted, and whether or not they mixed their alcohol with other drugs, the symptoms may mimic the flu or could lead to seizures and death.

Some factors like age can indicate whether or not an individual will experience significant withdrawal.

Severe withdrawal from alcohol is called delirium tremens and can be extremely dangerous. According to the National Institute of Health’s Alcohol Withdrawal Guide, delirium tremens is the most severe form of alcohol withdrawal. It includes visual hallucinations, restlessness, hypertension, and agitation. Symptoms of delirium tremens can last up to seven day, and may last even longer.

What are the Signs of Alcohol Withdrawal?

While individuals under 30 often don’t experience severe alcohol withdrawal, they may experience the common, more mild, symptoms associated with the process.

Nausea and vomiting
Headache
Auditory hallucinations
Visual hallucinations
Agitation
Sweating
Tremor
Anxiety

Additionally, those who practiced risky use, by combining drugs, binge drinking, or other unsafe consumption, may experience complications that can accompany alcohol withdrawal syndrome

Delirium tremens
Seizures
Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
Anxiety
Depression
Sleep disturbances
Hallucinations
Cardiovascular complications

If you or a loved one are attempting to detox from alcohol at home and are experiencing any of the previous symptoms, seek medical attention immediately. Alcohol detox should take place in a professional setting monitored by a medical professional. At Starbridge Recovery, our detox program allows clients to detox in a safe location and transition seamlessly into comprehensive treatment.

What is the Alcohol Detox Timeline?

When it comes to the timeline for alcohol detox, it is important to figure out when you or your loved one had their last drink, as it can help track where you are in the withdrawal process. The first three to four days are the most difficult for many individuals, while symptoms level out by the end of the week.

By noting the time of the last drink, individuals can more accurately predict where an individual is in the process. Mild symptoms may begin within six hours. These details can help those who are monitoring the alcohol detox process ensure the safety of the individual, should the symptoms worsen.

It is always recommended that individuals who have previously had withdrawal symptoms go through detox in an addiction treatment center. This is because moderate symptoms include hallucinations and seizures that can occur 12 to 24 hours after alcohol use ends. Additionally, delirium tremens is fatal in nearly 15% of cases without treatment and 1% in those who do receive treatment. With these possibilities, it is critical that individuals who are going through alcohol withdrawal be monitored by a medical professional.

How to Find an Alcohol Detox Program Near Me

Finding a program might seem hard, but with Starbridge Recovery, our alcohol detox program provides clients with a safe way to go through alcohol withdrawal. At Starbridge Recovery, we work with individuals to determine the most effective addiction treatment and recovery therapy available. Our luxury facility offers clients the opportunity to detox and recover in peace and safety.
Contact us today to see how our addiction treatment program can make a difference in your life.

What are the Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Dual diagnosis treatment is designed for individuals who are struggling with a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental health disorder that may or may not be the result of addiction.

At Starbridge Recovery, we help our clients determine the root cause of their addiction and address any additional mental health concerns on our luxury campus. We support each individual with a personalized treatment plan that is designed to address their specific mental, physical, and emotional needs.

What Does Co-Occurring Disorders Mean?

Co-occurring disorders or dual diagnosis disorders exist when an individual is struggling with a substance use disorder and an additional mental health disorder. This can occur naturally, as a symptom of drug use, or as a result of self-medicating.

Unfortunately, co-occurring disorders are common and can lead to increased risks. Individuals who struggle with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder are at a higher risk of severe or intense reactions, overdose and suicide, and are more likely to develop an addiction more quickly.

What are Common Co-Occurring Disorders?

Common co-occurring disorders can be directly connected to the drug being abused, or totally unrelated. They can occur naturally or as a symptom of the substance abused. The most common dual diagnosis disorders are anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, other mood disorders, personality disorders, and disorders related to trauma and PTSD.

Stimulant use is often directly connected with increased levels of anxiety and mood and personality disorders. Scientists believe this is due to the impact that stimulants have on the central nervous system and the symptoms that can result in jitteriness and psychosis.

Depressants are often connected with depression and bipolar disorder. Depressants can cause an individual who is already struggling with depression or intense mood swings to feel even more intensive depression or mimic a mood swing that makes a person feel depressed.

Individuals who experience PTSD and trauma often use substances to forget, which can lead more quickly to addiction and increases the risk of retraumatization or suicidal thoughts.

What is Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Dual diagnosis treatment is the treatment of both the substance use disorder and the additional mental health concern at the same time.

At a dual diagnosis rehab, individuals go through detoxification from the substance and any medications related to the mental health disorder. Medical professionals evaluate and monitor necessary medication and support individuals through the withdrawal process, which can be more intense due to the additional stress of a second mental health disorder.

Clients can begin the treatment process following detoxification and regulation of necessary medication. This will be specialized to help individuals manage both the substance use disorder and address the specific concerns of the additional disorder. Through individualized, group, and even family therapy, clients can learn to manage both disorders in a substance-free way.

After completing a dual diagnosis treatment program, clients are often recommended to continue aftercare treatment through a licensed clinician outpatient treatment program. Because dual diagnosis places additional stress on the system, having structured and planned follow-up care can help prevent relapse, continue supportive therapies, and provide oversight throughout the recovery process.

What are the Benefits of Dual Diagnosis Treatment?

Dual diagnosis rehab offers multiple benefits for clients who are struggling with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder. Clients who receive treatment for their co-occurring disorders simultaneously have higher sobriety rates, more stable mental health outcomes, and can live happier, healthier lives when using the skills and tips provided in dual diagnosis treatment.

While this does not mean that slips or relapses won’t occur, an individual who has the opportunity to learn to manage both disorders at the same time are more likely to be successful in stressful situations and triggering events, especially with thorough and continued aftercare treatment.

How to Find Dual Diagnosis Rehab

While dual diagnosis rehab is not hard to find in Southern California, expert professional care in a luxury dual diagnosis facility is. But have no fear. At Starbridge Recovery, we are here to address your specific mental health needs in a comprehensive detox and addiction treatment center. Our luxury residential facility is designed to support clients through the beginning steps of addiction treatment and provide organized and structured treatment for individuals struggling with dual diagnosis disorders.
Contact an admissions counselor to see if our comprehensive treatment is right for you.