Barbiturates were very common medications back in the 1970s and 1980s. They were used mostly for treating conditions like sleeplessness and anxiety disorders. Today, the use of barbiturates has decreased significantly, but they are still used in some medical applications. They are sometimes used for managing seizures, convulsions and severe headaches. Barbotiates are sometimes given in tapering amounts to people who are having serious withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting other or similar substances. They are also still being abused by millions of people and many of them become desperately addicted.
Barbiturates Withdrawal Symptoms
Barbiturates have a calming effect that is similar to the type experienced by those who take benzodiazepine medications. However, benzodiazepines like Valium are much safer and are prescribed more often for this reason. Barbiturates addiction is more intense, both mentally and physically. Barbiturates inhibit the function of the nervous system by slowing down the brains activity, primarily by affecting the activities of neurotransmitters and GABA receptors. The functioning of the bodily systems is affected to such an extent that they become dependent on the chemicals found in barbiturate medications. These two factors cause psychological and physical addictions that are very hard to overcome.
The severity of the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting any kind of addictive substance is the primary reason quitting can be so hard. This is the case when concerning addictions to everyday things like coffee and nicotine in cigarettes, but the withdrawal symptoms of barbiturate can be life-threatening. If you have been abusing barbiturates, it’s critical that you receive treatment right away. The difference between a dose that can cause drowsiness and a dose that can cause death can be very small for many people. This is the main reason they are not prescribed so much anymore.
The severity of the withdrawal symptoms themselves can become life-threatening very quickly. They can include, but are not limited to:
- Dangerously high blood pressure
- Increased body temperature
- Difficulty sleeping
- Seizures
- Hallucinations
- Tremors
- Severe anxiety
- Drastic changes in mood and/or behavior
If you have been abusing barbiturates along with other medications, prescribed or otherwise, you are at risk of developing mental disorders and causing irreparable bodily harm is that much higher. The longer you have been abusing them, the harder the withdrawal symptoms will make it for you to quit. You must check into a drug rehabilitation facility you can trust as quickly as possible.
Barbiturates Detox Procedures
The first step in overcoming any kind of addiction is to remove the substance or substances from your body. This is what is called the detox process, and it’s the most critical part of drug and alcohol abuse treatment. When the offending substances have been removed from the body, clarity of mindsets in and the healing process can begin. It takes longer for barbiturates to leave the body than it does for other drugs or alcohol. It commonly doesn’t take longer than a week for others, but it might take up to two weeks for barbiturates withdrawal symptoms to begin to subside.
This is why our patients recovering from barbiturate addiction are encouraged to stay longer. There can be complications called post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWG) because of the nature of these kinds of medications. These are symptoms associated with the brain trying to recover from the abuse. Feelings of depression and anxiety can be overwhelming during this time. Cravings for the drug, insomnia, and difficulty making even the most simple decisions are some PAWG symptoms related to a barbiturates detox.
These symptoms eventually fade away if you abstain from using barbiturates, but you should know that these symptoms can continue for years for many people. It depends on how long you have been using them and how large your doses commonly were. This means that, even after leaving our detox facility, you will have to learn to cope with these symptoms on a daily basis for a while. You will need the support of friends, family members or anyone close to you during your time of recovery.
Novo Detox Center
At Novo Detox, we depend on a medically advanced detoxification system that we have used to successfully help countless men and women recover from various forms of substance abuse. It’s the pharmacogenomic testing that we implement during the treatment that sets us apart from the rest. Our detox method addresses addiction on a very personal level. We have to find the safest and most comfortable method of removing the barbiturates from your system.
We will start by collecting a sample of your blood for the purpose of obtaining a small specimen of your DNA. We will use the information we gather about your particular genetics to determine whether you can benefit from taking certain medications or not. Your DNA structure tells us a lot about you, including what types of medications, might be harmful to you and also those that might benefit you the most. The medications we give our patients ward off the worst symptoms of withdrawal.
We can arrange a treatment and recovery program based on the results of the tests we take using your blood sample. We know what medications will work well for you by the time we have reviewed your toxicology testing and drug-gene testing results. We also know what medications commonly used for treatment might actually make your individual case worse. Our bodies and minds were created differently, and we remember to base our treatments on this principle.
Our team of board-certified doctors, physicians and nurses understand the power of nutrition to heal the body. The importance of a healthy diet during the detox and recovery process is highlighted to our patients. Herbal and homeopathic remedies are used to help regenerate the filtering organs of the body. These include the liver, lungs, and kidneys. We truly want to remove hideous toxins from your body and keep it that way. Let us help you overcome barbiturates addiction. Call Novo Detox today and schedule an appointment.
