How Rehab Centers Help You Cope with Withdrawal from Dilaudid
Dilaudid is a brand name medication containing the drug hydromorphone. A strong opioid analgesic, hydromorphone can cause all of the same withdrawal symptoms that other opioid drugs can cause including restlessness, muscle and bone pain, flu-like symptoms, diarrhea, vomiting, and insomnia. Rehab centers can actually help you cope with withdrawal from Dilaudid, and the stronger your symptoms are, the more you should consider this treatment.
Why Go to Rehab for Dilaudid Withdrawal
Whether you have been abusing the drug or not, Dilaudid withdrawal can be very intense and even painful. Many individuals go back to abusing the drug just to avoid the withdrawal symptoms caused when they stop taking it cold turkey. Dilaudid is an especially strong opioid medication and, according to the NLM, “Hydromorphone extended-release tablets should only be used to treat people who are tolerant (used to the effects of the medication) to opioid medications.”
Because the medication is strong, withdrawal symptoms will be intense as well. Especially with a dependence on extended-release tablets, the withdrawal syndrome can last a very long time. Going off of Dilaudid without tapering off the drug or using another kind of detox medication will always be difficult as long as you have been taking it for a few weeks or more. This is because, regardless whether you were using Dilaudid the way your doctor prescribed or not, withdrawal symptoms will still occur if you have had the drug in your system regularly for more than a few weeks.
Methods of Treatment for Dilaudid Withdrawal
Dilaudid rehab and detox centers can provide you with a proper taper schedule, or with medications to help you overcome withdrawal.
Dilaudid withdrawal treatment is generally handled the same way as any type of opioid withdrawal treatment. Patients are admitted to either an inpatient or outpatient facility, depending on the severity of their symptoms and other needs, and then they receive medication to treat their withdrawal symptoms and/or cravings.
Common medications used for Dilaudid withdrawal treatment are:
- A slow tapering of Dilaudid that curbs withdrawal symptoms and cravings so that the patient can cope more easily with their dependence on the drug
- Clonidine which treats many of the common withdrawal symptoms like “anxiety, agitation, muscle aches, sweating, runny nose, and cramping” (NLM)
- Methadone which blocks many of the symptoms of withdrawal and curbs cravings as well
- Buprenorphine which causes similar results to methadone except that it can be prescribed by certain certified doctors from their offices instead of from a clinic
These medications help patients become calmer and deal with their withdrawal syndromes in a way that is less intense and difficult than simply letting the syndrome run its course. Also many patients receive counseling or behavioral therapy which
- Helps them prepare for formal addiction treatment which will be necessary for those who are addicted to Dilaudid to attend as a part of rehab
- May allow them to discover co-occurring mental disorders (such as depression or bipolar disorder) that may have added to the reasons for their initial their abuse of Dilaudid
Patients in rehab also receive treatment for Dilaudid addiction and co-occurring disorders in order to help them cope with and recover from their addictions. In a rehab setting, though, usually the focus starts with treating withdrawal symptoms for the substance itself and helping patients cope with these.
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