Drug and alcohol detoxification is medically supervised withdrawal. A medication that oxycodone 5mg is the same or similar to the drug being abused is given to the patient until withdrawal symptoms are alleviated. The medication is then given in downward tapering doses. This allows for a safer and more comfortable withdrawal for the patient.

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Suboxone is an excellent medication for the outpatient detoxification from opiates (heroin) and opioids (Oxycontin, oxycodone, Percocet, Vicodin, and Lortab). There are a number of reasons that suboxone is such a good option. It is considered a very safe medication. Suboxone is known as a partial agonist, meaning it partially stimulates the opiate receptor. This means that it has what we call a ceiling effect, so that at a given dose the medication has no more effect. This translates into it having a low risk of respiratory depression, which is a low risk of stopping breathing.

The other thing about Suboxone is that the buprenorphine, which is the narcotic part of the medication, binds very tightly to the opioid receptor. It binds so tightly that other opiates and opioids cannot get in, so that if a patient decides to use Heroin or Percocet during their detox, those medications will have no effect, and there will also be no additive affect of two opioids with the potential for serious side effects like respiratory depression.

Suboxone is also interesting because in order to start the medication, the patient actually has to be somewhere between early to moderate withdrawal. If Suboxone is started too early, it would actually send the patient into precipitated withdrawal, which is ten times worse than regular withdrawal. So what needs to be done is keep the patient as comfortable as possible overnight before they come in for what is called induction. A number of medications can be used overnight to make patients more comfortable. Clonidine is a gold standard type of medication for opioid withdrawal. It is an old blood pressure medication, and it treats what are called hyperadrenergic symptoms. These are the stimulating symptoms of withdrawal, the sweats, chills and shakes.

I also use the class of medications called benzodiazepines to keep the patient comfortable overnight, medications such as Klonopin, Valium and Ativan. These alleviate anxiety, which is frequently a big part of the withdrawal syndrome, and at a minimum, it helps patients to not care as much that they basically feel terrible. I also remind patients to consider themselves as having the flu, and remember the basics such as pushing fluids. Nobody is going to feel well if they get dehydrated, it doesn't matter what is prescribed.

Tylenol and Motrin are recommended for aches and pains, as well as Imodium for upset stomach. I also recommend that patients keep yogurt or ice cream in the house, because those are easy to eat when you don't feel well. Each patent is different, and my approach in general is to tailor treatment to each individual patient.

Stuart Kloda, M.D. is an addiction medicine physician in New York City. He is an expert in the treatment of opioid and opiate addictions:

Oxycodone is a drug that is very addicting. A lot of people get an addiction with oxycodone because used oxycodone as a pain reliever for a long time. Then they begin to no longer take the drug for pain medication, but because they are now addicted. The longer people take the medication, the higher the chances are that they will become addicted. This will cause the person to use more in order to either get a feeling of being high, get rid of any pain, or to stop any withdrawal symptoms from beginning.

Oxycodone can cause many side effects: constipation, nausea, headache, dry mouth, excessive sweating and dry mouth. If a person were to have an oxycodone overdose, these severe symptoms happen seizures, coma, dizziness, and slowed breathing. Oxycodone Withdrawal symptoms like these can happen: anxiety, diarrhea, nausea, muscle cramping, and restlessness.

If a person takes more Oxycodone than their prescription said, it can become addictive. Oxycodone is related to heroin, and just like its relative, the drug causes a lot of people to become addicted. An Oxycodone addiction is not hard to notice. If the person is taking the drug isn't using it for pain anymore, they are most likely addicted to the drug. The addicted person will end up going through withdrawal once they stop taking oxycodone. In order to stop the Oxycodone withdrawal, more Oxycodone must be taken.

Oxycodone falls under the brands of OxyContin, Tylox and Percoset. It is very addictive, and related to heroin. Even though it is not as strong as heroin, it still gets people addicted every year. The main reason people get addicted is when people a patient uses the drug to reduce pain. They take more in order to get the same pain relief or ease. Then when they stop taking the drug, the Oxycodone withdrawals start to kick in.