Outpatient Drug Detoxification that is Safe & Medically Managed
Outpatient Detoxification in Orange County
When you come to Savers Medical Group, it’s possible that you may be appropriate for outpatient detoxification, allowing you to sleep at home (or in a sober living home) or even go to work.
Outpatient detoxification allows you to check in with us on-site every day so we can monitor your progress and support your detoxification.
How Outpatient Detox Works
When you arrive at Savers Addiction Medical Group to begin your detox, you will check in for your initial assessment. Our nurse will get detailed information about your current drug and alcohol use and take several vital signs which will be given to Dr. Sam.
Dr. Sam will then create a treatment protocol to address your symptoms and guide the detox (typically a 3, 5, or 7 day detox process).
You will then check in for approximately an hour each day and receive any prescribed medications and submit to randomly assigned drug screenings.
In the event that it is a Friday, and the patient is on daily medications, Saturday and Sunday’s medication will also be supplied for the weekend.
If the patient has concerns over the weekend, he can contact our staff and our nurse can meet him at the facility or he can communicate with Dr. Sam to make other arrangements.
Continuing Care after Outpatient Detox
Some patients live in a sober living during their outpatient detox. They can “step down” to the PHP or IOP level of care after the detoxification protocol has run its course.
There are also some patients who live locally and may even live with their families who can support them in their recovery. All patients are recommended to attend 12-step meetings during and after their outpatient detox.
Who is Outpatient Detox For?
The person who’s currently using an amount of drugs that will cause them to have mild or moderate withdrawals is eligible for outpatient detox.
We are very conservative with regard to recommending this level of care because there has to be certainty that there is no risk of serious medical complications during the detox. For this reason, opiate users are more likely to be recommended this level of care than alcohol or benzodiazepine users (substances that have more serious complications during withdrawals).
Addiction only gets worse as time goes by. That’s why you should contact us now if you suspect that you or a loved one has a problem. Savers Addiction Medical Group is a leading provider of prevention, education, and outpatient treatment services for alcoholism, addiction, and co-occurring mental health disorders. We can help you or a loved one recover and help your family heal, right now.
Get Help Now
Is addiction preventing you or a loved one to live a happy life? Take action by giving us a call at 714-760-4043or by filling out this anonymous form.
Close
The COWS and CIWA Scale
The clinical opiate withdrawal scale (COWS) is a composite scale that analyzes the severity of many bodily symptoms to get a numerical value for the severity of the withdrawals.
Another scale that is used is the CIWA or clinical institute withdrawal assessment tool. The CIWA scale for benzodiazepines is known as the CIWA-B.
The result of these examinations is score that indicates whether the patient is experiencing mild withdrawal, moderate withdrawal, or severe withdrawal.
Patients who are experiencing mild or moderate withdrawals may be eligible for outpatient detox.
Some Drugs that Provide Effective Managing of Cravings
Buprenorphine: Buprenorphine is a partial agonist, which means it expels existing opioids from the opioid receptors in the brain and blocks other opioids from attaching, but it only partially binds to the opioid receptors. Buprenorphine prevents withdrawal for up to 72 hours. Though it does have a limited euphoric effect, it does not have the full effect of an opioid such as heroin or painkillers. Also, there’s a ceiling on the euphoric effect so that, even with increased dosage it will not produce a stronger euphoric effect. While there is some risk of Buprenorphine abuse, it is limited to those who don’t already have OUD.
Naltrexone: Naltrexone, commonly prescribed under the brand name Vivitrol, is an antagonist, which means it fully blocks the opioid receptors and produces no euphoric effect. Because of this, it’s mainly used as a relapse-prevention drug and cannot prevent withdrawal symptoms. Patients must be opioid-free for at least 7-10 days before taking Naltrexone. Naltrexone is used for alcohol dependence as well as OUD.
You must seek medical detox before beginning Naltrexone treatment if you’ve taken an opioid drug within the past 7-10 days.
Getting Help From Our Center
We can help you or your loved one obtain initial sobriety in comfort, and then move toward long-term recovery with a supportive treatment regimen. Call us today at 714-760-4043.