Fast, Comfortable Heroin Detox At The Coleman Institute In Richmond, VA

How Big of a Problem is Heroin in Virginia?

The opioid epidemic has been a major public health crisis in Virginia in the 2010s and 2020s, and heroin is still a major part of the problem.

According to the Virginia Department of Health’s Quarterly Drug Death Report for the 1st Quarter of 2023, there were 2619 total drug overdose deaths in Virginia in 2022. Of those deaths, 254 were heroin overdose deaths. That’s 9.7% of all drug overdose deaths for the year. This is a big decrease from the peak levels of heroin overdose deaths that we saw in Virginia in 2017, but overall drug overdose deaths have risen sharply overall since 2017, so much of the decrease in heroin overdose deaths can likely be attributed to the fact that Fentanyl has become so much more prevalent in the drug landscape.

In fact, much of what is being sold as heroin nowadays is actually heroin mixed with Fentanyl or just Fentanyl being sold as heroin. This is one of the hidden dangers of heroin use: there is no quality control on the street, so there is no way to tell exactly what you’re getting when you buy it.

Heroin dependence often starts with the use of legal, prescribed opioid painkillers. A person could have an accident or some other condition that requires opioids to manage the pain. After taking the opioids, even just one dose, dependence can occur. The prescription could end for some reason – the doctor stops writing the prescription, it gets too expensive, insurance won’t pay for it anymore, etc. – and the person could then turn to illegal means to get more opioids to manage their pain and the discomfort of withdrawal. And because prescription opioids like Vicodin or OxyContin are expensive to get on the street, many people turn to cheaper alternatives like heroin. And so the legitimate use of opioids for pain management snowballs into a heroin addiction.

If you or someone you know is struggling with heroin addiction, you’re not alone. We’re here to help. Call 877-773-3869 now or schedule a callback using the button below to learn more about our Heroin Detox program.

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What To Expect From Our Heroin Detox Program In Richmond, VA

We understand that heroin is very difficult to detox from because it is highly addictive and can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. That’s why we’re here to help you through the detox process, every step of the way.

Here’s what you can expect from Heroin Detox using the Coleman Method:

Getting Started:

When you’re ready to start detox, call us at 877-773-3869 or use our convenient online form to request a callback from one of the Care Advocates on our Richmond, VA team. During this call, our Care Advocate will answer any and all questions you may have about our unique approach to Heroin Detox. They will also help you choose the dates you want to schedule your detox.

Before Your Appointment:

To prepare for your first appointment, we will ask you to stop using heroin 16 to 48 hours before you are scheduled to arrive, based on guidance from our physicians. We will also ask that you bring a support person with you who can be present for the duration of your detox and for 48 hours after detox has concluded. When you are in detox, you should not operate a motor vehicle, and you should be monitored at all times to ensure your safety and comfort.

Your First Appointment:

When the time comes for your first appointment, you will likely be experiencing mild withdrawal from stopping heroin use 16 to 48 hours prior. One of our experienced, licensed practitioners will assess your condition and administer tailored doses of comfort medications throughout the day to alleviate your withdrawal symptoms. They will also give you a micro-dose of Naltrexone.

Intermediate Appointments:

The intermediate appointments in the Heroin Detox program are much like the first appointment. Your practitioner will continue to monitor your condition and provide tailored doses of comfort medications according to your individual needs, and you will continue to receive micro-doses of Naltrexone.

Final Appointment:

When you arrive at your final appointment, you will have made significant progress in the detox process. At this appointment, you will rest comfortably in your own private room at our Richmond, VA detox clinic while the remaining heroin is gently removed from your brain. This process typically takes about 6 to 8 hours to complete. You will be monitored closely to ensure that you are safe and that detox is progressing as it should. After this process is over, your heroin detox is complete. You will be given either an injection or an implant of long-acting Naltrexone to support you in the weeks following detox. This injection or implant will slowly release Naltrexone into your system over the course of a few weeks to block your opioid receptors, which will reduce cravings and inhibit the effects of opioids if relapse occurs.

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Why Choose The Coleman Institute’s Heroin Detox Program – A Fast, Comfortable Detox Option

Most people who try to stop using heroin will not be able to do so on their own. Stopping heroin use can cause severe withdrawal symptoms that make users quickly realize that they will likely need the help of a medical detox program to successfully quit. Here are some common Heroin Detox options available in the Richmond, VA area:

Self-Detox:

Heroin is a very potent, addictive opioid, and trying to stop using it on your own can be extremely uncomfortable and potentially dangerous to your health. Suddenly stopping heroin and attempting to “go cold turkey” can cause extreme physical and mental distress, and these symptoms could be such a shock to your system that they become life threatening. Some people attempt to stop using heroin by gradually tapering off their dose and trying to wean themselves off of it over time. This almost never succeeds. Most attempts to self-detox end up in relapse as the person seeks relief for their withdrawal symptoms. Because of the high probability of relapse and the potential health risks, we do not recommend that anyone try to self-detox from heroin.

Inpatient Detox:

Going through inpatient detox for heroin requires the patient to have a lengthy stay in a rehab facility or hospital while medical professionals monitor their condition and administer medications to help alleviate their withdrawal symptoms. The length of an inpatient rehab stay depends on the condition of the patient, but it is not unheard of for an inpatient rehab stay to be as long as 30 days or more. An extended stay in a rehab facility can be very disruptive to the patient’s life and can be very expensive.

Ultra Rapid Opioid Detoxification (URD or UROD):

Ultra Rapid Opioid Detox is a method of inpatient rehab where a patient is hospitalized, put under general anesthesia, and given large doses of opioid agonists like Naltrexone intravenously in an attempt to flush the drugs out of their system as quickly as possible. This method can work very quickly. It can fully flush the drugs out of a patient’s system in as few as 5 minutes. But this procedure is extremely expensive and could have significant health risks. There have been some reported fatalities after the completion of this treatment. Because of the potential risks, the Coleman Institute has not performed an ultra rapid detox since 2001.

Methadone or Buprenorphine:

Methadone and Buprenorphine are both well-known medications used in Medication-Assisted Treatments for heroin addiction. When administered under the supervision of an addiction specialist, they can help people transition away from heroin use and onto a safer, legal (when prescribed) alternative. But it’s important to keep in mind that Methadone and Buprenorphine are still opioids. They are still addictive substances, and they will likely produce withdrawal symptoms if usage is stopped without medical assistance, so detoxing from them if you decide you want to stop taking opioids altogether can be a challenge. Many of our patients have told us that detoxing from Buprenorphine or Methadone can be more difficult than detoxing from other opioids.

Our Outpatient Heroin Detox Program:

Heroin Detox using the Coleman Method is a program that uses tailored doses of comfort medications along with Naltrexone Therapy to help people fully detox from heroin in as few as 5 days, with fewer risks and costs than other detox programs and with as little disruption to the patient’s daily life as possible. Our program has a 98% completion rate, and we think this fact speaks for itself.

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