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Demerol addiction treatment that actually works

For more than a decade, we’ve helped people overcome opioid addiction through our comprehensive treatment programs and a continuum of care that treats the whole person for a lifetime. This includes inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient treatment and counseling,  as well as continuing care and even virtual treatment programs.

Our evidence-based approach is designed and administered by board-certified addiction psychiatrist, physicians, and other industry professionals. That’s why our program works for 84% of patients, while traditional 12-step programs have a 50% success rate, at best.

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Three column stats: 8% Recovery Rate, 5000 patients treated, and 1:5 Clinical staff to patient ratio.

Call today and get help. Our Demerol addiction treatment experts are here for you.

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Treatment options for Demerol addiction

Demerol is a highly addictive prescription opioid, and most users will require inpatient drug rehab to safely quit taking it and start a healthy recovery. The recovery process starts with supervised medical detox (also known as withdrawal stabilization) to remove the drug from the patient’s system.

Enterhealth’s medical detox program is overseen by board-certified medical professionals who monitor each patient’s physical and mental health during this (often) difficult process. Medical staff may also prescribe anti-addiction medications such as Suboxone to minimize withdrawal symptoms and the intense cravings many people experience.

Importantly, medical detox by itself is not considered treatment. Rather, it’s a pre-requisite step that ensures patients can fully participate in a comprehensive treatment program tailored to address all aspects of their substance abuse – physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, etc.

Integrating pharmacological, behavioral, and psychological treatment is the most effective way to restore normal function to the brain and lead to positive lifelong outcomes.

Effective behavioral therapies for opioid addiction may be administered in either a residential or outpatient setting following withdrawal stabilization. A typical Demerol addiction treatment plan may include:

  • Individual counseling
  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy sessions
  • Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP)
  • Supporting Outpatient Programs (SOP)
  • Maintenance Outpatient Programs (MOP)
  • Wellness, nutritional and stress management treatment services

A range of treatment options based on you

Each person’s path to addiction is unique with different neurological, emotional, social and environmental contributing factors. That’s why the Enterhealth journey to recovery is personalized to meet individuals and families where they are. Whether you need immersive inpatient care or outpatient treatment, we offer a range of evidence-based treatment options and innovative therapies.

Enterhealth is the only facility with highly trained on-site addiction specialists, including PhDs, MDs and Master’s Level Therapists, who coordinate care at every stage. Because we understand the science behind addiction, we are best equipped to assess and treat individuals and families. Contact us to see why we’re the only facility with an 84% success rate.

RESIDENTIAL

PROVIDING A HEALING PLACE FOR NEW BEGINNINGS

Enterhealth Ranch offers inpatient care that’s on your side, not on the clock. It’s a nurturing environment where treatment is highly personalized and intensified. Every patient has a private room and 24/7 access to addiction trained specialists who use evidence-based treatments and comprehensive care, including medical detox, in-depth medical and psychological assessments, individual and group therapies, life skills and more.

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OUTPATIENT

PROVIDING EXCELLENCE IN YOUR CONTINUUM OF CARE

Enterhealth’s Outpatient Center of Excellence, conveniently located in the Park Cities, is expertly staffed with board-certified addiction specialists. Our comprehensive program is designed for continued recovery care and provides individuals and families the support they need to reconnect with each other and thrive in recovery.

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ALUMNI

FINDING CONNECTIONS TO STRENGTHEN RECOVERY

The Enterhealth Alumni Association offers a unique opportunity for our patients to continue and thrive in their recovery by building relationships through shared experiences. This one-of-a-kind support environment provides a nurturing space where participants can gain understanding, learn from others and continue to rebuild their lives.

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CORPORATE SERVICES

SUPPORTING EMPLOYEES IN THEIR RECOVERY

Recovery is one of the most important benefits you can give your employees. Enterhealth provides comprehensive, evidence-based residential and outpatient programs and continued 24/7 technological support with Enterhealth Connect. It’s a tool employees can use to access expert care that fits their schedule for online consultations with highly trained addiction specialists, dynamic content including blogs, podcasts, videos, and continuously updated tools and resources that will aid in their recovery journey.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Demerol Addiction

What is Demerol?

Demerol is the brand name for a drug called pethidine, or meperidine. It’s a painkiller that may be prescribed as a tablet or as an injection for acute episodes of moderate to severe pain.

Demerol is a manmade synthetic opioid compound similar to those derived from the opium poppy flower. Like natural opioids, it relieves pain by binding to receptors in the brain that alters a user’s perception of pain and trigger the release of dopamine and other feel-good neurotransmitters.

What are the side effects of Demerol?

Even when taken correctly, opioid medications like Demerol may cause side effects such as:

  • Lightheadedness
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Constipation
  • Skin rash
  • Itching
  • Sweating
  • Loss of appetite
  • Constipation
  • Dry mouth
  • Headache

These side effects often become magnified by addiction. Opioid tolerance can lead users to take such high amounts of these drugs that the side effects become extreme.

For example, heavy users may frequently experience intense nausea and vomiting, yet continue taking the drug in higher and higher doses.

How do you know if you or someone you love is addicted to Demerol?

When a user starts taking the medication for the high rather than to relieve pain, this is Demerol abuse (clinically regarded as opioid use disorder). As they consume more of the drug over time, they will become physically dependent on the drug – they have developed a Demerol addiction.

With physical dependence and addiction comes tolerance, meaning they will need to take more of the drug to get the same desired effects. Without a constant supply of the drug in their system, they will also start to experience highly unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

Common behaviors associated with Demerol addiction include:

  • Taking escalating doses
  • Visiting multiple doctors trying to get more prescriptions, a practice called “Doctor shopping”
  • Tampering with pills before taking them (e.g., breaking them, crushing, dissolving)
  • Taking pills in any way other than orally (e.g., snorting, injecting)

When someone is addicted to opioids like Demerol but they’re unable to access the drug, they may look for ways to buy it illegally or seek easier-to-find, cheaper alternatives such as heroin.

What are the symptoms of Demerol withdrawal?

Even if taken as prescribed, patients can develop a physical dependence for Demerol, which means long-time users may experience opioid withdrawal symptoms if they simply stop taking it. This is why prescriptions usually include directions for tapering the dose down before discontinuing entirely.

Opioid withdrawal symptoms include:

  • Restlessness
  • Yawning
  • Sweating
  • Runny nose
  • Chills
  • Muscle and back aches
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Irritability, anxiety
  • Dilated pupils
  • Increased blood pressure
  • Increased heartbeat or breathing

The time to onset, severity, and duration of withdrawal symptoms varies from person and depends on factors like how much the person had been taking and for how long.

How do you treat Demerol withdrawal?

Demerol addiction treatment begins with medical detox. Longer-acting opioids such as Suboxone are administered to stabilize patients and reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Patients then slowly taper off the substitute under close medical supervision.

Patients usually experience the most discomfort during the first one to three days of the opioid withdrawal phase. During this time, additional medications may be prescribed to help patients feel more comfortable, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) or a mild sedative.

How do anti-addiction drugs help with opioid withdrawal?

Enterhealth utilizes Suboxone (buprenorphine with naloxone) to treat opioid addiction. It works by activating the same opioid receptors in the brain that Demerol does, but without producing the same euphoric high, which makes it safer than short-acting opioids.

As a result, patients report that Suboxone helps by minimizing cravings and relieving some of the withdrawal symptoms so they can actively participate in their treatment program.

How long does it take to detox from Demerol?

Patients typically leave detox by the end of day three when most of the withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings have subsided and they are ready to proceed fully in their Demerol addiction treatment program.

Can you overdose on Demerol?

The risk of overdosing on any opioid drug, including Demerol, is high. Prescriptions are tailored in specific doses, and the effects can have adverse reactions in others. Taking too much Demerol can result in a life-threatening overdose.

What are the symptoms of a Demerol overdose?

  • Trouble breathing
  • Cold and clammy skin
  • Fast heartbeat or chest pain
  • Extreme drowsiness leading to coma
  • Circulatory collapse
  • Heart attack

How do people abuse Demerol?

The most common way that people abuse Demerol involves taking more than prescribed or recommended. Other ways include tampering with the pills so that the medication absorbs into the body faster, which produces a more intense and immediate high.

Methods of tampering include crushing, chewing, snorting, and injecting pills. All of these methods come with additional health and safety risks.

Is Demerol a controlled substance?

Yes. Demerol is labeled by the DEA as a Schedule II controlled substance due to its addictive properties. As such, possession and intoxication on the medication without a prescription is a crime, as is sharing, giving away or selling it.

What are the other dangers associated with Demerol addiction?

Besides the risk of overdose, using Demerol in ways it’s not designed can also have negative effects. Injecting Demerol is particularly harmful and can lead to infection and cardiovascular disease.

*State standard is 1:10 clinical staff to patient ratio