Minimum Drug Addiction Withdrawal Time: The technologies available for modern substance abuse treatment are remarkable. Most agree that there is little advantage to in-patient treatment as opposed to outpatient today. Approximately, 80% of in-patient stays for detoxification are not cost effective, nor do they increase chances for a successful long-term recovery. The following guidelines are used by our Licensees to determine whether an inpatient stay is necessary or good medical procedure:

1). If alcohol is being abused and the patient stops drinking and gets the shakes (DT’s), a three to seven day in-patient stay is required.
2). Multiple substance users, such as pain pills, xanax and soma, or alcohol, cocaine and marijuana would be good examples. When it is unknown as to which substance will cause the most severe withdrawal symptoms is in question, a short stay to get through the danger period is recommended.
3). Methadone use above 30/40 mg per day requires rapid detox of three to five days before induction to Suboxone for those wishing to get off methadone.
4). Obvious heart, lung, liver, pancreas or kidney disease. A prior history of stroke or seizure is also indicative of a five to seven day in-patient detoxification.
5). Very large abuse of any of the full agonists pain medications such as percocet, oxycodone, hydrocodone, oxycontin, morphine or heroin totaling above 500 mg per day, especially if compounded by any of the four previous indications for in-patient stay and require in-patient supervision of the detoxification process.