Opioid Addiction Can Be Prevented With Better Prescribing Practices, Drug Rehab Centers in Kansas
Visits to Kansas City emergency rooms that were linked with prescription opioid abuse leaped from nine in 2004 to 64 in 2013, says the Kansas City Health Department. Since the early 1990s the amount of opioid prescriptions filled at U.S. drugstores has tripled, totaling enough to put pills in the hands of every adult in the country.
Many believe that the state’s current opioid epidemic can be prevented with better prescribing practices by doctors, and with help from drug rehab centers in Kansas that specialize in treating opioid addiction.
Are you addicted to prescription opioids and need to overcome dependence? Call our 24/7 confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to speak with an addiction specialist who can guide you toward Kansas rehab centers that will help you achieve sobriety.
Improving Doctor Prescribing Practices
The over-prescribing of painkillers plays a large role in the opioid epidemic in Kansas.
Most cases of opioid addiction in Kansas and the U.S. begin with a doctor’s prescription for painkillers. Opioid painkillers such as fentanyl, oxycodone, and hydrocodone belong to the same drug class as morphine and heroin, and can eventually trigger physical dependence and addiction. Those who take high doses or take the drug not as prescribed can run the risk of experiencing an overdose, coma, or death.
David Terry, psychiatrist at University of Kansas Hospital, says many doctors prescribe opioids too quickly without taking into consideration how susceptible some patients may be to addiction.
Terry, who has experience treating patients who suffer from opioid addiction, says doctors should first try to offer safer alternative treatments before resorting to opioid painkillers. For instance, doctors can suggest physical therapy, or non-opioid pain medications that pose little to no addiction risk.
Terry also says doctors must re-evaluate their prescribing practices to benefit local communities and help improve the nation’s opioid epidemic. According to the KU Hospital psychiatrist, patients need to be told upfront that opioid painkillers can lead to addiction, and should know more about other treatment options before accepting an opioid prescription.
Treating Prescription Opioid Addiction at Drug Rehab
Those who develop an addiction and physical dependence on prescription opioids can successfully achieve sobriety with help from drug rehab centers that specialize in opioid addiction.
Due to the addictive nature of drugs in the opioid drug class, users who quit abruptly can experience severe withdrawal symptoms and cravings that cause pain and discomfort. But drug rehab centers that treat opioid addiction can help addicts safely and comfortably overcome dependence with the use of special medications.
Common opioid withdrawal symptoms include:
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Tearing of the eyes
- Muscle aches
- Yawning
- Insomnia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sweating
- Runny nose
- Abdominal cramping
- Diarrhea
- Goosebumps
- Rapid heart rate
- High blood pressure
Medications frequently used to treat opioid addiction are methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. These treatments minimize cravings and opioid withdrawal symptoms, and are proven highly effective at helping recovering opioid addicts stay clean following rehab.
To reduce the state’s prescription opioid overdose rate, drug rehab centers in Kansas offer education programs that teach patients about addiction, and about how to avoid relapse following treatment. Most inpatient and outpatient programs offer ongoing addiction education as part of treatment, and are dedicated to helping patients maintain long-lasting sobriety. After re-entering society, former opioid addicts are armed with the knowledge they need to avoid relapse, and are able to improve public safety by staying clean.
If you are addicted to prescription opioids and live in Kansas, understand that you’re not alone, and that there are several local rehab centers that can help you overcome dependence. Call our confidential helpline at 888-414-2380 to learn more about drug rehab centers in Kansas that will help you achieve your goal of becoming addiction-free.