opiate detox - surgery on receptor sites?

[3grlz'mom]

Sydney Smith - I think this is what you were referring to - could you please explain what this is?  i have heard of rapid detox - they have it at a facility in Chicago called MRODS.  I had no idea it was a surgical procedure.  Could you explain it to me?  Thanks!

[FLaddict]

I have old friends that have done this.. and having worked in a drug and alcohole rehab for years I came across people who have done this.. the ones who didn't die... I knew personally 3 people who died getting this done.. I consider it to be crazy.. especially since not only is it very very risky.. not very many people stay clean.. very low number of people.. Most people can't handle feeling that sick for so long.. especially after they forked out all that cash NOT to get sick.. everyone I have ever spoken to that has had this done felt like the had been hit by a truck for weeks even months. It just continues to prove there is no easier softer way.. And if you really want to help your receptors save the thousands upon thousands of dollars.. go to GNC and get on a supplement program.. More people got a stayed clean using a amino acid program than they have with this insane method.

[Savas]

Damn...well, there you go. If you were on methadone more than 3-6 months, I guess that treatment can work... at least for some...although if they switched you for two weeks to non-methadone...that's about the time it takes the worst of the methadone to get out of your system, so I guess that makes sense.
Almost no treatments go straight from methadone to the treatment, unless you got no choice, like most of us here :)

[Sydney Smyth]

I went to get off of methadone and was on methadone because I was up to 10 80mg oxycotin a day.I was on 125mg methadone but had to get down to 100mg methadone,then 2wks before procedure I flew out there for the consult and to prepay which saved a lot money.At that time they put me on 12-16mg dilaudid a day to get off methadone they tried to have me lower the dilaudid but I was only able to lower by 4mg the second week,which was procedure week,and also had me on valum.

[fishmeal]

This is a great thread for PEOPLE LIKE FLADDICT WHO HAVE 90 DAYS PLUS, (heehee sorry for yelling but couldn't resist).  I just want peeps to remember how hard it is to get and stay off this drug.  When you have a mental relapse, play the tape all the way through:-)

[Savas]

PAWS is Post acute withdrawal syndrome. There's a set of symptoms that happen after the initial withdrawal that feel like a bad flu, + lack of sleep. Depending on what drug you were taking, for how long, they can last weeks, months, or a year or two.

Actually, what you describe can go either way. It could be mild paws, or a side effect of a harsh detox (you weren't awake for luckily!). The diarrhea is a classic paws symptom. I forget, what were you taking and for how long? I'm assuming you'd experienced withdrawal before, so know the difference between what you went through then compared to this!

[Sydney Smyth]

not sure what medication they use during the procedure besides challing it w naltrexone.although you can find out by calling there.or email website is MRODS.com greg is director so you'd wanna speak w him.They did say I did much better than a lot of people though.Afterwards they gave me atavan,naltrxone,stomach pills,800mg ibuprophen and I had to ask for the ativan.I dont remember the  procedure but vauly remember the aftermath of 2 days.Whats PAWS?I was unsteady for about a week or two and shaky after that 4 another wk but then after that felt better every day.I did have a bad case of diarea from detox and anestesia for a month and a half that sucked.There are cheaper places I find to be unsafe.Mine at MRODS was about 9thousand plus the three hundred in meds but you can find cheaper places I felt comfortable in a hospital setting.When doing research I asked how many deaths each place had and only there had none,numerous celeberties have also gone there,there's one in NY if u wanna pay 17thousand.lolIn the paperwork it says the medications but I have moved so have no idea where they are.

[Savas]

Huh. Curious.

Your experience is similar to the others in some ways... physically, I don't get what they're using that makes this happen. Once you flush the opiate receptors, it can take months for the extra receptors to die off, and just as long for your brain to start producing natural opiates in sufficient quantities (according to one theory). So what exactly are they using medication wise?

You're saying that you skipped the whole PAWS experience, which I find fascinating.

Oh, of the others I spoke to, three of four claimed they had what I call a "sense memory" of the experience. Sort of an "mental/physical unsteadiness"...I'm not saying it's true, but it's what they said. As if their body remembered the withdrawal experience, and their mind did on some subconscious level.

Do you know the specific medications the use in the "purging process?" Oh, how much did this cost ya, is the going rate still about $5,000?  :)

[road2recovery]

Even though i would not consider that procedure, i wanted to tell you i admire you for taking the risk to save your life...i do beleive the drugs destroy our receptors, i also beleive they can be healed but take alot of time....
i sure hope you are back on track, and doing well
r2r

[Sydney Smyth]

Forgot to add that after the first week or two my mind was soo clear.I am much smarter than I remembered.lol.I know within time I will be at full potential.I now want to do something w my life.I start school this year and all.But my mind was soo clear after the first 2wks after the surgery it was amazing.The best part is ppl who havent seen u sober seing u for the first time.Its like meeting a whole new person.Even my doc had no idea I had a brain.This is a great feeling,to be clear headed and know the decisions I made while messed up I now see in a whole new perspective,I see the whole world diferently.

[Sydney Smyth]

when I came out of the procedure initially I was very weak did not physically feel normal for about a week.had no trouble sleeping and was shaky.I was given meds to help through the initial 2wks which helped.When i came home i already had broken the bridges with the old drug dealers.I had a drug counselor a physician a psychiatrist and a psychologist appt.it is a long road to recovery but that's in all cases.I started using again because I am unhappy in my home situation and stopped taking the Nalrexone and called old friends.They say you relapse mentally b 4 u do pysically and I do beleave that but a drug counselor pointed out those red flags and I still did it.I am working to change my home situation though and seek all the proffesional help I can get. I feel this will help me understand why I became an addict to begin with,I know it stems back to childhood.But I am working on this and that's all I can do.I honestly had no cravings until it was directly put infront of my face.even with my prescribed meds i put it in my head that putting anything foreign in my body will make me as sick as i was and that worked til it was right in front of me then i did it.remember I was on methadone and had to be there by ten so at first mornings were hell,id listen to my ipod and sit outside til the morning passed,but in about 2 to 3 wks that got better,and like i said i made myself mentally beleve if i put any meds in me id be sick.i would actually have to hold them down,if u know what I mean,lol.unfortunately as well as i was doing when it was in my face i did it not thinking of the reprecussions.but i know now i am strong enuf after getting through this procedure i will no matter what get back on track.its a lot mental and that is how i mentally feel.maybe your rates are correct but I went by the rates at mrods in chicago where i went.

[Savas]

Let me ask you;
when you came out of this procedure, did you feel totally normal PHYSICALLY? Did you feel any weakness, shakiness, trouble sleeping, etc...? I've only talked to two or three people who tried this and I'm curious if what you say jibes with what they say.

Did you start using again because of mental/behavioral cravings only? Try to really think and differentiate. There are certain aspects to opioid receptor healing that take time, and you should be suffering physically until the healing process finishes. Yet this and a few other treatments SEEM to claim to "skip" that whole process.

I have seen the statistics on success rates and deaths related to this. The afterwards statistic for staying sober is fairly low.

The death rate is about 13% (top of my head), but that's not much higher than regular anaesthesia death statistics...which are like 7% (okay, that's double...so it is higher) but still...

[Sydney Smyth]

the receptor sites have already been altered by the drugs so they have been changed,this procedure allows your body to heal and brings it back to normal.

[Sydney Smyth]

Sorry bud you have not done your homework.Yes they are God given but drugs destroy the ability for them to function correctly,the more drugs you put on them themore drugs you need to feel "normal".This is because you have blocked your sites and the seratonin is not being produced at levels high enuf to make you feel good without drugs,that is why we continue to do drugs(for most of us)So in order to feel good we basically get false seratonin from drugs.Research seratonin and receptor sites and how opiates or any drugs affect them then come back and let me know how u feel.This procedure rids the receptor sites of opiates so that within a short ammount of time your body begins to function normally and you can enjoy things without the quick fix of a pill.Not being rude but before giving advice plkease research a lot!!!I have been through this procedure so I feel I or anyone else who has gone through it can really give an honest understanding.Sorry!

[Sydney Smyth]

Yes this is a highly controversal procedure that is refered to as surgery because they put you under four levels of anastesia and induce a drug into your system which goes to the brain,specifically opiate receptor sites.Research shows(I did a lot of research for a long time b 4 electing to have this procedure)that there is an 87percent success rate when taken in conjunction with Naltrexone for 2 to six months afterward,my problem was that I quit taking the Naltrexone.Naltrxone blocks opiates.You can still do them but will have absolutely no feeling from them.You have to eat a full meal and drink a full gkass of water b 4 taking Naltrexone or it upsets your stomach.It is controversual bcuz it has only been out for 10yrs.So basically there is much more reasearch to be done on it.I actually did have it done at MRODS because it is in a hospital not a clinical facility as much cheaper places are.There has never been a death at MRODS as there have been at the clinical settings.It is not an easy thing so please don't down play it or down play it because I have used since.I take full responsibility for my use because I opted for the pill form of Naltrxone and stopped taking it,that is my fault.Had I been taking it I would have NEVER used;it would be pointless.Some on Naltrxone over use thinking they just need to do more to feel something and actually overdose.MRODS is an excellent facility that explains it in full detail and is very accomodating before the procedure called AAROD anestisia assisted rapid detox.While under for about six hrs you go through most of the withdrawl symptoms,now don,t get me wrong you still get chills and few minor w/d symptoms afterwards but the opiates that build up on your receptor sites over the years(which makes you crave opiates)are removed.So it goes like this they induce the drug(sorry can't remember the name)into your system once you are fully under then after each cycle of the drug they challenge it with Naltrexone,they repeat this process over until by the reaction of your body shows you are clear of the opioids,they can tell this by your body reactions.If you have questions I suggest going on MRODS.com and calling the number listed,the director,Greg will awnser any and all questions.They are also very supportive in the aftermath.I live several states away and have called him often about my side effects which are mostly from the anestisia they use.This procedure savesa lot of lives like mine although Ive had a short relapse,I would have overdosed eventually from the 125mg of methadone,the seven xanax bars a day and the alcohol on top of that.I did not feel I would be successful tapering off methadone and am pretty uneducated as to suboxone,but did try bupremorphin(wrong spelling) which was what they used b 4 suboxone and understand they are very much alike and when I tried that was only clean for 2wks.I beleve strongly that after enuf research insurance will pay for this procedure.They do pay for Naltrexone which can be in pill form or an implant(which I should have opted for)Mrods is the best beleve me I researched this for months before making the decision and deciding where to go.I like that they are in a hospital too.A lot of primarycare docs dont beleve in this as I found with my own because they are uneducated on it.Also,my doctor turned a beleaver after seeing me several times after the procedure he said I was a completely different person and is now recomending it to others.Doc's have clicks like high school kids and would rather send u to get on suboxone,but most are very against methodone,so you explain this to me?????Send for the info on MRODS and then call with questions ask the success rate.Then ask other places who offerthe same procedure,do a lot of research too,you'll find as someone who went through it that what I say is valid.You have to walk the walk to talk the talk and I've walked it!My mistake was not taking the Naltrexone after a month,which they reccomend u take 2 to 6 months after procedure.Good luck I hope all that question this do a lot of research on it before forming an opinion or judgement.thanks,sydney

[slideshow]

The opiate receptors are a gift to us from our manufacturer, God.........DO NOT alter these receptors, EVER.  There is NO reason to to this, regardless of any level of addiction..........

[slideshow]

DO NOT have surgery done to disable or change the opiate receptor sites........DO NOT DO THIS.......

[anotherfinemess]

receptor sites cannot even be seen with a regular microscope-  they are THAT small.
Its referred to as surgical because its done in the operating room

[angel47630]

I am not meaning to hijack your question, but my pm dr told me it was highly controversial and highly unsuccessful.....................please, really check it out if you are really considering it.

best wishes,
Karen