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If the option is available, using certain prescription drugs in a controlled and careful environment can be a more effective method of kicking heroin for good. You can monitor your intake more carefully, curbing the withdrawal symptoms and keeping yourself feeling relatively normal while you quit heroin. While you run the risk of further addictions to other drugs, learning more about "warm turkey" methods can help ensure that you don't fall into their possible traps. The problem with warm turkeying, as opposed to quitting cold turkey, is that it costs money you might not have, and requires health insurance you might not be able to get. Call the Substance Abuse hotline 1-800-662-HELP (4357) to find out more about free or reduced clinics in your area you can learn more about and speak with to explore your options. To avoid becoming addicted to other prescription drugs, don't rely on the same old chain of dealers that resulted in you having to quit heroin in the first place. Don't try it on your own. Do it the smart way, by getting the professional medical help that's available to you and taking drugs as recommended. . Methadone is an opioid agonist that's administered in a regulated manner at clinics, many of which are free or quite cheap, to help heroin users who hope to quit manage the symptoms of withdrawal and taper down in a supervised manner. It'll still be up to you to negotiate your quitting, but getting drug tested and checked out by physicians while you do it can help curb the psychological trauma of heroin withdrawal for some users. You're doing the right thing. Try to start with as low a dose as possible. Some clinics start with doses in excess of 70mg, making it "too easy" on some users who hope to quit more quickly and effectively. Communicate with the staff and let them know your intention of quitting, not dragging out the process. If you're healthy enough for a lower dose, try to force yourself to start smaller. It's unfortunately common for heroin users to become dependent on methadone, or even become double-dippers, who take methadone in the morning and begin using heroin later in the day when the effect wears off. Methadone isn't right for everyone, but it's usually the cheapest option, especially if you can apply and qualify for insurance aid in your state. . Suboxone or Subutex is sometimes less of a hassle than getting on methadone, and will greatly help with cravings. For some, it's also much easier to taper off than methadone. The amount of time you will take Suboxone/Subutex is much shorter than Methadone as well-- maintenance generally lasts for 3 to 6 months, depending on the person and doctor. It's important to be totally honest with any clinicians or doctors you consult about your addiction if you want prescription drugs to help quit heroin. Coming up with elaborate fantasy tales to tell as a way of getting a couple of Xanax could start a chain reaction in which you're rejected, get angry, and end up using again to manage the dope sickness. Come clean. If your goal is to quit heroin altogether, tell the doctor your intentions. They can help. You may need to agree to take periodic drug tests, HIV screens, and undergo other procedures to be admitted to state-run clinics. Getting on prescription drugs can be a much more involved process than getting a couple of pills, so prepare to be run through the gauntlet. If you don't want to go on methadone, or cheap options aren't available in your area, talk to your doctor about a prescription for other drugs that can help make the withdrawal process somewhat softer. As long as you take them in a smart and controlled manner, this can be an effective way of quitting. Never abuse prescription drugs while quitting heroin. Clonidine is a non-narcotic BP med, given by most addiction doctors, quite effective at managing your withdrawal symptoms, especially anxiety associated with the process. Valium and Xanax are benzodiazepines effective in treating addiction, battling insomnia, and treating your anxiety. Phenobarbital and Ativan are relatively-weak narcotics that are sometimes prescribed to help take the edge off. Tramadol is a painkiller sometimes prescribed specifically to combat leg pain or restless-leg syndrome and has proven quite effective in soften the restlessness associated with withdrawal. The biggest problem with warm turkey methods of quitting heroin is that, ultimately, you're still on dope. It may have a different name, but if you're still daily using drugs to function, you're not quit yet. Whatever you're taking, you must also commit to going through the difficult work of quitting altogether and getting sober. Depending on your method of warming the turkey, your secondary withdrawal might be brief and mild, or it might be a close cousin to heroin. It may take several weeks before you start feeling normal again. Go through the same process of selecting a quitting date and committing to it. The warmest turkey would be a private rehab clinic you can go to while you experience withdrawal under full surveillance, receiving medical care, psychological care, and time away from your life as an addict. Unfortunately, a full rehab package for several weeks can cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $10,000. These packages are often the end result of family interventions and can actually serve to make addicts feel extremely guilty because of the associated cost. If you cold turkey alone and end up reusing, you might feel disappointed in yourself, but if you withdraw at a place that's costing your parents thousands of dollars a night, you might feel much more terrible and guilty. Don't let it get to the point where such a situation becomes necessary.
Consider using prescription medication to ease the effects of withdrawal. Explore free or low cost options in your area. Find a state subsidized methadone clinic in your area Talk to your doctor about the Suboxone or Subutex approach Prepare for the doctor's questions. Ask about other prescription drugs to curb the withdrawal symptoms. Commit to secondary withdrawal. Consider attending a rehabilitative detox facility, if you can afford it.