Both legal and illegal opioids can have several negative effects on both the brain and body, including a high likelihood of addiction. One way to effectively treat these side effects, as well as opioid addiction, is through IV drip therapy. While this therapy is not considered the most common for addiction treatment, IV drip therapy offers those who use it multiple benefits.   

Understanding Opioids

What are Opioids?

Opioids are any kind of drug that has opium as its main ingredient. This ingredient can be found naturally in certain varieties of poppy plants or made synthetically in a laboratory. Some of the most common legal and illegal opioids are heroin, codeine, morphine, and fentanyl. However, there are many others. 

Effects of Opioids

When ingested, opioids have three main effects on a person’s body and mind. The most notable effect is pain relief. The opium in prescription opioids, as well as heroin, interferes with pain signals sent between the brain and body, ultimately relieving body aches and pains. From this, an opioid user typically feels a sense of pleasure or euphoria. 

The last of the three main effects is a calming sensation. Opioids are a type of drug called a depressant. Depressants slow functions in the brain and body down, producing relaxing and even numbing effects.   

Side Effects of Opioid Addiction 

While some effects of opioid use can be desirable, many opioids come with serious side effects, especially if a person develops an opioid addiction. An addiction of any kind will change the structure of the brain, primarily in how the brain’s reward system. An opioid addiction damages this system, essentially rewiring a person for addictive behavior, making them seek quick and intense pleasure. Other side effects of opioid addiction can include insomnia, high risk for infections, liver disease, kidney disease, and hypoxia (a potentially deadly condition where not enough oxygen reaches the brain).    

What is IV Drip Therapy? 

IV drip therapy is not a comprehensive solution to opioid addiction. It cannot cure the addiction or treat it alone. However, IV drip therapy can assist those with opioid addiction during treatment to make them more comfortable, healthier, and often happier. 

This form of physical therapy consists of attaching an IV to a person, typically through a vein in their arm, in order to intravenously provide vitamins, minerals, and medicines. This process is often done during and after detox at a rehabilitation facility. 

During detox, a person with an opioid addiction rids their body of any presence of opioids. For many, this process can be uncomfortable and sometimes even painful — since the body has developed a dependence on opioids. In these cases, IV drip therapy can provide patients with other drugs and medicines to combat withdrawal symptoms, making the entire process more comfortable and less painful. 

After a detox, IV drip therapy can be continued in a rehabilitation facility. Oftentimes, this is done in order to restore healthy levels of hydration and vitamin levels to the body. Typically, when the body is addicted to substances like opioids, it is not sufficiently receiving the vitamins and minerals it requires.   

Benefits of IV Drip Therapy for Opioid Addiction 

While it cannot cure opioid addiction, IV drip therapy offers users several significant benefits that can make the recovery process more manageable and set them up for greater success going forward. 

1. Better Detox

Detoxing is not only difficult; it can also be dangerous. When used during a detox, IV drip therapy can make the detoxing process more comfortable, less painful, and far safer. By using an IV drip, medical professionals at rehabilitation facilities can provide better pain and comfort management while also ensuring an individual’s body stays hydrated and as healthy as possible throughout the whole process.   

2. Healthier Body 

Whether during detox or after, IV drip therapy can ensure an individual’s body is properly hydrated and receiving the vitamins and nutrients it needs. In doing so, a person receiving IV drip therapy for opioid addiction is often healthier than ever. 

3. Better Mental Health and Energy 

Through properly adjusting the body’s chemistry with necessary vitamins and minerals, patients receiving IV drip therapy often experience increased energy levels along with improved mental health. Both of these are important factors for recovery. With increased energy and improved mental health, individuals with opioid addiction are more likely to be successful in their recovery.    

Looking for IV Drip Therapy for Opioid Addiction? 

If you or a loved one is living with opioid addiction, professional help is available near you! At Knoxville Recovery Center, our team of highly trained addiction specialists provide several addiction treatments and therapies, including IV drip therapy. We can help you enter and stay in recovery. Contact us today for more information!