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Suggest Medication To Deal With Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

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Posted on Tue, 16 Aug 2016
Question: My wife, female 34 yoa, 5'8 110 lbs visited an addiction treatment doctor last Wednesday. heart rate, blood pressure normal at visit. prescribed subutex and currently in withdraw from herion addiction and maybe recent use of Oxycontin. Recent drug use according to Dr. urinalysis indicates opiates, amphetamine, use within last week. Has been sleeping for 48 hours or so. unable to walk or stand without assistance, has vomited 24 hours ago, has had no food intake for 3 days. liquid intake water and oj 24 hours ago. not completely unresponsive but will not be responsive enough to answer questions or even talk without mumbling and seems disorientated and delusional. has had uncontrollable bowel moments consisting of loose stool. seems to be in pain when i move her to clean her and bedding after bowel movement.
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Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (4 hours later)
Brief Answer:
yeah, emergency room

Detailed Answer:
cannnot say in any particular case without being there and examining the patient but can give general information. withdrawal often causes loss of fluids and this can cause dehydration that can be life threatening. if someone is unresponsive it's an emergency and they have to have emergency treatment. Often/usualy this doesn't either need admission or the admission is under 24 hrs and in a very low level of care BUT since intravenous treatment, labs, monitoring are going to be required, emergency evaluation and treatmetn will be too.

There can also be even more serious things:
overdose which is often fatal
seizures
infection/meningitis/pneumonia from throwing up and it going down the lungs

these can all be evaluate in about an hour and liekly all excluded.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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Suggest Medication To Deal With Heroin Withdrawal Symptoms

Brief Answer: yeah, emergency room Detailed Answer: cannnot say in any particular case without being there and examining the patient but can give general information. withdrawal often causes loss of fluids and this can cause dehydration that can be life threatening. if someone is unresponsive it's an emergency and they have to have emergency treatment. Often/usualy this doesn't either need admission or the admission is under 24 hrs and in a very low level of care BUT since intravenous treatment, labs, monitoring are going to be required, emergency evaluation and treatmetn will be too. There can also be even more serious things: overdose which is often fatal seizures infection/meningitis/pneumonia from throwing up and it going down the lungs these can all be evaluate in about an hour and liekly all excluded.