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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Treatment Do The Detox Facilities Give To A Alcoholic Addict?

Hello. My questions are about my concerns about a friend of mine. (A former boyfriend.) He was sent home from a Detox facility today. He has never taken anything stronger than an acetaminophen or an Advil. He was also in a mental health facility last week. He s a chronic alcholic. He was depressed one night, and suicidal. His family had him baker acted and sent to the mental heath facility. We had been discussing in having him treated for his alcoholism. I was very happy when he decided to this. I had been trying to have him do this for quite some time. He told me that th detox center did not give him medication right away. The began giving him 10-20 miligrams of medication around 11pm. He was admitted at 7pm that evening. They would wake him constantly to administer different medications, and one medication they had him drink. He told me that they gave him Xanax, Depakote, and Vicodin, those are what he can remember. I spoke to him today, he said that he has to hold onto the wall to walk steady right now. He said he feels like a zombie, and he s nauseus. I am very worried. I have researched these medications, just now. I have read on Drugs.com. That these medications ae not to be taken if someone has an alcoholic addiction. Should the Detox Center gave this man psychotic medicines? He was depressed. He has never had a seizure. He was just drunk and needed to be counselled, and maybe something to detox him. I am no doctor. But I have taken one of the medicines that they gave him. They gave him Vicodin, Xanax, and Depakote, ones that he recollected and told me today. And I know how the Depakote affected me with my Bipolar disorder. I am very worried, there is something wrong with Brian s liver. He has been drinking 12 beers a night for 12 years, since I have known him.
Mon, 8 Sep 2014
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Addiction Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Different places differ on their detox protocols that they follow.
BUT in general, they give a few days of a valium like drug, vitamins, and make sure someone takes in enough food and water. Depakote is even safer than the valium like drugs and would be given for about 2 days just to prevent seizures. In general xanax is stronger than the ones they more commonly use (librium, valium, ativan all at or near the lowest doses). Never seen vicodin given in this context...it certainly would not be a routinely given drug.
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Addiction Medicine Specialist Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman's  Response
Without an actual examination, I cannot give specific medical advice on your particular health,but here is some good general information.

Alcohol is stronger than advil.

Drinking on a constant basis will harm the liver.

Alcohol withdrawal can be fatal due to rebound stimulation of a chronically sedated brain. Giving drugs that damp down the brain are life-saving in this circumstance and may include benzodiazepines such as xanax (which has rather less liver metabolism and a bit safer if someone does not have a liver to remove drugs) and anti-epileptics.

Alcoholism has a complex association with depression and suicide; one might reasonably be worried.
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What Treatment Do The Detox Facilities Give To A Alcoholic Addict?

Different places differ on their detox protocols that they follow. BUT in general, they give a few days of a valium like drug, vitamins, and make sure someone takes in enough food and water. Depakote is even safer than the valium like drugs and would be given for about 2 days just to prevent seizures. In general xanax is stronger than the ones they more commonly use (librium, valium, ativan all at or near the lowest doses). Never seen vicodin given in this context...it certainly would not be a routinely given drug.