These drugs do not get rid of the physical pain in the sense Novocaine or similar drugs do. Rather they work by "getting you high" or to reduce the emotional distress of pain. It is easy for those inclined to take to this feeling of euphoria and want to continue in the state.;
, After a period of regular use (varies but 30 days might be a good starting point) it becomes noticeable that more is needed to produce the same effect and eventually the effect is gone. By that time physical addiction has most likely taken hold. The human body gets used to regular usage of a drug and when the drug is withheld for a time; physical addiction symptoms start to become noticeable. This is the the "dope sick" stage.
 The physical addiction of opiate drugs is very unpleasant and takes a long time (week at least) to recover from. Few willingly undergo the experience of cold-turkey detox. However, given that an addict has regular access to his drugs, he can be highly functional in the workplace or home. This is the philosophy behind maintenance or giving the drug by prescription to maintain that state of no withdrawal symptoms. Methadone and Buprenorphine in pill form are most widely used for maintenance and the Buprenorphine has been a fairly recent addition.
 Recent developments in Buprenorphine make this option a far less unpleasant experience than ever before. This if used properly can produce a tolerable detox within a week. This works best in a trained detox facility where the Buprenex is given sublingually several times a day in ever decreasing doses and supplemented by some sleeping and anti-anxiety medication. Various OTC meds are given for stomach and other symptoms. The reason for making this choice can be put in light of the following situation: given you have a high tolerance to such drugs, a legitimate medical situation calling for their prescribing will likely be less than effective since you have a tolerance. When detoxified for a period of several months, this tolerance goes away and standard dental prescriptions will again have an effect on you. Doctors and Hospitals tend not to increase the dose just because one is an addict. Therefore the real choice seems to be whether you want those pain meds to work when there is real need or not.
 Maintenance in the form of Methadone or Buprenorphine can be obtained at various health clinics public and private. Detox by Buprenex should only be performed in an inpatient setting as vital signs are monitored constantly.
 What happens after the 5 day Buprenex detox? Well, you probably will have trouble sleeping for the next 4 weeks, and you won't have a great deal of energy. Forcing oneself to exercise along with joining a 12 step support program are very helpful in this period.
 You went through all that and hopefully it was enough motive to stay clean. Furthermore A 12 step support program is the only proven method to help former addicts stay clean. This does not imply a "walk in the park" It requires a lot of hard work and self examination. Yet, the end result if done correctly could be the best life you have ever had.

Understand the real facts behind the drug, and your addiction.
Understand how Physical addiction and tolerance are involved.
Think about your choices.
Consider the option of complete detoxification from the addiction altogether.
Compare the choices of maintenance or complete detox.
Understand what the aftermath may hold before deciding.
Consider Staying Clean.
Reread the previous steps and think about it, gather more information, and when you are ready, contact a medical professional.
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