Heroin Rehab in Austin, TX: Detox First, Then Treatment That Lasts

If you are looking for heroin rehab in Austin, for yourself or for someone you love, the first step is usually medical detox. Treatment for the addiction itself comes after, and for heroin it usually includes medication. This page explains how those steps fit together, what Briarwood’s Austin detox center does, what it costs, and how to start today. The heroin detox program page explains the medical side in more detail.

Heroin withdrawal is very uncomfortable but rarely life threatening. The real danger is the overdose risk afterward, because tolerance drops quickly once someone stops.

The National Library of Medicine describes withdrawal in two waves. Early symptoms include anxiety, muscle aches, a runny nose, sweating, yawning and trouble sleeping. Later come stomach cramps, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and goosebumps. Vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration, which detox staff watch for.

It also warns that most opioid overdose deaths happen in people who have just detoxed. That is why detox on its own is not enough, and why keeping naloxone at home makes sense. It reverses an overdose and is sold without a prescription.

Source: Opiate and opioid withdrawal and Opioid Overdose, MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.

Medication combined with counseling. The National Institute on Drug Abuse says detox is a useful first step only when evidence-based treatment follows it.

The institute names three kinds of medicine for opioid use disorder. Methadone is given daily through licensed clinics. Buprenorphine eases cravings without the high. Naltrexone blocks the effects of opioids. It reports that medication keeps people in treatment longer and reduces drug use, and that for many people, combining medication with behavioral therapy works best.

Which medicine is right is a decision for the person and their doctor. Detox is often where that conversation starts.

Source: What are the treatments for heroin use disorder?, Heroin Research Report, National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Inpatient detox at Briarwood costs $900 a day in Austin and Houston, or $4,500 to $6,300 for a typical five to seven day stay without insurance. Medicines and labs are billed separately.

With insurance, most people pay between $0 and $5,000 out of pocket, depending on how much of the deductible is already met. Briarwood accepts commercial insurance, TRICARE and VA benefits. It does not accept Medicare or Medicaid.

The cost and insurance page has the full price list, and a free benefit check shows your coverage in about two minutes.