Medical Detox Centers — Find Inpatient Drug & Alcohol Detox Near You

Which Substances Require Medical Detox?

What Medical Detox Actually Looks Like

Admission includes a full medical history, physical exam, labs (CBC, CMP, liver function, toxicology), psychiatric evaluation, and development of a detox plan specific to the substance. Depending on the substance, clinical staff monitor via specific protocols:

• CIWA-Ar for alcohol — symptom scoring drives benzodiazepine dosing
• COWS for opioids — withdrawal scoring drives buprenorphine induction timing
• CIWA-B for benzodiazepines — tracks symptom severity during taper
• Continuous vitals monitoring during acute phase
• Psychiatric monitoring for suicidal ideation, psychosis, severe anxiety

The Medications Used in Detox

For alcohol: Benzodiazepines (lorazepam, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam), thiamine supplementation, adjunct medications for symptoms.

For opioids: Buprenorphine (Suboxone) or methadone for MAT induction, clonidine for autonomic symptoms, antiemetics for vomiting, hydroxyzine or trazodone for sleep.

For benzodiazepines: Long-acting benzodiazepine (typically diazepam) for gradual taper, sometimes phenobarbital for complex cases, gabapentin as adjunct.

Why Detox Alone Doesn't Work

Detox addresses the physical withdrawal phase. It does not address the underlying substance use disorder. Outcomes research consistently shows that detox without follow-up treatment produces very high relapse rates — often higher than pre-treatment baseline because tolerance has dropped, increasing overdose risk on relapse. This is why medical detox is almost always the first phase of a longer inpatient stay, not a standalone intervention.

Standalone detox ("28-day rehab" marketing is often actually 5-7 days detox plus 21-23 days residential) is rarely recommended. If you have been offered detox without a transition to residential care, call (888) 368-3288 — we can help identify programs with continuous care from detox through residential.