Methamphetamine or “meth” is a highly addictive stimulant drug. In fact, many users get addicted after the first time they try meth. Therefore, addiction treatment is needed to deal with meth addiction in Los Angeles, California and other parts of the country. Meth detox and rehab in Los Angeles, CA can be the first step in recovery from addiction.

At LA Detox, we offer the support and care that those struggling need to overcome their meth addiction. In addition to detox, we also provide inpatient and outpatient rehab for continuing treatment.

What is Meth Detox?

Meth detox is the process of ridding meth and other toxins from a person’s system. Detox is also when the mind starts to heal from the effects of addiction. During detox, a person might have withdrawal symptoms, which, consequently, can be uncomfortable and distressing.

Meth detox is the first part of long-term recovery. This step is necessary because a person cannot engage in long-term rehab if meth is still affecting them. While detox can be intense, this is the shortest part of any treatment program. After that, a person can address the underlying causes of their addiction to prevent relapses in the future.

What to Expect During Meth Detox in Los Angeles, CA

During meth detox, a person can expect to have some type of withdrawal symptoms. While these symptoms are usually not life-threatening, they can be extremely uncomfortable. Methamphetamine detox in Los Angeles helps to monitor and ease these symptoms.

Overall, meth detox is similar to the “crash” that meth users feel after their high. Often, people become addicted to meth because they want to avoid the unpleasant feelings of the crash. Thus, they continue to use meth or other drugs to prevent the crash from occurring.

In meth detox, a person will first be evaluated for their treatment needs. They might be asked questions about their overall mental and physical health as well as the severity of their addiction. Next, a person will go through addiction treatment for meth at an inpatient facility to keep them safe and monitor symptoms. Finally, they will continue with ongoing care after detox.

People gathered at a methamphetamine detox in Los Angeles

Methamphetamine Detox and Withdrawal Timeline

Meth detox and withdrawal can take varying amounts of time depending on a person’s health and level of addiction. For instance, someone with a severe addiction might take longer to detox than a person with a mild issue. In addition, their overall mental and physical health can impact the detox process.

During detox, a person can expect to have withdrawal symptoms, which may include the following:

  • Anxiety
  • Cravings
  • Red, itchy eyes
  • Decreased sexual pleasure
  • Depression
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Increased appetite
  • Lack of energy
  • Lack of motivation
  • Shakes and tremors
  • Paranoia

Methamphetamine detox in Los Angeles will follow this general timeline with some differences from each person to the next:

The Onset of Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms appear within 24 hours of quitting meth. These symptoms might be mild and are similar to the initial “crash” after meth use. However, these symptoms will worsen throughout detox until they peak in intensity.

Days 3 to 10 of Detox

Within 3 to 10 days, a person should reach a peak of intensity with their symptoms. Symptoms during the peak can include things like depression, anxiety, fatigue, and muscle aches. In addition, the person could have intense cravings so staying in a facility is vital to keep a person safe from relapse. Since meth keeps users awake and alert, some people also sleep for a day or longer during detox.

2 to 3 Weeks Later

Intense physical symptoms generally go away within about 2 to 3 weeks. However, a person could continue feeling depressed or have other mental health symptoms. Many people use meth to self-medicate for mental health issues, so when meth is no longer in their system, these symptoms return. Long-term meth use also can cause mental health disorders, and these issues can appear after detox.

1 Month After Detox

Most people will detox from meth after about 2 weeks. However, symptoms can linger for some time after detox. For instance, some people have post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). When a person has PAWS, they could have cravings and withdrawal symptoms for months or even years after detox.

After methamphetamine detox in Los Angeles CA

Medications Used for Meth Detox

While the FDA hasn’t approved any medications specifically to treat meth, some medications can reduce cravings and the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Most of these medications help keep a person comfortable and stabilize mental health symptoms. 

Medications for meth detox and addiction treatment in Los Angeles, CA can include some of the following:

  • Fluoxetine helps to reduce anxiety, which is a common symptom during detox from any stimulant drug.
  • Bupropion is an anti-depressant that can reduce cravings for meth.
  • Modafinil is a mild stimulant drug that treats narcolepsy and ADHD. During meth detox, this medication can reduce cravings and stabilize sleep issues during withdrawal.

In addition, any other psychiatric medications that help a person with co-occurring mental health issues might be used during meth detox. However, after detox, it is best to continue with addiction treatment with some type of continuing care.

What Happens After Meth Detox in Los Angeles

After meth detox in Los Angeles, a person can move on to other forms of rehab and addiction treatment. At LA Detox, we offer a range of aftercare services. Therefore, patients can start planning their next steps with our team during meth detox.

After meth detox, patients can choose from many levels of care depending on their needs, such as:

In addition, our programs offer dual diagnosis treatment for common co-occurring mental health disorders, like anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. We also offer an aftercare program to continue recovery following the high levels of care of residential treatment, PHP, and IOP. Most importantly, detox is only the first step in recovery. Therefore, patients should expect to continue in some type of rehab following detox for the best outcomes in recovery.

Begin Meth Detox and Addiction Treatment in Los Angeles, CA

At LA Detox, our methamphetamine detox can help you through the first stage of recovery from meth addiction. After detox, you can continue to receive treatment for meth addiction with our professionals in either inpatient or outpatient rehab here in Los Angeles, CA. Contact us today to start your recovery.