Treatment with a chip for addiction is one of the effective treatments applied to addicted patients. It is placed under the skin.
Today, the implant (chip) placed under the skin is effective in alcohol and substance addiction, which is accepted as a chronic disease.
The goal of the treatment is for the patient to stay away from the substance or alcohol and remain clean for a lifetime.
The goal in detoxification treatment is to reduce craving
When an addict is admitted to treatment, the first week is designated as detoxification treatment. That is, while eliminating the substance from the body, withdrawal symptoms are minimized so that the body is cleansed of the substance without the patient suffering too much, and then, if there is an additional psychiatric illness, its treatment is provided.
In the next step, the process moves on to the use of medications that can keep the person away from the substance in place of the substance that biologically affects the receptors, and can reduce craving and urge.
Treatment-medication compliance will be facilitated
Until now, medications have always been used in tablet, dragee, capsule form, that is, as a single daily dose taken orally. However, studies show that, as in chronic diseases, treatment and medication compliance is extremely low, especially in addiction patients. For this reason, long-acting medications have begun to be developed for all diseases.
The goal in chip treatment is to reduce craving
One of these medications is the application placed under the skin, mostly known as a "chip" by our patients, which is slow-release and known to be effective for about 2 months.
It must stay in the body for at least one year
Chip treatment is not applied to every patient. It is applied to patients who have the motivation for treatment and with whom follow-ups can be carried out together with the hospital team. It is particularly applied to patients with heroin and alcohol addiction. Very good results have been obtained from the applications made so far. Depending on the patient's condition, the implant needs to be replaced every 2-2.5 months. We foresee that the implant application should continue for at least one year in a patient.
It prevents the substance from taking effect
The most important feature of the implant (chip) is to prevent the substance from showing its effect in the person to whom it is applied.
The person staying away from the substance becomes a new source of motivation for him. We wait 5 days to a week to start the treatment because if there is heroin or alcohol in the blood, especially heroin, we cannot perform the application. If the implant is applied while there is heroin in the blood, it rapidly flushes out the heroin at that receptor and attaches itself there. Thus, the patient very quickly enters heroin withdrawal and a heroin crisis. In other words, a very distressing situation is experienced for that patient.
With an inpatient stay of about 7-10 days in the hospital, the blood is first cleansed, and then the implant is applied. This process takes between 5-7 days. After applying the implant, his condition is observed for a few days and the patient is discharged on the 15th day.
Different implants are applied for different substance addictions
Different implant applications are made for different substance addictions. "Disulfiram" implants are applied to alcohol-dependent patients. As for heroin-dependent ones, "naltrexone" implants are applied. A medication that needs to be taken every day blocks an enzyme that allows alcohol to be broken down when you use that medication. That is, if the person uses alcohol while taking the medication, because the alcohol cannot be broken down and eliminated in the body, it can very quickly create alcohol poisoning. Detailed information is given to the patient prior to the application. This application is a deterrent form of treatment that ensures the patient stays away from drinking alcohol in a way.
It is inserted into the lower abdominal region
After the psychiatrist determines during the follow-up process in the hospital that the patient's condition is suitable for implant insertion, the implant is placed by a general surgeon with a small surgical procedure, making a subcutaneous incision of about one centimeter, mostly towards the lower abdominal region. After the implant is placed, he is kept under observation for about 24 hours against the risk of infection.
For detailed information about NPAMATEM Addiction Treatments, click here.
