Vitamins for drug and alcohol withdrawal

Can vitamins help during drug withdrawal or treatment of alcoholism? Maybe. We review which vitamins are most helpful in early recovery, and a new vitamin which just entered the market here.

6
minute read

Chronic drug use can lead to bad nutrition. If you do not have enough nutrients in your body, withdrawal symptoms may worsen. Here, we’ll talk about vitamins that experts recommended to help treat withdrawal, and review a new vitamin, PuriPhyte, that might help you in your recovery.

Vitamins that may help withdrawal

Balanced nutrition helps improve mood and health and is an important part of recovery from alcohol or drug problems. If you feel good, you’re less likely to return to old behaviors. But many of us wonder what specific vitamins are needed, especially in early recovery situations such as detox, actute withdrawal, and your first 30 days clean. And can a vitamin improve the odds of a lasting and healthy recovery? Here’s a brief list of vitamins which can help your body get back into balance.

1. Multivitamins – Alcohol depletes all soluble vitamins in the body especially in the early stages of withdrawal. And when you’re addicted to drugs, you’re thinking about your next fix…not your next well-balanced meal. A course of multi-vitamins helps restore low levels of vitamins that your body badly needs. Additionally, vitamin deficiencies may be responsible for much of the lethargy, skin irritation, memory loss and depression experienced by people in early recovery. So a good multi-vitamin should get help optimize your body’s functions.

2. B vitamins – B vitamins are often depleted after years of heavy drinking or drugging. B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin) and B5 (pantothenic acid) play a role in turning sugars into energy. In fact, Korsakoff’s syndrome (“wet brain”) occurs when heavy alcohol use causes a lack of enough B1. B6 and B12 play important roles in producing blood cells and the health of the nervous system. Inositol (B8) and folic acid (B9) are also helpful in treating deficits relate to dietary habits and substance related changes in the digestive tract.

3. C vitamins – Vitamin C can help to detoxify the body and lessen drug cravings. Vitamin C can also help ease symptoms of anxiety, insomnia and irritability during withdrawal. C vitamins can also stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine, which are often naturally low after prolonged substance use.

A new vitamin on the market

I also want to point your attention to a new formula recently released specifically that targets withdrawal symptoms. People who have taken this vitamin, PuriPhyte, have reported increases in the Beck Depression Inventory score of more than 120 percent, improved hepatic function, and an increase in vitality and the ability to manage stress. Although vitamins for detox clinical trials are small, the findings are hopeful. Here are some Q & A’s I recently addressed to the vitamin company’s CEO, Rob Lunny.

ADDICTION BLOG: And what’s the average cost per month for daily dosing of PuriPhyte? Who do you anticipate offsetting this cost: the addict or the treatment facility?

PURIPHYTE: The average cost of one ounce of PuriPhyte is less than $2 per day, about the cost of a large cup of coffee and less than a pack of cigarettes. I have done my best to keep the price reasonable because I want this multivitamin mineral supplement to be accessible to the people who need it most—the individuals who are ready to fight their addiction. I don’t ever want to hear someone say “I tried to get clean and sober, but it was too painful.” PuriPhyte will lessen the “pain,” and make withdrawal manageable. Since PuriPhyte is still working its way into rehabs and clinics, we are finding there are different pay options. For a self-pay facility, the patient will be responsible for payment. However, Medicaid and Commercial Insurance facilities will pay for PuriPhyte as part of the treatment plan.

ADDICTION BLOG: What’s the recommended dosage of PuriPhyte during different phases of addiction treatment: Intoxication vs. Detox vs. Maintenance? How long should a person take PuriPhyte? Is long term supplementation part of the regimen?

PURIPHYTE: The typical dose for PuriPhyte is one ounce mixed into 4 to 6 ounces of water once a day with a meal. Typically, we would not recommend changing this dosage no matter what the individual’s case. Since PuriPhyte is a comprehensive nutrient supplement, consistency of both dosage and frequency is quite important. Our goal is to provide these nutrients to strengthen overall cellular function so that the body can both cope with symptoms of detox and repair itself. Consistency of dosing is paramount in ensuring this, and this approach also provides cumulative benefits. If there is a need for increased dosing on an individual’s case, that determination would be made by the health practitioner working with that individual. Regarding long-term supplementation, we feel that it is not only beneficial for overall health, but also instrumental in supporting balanced body chemistry, thereby helping an individual maintain health and sobriety.

ADDICTION BLOG: What are the adverse reactions to PuriPhyte?

PURIPHYTE: Since PuriPhyte is an all natural supplement, there really are no adverse reactions. We do not use mega-doses of any one ingredient, so the body readily accepts these initial beneficial nutrients. Instead PuriPhyte relies on the synergism of a number of complementary compounds that all provide necessary tools for the body to repair itself. Instead of any adverse reactions, we generally find that the nutrients coupled with our patented and proprietary delivery process help to create a sense of balance and reduce common withdrawal complaints. The only suggestion that we strongly recommend is that the PuriPhyte daily dose should be taken with a full meal so that the nutrients get into the system gradually. PuriPhyte is one of the safest and most well-rounded supplements that a person can take. This statement is based both on the responses we have had from the study, other individuals using PuriPhyte, and the fact that we comply with all FDA required testing to validate both purity and potency of our product.

ADDICTION BLOG: Have you gotten any support from the addiction medical community: the APA, the AMA, NIDA, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Pharmacology Associations, etc.?

PURIPHYTE: We are rapidly gaining interest, but our first big marketing event is the NCADD event in Washington DC on September 24th. As word continues to spread about the ground breaking benefits of PuriPhyte, we are confident that we will gain the necessary endorsements. Right now, Faith Based Recovery Centers have shown an immediate interest, and the majority of PuriPhyte sales have occurred through referrals from these organizations.

For example, a faith based referral group, The Lighthouse Network, referred a concerned mother to me just last week. Her daughter has been trying to detox from Percocet and Oxycontin. The daughter could not get funding for treatment and the mother begged me to help. Less than a week after the daughter started PuriPhyte, the mother called me back to tell me how grateful she was. She said she feels like she is getting her little girl back! The daughter said she felt so good on PuriPhyte that her withdrawal symptoms had been reduced to the point that she did not feel the need for the drugs. We will follow her progress, but this is just one example of how critical and timely PuriPhyte is. The daughter is working with a counselor now to understand the process of recovery. She had tried to get clean before but was unable to get over the initial withdrawal effects until she had PuriPhyte in her corner. I am hearing similar stories to this one more and more, the longer PuriPhyte is on the market.

ADDICTION BLOG: Finally, is there anything else we should know?

PURIPHYTE: PuriPhyte is an all natural product that helps the body repair itself. There is no other product on the market like PuriPhyte that has a clinical research backing and FDA Compliance. I have been fortunate enough to see up close the effects of PuriPhyte. During the study, on a weekly basis, I would visit the facility and speak with the patients. In addition to the Beck Depression Inventory scores and blood work results being so remarkable, I could see it in the patients’ eyes, I could hear it in their voices—PuriPhyte had given them the physical tools and the hope they needed to truly fight their addiction. They were all so grateful! That’s powerful, to witness firsthand and something I will always remember. It reminds me why it is so important to spread the word about PuriPhyte and get it into the hands of the people who need it.

However, people who have just given up an important source of pleasure may not be ready to make other drastic lifestyle changes. It is more important that people avoid returning to substance abuse than that they stick to a strict diet.

Reference sources:
Substance abuse and older adults SAMHSA supplemental course material
Treatment for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse: Opportunities for Coordination Technical Assistance Publication (TAP) Series 11
MedLine Plus topic on diet and substance abuse recovery
Naked Science Forum topic on vitamins for recovery
About the author
Lee Weber is a published author, medical writer, and woman in long-term recovery from addiction. Her latest book, The Definitive Guide to Addiction Interventions is set to reach university bookstores in early 2019.
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