Stopping “Cold Turkey” with Amino-Acid Based IV Drip Detox with Minimal Withdrawal Symptoms

This study provides support for the use of an Amino-Acid based IV Drip Detox for successful “Cold Turkey” withdrawal from drugs and alcohol:

Amino acid-based nutritional supplementation facilitates abrupt cessation (“Stopping Cold Turkey”) of substance use by addiction patients: Reduction of withdrawal symptoms with minimal abuse potential

AUTHOR BLOCK *S. L. BROOM¹, S. OWEN², P. NORRIS³, R. MESTAYER³, C. GRACE³, G. SHEN⁴, W. HITT⁵;
¹Dept Psychol, William Carey Univ., Hattiesburg, MS; ²Ctr. for Wellness, Gulfport, MS; ³Equipoise Wellness Ctr., Gulfport, MS; ⁴GSIPO, San Diego, CA; ⁵William Hitt Ctr., Tijuana, Mexico

Amino-Acid Based IV Drip Detox

The use of amino acid-based IV drip detox type nutritional therapies for supplementing the nutritional needs of substance abuse patients has increased steadily with countless anecdotes of success, but there is a lack of statistical data on the efficacy and safety (e.g. abuse potential) of these therapies in chemical dependency patients.

Methods: A specific therapy called the NTR System™ is arguably the most recognizable and reputable therapy of this type in the addiction field[1]. This pilot study retrospectively examined the therapeutic benefits and unwanted rewarding properties of the NTR System™ in a group of 40 patients. The patients were adult males and females with addictions to drugs including opiates, psychostimulants, alcohol, and benzodiazepines.

The NTR System™ treatments comprised IV infusions of amino acid-based nutrients for 10 consecutive days ranging from 5 to 10 hours daily. Dose and time parameters were individualized to the patients’ specific addiction histories based on prescribed NTR System™ protocols. Self-reported ratings (1-10 Scale) of cravings, stress, depression, and anxiety, as well as measures of reward (joy, motivation, libido), were collected on Day 1 (before starting treatment), throughout treatment, and on Day 10 (after completion of treatment).

Findings: 1) All patients were able to achieve an abrupt cessation of their use of abused substances starting immediately prior to the 10-day treatment. 2) Self-reported ratings showed that patients experienced a continually increasing alleviation of the adverse consequences associated with psychological and physiological withdrawal throughout the treatment. Specifically, patients reported significantly reduced cravings ratings and the alleviation of several other adverse effects associated with substance withdrawal, including, stress, depression, and anxiety. 3) Patients reported a slight but not statistically significant increase in the measures of reward (joy, motivation, and libido ratings), indicating minimal or no abuse potential. The findings appeared to be most robust in individuals seeking treatment for opiate abuse.

Discussion: These data suggest that NTR System™ possesses a high therapeutic potential with minimal abuse potential for supplementing the nutritional needs of substance abuse patients. In particular, the NTR system™ provides nutritive support that may be particularly useful for patients attempting to stop using abruptly (“cold turkey”) or in relapse settings.

[1] The NeuroTransmission Restoration System™ (NTR System™) is a nutritional therapy comprised of amino acids & vitamins, and has been used on thousands of patients since 1988.