Ambien Addiction	Ativan Addiction
Benzodiazepine Addiction	Fioricet Addiction
Klonopin Addiction	GHB Addiction
Restoril Addiction	Lunesta Addiction
Barbiturate Addiction	Soma Addiction
Xanax Addiction	Xanax Treatment

Three Month Detox/Optimization Program

Initial Five Day Painless Detox In Hospital :

The withdrawal from Xanax, Klonopin, Ambien and Valium kills brain cells, even if you do not experience a full blown seizure. Recent PET brain scan studies have revealed that a drug detox that allows any tremors or twitching results in brain cell death. This puts you at risk for early dementia and ultimately Alzheimer’s. The tremors and twitching are indicative of too much electrical current in your brain. Addiction doctors have contributed to brain damage in millions of Xanax-addicted patients with their poorly designed detox protocols. You need to choose a drug detox center that can prevent all benzo withdrawal symptoms - no twitching or shaking allowed! Protect your brain, you will need it for many years to come!

At Florida Detox, we admit our Ambien, Klonopin and Xanax-addicted patients to our friendly hospital detox unit. Dr. Sponaugle has hand picked the best ICU nurses for his detox program. With Dr. Sponaugle’s anesthesiology expertise and the high quality ICU nurses, we can safely provide you with a painless Klonopin detox that psychiatrists and family doctors at rehab centers can not.

In February 2009 we performed Ambien detox on Robert, a doctor from New York City. Robert suffered severe anxiety and insomnia. His severe Ambien addiction was ninety 10 mg Ambiens per day. Yes, 900 mg/day!

Being a physician, Robert wisely had great fear of the dangerous Ambien withdrawal he would go through at Ambien detox centers in New York. He performed his research and fortunately came to Florida Detox in Tarpon Springs.

Robert experienced no Ambien withdrawal symptoms with the Sponaugle protocol for Ambien detox!

Dr. Sponaugle successfully treated Robert’s anxiety and insomnia disorder by balancing his brain chemistry with natural supplements and non-addicting medication. Robert is so thankful that he has offered to speak with any patient suffering anxiety, insomnia and a benzodiazepine addiction.

Inpatient medical detoxification provides higher quality medical care than typical “treatment centers”. The Sponaugle protocol for safe and painless detox for Xanax, Klonopin (benzodiazepines) has the luxury of using intravenous (IV) medications if necessary to prevent all benzo withdrawal symptoms. Our patients do not suffer tachycardia (racing heart), elevated blood pressure or any seizure-like activity. The Florida Detox technique prevents twitching, muscle cramping, nausea and other typical symptoms of Xanax detox or Klonopin detox.

The administration of IV medications greatly facilitates our ability to detox Ambien, Klonopin and Xanax (benzos) safely and painlessly. IV vitamin/mineral/nutrient protocols expedite the repair of brain dendrite damage caused by Xanax and Klonopin addiction.

We routinely detox Xanax up to 60-80 milligrams/day and we detox Klonopin up to 40-50 milligrams per day.

Florida Detox patients receive the benefits of more extensive medical hormonal evaluation and testing than any Klonopin treatment center in America.

Through labortory testing, we evaluate over 50 chemicals and hormones. Our detoxed patients receive, at no extra cost, our three month outpatient anti-aging wellness program discussed below.

Our anti-aging program has acheived such credibility, non addicted patients come from as far as Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas and Boston for brain and body optimization!

At Florida Detox and Wellness Institute, all patients admitted for Xanax treatment and benzo detox begin with the following workup:

Ovarian hormones	Kidney function	Magnesium
- Estradiol	Liver Function	Calcium
- Progesterone	Pancreatic enzymes	Ferritin levels
Thyroid hormones
DHEA-S	Red blood cells
Proteins	Testosterone (male/female)	White blood cells

Brain Chemistry and Science of Addiction Workshop:

On Monday, day of admission, family and patients are empowered by Dr. Sponaugle’s ‘Brain Chemistry and Science of Addiction’ Seminars. In these “Workshop” seminars, they see specific brain scans that match certain personality profiles, what brain chemical deficiency or excess causes craving for specific drugs or alcohol and what medications, vitamins and nutritional supplements will stop drug and alcohol craving.

Patients and families also learn how hormonal imbalance, especially in females, can cause alcoholism and Xanax addiction. They learn that females who develop progesterone deficiency in mid-life become more anxious and suffer insomnia, which may commonly result in self medication with alcohol or Xanax.

Females also learn when estradiol levels fall below 60 pg/ml, serotonin receptivity decreases dranatically. This relationship between estradiol and serotonin often leads to depression, anxiety and insomnia, which subsequently causes alcoholism or Xanax^® addiction.

Empowered by the seminar, families and patients can assist in diagnosing the true biochemical cause of the patient’s craving. Families begin to understand why their addicted family member has previously relapsed after multiple 30-day, $30,000 programs. Typically after the seminar, they are able to diagnose several other family members with brain chemistry and behavioral issues. Families can see clearly what chemical deficiency may be present in their genes, demonstrating as addictive behaviors in their family members.

Comprehensive Brain Chemistry Analysis

Beyond extensive medical testing, patients will undergo measurement of the following brain neurotransmitters:
- Histamine
- Serotonin
- Dopamine
- Glutamate
- GABA
- Epinephrine
- Norepinephrine
- PEA

1) Anxiety and Insomnia Disorders

Commonly result in:
alcoholism, Xanax addiction, Ambien addiction and opiate (Vicodin) addiction.

Biochemical Causes:

Serotonin Deficiency

Serotonin deficiency has become much more common in the American population secondary to lack of crop rotation, and the resultant vitamin and mineral deficient diet consumed by many Americans. Our serotonin factories cannot produce serotonin if we suffer from zinc, magnesium, or B6 deficiency. A recent study suggests that up to 70% of Americans suffer serotonin deficiency due to nutritional deficiencies and chemical toxins created by our industrial revolution.

Serotonin deficiency causes two areas of our brain to become overactive, producing both anxiety and depression. Our emotional center (limbic system) lies in our midbrain and is about the size of a walnut. It becomes severely overactive with serotonin deficiency causing moodiness, irritability, negativity, hopelessness, excessive guilt and leads to anxiety and insomnia.

The other region of our brain, which becomes severely overactive in patients with serotonin deficiency, is the brain’s “gear shifter” and “worry center”. Called the anterior cingulate gyrus, when overactive, this region of the brain causes patients to become stubborn and stuck on negative thoughts, unable to forgive or forget, and seem to worry about everything.

Patients who suffer undiagnosed serotonin deficiency frequently use alcohol, Xanax^®-like drugs, or pain pills like OxyContin^® to quiet or turn down the electricity in their overactive cingulate and their overactive emotional center. When these patients are properly diagnosed and treated, they no longer need to medicate with alcohol, Xanax^® or opiate pain pills (OxyContin^®, Vicodin^® etc.).

Estradiol Deficiency

In females, serotonin receptivity, or the ability of serotonin to attach to and activate serotonin receptors is also dependent on sufficient estradiol levels, as mentioned above. The female with estradiol deficiency develops the same overactive regions of the brain as the serotonin deficient female.

This biochemical relationship explains why some females have severe premenstrual depression, anxiety and insomnia symptoms three to four days per month when estradiol levels are at their lowest level. It also explains why approximately 30% of females suffer some level of post-partum depression. This is the biochemical phenomenon where, after delivery of a baby, a woman’s ovaries fail to produce adequate estradiol - usually for a three month to one year period. Brooke Shields is a brave celebrity who unselfishly increased awareness of postpartum depression by discussing it in public forum.

Estradiol deficiency also causes myalgia (muscle pain), fibromyalgia and headaches. Many females who present to Florida Detox^® and Wellness Center addicted to pain pills (OxyContin, Vicodin, etc.) are victims of failed American medical protocols. When intelligent hormonal evaluation and treatment is performed, these female patients no longer require pain medication.

Progesterone Deficiency

Progesterone deficiency causes excessive bleeding, painful bleeding, and frequently anemia in young females. Many middle aged females who have not suffered anxiety or insomnia in their twenties or early thirties begin to notice these symptoms in mid-life due to progesterone drop-out.

Unlike other addiction treatment centers, at Florida Detox^® we perform extensive evaluation of pituitary and ovarian hormones in all female patients. Our clinical research suggests that undiagnosed progesterone drop-out may be the #1 cause of alcoholism and Xanax addiction in middle aged females. When progesterone deficiencies are corrected with bioidentical progesterone, our female patients no longer need to medicate with alcohol, Xanax, Klonopin or opiate pain pills.

Progesterone deficiency also results in increased electrical current (anxiety and pain) throughout the body: See GABA Deficiency below.

GABA Deficiency

GABA is our major inhibitory or relaxing chemical. GABA “turns down” electrical voltage and therefore deficiency causes anxiety and increased physical pain.

GABA deficiency is often seen in patients with severe chronic stress and nutritional deficiencies. The most common cause of GABA deficiency seen in patients at Florida Detox^® is the female who suffers from underactive ovarian production of progesterone. Progesterone – through three chemical reactions- becomes a hormone with strong GABA activity.

Excess Histamine Production

Excess histamine production is commonly diagnosed at Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute, especially in females who suffer from chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, with candidiasis overgrowth being the most common instigator. Yeast overgrowth is found to be the leading cause of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and migraine headaches in American females.

Histamine is elevated in response to our body’s reaction to chronic infection and consequently, the abnormally high levels of yeast found in Americans who have been exposed to excessive antibiotics. Through American poultry, doctors prescriptions, and city water contamination, Americans suffer overexposure to antibiotics, which kill the normal flora (good bacteria) in our intestines. Our good bacteria are our bodies’ defense against fungal and yeast overgrowth.

Histamine is a mono-amine like dopamine and serotonin. Excess histamine levels can cause increased electricity throughout nerves in the brain (anxiety) and body (fibromyalgia). Treatment of underlying fungal overgrowth corrects the excess histamine levels, thereby ameliorating anxiety, insomnia, and total body nerve pain. These symptoms, when not addressed, many times lead to alcohol addiction, Xanax addiction, and/or opiate pain pill addiction (OxyContin, Vicodin etc.).

Excess Glutamate Production

Glutamate is the primary excitatory chemical in the human brain. Excess glutamate is frequently diagnosed in our anxious females who present to Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute for Xanax^® or alcohol detoxification.

Excess Dopamine Production

Dopamine is a brain chemical that activates electricity in the brain. Too much dopamine “turns up the voltage” causing anxiety and sometimes paranoia (over thinking). Some patients inherit overactive basal ganglia (dopamine factories) or suffer PTSD induced overactivity of the basal ganglia. These patients, if properly diagnosed, can be treated with non-addicting dopamine blockers. This accurate diagnosis and treatment negates the need for patients to “turn down the voltage” with alcohol, Xanax or opiate pain pills (OxyContin, Vicodin, etc.).

Many of our patients who suffer from excess production of dopamine, have been misdiagnosed at famous treatment centers. Simply diagnosed as “drug addict” or “alcoholic”, these patients continue to relapse to alcohol or drugs. Stephanie, the first patient Dr. Phil referred to Florida Detox^® and Wellness Institute suffered from a serotonin deficiency and an overactive basal ganglia. She was self-medicating with Vicodin^® and Percocet^® to treat her undiagnosed brain chemistry imbalances. Stephanie is now 3 1/2 years post detox and remaines drug-free.

Excess Norepinephrine/Epinephrine Production

Excess norepinephrine and epinephrine commonly result in anxiety, rapid heart rate and even panic attacks. The adrenal glands become overactive secondary to chronic stress, producing increased epinephrine. Chronic stress also creates an over-electrified brain, which produces increased norepinephrine. Once identified, these imbalances are easily treated with non-addicting medication.

2) Depression

Commonly results in:

alcoholism, cocaine addiction, nicotine addiction, OxyContin addiction,  Xanax addiction

Biochemical Causes:

Serotonin Deficiency

Explained above.

Dopamine Deficiency

Norepinephrine Deficiency

Glutamate Deficiency

Acetylcholine Deficiency

Estradiol Deficiency

Occurs in Females as explained above. The reduced serotonin activity causes both depression and anxiety.

Testosterone Deficiency

Occurs in both Females and Males.

Hypothyroidism

Undiagnosed hypothyroidism is common in American females and can cause severe depression if not treated. Patients then use alcohol and drugs such as OxyContin to treat their depression. Our brain’s pleasure center (nucleus accumbens) runs on dopamine. Alcohol, pain pills, nicotine, and cocaine cause a temporary release of dopamine from brain storage units giving the hypothyroid patients a temporary burst of energy and happiness. Unfortunately, the use of pain medicine, benzos or alcohol to self-medicate depression often exacerbates the depression by suppressing the pituitary output of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), resulting in further thyroid imbalance as well.

Three Month (90 day) Intensive  Outpatient Optimization Program:

During the three month period following detoxification, our doctors and medical staff work directly with patients and families to educate and optimize brain chemistry while correcting the hormonal imbalances that initially caused the cravings in the detoxed patient.

Continuous evaluation of brain neurotransmitters and hormonal imbalances guides treatment through the three month period. Hormonal replacement therapy and anti-aging regimens are initiated in effort to accelerate repair of damage creating during the substance abuse. We facilitate a state of optimal wellness through diagnosis and treatment of nutritional deficiencies and co-existing medical diseases. These disorders, when left untreated, can negatively affect brain health and stimulate drug craving. The true biochemical cause of craving and addiction is properly diagnosed and treated with medication and nutraceuticals. The administration of intravenous vitamins, minerals, and nutrients further expedite repair of brain dendrites damaged previously.

At the three month mark, patient care can be transferred to a primary care physician in the patient’s home state.