6–12 hours (short-acting) / 24–48 hours (long-acting)
- — Anxiety
- — yawning
- — muscle aches
- — lacrimation
- — runny nose
- — sweating
- — insomnia
Opioid Use Disorder in Louisville, KY
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic, treatable brain disease defined by compulsive opioid use despite harmful consequences.
Overview
What opioid use disorder looks like.
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a chronic, treatable brain disease defined by compulsive opioid use despite harmful consequences. OUD includes addictions to prescription pain medications (oxycodone, hydrocodone), heroin, and illicit fentanyl. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) paired with behavioral therapy is the clinical standard of care and is a first-line medication for opioid use disorder.
Also known as: opioid addiction, opiate addiction, OUD, narcotic addiction.
Signs of use
What patients and families actually notice.
- Taking opioids in larger amounts or for longer than intended
- Unsuccessful attempts to cut down or stop
- Spending significant time obtaining, using, or recovering from opioids
- Strong cravings or urges to use
- Failing work, family, or school obligations due to opioid use
- Continued use despite social or interpersonal problems
- Using in physically hazardous situations (e.g., driving)
- Tolerance (needing more for the same effect) and withdrawal when stopping
Withdrawal timeline
What withdrawal tends to look like.
Every person's experience varies. The windows below describe typical clinical patterns — your plan is adjusted based on how you respond.
1–3 days
- — Peak discomfort: nausea
- — vomiting
- — diarrhea
- — abdominal cramps
- — dilated pupils
- — piloerection ("cold turkey")
3–7 days
- — Acute physical symptoms subside
- — residual insomnia
- — dysphoria
- — cravings
Weeks 2–8+
- — Post-acute withdrawal: mood disturbance
- — anhedonia
- — sleep disruption
- — persistent cravings — highest relapse-risk window
Treatment approach
How we treat opioid use disorder.
If you need withdrawal management first
Golden Grove does not provide medical detox on site. If you need medical detox first, admissions will help arrange it, and you step into residential care once you are medically stable.
Residential treatment
Residential care addresses behavioral and psychological drivers of OUD.
Medication-Assisted Treatment
Golden Grove's MAT for opioid use disorder is Suboxone, buprenorphine (Subutex), and Vivitrol, delivered inside residential care. MAT is the clinical standard of care for opioid use disorder and substantially reduces overdose risk when continued long-term. Methadone is also FDA-approved for OUD, but it's delivered through separate licensed opioid treatment programs, not at Golden Grove.
Integrated dual-diagnosis care
Opioid use disorder often co-occurs with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Golden Grove treats these together with the addiction rather than in sequence.
In Kentucky
The local picture.
Kentucky's overdose deaths have fallen four years in a row, but fentanyl was still present in 45.4 percent of the state's 1,110 overdose deaths in 2025, according to the 2025 Kentucky Drug Overdose Fatality Report. If someone may be overdosing, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it. Louisville (Jefferson County) consistently ranks among the highest-impact counties. Kentucky Medicaid typically covers medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, and Kentucky law supports access to buprenorphine and naloxone.
Kentucky Medicaid coverage
Opioid Use Disorder is typically covered.
Kentucky Medicaid plans typically cover medication-assisted treatment and the clinical continuum of substance use treatment for opioid use disorder. Both Medicaid and commercial insurance accepted — neither undercuts the other. Golden Grove's MAT for opioid use disorder is Suboxone, Subutex and Vivitrol, delivered inside residential care; methadone is a Kentucky Medicaid benefit provided through separate licensed opioid treatment programs, not at Golden Grove. Coverage check happens on the call.
Coverage is determined by medical necessity using the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria. Admissions verifies your specific plan on the call.
Frequently asked
Common questions.
Is medication-assisted treatment (MAT) just trading one addiction for another?
No. Medication-assisted treatment is the standard of care for opioid use disorder, recommended by SAMHSA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. MAT medications stabilize brain chemistry without producing a high when taken as prescribed.
How long does MAT last?
MAT is individualized. Some people use it short-term during stabilization, and many benefit from months or years of maintenance. Clinical guidance supports longer-term maintenance. Your clinical team will review the plan with you over time.
Does Kentucky Medicaid cover opioid addiction treatment?
Yes. Kentucky Medicaid plans typically cover opioid use disorder treatment across the clinical continuum of substance use treatment, including MAT.
Why is fentanyl especially dangerous?
Fentanyl is far more potent than heroin or prescription opioids, so the margin between a usual dose and a fatal one is very small, and it's increasingly mixed into other drugs without the person knowing. The risk is highest right after a period of not using, including right after detox, when tolerance has dropped but the old dose feels familiar. That's exactly why medically supervised detox and continued treatment with medication-assisted treatment matter: they lower the relapse-and-overdose risk that comes with lost tolerance. If you need medical detox first, admissions will help arrange it. If someone may be overdosing, call 911 and give naloxone if you have it.
Is opioid treatment covered by insurance in Louisville?
Golden Grove accepts Kentucky Medicaid through Passport by Molina, Aetna Better Health of Kentucky and UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Kentucky. Both Medicaid and commercial insurance accepted — neither undercuts the other. Self-pay is an option. Kentucky Medicaid typically covers medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder. Coverage check happens on the call.
Other substances we treat
The full treatment scope.
Take the next step
Discuss opioid use disorder with admissions.
Admissions answers 24/7. Golden Grove accepts Kentucky Medicaid. Coverage check happens on the call.