Services

Why choose NABU Medical Services?

Personalized outpatient treatment program by Joel Nathan, MD. I have been in the addiction field since 1987 and am fellowship trained and certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine. I was the medical director of the Stanford University Alcohol and Drug Program in Palo Alto, California. I have personally detoxified over a thousand patients over the last 14 years. Due to advances in detoxification methods such as Buprenorphine and Suboxone, addiction treatment can be done more comfortably and safely.
You will have my pager number to call me as much as you need to from 8AM-8PM daily.
Comfortable detoxification that includes medication for anxiety and sleep. I am licensed to prescribe Buprenorphine for outpatient treatment of opiate dependency.
Referral available to expert addiction psychiatrists, social workers, acupuncturists and yoga instructors as needed.
I brought a west coast style of detoxification to the east coast over 6 years ago. I am dedicated to helping you get and stay healthy, clean and sober.


	3 Appointment Program using Buprenorphine (Suboxone or Subutex) For all opiates (except methadone)
	On day one the patient comes for a history and physical examination. The patient begins detoxification on day one. When you make your appointment, specific directions are given to you regarding if and when you need to stop you drug of choice before coming to our center. All patients are given Dr. Joel Nathan’s number and can reach him from 8AM-5PM M-F and 12noon-5PM on weekends and holidays. They must at least call him two times per week. During those calls medications are adjusted on an individual basis. Patients return to the center in 1 week to see Dr. Nathan. The patients return at two week intervals for a total of 3 visits over 5 weeks. At week 5, if indicated, an opiate blocker is started (Naltrexone) that decreases opiate craving and if one slips and uses an opiate while on Naltrexone, they will not become re-addicted because they will not feel the effect of their opiate. If needed, further vists would be at a per visit rate.


	7 Appointment Program For tranquilzer, nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine and methadone detoxifications
	On day one the patient comes for a history and physical examination. The patient begins detoxification on day one. When you make your appointment, specific directions are given to you regarding if and when you need to stop you drug of choice before coming to our center. All patients are given Dr. Joel Nathan’s cell phone number and can reach him from 8AM-5PM M-F and 12noon-5PM on weekends and holidays. They must at least call him two times per week. During those calls medications are adjusted on an individual basis. Visits are usually on day 1, then 7 days later, then every two weeks for 5 more visits. After these visits are utilized, there will be a per visit charge for additional appointments, if necessary.


	Buprenorphine Maintenance Available Only As Space Permits
	Maintenance is reserved for only a small percentage of patients in this practice. In this case the patient will have or go through the initial 3 visit program with Dr. Nathan. The patient would then visit Dr. Nathan on a regular 28 day basis for buprenorphine refills while recovery is monitored by the patient’s documented individual therapist or recovery group. The addition of 12 step involvement would be encouraged but not required. This program is available only if a maintenance slot is available.


	Medical Pain Management Services
	At NABU Medical Services, we address and treat chronic pain. We evaluate for early signs of substance abuse and use both narcotics as well as additional non-narcotic medications to treat pain. In addition, referral to psycho-social pain treatment modalities is available. In many cases, your pain is being made worse by the daily withdrawal you are having from your narcotic pain medications. Once you begin to detoxify, your pain will be much less because your precribed detoxification medications are decreasing the stress of withdrawal. When detoxification is complete, you will either be off opiates entirely or be on a significantly less dosage of narcotic pain medications.