Supplementation is not magic and it's not optional. Addiction depletes specific nutrients in ways that affect mood, sleep, cravings, and cognitive function in early recovery. RECO Intensive's supplement program is evidence-informed, individualized to each client's clinical picture, and integrated with the rest of the medical and therapy work.
What supplementation looks like at RECO Intensive
Our medical team assesses each client's supplementation needs based on substance-use history, labs from medical screening, current symptoms, and any specific findings from inflammatory biomarker testing or qEEG. Protocols are individualized — not a one-size-fits-all stack.
Core categories we use
- B-complex vitamins — particularly thiamine (B1), folate (B9), B12; depleted in alcohol-recovery clients
- Magnesium — affects mood, sleep, anxiety, muscle function; widely deficient in early recovery
- Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) — anti-inflammatory; mood-supportive; brain structure
- N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) — antioxidant precursor to glutathione; some evidence for craving reduction
- L-Glutamine — gut-supportive; may reduce sugar/alcohol cravings
- L-Tyrosine and L-Tryptophan — neurotransmitter precursors for dopamine and serotonin
- Vitamin D — affects mood, immune function; widely deficient
- Zinc — taste recovery, immune function, mental health support
- Probiotics — gut-brain axis support
- Melatonin and sleep-supportive nutraceuticals — for the sleep dysregulation of early recovery
The clinical approach
We don't over-supplement and we don't under-supplement. The protocol for each client reflects their specific clinical picture — substance history, labs, symptoms, medical conditions, medications. We integrate supplements rather than stack them; combinations are clinically chosen for synergy.
Supplements continue post-discharge in many cases. Our aftercare planning includes the supplement strategy clients will continue and where to source them; we don't leave clients to figure it out.
Who this serves
Every client receives some supplementation support during treatment. Especially important for: long-term alcohol-recovery clients with significant nutritional depletion, opioid-recovery clients with GI and absorption issues, stimulant-recovery clients with appetite-suppression-related deficiencies, clients with co-occurring medical conditions where specific nutrients matter clinically.
Why RECO's supplementation program is different
Many programs hand clients a generic multivitamin and call it nutritional support. Ours is clinically individualized, lab-informed, and integrated with the broader medical and therapy plan. The result is measurable nutritional recovery alongside the psychological work.