What to Expect During Opioid Detox and Withdrawal
Opioid drugs come as prescription drugs like oxycodone, fentanyl, and morphine, and are given for pain relief under a doctor’s supervision. They, along with illicit opioids like heroin, are very addictive substances and are commonly abused due to the euphoric feelings they can provide.
Because opioid drugs are so addictive, and because they make changes to the brain’s chemistry, they cause the body to quickly become dependent, producing withdrawal symptoms when you try to cut back or quit using them. You may feel that you need to keep taking opioids just to feel normal and get through the day, and you may find yourself in a loop where you are either using drugs, recovering from drug use, or thinking about when you can use drugs next. This is what addiction looks like.
What is Opioid Withdrawal?
Opioid withdrawal is what happens to your body when you stop taking the drugs. Once the body has developed a dependence, and the drug is no longer present in your body, it reacts in certain ways as it struggles to readjust its chemical makeup. This can be uncomfortable, intense, and even painful. Many people with substance use conditions continue using opioids even when they no longer want to just to avoid these symptoms.
Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms
Opioid withdrawal produces a range of symptoms that most people experience to some extent. These include:
- Nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting
- Stomach aches or abdominal cramping
- Runny nose
- Insomnia
- Fluctuations in blood pressure
- Muscle spasms and tremors
- Sweating and flu-like symptoms
- Constricted pupils
- Extreme drug cravings
Stages of Opioid Withdrawal
Although everybody’s detox is a little different due to factors like age, health during detox, level of addiction, and which drug you are withdrawing from, there are certain stages that everybody experiences as they detox from opioids. These are:
Anticipatory – within a few hours after your last dose you may feel fear and anxiety related to the oncoming withdrawal symptoms, and may experience very strong drug cravings
Early Acute – 8 to 10 hours into detox restlessness increases, and you may begin to feel flu-like symptoms like sweating, stomach issues, and achiness, along with continued drug cravings
Fully-Developed Acute – 1 to 3 days after your last dose your symptoms will reach their peak, with high blood pressure, tremors and muscle spasms, diarrhea, and insomnia. Your drug cravings will be the strongest at this time as well.
Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) – mood swings, cravings, poor concentration, anxiety, dreams about drugs, insomnia and irritability may continue or show up randomly for up to 24 months after your last dose. At this time you will still be vulnerable to triggers and will require support to get you through the difficult days to prevent relapse.
Medical Detox for Opioids
Medical detox is the best type of program to stop using opioid drugs for good. Opioid detox can become very uncomfortable, painful, psychologically distressing, and even dangerous when you attempt it on your own, but in a medical detox program, under the close watch of medical professionals, you may be given medications to help you deal with drug cravings, pain, and restlessness.
You will stay within a safe and sober drug rehab facility as the drugs leave your system using a taper-off system. You will have access to 24-hour medical care, and you will meet with counselors and therapists to help you deal with emotional issues, trauma, and/or mental illness. This whole-patient approach makes medical detox much more effective than a cold-turkey method as it deals with the root of addiction as well as the physical symptoms.
What Happens After Medical Detox and Withdrawal Are Over?
After medical detox and withdrawal from opioid drugs, it is highly recommended to move directly into a short- or long-term inpatient rehab program. Achieving long-term recovery takes work. It is important to address the underlying issues that cause addiction, rather than just treating the physical symptoms, so we can help you break the cycle of addiction. This includes treatments and programs like:
- Holistic healing includes massage therapy, manual lymphatic drainage, nutritional counseling, aromatherapy and acupuncture
- Psychiatric care, therapy, and counseling, including behavioral therapy and group therapy
- Continued medical care to ensure you remain safe and healthy
We can also provide you with relapse prevention tools and help find a sober community after rehab is over to help you stay sober for the long run.
At The Healing Place, we can help you detox from opiates, and help you get to a place in your life where you no longer need drugs to get by. If you are ready to get help, or if you have any questions about medical opioid detox and the drug rehab programs that we offer, contact us at 844-524-6873. We are here to help you.
877-789-6707
