Opioid withdrawal can be dreadful, but there are ways to reduce discomfort.
Medicine exists for many reasons. Some help us live more productive lives without the pain. Others help to fight illnesses when our bodies cannot fend for themselves. Some medications even help to extend our lives. However, what happens when the medicine you are taking creates problems of its own?
Commonly misused drugs like opioid painkillers can cause unwanted side effects when taken outside of their medicinal use. Opioids are highly addictive analgesics that can treat pain. Ironically, stopping opioid use once the body has become dependent can be an excruciating process. The body goes through opioid withdrawal stages that can cause almost unbearable symptoms and, in rare cases, even death.
Most people with opioid addiction today misuse illicit opioids. Still, the withdrawal is like the one experienced from prescription painkillers. If you plan to discontinue use of any opioid drug, you will want to know what to expect during opioid withdrawal. Chances are, you have already felt some opioid withdrawal symptoms between doses, but the sensations become more severe as time passes.
Keep reading to learn more about managing withdrawal effects and how opioids affect the body.
How Opioids Affect Your Body
Opioids change our bodies and alter how our central nervous system works. They impact the areas of the central nervous system that control vital functions such as breathing. When someone takes opioids, it slows their respiration rate. If someone takes too much, their respiration can slow so much that they fall into a coma or stop breathing altogether.
Opioids affect the nervous system in a way that also creates a high risk of overdose. Opioid overdose symptoms can include:
- Respiratory depression
- Pinpoint pupils
- Cool and clammy skin
- Unconsciousness
- Blue lips and/or fingernails
Frequent ingestion of opioids leads to a buildup of tolerance, requiring higher doses of opioids to cause the same effect. A physical dependency on opioids quickly develops and changes the brain and central nervous system even more.
Repeated escalating doses of opioids alter the brain so that it functions more or less normally when the drugs are present. The brain will react abnormally when the opioids are no longer in the bloodstream.
How is that for a bait-and-switch? Something that causes relief from pain and creates feelings of pleasure becomes something that feels necessary for life itself. Physical dependency on opioids means that a person has to rely on the drug to prevent withdrawal symptoms. Withdrawal symptoms are real. They are not psychological but are physical proof of the dependency the brain has on opioids.
Knowing What to Expect During Opioid Withdrawal
If you become physically sick after you stop taking opioids, it is an indication that you are physically dependent. Opioid receptors exist not only in the brain but in the central nervous system. Therefore, withdrawal symptoms occur in any area regulated by the central nervous system. This means that everything from the digestive tract to your emotions will feel the effects.
Knowing what to expect during opioid withdrawal will help you prepare. It is highly advisable to seek out opioid withdrawal (detox) treatment from an addiction treatment center, but that is not always possible. It is important to inform yourself on opioid withdrawal management.
Early withdrawal symptoms
Within 24 hours of stopping the use of the drug often include:
- Muscle aches
- Restlessness
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Aggression
- Lacrimation (eyes tearing up)
- Runny nose
- Excessive sweating
- Inability to sleep
- Yawning very often
Later, symptoms show after the first day and may be more intense.
They include:
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramping
- Goosebumps on the skin
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dilated pupils and possibly blurry vision
- Rapid heartbeat
- High blood pressure
Importance of Knowing What to Expect During Opioid Withdrawal
Opioid withdrawal is unavoidable without medical intervention, and it is imperative to understand the process. Although withdrawal is very rarely fatal, it can happen. This experience will help you understand the severity of opioid addiction, but also the hope of recovery. Recovery may be difficult, but continuing to misuse opioids is far worse.
If you cannot access opioid withdrawal treatment, here are some tips for overcoming the symptoms at home.
- Prepare a room with a calming environment without loud noises
- Have hot and cold compresses nearby and ready to help regulate body temperature
- Drink plenty of fluids if and when you can keep them down
- Gather over-the-counter medications that help with headaches and nausea
- Find an over-the-counter sleep aid to help you rest when possible
- Consider following a tapering guideline to lessen withdrawal effects
When to Seek Emergency Help for Opioid Withdrawal
If you feel that your symptoms are severe, do not hesitate to go to the emergency room. They are capable of handling opioid overdose in almost all cases. Be honest with the medical staff about what drugs you have been using so they can treat you more effectively.
- Severe symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Delusions
- Difficulty breathing
- Hallucinations
- Loss of consciousness
- Rapid heartbeat
- Tremors
- Seizures
There are easier ways to deal with opioid withdrawals than doing this on your own. Please consider reaching out to an addiction near you to avoid dangerous complications.
Professional Support for Opioid Withdrawal with AppleGate Recovery
AppleGate Recovery can help anyone who is looking to treat opioid use disorder. You do not have to go through withdrawals at home before you reach out for help. Our facilities are fully capable of easing your opioid addiction symptoms and withdrawal detox.
Our recovery programs offer effective, FDA-approved addiction treatment medications. Many people have found success with Suboxone treatment coupled with substance use counseling. We accept many forms of insurance and also offer a sliding-scale payment structure. All of our programs offer addiction recovery support and many additional benefits to help you achieve long-term health and well-being.