Physical symptoms of quiting Opiods like oxycontin, the fentinyl patch, heroine etc...
* Flu-like symptoms - Just like the flu, your body might feel like it got hit by a trucks. Soar muscles and bones and low energy. Such a terrible feeling that can last almost a week. If you went cold turkey and you make it 3 days opiate-free you may start to think the pain will never end and you think taking a small amount of opiods to help you through the pain is a good idea, it might be more torture for you. If you make it 3 days, you probably only have 2 days left of pain, if you take just a small amount of opiods at this point, I have heard people swear not to do it, it will reset you pain to another 5 days once you stop again. So be brave, hang in there. You wil need the supervision of a medical doctor to detox, and we remind you this website is for education purposes only and we do not recommend that you do anything illegal.
* Muscle and bone pain - This can be excruciatingly painful. Many people have said smoking strong pot and sleeping through the pain is the best way to get through the Opiate Detox.
* Chills - hot and cold, sweats etc..
* Tachycardia (rapid heart beat) Seek medical attention immediately
* Itch - Users often find themselves itchy, but it can also be a symtom when you quit as well
* Restless legs syndrome - Painful. You will probably find yourself kicking in bedto help with the pain.
* Vomiting/sweating - Have a bucket next to you in bed
* Diarrhea/Constipation - Opiods make you constipated, you may get some relief from this when you stop taking opiods, but long term users might need weeks before digestion system returns to normal. Eat plenty of fibre and yogurt to help speed up the process.
* Weakness - Very low energy, maybe unable to move in the morning and get out of bed, might have enough energy in the early afternoon to shower and feed yourself
* Akathisia - Your mind is running a million miles per minute.
Other rare but much more serious symptoms include cardiac arrhythmias, strokes, seizures, dehydration and suicide attempts.
Depending on the quantity, type, frequency, and duration of opioid use, the physical withdrawal symptoms last for as little as forty-eight to seventy-two hours (for short-acting opioids such as hydromorphone (Dilaudid) and oxycodone after short duration lower-dose use), and as long as thirty to sixty days or more for long-acting opioids such as buprenorphine and methadone, respectively, after extended high-dose use. When long acting opioids like methadone (Methadose, Physeptone) or buprenorphine (Suboxone [buprenorphine in a 4:1 ratio to naloxone] and Subutex [single-agent buprenorphine]) are used for an extended period, physical withdrawal symptoms can last up to six weeks, while the most severe cases have withdrawal symptoms that can last even longer. This initial withdrawal is characterized by the body attempting to regain homeostasis as a result of the brain's lack of opiate receptor activity. Since the mechanisms of opioid dependence and withdrawal are not fully understood, it is difficult to determine how long withdrawal symptoms will last or how severe they may be for different individuals.
Opioid dependence is a complex health condition that often requires long-term treatment and care. The treatment of opioid dependence is important to reduce its health and social consequences and to improve the well-being and social functioning of people affected. The main objectives of treating and rehabilitating persons with opioid dependence are to reduce the:
morbidity and mortality caused by the use of illicit opioids, or associated with their use, such as infectious diseases
to improve physical and psychological health
to reduce criminal behaviour
to facilitate reintegration into the workforce and education system and to improve social functioning.
The ultimate achievement of a drug free state is the ideal and ultimate objective but this is unfortunately not feasible for all individuals with opioid dependence, especially in the short term.
As no single treatment is effective for all individuals with opioid dependence, diverse treatment options are needed, including psychosocial approaches and pharmacological treatment.
Relapse following detoxification alone is extremely common, and therefore detoxification rarely constitutes an adequate treatment of substance dependence on its own. However, it is a first step for many forms of longer-term abstinence-based treatment. Both detoxification with subsequent abstinence-oriented treatment and substitution maintenance treatment are essential components of an effective treatment system for people with opioid dependence. Current trends in the US reveal a significant increase of prescription opioid abuse compared to illicit opiates such as heroin. This development has also implications for the prevention, treatment and therapy of opioid dependence.