Immediate Treatment for Opioid Withdrawal
Although not usually life threatening in the way alcohol or sedative withdrawal can be, opioid withdrawal can be dangerous, especially in its possibility of leading to relapse. Therefore, immediate medical treatment for opioid withdrawal is absolutely necessary.
Call 888-602-1971(Who Answers?) now to find rehab centers where you can detox safely from opioid dependence and transition into addiction treatment.
How Do I Recognize Opioid Withdrawal?
Opioid withdrawal can begin at different times depending on the substance you were using. According to the National Library of Medicine, “Symptoms usually start within 12 hours of last heroin usage and within 30 hours of last methadone exposure.” In general, though, the early symptoms will include:
- Agitation
- Insomnia
- Tearing of the eyes/crying
- Muscle, bone, and joint pain
- Anxiety
- Yawning
- Flu-like symptoms
- Sweating
- Runny nose
- Fever
- Chills
Symptoms like diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, and others will often occur later in withdrawal. If you begin to notice the symptoms listed above, though, it is important to seek treatment right away.
The painful and flu-like symptoms of opioid withdrawal can be so intense that many people return to drug abuse as a result. Going into a detox program can help you avoid this possibility.
Opioid Withdrawal Treatment: Medications
You may be prescribed medication to help ease withdrawal symptoms.
There are three main types of medications used to treat opioid withdrawal.
- Clonidine: An antihypertensive drug that can minimize a number of your symptoms, except for nausea and vomiting
- Methadone: An opioid agonist that can minimize withdrawal symptoms and be utilized as a maintenance drug in the case of more intense dependence
- Buprenorphine: A partial opioid agonist, which is used similarly to methadone but is less likely to be abused because it is paired with naloxone when prescribed
One of these medications may be given quickly in order to stabilize you, and you and your doctor will often decide which one is best for your needs. The latter two can be continued as a maintenance treatment where you will stay on the medication for as long as necessary to stave off withdrawal symptoms and allow you to reestablish your normal life, physical state, and brain functions without substance abuse.
Opioid Withdrawal Treatment: Behavioral Therapy
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “Medical detoxification is only the first stage of addiction treatment and by itself does little to change long-term drug use.”
This is why most detox or rehab centers provide behavioral therapy options during withdrawal to help patients transition more easily into addiction rehab. This will be the necessary next step for anyone entering treatment who took opioids recreationally or other than how they were prescribed.
Detox from Opioid Dependence Now
There is no time like the present to begin your opioid addiction treatment, and medically assisted withdrawal is one of the most common ways to start. It is always important, though, to do so under medical supervision and to take any treatment (especially medication) exactly as your doctor prescribes.
Call 888-602-1971(Who Answers?) now to find rehab centers that will cater to your needs and help you begin with opioid detox.
