Opiate Withdrawal

For those who are addicted to opiates such as heroin or certain types of prescription painkillers, the withdrawal symptoms that are experienced when opiates are not used are so severe that despite a desire to quit using, the addict continues to fall back into the strongholds of addiction over and over again. Opiate withdrawal is not only uncomfortable for the addict, it can also be dangerous if it is not done in a medically supervised environment. Various symptoms may present themselves when an addict stops using opiates such as nausea, vomiting, or bone pain and some of these symptoms are too much for the addict to cope with causing them to use more drugs in an effort to stop the discomfort. This is what opiate withdrawal is all about.

Opiate Addiction Withdrawal

Withdrawal can begin mere minutes after the last use or may take a few hours or days to set in. Depending on the severity of the addiction as well as various other factors related to the individual health of the addict and also how long they have been using opiates, addiction withdrawal may last a period of five to seven days or could persist for many weeks or even months. Opiate addiction withdrawal takes place when the addict abruptly stops using opiates such as heroin or methadone and attempts to quit their opiate abuse. Unfortunately, this is the most difficult phase of the opiate addiction treatment process and happens to be the phase that keeps most addicts coming back for more drugs. Read more about opiate addiction withdrawal here.

Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms

Many different physical symptoms become evident when an addict stops using opiates and begins the withdrawal and detoxification process. Some of the most common symptoms of opiate withdrawal include muscle and bone pain, nausea, vomiting and other stomach or intestinal complications. Various other complications or physical symptoms may also persist when opiate withdrawal is taking place and some of the symptoms may be difficult to cope with, uncomfortable for the addict and even could be dangerous. Read more about opiate withdrawal symptoms here.

Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline

Psychologically, the symptoms of opiate withdrawal may persist for many months after the drugs are no longer used. Most of the physical symptoms of opiate withdrawal will only last a few days or weeks at most but the psychological elements could persist for up to a year after opiate abuse stops. The opiate withdrawal symptom timeline can be extended for many months or a year based on the severity of the opiate addiction, the type of drug that was abused, the health of the addict, the length of time that they abused opiates and various other factors. Read more about opiate withdrawal symptoms timeline here.

Opiate Withdrawal Remedies

Many different remedies exist to assist the patient in effectively, and safely, withdrawing from opiates and not turning back to use more drugs. Some of the remedies that are used in rehab centers to assist patients in overcoming the physical withdrawal symptoms associated with opiate abuse include medications, medical intervention, natural treatments, herbal remedies and holistic care methods. Acupuncture may be used, medications such as methadone or Suboxone may be used, and medical intervention to help with any complications related to the withdrawal may be used to ensure the safety of the patient. Read more about the opiate withdrawal remedies here.

Opiate Withdrawal Treatment

Treatment for withdrawal takes many forms and depends largely on the type of treatment facility that the patient is in as well as the type of withdrawal symptoms that he or she is suffering from. Some of the most common opiate withdrawal treatment methods include medications or replacement therapy such as is performed using Suboxone or methadone to “trick” the body into believing that it is still using opiates. Holistic care and therapy may also be used to treat various symptoms of withdrawal such as pain, discomfort, nausea or vomiting. Read more about opiate withdrawal treatment here.

Opiate Withdrawal Timeline

The amount of time that it takes for an individual to effectively overcome physical dependence on opiates depends on the patient, their own health and well-being, the severity of their addiction and many other factors. For most patients, opiate withdrawal symptoms will taper off after about a week and become less noticeable from there. For those who have a significantly high level of opiate abuse or who have abused the drug for a very long time, there is a chance that the withdrawal symptoms will persist for as long as a year or more. Read more about opiate withdrawal timeline here.