Opioid Detox and Withdrawal
Withdrawing from opioids can cause insomnia, restlessness, diarrhea, vomiting, cold flashes, and muscle and bone pain. Withdrawal can take between several days to a week. Our medical team is present to administer medications to ease the symptoms and help with any anxiety, nausea, or insomnia. Having a medically monitored detox will make it better for the patient since the withdrawal symptoms can be so difficult. After the detox is complete our therapists can help the user identify the underlying reason for taking the drug and help them learn how to stay clean.
Withdrawal typically last about three days but patients usually need another couple days. The first stage will begin within 12 hours of the last dose, leaving the user craving the drug. The second stage happens after about 14-18 hours and the user starts to experience depression, runny nose, crying, yawning, and/or sweating. The third stage happens within 24 hours and the start to get cramps, muscle twitches, loss of appetite, hot and cold flashes, and muscle and bone aches. The fourth stage starts the second day with cramps, muscle pain, insomnia, uncontrollable bowel movements, and/or vomiting. The fifth stage can last up to three days and patients continue to feel pain, depression, and uncontrollable sweat, diarrhea, and vomiting. A medically supervised detox is the best option because we could help with some of the withdrawal symptoms and most importantly make sure the patient doesn’t start using the drug again to alleviate the symptoms.