Published October 24, 2021 · Reviewed by Sergey Litvinov, MD · ~626 words

Most people who come off opioids have already done it once, in a bedroom, on a bathroom floor, with nothing to take the edge off. They know exactly how bad the second day gets, and that memory is usually what stops them trying again. Opioids include fentanyl, oxycodone and hydrocodone, and a lot of people arrive at them by way of a prescription that ran out. When the pills stop, heroin is cheaper. Medication makes the withdrawal part manageable, which is the difference between getting through it and going back.

Several medications blunt the pain of opioid withdrawal. At Pines Recovery Life our opioid addiction treatment program includes medication for withdrawal, prescribed and monitored by physicians and nursing staff around the clock. It takes the worst of the symptoms down to something you can sit through. To find out more, start by calling 800.263.3869 or completing our online form.

Medication for opioid withdrawal

Medication-assisted treatment works against the symptoms that start when the opioids stop. Without it, withdrawal is far harder and far more painful than it needs to be. These are the medications our team uses:

• Naltrexone. It blocks the pleasure from opioids and is not addictive.
• Methadone. The main drug used to treat opioid addiction for decades. It has to be monitored closely because of overdose risk, and it is itself highly addictive.
• Buprenorphine. It cuts cravings without producing a high. It can be habit-forming, so it needs supervision to avoid misuse.
• Suboxone. A combination of naloxone and buprenorphine. Naloxone is the drug used to reverse opioid overdoses.
• Clonidine. Used in addiction treatment for over 25 years. It has more side effects than methadone, mainly low blood pressure, but it is less likely to cause post-withdrawal rebounding. It is less effective than buprenorphine.
• Lofexidine. Works like clonidine but causes less low blood pressure and less sedation. It can be combined with low-dose naloxone.

Opiate withdrawal symptoms

The symptoms are the same across opioids, but they land differently on different people. Some hit hard and some never show up at all.

Opiate withdrawal symptoms can include:

• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Elevated heart rate
• Sweating
• Chills
• Bone and muscular pain
• Disruption of sleeping habits
• Flu-like symptoms
• High blood pressure

Opioid withdrawal at Pines Recovery Life

Quitting opioids on your own is hard and it can be dangerous. Several of these medications work on their own and some work better together. A few, like buprenorphine, carry their own risk of dependence; others, like naltrexone, do not. Without medication, opioid withdrawal is punishing and in some circumstances deadly.

At Pines Recovery Life we run three stages: evaluation, stabilization and aftercare planning. The physicians and nurses who start you on medication are the ones who stay with you through it. What we want is for you to be comfortable enough to concentrate on the detox and nothing else. Reach us online or at 800.263.3869 to take the first step toward treatment.