What The First Week of Quitting Opioids Looks Like and How to Cope

HEALTHJOURNEYS
Cassidy Webb Alcohol Dependence

Cassidy Webb is an avid writer who advocates spreading awareness on the disease of addiction. Her passion in life is to help others by sharing her experience, strength, and hope.

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Everyone has a different experience in their journey to recovery, but oftentimes, taking the giant leap to stop using substances and ask for help is the hardest part. As someone who spent years struggling with opioid addiction, I know just how hard it can be for people to get sober and stay sober. The thought of going to detox and rehab and giving up substances is scary, but knowing what to expect can help ease your fears.

Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms and Timeline

There are many contributing factors that impact what symptoms you will experience, how severe they will become, and how long they will last. In general, symptoms are flu-like, peak after 2-4 days, and subside after one week. Common symptoms of opioid withdrawal include:

When I first quit using opioids, the first symptoms of withdrawal appeared just four hours after taking my last dose. Even though I knew what to anticipate, the symptoms were extremely uncomfortable once they began. My eyes started watering, my nose was running, and I couldn’t stop yawning. At the same time, I began craving opioids and wanting to get high again. 

Over the course of the first night, I couldn’t seem to fall asleep. I also couldn’t get comfortable. I spent most of the night tossing, turning, and feeling like sleep was hopeless. My legs were restless, my back was aching, and all I could think about was giving into my symptoms and relapsing again.

My symptoms continued to worsen over the next two days, peaking around day three. After seven days, the only symptoms I had were occasional chills, body aches, depression, anxiety, and difficulty sleeping.

Medications for Opioid Withdrawal

Unfortunately, I was unable to secure a bed at a nearby rehab center for several days, so I had to endure the worst of withdrawal cold turkey. However, if you are fortunate enough to detox at a medical facility or addiction treatment center, there are medications available to treat opioid withdrawal.

These medications include:

  • Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) - A sublingual film that can be given 7-10 hours after your last dose of opioids. It can help reduce withdrawal symptoms and opioid cravings. 
  • Subutex (buprenorphine) - A daily tablet that can be given 7-10 hours after your last dose to reduce withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
  • Methadone - A daily opioid medication that is often used to treat severe pain, but also used to taper people off of opioids.
  • Clonidine - A blood pressure medication that can help treat physical symptoms of anxiety and high blood pressure during withdrawal.

Using these medications as directed by a doctor can help reduce the severity of your withdrawal symptoms. They can also help lessen cravings.

Tips for Coping With Opioid Withdrawal

If I had one piece of advice to give to someone who wants to get sober from opioids, it would be to do so in a medical facility. Detoxing from opioids without medical assistance isn’t easy. It can even be dangerous in certain situations. As a result, the best way to cope with opioid withdrawal is to go through it at a medical detox facility.

Other tips that may help you feel better during withdrawal are:

  • Stay hydrated - Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can make you lose your appetite, but also your fluids. It’s important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water to prevent dehydration. Staying hydrated may also help flush your system out faster.
  • Practice meditation or yoga - It can feel impossible to relax while you’re detoxing, but relaxation techniques can make you feel better physically and mentally. Try practicing yoga, meditation, or deep breathing.
  • Lean on your support group - Keeping your feelings and cravings bottled up inside isn’t healthy and it won’t make detox any easier. This is when you need to lean on your support group for emotional support. Be sure to reach out to your sober friends and ask for help.
  • Eat a healthy, balanced diet - A healthy diet consisting of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein can help support bodily functions and the natural process of detox. Be sure to consume healthy and balanced foods while you detox.

It’s true that the longer you stay sober, the easier it gets. The hardest part of stopping opioids is admitting you have a problem, becoming willing to get sober, and asking for help. If you can push through detox and accept the help available to you, you’ll be on the right track.