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If you’re recovering from opioid use disorder (OUD), you may have questions or worries about withdrawal. Opioid withdrawal isn’t usually life-threatening on its own, but it can still be dangerous.
Dehydration can become serious, and relapse (returning to opioid use) can lead to overdose because opioid tolerance drops quickly during detox.
Help from a doctor or addiction treatment team can make detox safer and more manageable. This support may include medicines to ease symptoms, fluids if needed, and a plan to help you stay safer after detox.
The fear of withdrawal syndrome can be enough to keep someone from taking steps toward recovery. Learning about the risks of opioid withdrawal can help you plan ahead and know when to get help.
Here, we’ll talk about the main risks of opioid withdrawal and how to reduce the risk of life-threatening complications during detoxification.
Opioid withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable and challenging, even when they aren’t life-threatening.
When you first stop using opioids suddenly, you might feel like you have the flu or a severe cold. You might feel chills or even develop a fever soon after you stop taking opioids.
Many people have aches and pains during opioid detox. Opioid withdrawal can also make you feel very anxious.
Strong cravings are also common during opioid withdrawal. These cravings can be difficult to overcome, and you may be tempted to use opioids to ease opioid withdrawal syndrome symptoms.
Medicines like buprenorphine or methadone can ease withdrawal symptoms and cravings and lower the risk of relapse and overdose.
Opioid withdrawal usually isn’t life-threatening by itself, but complications can be dangerous without proper care. You may not be able to avoid withdrawal symptoms, but medical help can lower your risk of serious complications.
Opioid withdrawal can involve intense sweating, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which makes it difficult to stay hydrated. Some medications can reduce vomiting and diarrhea during detox.
It’s also important to drink fluids often, even if you can manage only small sips. Drinks with electrolytes (like oral rehydration drinks, sports drinks, or broth) can help replace what you lose from sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Withdrawal can last a few days, but it can be longer depending on the opioid and how long you used it. If your dehydration becomes severe, you may need intravenous (IV) fluids with electrolytes in a medical setting.
Get medical help right away if:
The most serious complication of opioid withdrawal is accidental opioid overdose after returning to opioid use. This is the main way opioid withdrawal can become life-threatening.
Withdrawal symptoms can become so intense that some people return to opioid use to make them stop. This can be dangerous because opioid tolerance drops during detox. After detoxification, taking the same amount of opioids a person used before may be too much for their body to handle.
Some health conditions may get worse during withdrawal, and in rare cases, this can be life-threatening.
Opioid withdrawal can make chronic pain feel worse, including the pain you may have taken opioid medications for in the first place. People in severe pain during withdrawal are at higher risk of relapsing and overdosing on opioids.
People with heart conditions should know that opioid withdrawal can strain the heart. Opioid withdrawal raises your heart rate and blood pressure, which can trigger arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats) or a heart attack. These heart problems can be life-threatening, and opioid overdose after relapse can have the same effect.
Opioid withdrawal syndrome can also make depression or anxiety worse. These conditions can raise the risk of self-harm or suicide. These effects can last for months even after other withdrawal symptoms have eased, which may keep the risk of relapse higher. Depression or anxiety can also make withdrawal symptoms feel worse.
Some people feel extremely depressed, panicky, or hopeless during withdrawal and early recovery. If you or someone you know feels at risk of self-harm or suicide, call or text 988 or chat online with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Medical support is important during opioid withdrawal. Having trusted people around you can also help. Your healthcare team may prescribe medications to ease symptoms like diarrhea, muscle spasms, or cravings. Treating these symptoms can make withdrawal more manageable and lower your risk of relapse.
Having medical support during opioid withdrawal can help lower your risk for complications like dehydration, relapse, and overdose from a relapse. Medical care during detox can help your healthcare team understand what you need and respond quickly.
Depending on your symptoms, you may need IV medications, IV fluids, or other care in a medical setting.
Beyond lowering the risk of potentially life-threatening complications and relapse, medical care during opioid withdrawal can help you feel more comfortable by easing symptoms.
Your healthcare team can offer medicines for nausea, diarrhea, muscle aches, and sleep problems. Sedatives are not used for everyone and must be chosen carefully, because mixing sedatives with opioids can be dangerous.
Your support system at home or in a medical setting can also help you stay as comfortable as possible during the height of the withdrawal period by reducing stimulation.
Dim lights and limited noise can make a big difference in how you feel while having withdrawal symptoms.
Support from medical providers is important during opioid withdrawal, but support from loved ones can also make a big difference.
If you don’t have family and friends to help you, a structured treatment program can equip you to handle the challenges that can come with opioid withdrawal syndrome.
You may also receive mental healthcare during the withdrawal period, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is a form of talk therapy that can help you notice and change thought patterns that can affect how you feel and act.
Detoxification treatment programs can provide extra support for your mental health during your recovery.
Mental health support can continue throughout your recovery and during remission from OUD, even long after withdrawal symptoms have gone away.
Although it’s possible to go through opioid withdrawal at home safely, there may be times when you need urgent care.
Call emergency services right away if you think someone has overdosed.
If you’re thinking about stopping opioids, talk with your healthcare team first. Detox is only one part of recovery. For many people with OUD, treatment after detox helps lower the risk of relapse and overdose.
Your doctor or healthcare provider can recommend strategies to help you safely stop using opioids and manage symptoms during opioid withdrawal. This might include connecting you with an addiction treatment team and a plan for what happens after detox.
Your healthcare provider may recommend medicines like buprenorphine or methadone, which can treat OUD and make withdrawal easier. They may also prescribe other medicines to help with symptoms like nausea, diarrhea, muscle aches, and trouble sleeping. If naltrexone is part of your plan, it is usually started after detox.
Before you stop taking opioids, ask how to handle withdrawal symptoms, especially during the first 24 to 48 hours.
On MyOpioidRecoveryTeam, people share their experiences with opioid use disorder, get advice, and find support from others who understand.
What can you share about your experiences with opioid detoxification? Let others know in the comments below.
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