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If you’re going through opioid withdrawal, symptoms like nausea, sweating, and diarrhea can make you feel really sick. You may wonder if vitamins and supplements would help you feel better faster.
Research on supplements is limited. There’s no strong evidence that supplements can replace medications approved for opioid use disorder (OUD).
That said, some supplements may be helpful in certain situations. Here’s a rundown of the research and guidelines.
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In some cases, supplements don’t even list the right ingredients on the label. Third-party organizations test certain brands to check if the product actually contains what it says. These include consumerlab.com, NSF International, and U.S. Pharmacopeia.
The FDA can also check on supplement companies, especially if there’s a complaint. But supplements don’t need approval before they’re sold. That means quality issues may go unreported until after the product’s been available for a while.
Before trying a supplement, talk with a healthcare professional. This is especially important if you take prescriptions, have health conditions, or are pregnant. The healthcare professional can help you decide if the supplement is safe and whether it’s worth your money.
What Does the Evidence Say About Supplements? There’s no proven supplement for opioid withdrawal. But researchers have been looking into it. Here are the vitamins, minerals, and herbs mentioned in OUD studies.
Vitamin C can help shorten colds and support essential body functions. Vitamin C also affects feel-good chemicals in the brain. These include dopamine and serotonin.
People with OUD are more likely to be deficient in vitamin C. In addition, researchers think having low vitamin C levels before starting opioids may increase the risk of developing OUD.
In 1969, researcher Alexander G. Schauss gave people with OUD vitamin C as part of a supervised detox.
Participants were detoxing at a heroin treatment facility. They were told to drink fruit juice with a form of vitamin C every few hours until their symptoms improved. According to his report, the vitamin C stopped withdrawal symptoms for everyone who tried it.
Other researchers repeated similar studies with promising results. One added the B vitamin niacin to their protocol. Another combined vitamin C with methadone (a prescription drug for OUD).
Despite their effectiveness, these protocols weren’t fully endorsed by medical facilities at the time. Today, some researchers still believe vitamin C may help with OUD in the following ways:
Vitamin C has likely benefits and few safety risks. As a result, researchers have suggested including it to support other OUD treatments.
Ask your healthcare provider before adding vitamin C to your treatment plan. You may need to avoid vitamin C supplements if you have kidney problems or high iron levels. That’s because vitamin C increases iron absorption.
In high doses, some forms of vitamin C can cause diarrhea. If you take more than your body can handle at once, you could get stomach cramps and nausea. Instead, smaller doses spread throughout the day may be easier to absorb and tolerate.
Magnesium as a supplement is commonly used for heartburn and constipation. Magnesium may also help with migraine headaches.
Research suggests magnesium could help with opioid withdrawals due to its effect on the glutamate system. Basically, opioids block a receptor in the brain linked with pain. Magnesium has similar effects and may help blunt the increase in pain when stopping opioids.
One clinical trial included 40 people in the emergency room for opioid withdrawal syndrome. Half were given prescribed medications for their symptoms. The other half were given the same prescribed meds plus magnesium.
Both groups saw their symptoms improve after getting treatment. But the magnesium group experienced stronger symptom relief.
The study on magnesium for opioid withdrawal is promising, but small. It’s hard to know if these benefits would happen for everyone.
High doses of magnesium from supplements can lead to stomach problems, low blood pressure, heart attacks, and trouble breathing. Most people get enough magnesium from food. So ask your doctor if a supplement is right for you.
Scientists have studied herbs for the treatment of OUD. Here’s what they’ve found.
A small human study added the herb passionflower to clonidine, a prescription medication for opioid withdrawal. The results suggested that passionflower improved mental withdrawal symptoms from opioids compared to clonidine alone.
Although the study was well-designed, it’s more than 20 years old, and no larger or more recent studies have looked at passionflower for OUD.
Several herbs have been shown to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. Research has included the following herbs:
The effects were similar to those seen with approved treatments for opioid withdrawal symptoms. But all of the studies have a high risk of bias. This means their results can’t be fully trusted.
Herbal supplements shouldn’t replace approved treatments for opioid withdrawal symptoms. These products can come with risks. Plus, it’s hard to predict how your body will react to them.
Like other dietary supplements, herbal products have a risk of contamination. They may contain heavy metals or toxins.
In addition, there’s no established dose for opioid withdrawal symptoms or other uses. Without more information and regulation, supplements aren’t a reliable way to manage opioid withdrawal.
Withdrawal can be difficult. Medical treatment can help make the process safer and more manageable. It can also reduce the risk of returning to opioid use.
Treatment depends on several factors. Your healthcare team will consider the type of opioid used, how long it was used, the severity of your withdrawal symptoms, and your health history.
Medically supervised withdrawal involves managing withdrawal symptoms with help from healthcare professionals. Treatment may include prescription medications, fluids, and other supportive care.
Doctors may recommend medications such as clonidine or lofexidine to ease some physical symptoms of withdrawal. Other medications may help manage nausea, diarrhea, muscle aches, or sleep problems.
Medical support is particularly important if you’re pregnant or have other medical conditions. Opioid withdrawal isn’t usually life-threatening. But some people develop dangerous complications, like dehydration.
Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are among the most effective treatments available. Here are the three FDA-approved medications:
These medications can be part of a longer-term treatment plan. When used as prescribed, MOUDs can help you regain control of your life and well-being. Treatment with these medications may continue for years or indefinitely when beneficial, and tapering should be a shared decision with your prescribing clinician, not a response to family or other social pressures.
There’s more to recovery than medication. Counseling, behavioral therapies, peer support, and other services can help address the challenges of living with OUD.
If you’re considering stopping opioids, don’t turn to supplements. Talk with a healthcare professional about a treatment plan before attempting withdrawal on your own.
You can also contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) for free, confidential treatment information and referrals.
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