Withdrawal Overview

Opiate Withdrawal

Taking opiates alters our brain chemistry by forcing the pathways within the brain to adapt to a foreign stimulus (opiates). This creates a vicious cycle because we require ever-greater doses of opiates to obtain relief.

Additionally, when opiates are taken away the brain reacts dramatically, causing the person to feel sick.

The intensity of a reaction a person has depends on:M

1. The length of drug use
2. The amounts taken over time (ten days is enough for some to become addicted)
3. The type of drug(s) ingested.

Cold-Turkey vs. Withdrawal Relief Complex© System

There are a host of symptoms which surface within 10-24 hours after an opiate dependent person stops taking opiates. Those symptoms are the essence of withdrawal. For most people, acute withdrawal lasts about 5 – 7 days; cravings can persist for months. During acute withdrawal, the predominant symptoms are similar to a very bad case of the flu and can include aching, fever, sweating, shaking, and chills. Other symptoms often include depression, anxiety, extreme fatigue and lethargy; these are all in addition to the extremely difficult cravings for the former drug to which they were addicted.