Oxycodone Withdrawal Timeline And Detoxification

Oxycodone is a potent opioid painkiller which can create strong physical dependencies and addiction within a short period of time. Once a person is dependent, they will likely experience withdrawal, should they abruptly stop using the drug.

A medically-supervised detoxification program supports a person’s body through this time, minimizing what can be painful and highly uncomfortable symptoms of withdrawal.

Signs Of Oxycodone Withdrawal

When a person’s body becomes physically dependent on oxycodone it struggles to perform normally without the drug. This is because certain chemicals in a person’s body and brain have been influenced by the drug’s constant presence. Without frequent doses of oxycodone, a person’s body is no longer able to maintain the levels of these chemicals required for their body to function properly.

In the drug’s absence, or when the dosage is drastically reduced, a person’s body will typically react so harshly that they go into withdrawal.

Early symptoms of oxycodone withdrawal include:

• achy muscles
• agitation
• anxiety
• insomnia
• runny nose
• sweating
• teary eyes
• yawning

Late symptoms of oxycodone withdrawal include:

• abdominal cramps
• diarrhea
• dilated (enlarged) pupils
• goosebumps
• nausea
• vomiting

These symptoms can become extremely painful and intolerable, to the extent that they become debilitating. A person may also become extremely irritable, restless, and even depressed throughout this period. Further, a person will crave the drug, oftentimes in such an extreme manner that they’re unable to think of anything else.

This is one reason why it is so important to seek a medically-supervised detoxification program. Without this professional support, a person may give in to their cravings, return to drug abuse, and endanger their life with continued drug use.

Oxycodone Withdrawal Timeline

Once a person stops using oxycodone, acute withdrawal symptoms may set in in as few as eight to 12 hours. The exact time this takes and the intensity of symptoms are both dependent on a person’s unique physiology and the frequency and severity of drug abuse. But in general, withdrawal follows this timeline:

Days One To Two: The first two days often produce the most unbearable symptoms, including strong cravings, to the extent this is the most vulnerable time for relapse for many individuals.

Days Three To Five: For many people, withdrawal may peak around day three, but again, this depends on a person’s body and patterns of drug abuse. While certain physical symptoms may begin to subside, a person will still likely feel on edge and uncomfortable. At this time, mental and emotional distress may still be present, primarily felt through the effects of anxiety, and at times, depression.

Days Six To Seven: Many symptoms may start to taper off, though a person isn’t yet out of the clear. At any point in this process, a person may experience severe cravings, tempting them to return to drug abuse. For some people, withdrawal can last longer than a week.

Even once the majority of physical symptoms dissipate, a person’s mental and emotional health may still be adversely impacted by withdrawal. Cravings wax and wane, sometimes hitting a person with such force that relapse seems like an attractive option to staunch them. This is yet another reason why seeking professional help is so critical during this process.

The most effective programs should offer counseling services, compassionate companionship, accountability, and encouragement throughout detoxification. These elements help a person to heal emotionally and to maintain a continued resolve to pursue sobriety.

The Risks And Dangers Of Oxycodone Withdrawal

Withdrawal from oxycodone can be emotionally and physically exhausting, to the extent we recommend that you never attempt it on your own. Doing so can be very dangerous. It also significantly increases the odds that a person relapse back to drug abuse, circumstances that place an individual once again at risk for overdose, addiction, and a host of illness and disease linked to drug abuse.

While withdrawal isn’t typically deadly, certain complications which arise from it may be. Choosing a comprehensive treatment program works to protect you from these risks.

Severe gastrointestinal distress can occur during withdrawal, the effects of which may result in extreme dehydration and electrolyte imbalance, the likes of which cannot be effectively treated at home. During professionally, medically-guided care, a person may receive IV fluid hydration and nutritional support to help their body regain its equilibrium.

During withdrawal, a person may become violently ill and vomit. In some cases, the vomit may be breathed back in, or aspirated. Here a person could choke and suffocate, or contract a severe lung infection, either of which could be deadly.

Medically-Supervised Oxycodone Detoxification

A medically-supervised detoxification program gives your body and mind a supervised and safe space to heal and cleanse itself. Prolonged drug abuse causes toxins and chemicals to build up in a person’s body; detoxification encourages your body to renew itself by flushing these substances out of its system.

To aid in this process, and to reduce the pain and physical discomfort associated with withdrawal, IV fluid hydration, nutritive support, and a variety of medications may be administered as needed. Medications help your body to slowly taper off of the opioid drug of abuse.

Buprenorphine is an evidenced-based medication frequently used to treat withdrawal from opioids. In combination with naloxone, it’s offered as Bunavail, Suboxone, and Zubsolv.

Some facilities also use methadone during opiate detoxification to help reduce symptoms of withdrawal. Clonidine may be used to decrease anxiety, agitation, muscle aches, sweating, runny nose, or cramping, while certain other medications may be used for gastrointestinal distress and insomnia, as explained by MedlinePlus.

To address the emotional and mental effects of withdrawal, such as fear, anxiety, and/or depression, companionship and counseling may be offered as a support to these medications and treatments.

How To Get Treatment For An Oxycodone Addiction

While a medically-supervised detoxification program may be offered as a standalone service, it’s generally in an individual’s best interest to choose an inpatient facility that offers both this and rehabilitation on site.

Detoxification is a critical element of treatment, however, it only treats one part of addiction. Once the physical component of addiction has been treated during detoxification, the psychological aspects of addiction must be addressed, a need which is fulfilled within drug rehabilitation.

Opioid addictions are some of the most severe, circumstances which often garner the best treatment within an inpatient drug rehabilitation program. Here, a person’s mental and emotional health will be addressed, in a way which promotes greater balance, well-being, and healing.

Addiction revolves around deep-seated, negative thoughts and emotions which feed dysfunctional behaviors. A large part of rehab involves behavior modification and teaching an individual how to cultivate positive and affirming thoughts and emotions, all of which occur through counseling and behavioral therapies.

During this time a person will also learn coping, interpersonal, relapse prevention, and stress reduction skills, the combination of which helps to protect a person both during and after treatment.

If you’d like more information on how to detox safely from oxycodone, contact OpioidTreatment.net today.