A Guide to Oxycodone Withdrawal
Oxycodone withdrawal occurs when a person who regularly uses the drug suddenly stops taking it. Depending on how long you have been using oxycodone, you may suffer from only mild symptoms or possibly something much more severe. The good news is that the withdrawal symptom will go away on their own with time. That being said, heavy users should never attempt to quit using without seeking professional help since, without proper medical care, some of the symptoms could lead to potentially life-threatening complications.
The Physiology Behind Oxycodone Addiction and Withdrawal
Oxycodone and other opioids work by attaching to nerve receptors in the body to prevent them from sending pain signals to the brain. This is what makes them so effective for pain management and also why people who suffer from chronic or long-term pain can quickly become addicted. Opioids also cause the brain to release dopamine, which is the chemical responsible for feelings of pleasure and satisfaction.
Chronic use of oxycodone usually leads to increased tolerance and eventual addiction, and these issues are a direct result of the brain abnormalities that occur as a result of long-term opioid abuse. When a person uses oxycodone or other opioids for a prolonged period, their brain essentially starts to rely on the drug in order to function properly. This leads to dependence as the individual must continue taking the opioid to prevent themselves from going into withdrawal. In turn, this dependence can lead to an increased tolerance as the opioid receptors in the brain start to become less sensitive with prolonged use.
The reasons for oxycodone dependence are fairly simple and based solely on the way that the drug changes the brain so that the person needs to continue using it to feel and function normally. However, the changes in the brain that lead to addiction are generally much more complicated and longer lasting as they can be affected by both biological and environmental factors.
These factors can include things like psychological conditioning and the social setting where the person uses the drug as well as any genetic predisposition they may have toward addiction or other brain abnormalities that were present before the drug use started. These factors are partly why it can be so difficult to overcome a substance use disorder. Similarly, they can help to explain why the withdrawal symptoms and their severity can vary so dramatically from one person to the next and why some people suddenly suffer cravings or even feel minor mental withdrawal symptoms weeks, months, or even years after they are no longer opioid-dependent.
Oxycodone Withdrawal Symptoms
In terms of withdrawal, one primary issue is that oxycodone doesn’t just affect the body’s pain receptors. Opioids also travel into part of the brain stem, which can cause physiological changes like reduced blood pressure, slower breathing, and constipation among others. Many of these changes remain present until the opioid is no longer in the person’s system, and it is the reversal of these changes that is at least partly responsible for some withdrawal symptoms.
The specific symptoms and their severity are different with each individual, but these are some of the things you can expect to experience when going through withdrawal from oxycodone or other opioids:
• Increased anxiety, agitation, and restlessness
• Vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps
• High blood pressure, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate
• Fever, chills, and goosebumps
• Sweating and body aches
• Shaking, sometimes uncontrollable
• Runny nose, watery eyes, and dilated pupils
• Insomnia and uncontrollable yawning
• Hallucinations
• Seizures
• Depression and suicidal thoughts
• Brain fog or difficulties concentrating
Factors That Can Impact the Severity of the Withdrawal Symptoms
There are a number of different factors that can affect how mild or severe your withdrawal symptoms will be. Your overall level of health is one major factor. For instance, if you suffer from a heart condition or chronic gastrointestinal issues, your symptoms may be more severe and potentially more serious. Your health can also impact how long the opioids stay in your system, and this can play an important role in both the severity of the symptoms and how long they last.
How long you have been using oxycodone, how frequently you took it, and your tolerance level will also impact how severe your symptoms are and how quickly they come on. Other factors that can have an impact include your weight, your gender, and whether you mixed oxycodone with alcohol or other drugs. One final factor that is hugely important is whether you’re using medication to help you cope with the withdrawal or attempting to quit cold turkey.
Oxycodone Withdrawal Timeline
Oxycodone is a short-acting opioid, which means most people will usually start experiencing the first withdrawal symptoms anywhere from three to 12 hours after taking their last dose. However, this could be shorter or longer depending on your tolerance level, how much you’ve taken, and how long it takes for your body to fully process and eliminate the opioids from your system.
The withdrawal timeline also depends on the type of oxycodone you took and how you took it. Oxycodone is available in immediate-release and slow-release formulas. The immediate-release formula will usually be gone from your body within three to four hours whereas controlled-release oxycodone has a typical half-life of 12 hours. Your withdrawal symptoms may also occur more quickly depending on whether you ingested the drug or took it some other way.
Snorting, smoking, or injecting oxycodone immediately releases the drug into your bloodstream. This provides more instant effects and also increases the rate at which the body processes the drug. This means that if you took the drug in one of these methods your withdrawal symptoms will typically start sooner than they would if you ingested a pill.
People who were given an opioid-blocking treatment like naloxone to prevent an overdose may also start to experience withdrawal symptoms much more quickly. In this case, you may begin to notice the first signs in as little as a few minutes. The reason for this is that naloxone and other similar medications quickly block the effects of opioids, which means your body will start to react to the lack of oxycodone almost immediately.
In most cases, the symptoms will usually peak and be at their worst somewhere around 72 hours after the last dose before finally beginning to taper off. The entire withdrawal process usually takes a few days for most people. However, people with higher tolerances or those who have been using for much longer may continue to experience some withdrawal symptoms for much longer.
The most severe physical and psychological symptoms, known as acute withdrawal symptoms, will usually dissipate within a week or two at the most. However, many people continue to suffer from what is known as post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) for weeks or months after.
PAWS occurs as the brain slowly begins to adjust to living without opioids, and it usually manifests itself in various psychological and emotional issues. This can include sudden cravings as well as feelings like insomnia, depression, restlessness, and trouble concentrating. Depending on the severity of the addiction, you may not experience any of these symptoms, or you could suddenly find yourself suffering from them several months down the road.
PAWS is a temporary condition, and the symptoms will slowly begin to subside the longer you go without using opioids. Nonetheless, the syndrome greatly increases the chances of relapsing back into drug use, which is why it’s essential that you seek out professional help in order to give yourself the best chance of overcoming your substance use disorder.
How Withdrawal Is Diagnosed
The symptoms of withdrawal are such that it is usually easy for the individual suffering from them or anyone close to them to diagnose. However, medical professionals use a special system in order to measure the symptoms of opioid withdrawal and also to monitor the symptoms over time. This system is known as the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS), which is used to diagnose the presence of the following 11 symptoms and rate them based on their severity:
• Resting pulse rate
• Gastrointestinal issues
• Sweating
• Tremors
• Restlessness
• Yawning
• Pupil size
• Anxiety or irritability
• Bone or joint aches
• Piloerection (goosebumps)
• Runny nose or tearing unrelated to another illness or allergies
Each of these symptoms is assigned a number value between zero and four or five based on the severity of the symptom. These values are then added up, and this score is used to rate the severity of the withdrawal on the following scale:
• 5-12: Mild withdrawal
• 13-24: Moderate withdrawal
• 25-35: Moderately severe withdrawal
• 36 and above: Severe withdrawal
The COWS system is incredibly useful because it enables a medical professional to determine how severe the withdrawal is and the best options to alleviate the associated symptoms. In addition, a treatment provider may perform a physical exam and various other tests and procedures, such as blood or urine tests, chest X-rays, complete blood counts, liver function tests, and ECGs (electrocardiogram). All of this is done to get a better idea of the person’s overall health and to identify any potentially serious issues that could arise during the oxycodone detox.
Possible Complications That Can Result From Withdrawal
Most withdrawal symptoms are luckily not that serious. Nonetheless, severe complications can arise and potentially lead to serious health issues or even death. The biggest concerns are when the individual suffers from either severe diarrhea or vomiting. If left untreated, these conditions can cause dehydration, which in turn can lead to an elevated blood sodium level and eventual heart failure.
Treatment Options During Withdrawal
Some people choose to undergo the withdrawal process at home with a trusted friend or family member. However, this is generally not recommended except for cases of extremely mild withdrawal because of the possible complications that may occur. Instead, it is much better to undergo oxycodone detox under the supervision of a treatment provider or a medical professional. Not only will this allow you to avoid any complications, but it also gives you far more options for managing your withdrawal symptoms and a better chance of long-term success.
Medical professionals and treatment providers may use a variety of different medications to help ease you through the withdrawal process depending on the severity of both your symptoms and your substance use disorder. Over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen are often used to help with aches and fevers, and you may also be given medication to combat high blood pressure or other more serious symptoms.
Taking medication to settle your stomach and stop you from vomiting or having diarrhea can also be a huge help. If you are suffering from these gastrointestinal issues during your withdrawal, it is essential that you drink plenty of fluids to avoid becoming dehydrated and potentially experiencing other more severe issues.
Many clients also find that things like light exercise and frequently eating small meals can help to overcome some of the milder symptoms experienced in both the beginning and end stages of the withdrawal process. As well, it usually helps to try things like reading, meditation, or anything else that can help take your mind off of the symptoms.
For more serious cases of a substance use disorder, most treatment professionals recommend medical-assisted therapy (MAT). This type of treatment uses medication to slowly wean you off your oxycodone dependence and help change your brain chemistry back to normal. The medication is used alongside counseling and therapy in order to give the individual the best possible chance of permanently overcoming their addiction.
Currently, there are three medications approved by the FDA to treat opioid addictions: methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. Methadone and buprenorphine are both used to reduce drug cravings and prevent or lessen the severity of withdrawal symptoms. Naltrexone blocks you from feeling the euphoric effects of opioids and is generally prescribed to lower the risk of relapse.
If you or a loved one is suffering from oxycodone addiction or any other substance use disorder, it is important to understand that you’re not alone. Experiencing or watching a loved one go through opiate withdrawal can be one of the most difficult things a person will ever experience in their life, but it is still nothing compared to the potential consequences of not getting the help needed. If you are ready to make a change, we are here for you and can provide the resources you need to start your road to recovery.
