amapola
Bluelight Crew
Treatment of Withdrawal Symptoms
There are only two ways to cure withdrawal. The first is by taking more opiates and it is really not the answer we are looking for. The second is time. No matter what you do to help ease your way through withdrawal, the only real way to get better is over time. During this time, since we can't directly treat the cause of the withdrawal by taking more opiates (or we only partially treat them if tapering), we treat the symptoms of opiate withdrawal.
Supportive Treatment
Supportive treatment is a term in medicine where if you can't treat the cause of a disease to cure it, you manage the symptoms as best you can.
First and foremost (much like surviving on a desert island) we take care of our basic bodily needs.
OTC Drugs
There are many drugs which are often available over the counter (without a prescription) that can do wonders for helping alleviate certain symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Some of the more commonly used ones are listed here.
Prescription Non-Opioids (benzos etc.)
Although the OTC drugs listed above do help with some symptoms, there are more potent prescription drugs which would be considered preferable; if you can get your hands on them. The most notable of these are benzodiazepines which, depending on the specific one, can be a combination of a sedative, hypnotic (sleep-inducing), anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant. Benzos are often prescribed by detox clinics and are definitely a good thing to have.
Some others include:
Other Recreational Drugs (marijuana etc.)
It is debatable whether substances like weed, booze, coke, ketamine, etc. should be taken during opiate withdrawal. They have the potential to make the situation much worse, however they can help both with physical symptoms and with taking your mind off of withdrawal. It basically comes down to a personal choice but anything that is hard on the body or has a hard comedown is probably not going to help anything (eg. stims and booze). Smoking weed is probably the most common and can definitely help people relax and take their mind off the withdrawal but it does elevate your heart rate and can make anxiety worse.
Endorphins (natural opioids)
Endorphines are natural opioids created by your body in response to certain situations. They are what is needed to get you feeling better again and there are several ways you can trigger their release.
The Mental Aspect
One of the worst things about withdrawal is the time you used to spend just lying in blissfully in bed enjoying every moment is now spent lying torturously in bed hating every minute. Time passes slower than can be imagined and thinking about how much longer you have to go is often much worse than any symptoms you are actually experiencing. Along those lines it is important to keep your mind as occupied as possible and once you are able to get out of bed your body as well.
Ideas for things to do include: watching movies or TV shows (laughing at a comedy is the best medicine
); playing engrossing games (a complex one like chess completely takes over your mind but something intense like poker or the latest shoot-em-up might give some needed release); or anything else that takes your mind off the situation - like coming onto Bluelight
. If you find yourself just too restless to watch TV or play video games, try doing something more complex. Learning about a subject that interests you for example can hold your attention better than a mindless game and though it seems counter-intuitive to do something harder it often works out.
Sitting and staring at the clock is a lot more difficult than just doing something. If withdrawal doesn't have you stuck to the bathroom floor or physically bedridden then get out of the house, walk to the store, hang out with friends, anything. It might seem like you aren't up for it, but taking your mind off withdrawal is the key to success.
There are only two ways to cure withdrawal. The first is by taking more opiates and it is really not the answer we are looking for. The second is time. No matter what you do to help ease your way through withdrawal, the only real way to get better is over time. During this time, since we can't directly treat the cause of the withdrawal by taking more opiates (or we only partially treat them if tapering), we treat the symptoms of opiate withdrawal.
Supportive Treatment
Supportive treatment is a term in medicine where if you can't treat the cause of a disease to cure it, you manage the symptoms as best you can.
First and foremost (much like surviving on a desert island) we take care of our basic bodily needs.
- hydration
Your body needs water to survive and stay healthy. While detoxing from opiates you'll likely be suffering from diarrhea, nausea, and profuse sweating, all of which contribute to dehydration. Maintaining good fluid levels is integral to getting and feeling better and should be a priority whenever you are sick including withdrawal. Water, juice, soup, whatever you can take and keep down you should be consuming. Although people say detoxing from opiates isn't inherently deadly (as compared to benzos/booze), it does put a lot of stress on your heart and other organs and dehydration can be dangerous as well.
- electrolytes
Along with needing fluids in your body, you need ions in those fluids which are known as electrolytes. They are integral to proper muscle and nerve function (including your heart) and a lack of them will result in cramps, seizures, and other nasty problems. Just as diarrhea, vomiting, and sweating decrease fluid content, they also decrease electrolytes (especially sodium and potassium) and need to be replaced. Sports drinks are an excellent source, but juice and soup will do as well. Hydration is important but be sure you don't over do it on just water.
- vitamins/minerals
Although some of these fall under the category of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals are important for proper bodily functions. Although they can be obtained naturally from dietary sources, in the midst of opiate withdrawal you might not be feeling to hungry and taking a good multivitamin can help supply your body with everything it needs to get back on track.
- food
Your heart pounding shivering body will surely be craving some energy, and calories in the form of food is where it comes from. That being said if you are way to sick to eat then there is nothing wrong with sticking to juices and soups until feeling a little better. Getting some fresh fruit in your stomach can do wonders for your mentality though and sometimes help with nausea as well.
- sleep
It may be hard, but your body and brain needs sleep to heal and repair. There are drugs which can help but resting and at least trying to sleep is just as important as keeping active and trying to keep your mind off of withdrawal.
OTC Drugs
There are many drugs which are often available over the counter (without a prescription) that can do wonders for helping alleviate certain symptoms of opioid withdrawal. Some of the more commonly used ones are listed here.
- diphenhydramine (for sleep)
Diphenhydramine (Benedryl) is an antihistamine which is used to treat allergies. It is also used off label as a sleeping aid and just a few pills will help you get to sleep. Taking too much it acts as a psychedelic deliriant and there is no need to go much beyond the recommended dosage. Some other antihistamines, including promethazine and diphenhydrate, have this property as well.
- naproxen sodium (for muscle aches and pains)
Like other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) naproxen (Alleve) is a pain killer which can help treaet pain in your muscles caused by withdrawal. Ibuprofen and aspirin are other drugs in this category which could be used instead though naproxen is often preferred for withdrawal. These drugs should not be used beyond the recommend dosage as they can cause intestinal issues and should not be mixed.
Acetaminophen is also a non-narcotic pain killer but is less effective for muscle pain.
- dextromethorphan (opiate action)
DXM (a cough suppressant) has some opiate action and can be used to help reduce symptoms but is not active enough to be considered a drug you can taper on. It is more commonly used to potentiate other opiates thereby allegedly preventing tolerance. In higher doses it is also a dissociative which people experienced in it's own recreational use find helpful to reach while in withdrawal.
- lopermide (opiate action) Loperamide
Lopermide (Immodium) is a very strong opioid. However in low doses it does not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and therefore only acts on your peripheral nervous system and not your central nervous system (CNS). In lower doses it is extremely useful for limiting diarrhea and related symptoms, and in high doses it actually does somewhat cross the BBB and can almost completely eliminate withdrawal and can actually be used to perform a taper of its own.
Prescription Non-Opioids (benzos etc.)
Although the OTC drugs listed above do help with some symptoms, there are more potent prescription drugs which would be considered preferable; if you can get your hands on them. The most notable of these are benzodiazepines which, depending on the specific one, can be a combination of a sedative, hypnotic (sleep-inducing), anxiolytic (anti-anxiety), anticonvulsant, and muscle relaxant. Benzos are often prescribed by detox clinics and are definitely a good thing to have.
Some others include:
- muscle relaxants (eg. carisoprodol) to help with muscle aches
- alpha blocker (eg. clonidine [prescribed for opiate withdrawal]) lowers blood pressure and limits hot/cold flashes
- beta blocker (eg. propranolol) lowers heart rate and blood pressure
- ondansetron - a 5-HT3 antagonist which has been shown to treat opioid withdrawal
Other Recreational Drugs (marijuana etc.)
It is debatable whether substances like weed, booze, coke, ketamine, etc. should be taken during opiate withdrawal. They have the potential to make the situation much worse, however they can help both with physical symptoms and with taking your mind off of withdrawal. It basically comes down to a personal choice but anything that is hard on the body or has a hard comedown is probably not going to help anything (eg. stims and booze). Smoking weed is probably the most common and can definitely help people relax and take their mind off the withdrawal but it does elevate your heart rate and can make anxiety worse.
Endorphins (natural opioids)
Endorphines are natural opioids created by your body in response to certain situations. They are what is needed to get you feeling better again and there are several ways you can trigger their release.
- exercise
This is the big one. Getting up and moving about is important for mental reasons as mentioned below, but vigorous exercise (whether running, weight lifting, or playing sports) can really improve how you feel. Even if you feel like utter crap and can't imagine getting out of bed, remember that you don't have the flu and breaking a sweat is a sure fire way to actually feel better. An exercise regime is also very important to getting over PAWS and maintaining your sobriety (never mind living longer and looking super sexy). You might as well start now when it'll also help with withdrawal.
- sexual release
If you find there is simply no way of getting out of bed, this can give you a much needed break from the pain. Although reaching orgasm will flood your system with endorphins, even just being sexually stimulated (mentally and/or physically) will help somewhat.
- chocolate and candy
Who cares if these release endorphins, (they do by the way) they taste great anyways. Feel free to indulge.
- spicy foods
The pain inflicted from spicy foods is another way of getting some endorphins released in your body. This one you may want to leave until after the diarrhea has stopped however.
- anything else that feels good
Not all of these release endorphins per se, but they all feel great.- hot showers
- heating pad
- massage
- stretching
- a hug
- talking to a loved one
The Mental Aspect
One of the worst things about withdrawal is the time you used to spend just lying in blissfully in bed enjoying every moment is now spent lying torturously in bed hating every minute. Time passes slower than can be imagined and thinking about how much longer you have to go is often much worse than any symptoms you are actually experiencing. Along those lines it is important to keep your mind as occupied as possible and once you are able to get out of bed your body as well.
Ideas for things to do include: watching movies or TV shows (laughing at a comedy is the best medicine


Sitting and staring at the clock is a lot more difficult than just doing something. If withdrawal doesn't have you stuck to the bathroom floor or physically bedridden then get out of the house, walk to the store, hang out with friends, anything. It might seem like you aren't up for it, but taking your mind off withdrawal is the key to success.
For any detailed and specific information on any of the mentioned substances or concepts beyond simply being used for opioid withdrawal, please search for threads on them or check out
**The Other Drugs Directory**
**The Other Drugs Directory**
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