With a nationwide epidemic continuing to affect the lives of countless Americans, understanding the damaging effects of opioids is crucial. Whether prescribed by a doctor or procured illegally, misuse of these substances can quickly escalate into full-blown addictions. A tell-tale sign of a substance use disorder is withdrawal symptoms, which is the body’s reaction to going without a drug or alcohol after continual abuse. To treat this, Legacy Healing offers a Florida opioid detox center that can help patients put these symptoms at bay and prepare for the treatments to follow.

What Are Opioids?

Opioids refer to a class of drugs, both prescribed and illegal, that act on opioid receptors in the brain. These actions result in euphoric effects similar to those experienced on morphine.

Well-known examples of opioids include:

• Heroin
• Morphine
• Methadone
• Oxycodone
• Hydrocodone
• Fentanyl

Some of the listed substances are legal, while others are illegal. Regardless of their legal status, all of these substances present not only a high risk of abuse but also a risk of addiction and overdose. In fact, recent years have seen a spike in instances of fentanyl-laced drugs, with its presence resulting in fatal consequences for those who may not have intended to take an opioid. In any case, opioid addiction treatment at our Fort Lauderdale rehab is crucial.

Opioid Withdrawal Timeline and Symptoms

When a drug user’s body becomes accustomed to the presence of a certain substance, removing it can present serious issues for the drug user. This is not just the case for illegal drugs. There is a reason that consistent communication with a doctor is so important when changes to a prescription are needed. Regardless of where the drugs come from – such as a pharmacy or a street corner – opioid abuse can easily result in unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.

How long these symptoms last will depend on a number of factors, including what exact kind of drug was taken, how much of it, and for how long. It also depends on if the opioid taken was short-acting or long-acting (extended-release or XR) and the time between when doses were taken.

• Short-acting: For short-acting opioids and heroin, users can expect symptoms to appear 8 to 12 hours after taking their last dose, with a peak occurring between days 1 and 3 and lasting for about a week.
• Immediate release: Opioids like immediate-release formulas and morphine will see symptoms beginning 8 to 24 hours after the last use and lasting for up to 10 days.
• Long-acting: Long-acting opioids will lead to symptoms as long as 36 hours after the last dose and last up to 2 weeks.

The symptoms experienced can also range in severity, although certain may be consistent among different drugs.

Withdrawal symptoms treated by our opioid detox program include:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Diarrhea and/or other stomach issues

• High body temperature
• Inability to sleep
• Pain in the muscles and bones
• Sweating and/or chills
• Heightened blood pressure
• Heart palpitations
• Severe anxiety

Anyone struggling with the symptoms listed above is highly encouraged to seek the treatment options available at our Florida opioid detox center. Here they will have access to life-saving medications that can effectively reduce their symptoms in a safe and controlled manner. Once withdrawals are effectively managed, patients have the ability to access the many therapy programs provided at our addiction treatment facility.

For those in need of Florida drug detox for opioid abuse, contact Legacy Healing Center Fort Lauderdale and speak with an intake specialist today.

Related Reading