- Aches and pains
- Stomach cramps
- Feeling sick (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea)
- Muscle spasms/twitching
- Insomnia/problems sleeping
What Is Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome?
Stopping opioid use can result in severe, sometimes flu-like, symptoms that are known as Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (OWS)1,2
- Feelings of coldness/chills
- Muscular tension
- Heart pounding
- Runny eyes
- Yawning
The severity and length of withdrawal symptoms depend on the type of opioid and how long it is active in your system3,4
- For shorter-acting opioids, such as Percocet®, OxyContin®, or Vicodin®, withdrawal symptoms peak within 2 to 3 days and last for 7 to 10 days
- For longer-acting opioids, such as methadone, withdrawal symptoms peak at 3 to 4 days, but may last for 14 days or more
All product names are registered trademarks of their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.
Making a plan with your doctor can help you manage OWS when you stop taking opioids
Regardless of when you started taking opioids, it’s important that you talk to your healthcare provider about your ongoing treatment goals.
Part of your treatment plan should include how long you can expect to stay on opioids and how you can help relieve the symptoms that may occur (such as feeling sick) when you stop taking them. This is particularly important because you can begin to feel a physical need for your opioid pain medicine as soon as 5 days after starting to use it.5
That’s why it’s important to rememeber that opioid withdrawal is not your fault. And you’re certainly not alone.
The Path to Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
It starts with tolerance
Symptoms of opioid withdrawal only occur in people who have first developed an opioid tolerance.6 Tolerance happens when the body’s response to opioids changes. When a person develops tolerance, they need higher and higher doses of the opioid to feel the same original effect.7
The likelihood of TAKING OPIOIDS LONG TERM increases most between 5 days to 1 month of use5 |
The likelihood of TAKING OPIOIDS LONG TERM increases most between 5 days to 1 month of use5
Tolerance leads to physical dependence
Physical opioid dependence is a condition that often occurs after a person repeatedly takes opioids.8
- People with physical dependence will experience the physical symptoms of withdrawal when they stop taking opioids
- Stopping opioids resolves physical dependence after a person gets through withdrawal
People with physical opioid dependence may not crave opioids, but they still experience symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal upon discontinuation.6 This is a key difference between physical opioid dependence and Opioid Use Disorder (OUD).
PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL OPIOID DEPENDENCE MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP OUD.This may occur when opioids are taken for an extended period of time, causing long-term effects in the brain, such as drug craving.6,8 |
PEOPLE WITH PHYSICAL OPIOID DEPENDENCE MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP OUD.
This may occur when opioids are taken for an extended period of time, causing long-term effects in the brain, such as drug craving.6,8
LUCEMYRA® is not a treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), which is also called opioid addiction. If you have been diagnosed with OUD, your healthcare provider may prescribe LUCEMYRA as part of a complete treatment program for your OUD. This program continues after LUCEMYRA treatment is completed and may also include maintenance medications combined with behavioral counseling.9
People who are physically dependent on opioids may be at risk of developing OUD
OUD is a combination of symptoms and behaviors related to substance use that can occur in people with or without a legitimate need for pain relief. This includes10:
- People with a long-term, uncontrollable urge/craving to continue taking opioids despite not having a legitimate medical need
- People with a medical condition that requires opioid pain relief, who then take far more opioid medication than is needed for pain relief
Addiction is now part of OUD.10
According to one study, avoiding withdrawal symptoms is the primary reason patients who began taking opioids for pain relief continued to use them11
- According to a survey of patients with chronic pain, those who initially took opioids for pain were more than twice as likely to continue taking opioids to avoid physical withdrawal (57%), rather than needing pain relief (23%), or wanting to “get high” (14%)11
References
- Shigakova F. Clinical manifestations of the opiate withdrawal syndrome. Int J Biomed. 2015;5(3):151-154.
- Vernon MK, Reinders S, Mannix S, et al. Psychometric evaluation of the 10-item Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale-Gossop (SOWS-Gossop) in patients undergoing opioid detoxification. Addict Behav. 2016;60:109-116.
- Kosten TR, O’Connor PG. Management of Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal. N Engl J Med. 2003;348:1786-1795.
- Kleber HD. Opioids: detoxification. In: Galanter M, Kleber HD, eds. The American Psychiatric Press Textbook of Substance Abuse Treatment. 2nd ed. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, 1999:251-69.
- Shah A, Hayes CJ, Martin BC. Characteristics of initial prescription episodes and likelihood of long-term opioid use — United States, 2006–2015. MMWR. 2017;66(10):266-269.
- Kosten TR, George TP. The neurobiology of opioid dependence: implications for treatment. Sci Pract Perspect. 2002;13-20.
- US Department of Health and Human Services. Facing Addiction in America. The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. November 2016.
- Volkow ND, McLellan AT. Opioid Abuse in Chronic Pain–Misconceptions and Mitigation Strategies. N Engl J Med. 2016;374(13):1253-1263.
- LUCEMYRA® (lofexidine) [Prescribing Information]. USWM, LLC; 2020.
- American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5™). Arlington, VA, American Psychiatric Association, 2013.
- Weiss RD, Potter JS, Griffith ML, et al. Reasons for opioid use among patients with dependence on prescription opioids: the role of chronic pain. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2014;47(2):140-145.
