What are the withdrawal symptoms of oxycodone?
Withdrawal from oxycodone is likely to happen to people who have taken oxycodone consistently or misused oxycodone. Common symptoms of withdrawal include:
- Anxiety
- Cravings for oxycodone – these are one of the main symptoms that drive relapse
- Diarrhea
- Fast heartbeat
- High blood pressure
- Muscle aches
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sleep disturbances/Insomnia
- Stomach cramps
- Sweating.
In some people, withdrawal symptoms that persist for months and sometimes years may be experienced, for example:
- Apathy
- Depression
- Difficulty concentrating or remembering
- Inability to cope with stress
- Intense opioid cravings
- Irritability
- Lacking in energy
- Obsessive-compulsive behaviors
- Persistent anxiety
- Sleep difficulties.
How long does oxycodone withdrawal last?
Withdrawal symptoms from oxycodone typically begin within 12 to 36 hours of last use and peak around day 3 to day 4.
Controlling cravings is the key to a successful withdrawal from oxycodone, which is why medically managed treatment programs have the tools and medication to alleviate and control cravings and other withdrawal symptoms when they are at their most severe.
How long withdrawal from oxycodone lasts depends on how long you have been using oxycodone for, the dosage you have been taking, how often you take it, and if you have been using other substances alongside it (such as alcohol, benzodiazepines, or methamphetamine). In most people, withdrawal symptoms last 10 to 20 days, but some people can suffer from chronic withdrawal symptoms that persist for months, if not years.
References
- Oxycodone Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline & Detox Treatment American Addiction Centers Updated 10/2022. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/withdrawal-timelines-treatments/oxycodone
- Oxycodone Prescribing Information. Updated 02/2022. Major Pharmaceuticals. https://www.drugs.com/pro/oxycodone.html
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