Opiate Withdrawal Timeline
If you’re trying to kick your addiction to painkillers or some other opiate, heroin, oxy’s, or whatever, here is the Opiate Withdrawal Timeline you can use to follow your symptoms and gauge your time to physical recovery. The opiate withdrawal timeline is a general timeline and some people may experience a different or longer timeline, depending on how long you have used and especially if you are coming off of either Methadone or Suboxone/Subutex.
Methadone and Suboxone(buprenorphine) both have a half life longer than regular opiates, as they are “Partial” opiates that are used to block opiate receptor cells int he brain. So the withdrawal symptoms will last longer and can be a bit harder or more severe than a regular opiate. The good news is that if you taper down to as low as you can get before jumping off, your withdrawal will be less severe and won’t last as long.
Opiate Withdrawal Timeline – The First Stage
The first part of the Opiate Withdrawal Timeline usually starts within the first 12 hours of your last opiate intake and it is also known as Acute Withdrawal.
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The first symptoms usually begin within 12 hours of your last opiate intake or use but within 24-36 hours of last opiate use.
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The initial withdrawal symptoms peak at about day number Three and have been known to last up to 5 days, usually tapering after the 72 hour mark
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The main symptoms of First Stage Acute Withdrawal are:
- The first initial symptom many addicted encounter is Sneezing and Runny Nose with Watery Eyes.
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Irritability and Depression/Extreme Depression
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Insomnia – Inability to get any sleep
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Nausea and/or Vomiting
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Abdominal cramps
- Diarrhea
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These Flu-like physical symptoms usually subside after seven to ten days but everyone is different. For some it may be a little longer, for others it will be less. However, the magic number seems to be 72 hours. 72 Hours seems to be the hump everyone needs to get over then it starts gettign better from there on out.
Opiate Withdrawal Timeline – The Second Stage
The second stage of the opiate withdrawal timeline can usually last for about Two Weeks. During this time the natural levels of endorphins, that the brain stopped making and were depleted of during long-term painkiller or opiate use, begin to stabilize during this period and the brain starts to make them again. This part of the opiate withdrawal timeline is critical as many people return to opiate abuse because they want to be happy again. This is due to the depression associated with this stage of withdrawal and the brain not making enough endorphins. If you exercise during this time, it will help the brain produce natural endorphins and normalize.
- The major symptoms during the second stage are:
- Insomnia
- Goose bumps
- Chills
- Dilated pupils
- Leg cramps
- After the initial first acute withdrawal symptoms, a person may start to feel much better and feel as if they are starting to get their life back.
Opiate Withdrawal Timeline – The Third Stage
This third stage can last the longest but it is usually the least severe stage of the opiate withdrawal timeline. In this stage we experience PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome). It can take anywhere from one week to two months or more. Some people don’t even experience this stage of the withdrawal and the person feels back to normal and goes on with life as if nothing ever happened. However, if a person does experience this stage, once finished, they usually feels back to their normal selves again
- The symptoms of this stage are mainly psychological, including but not limited to:
- Depression and/or Anxiety (Depending on how long you used/abused opiates for, the brain could take a while to normalize, but have no fear, you will be happy again)
- Restlessness
- Insomnia
This is the Opiate withdrawal Timeline as seen by many an addict. It helps to have support throughout all stages of withdrawal and recovery. Support in the form of loved ones being understanding. Typically loved ones who have never been addicted or gone through opiate withdrawal will never understand what you are going through, so it may be in your best interest to check out a 12 step program.
Read the real life Opiate Withdrawal Timeline of a recovering addict in this post:
A Week In The Life Of A Recovering Pill Addict
Get my Report on How to get off Painkillers with Suboxone HERE, It's only $14.97
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Hi everyone.I am fifty and have been on opiates for 37years now! the hard and heavy ,also i am ill ,I have MS,plus ,chronic damage to a back injury along with rehumetoid artherites and chronic pain always.So am prescribed 180mgs twice a day of morphine sulphate,oxycodone and klonipin for an easy 25 years now.I am afraid because no one will help me,being that i am disabled and only get a small check each month.the treatment centers wont take me because of my illnesses plus i tried suboxone to find it almost killed me.allgric reaction.please if some doctors out there would be willing to help save me ,knowing i have not much but medicaid.Please help if you can.
Thanks Karina
Hi, my name is christina and I am an addict. I have been taking lortab for close to three years now increasing my dosage up to 12 tens a day. I feel lifeless and I’m so ready to feel normal again. I used to be so happy and carefree and now I am lazy and enjoy nothing out of life. I get so stressed out when my pills start running low and I will not participate in any kind of activity unless I know I have atleast 10 pills to get my day started. I also have children which makes me feel horrible because I know they are not getting the mom I could be. I started using pain pills after I had my daughter. She had colic so I wasn’t getting any sleep and the pain pills seemed to give me energy until I got used to them anyway and then it was too late. I am taking a stand against this addiction today. I will do this for my children and I am so lucky to have found this site to let me know I am not the only one who has went through this. I know I can do this and I know it is going to suck. The longest I have went without an opiate is 2 days which was complete and immortal hell. Well here goes nothing. Can’t wait until I’m normal again. The gratification of doing this for my kids will help me get through this. They deserve better than what I’m doing. I will post again tomorrow which will be day 1.
The anxiety is already starting to kick in knowing that I will not have a pain pill tomorrow. Its not like I can just lay around and be sick because I have kids to take care of. I will not let temptation get the best of me though and I am ready to kick this nasty addiction.
Ok I am 24 hours in, my knees are aching and my stomach is cramping horribly. I feel like a zombie walking around trying to get things done. I also feel really nauseas right now and do not want to do anything but lay on the couch. Also the hot and cold flashes are really starting to get to me. I hope that goes away soon.
you can get an idea of what’s to come here:
http://www.howtogetoffpainkillers.com/opiate-withdrawal-timeline/
Hello to whoever reads this, I’m 19 about to finish my first year in college. For the past year maybe more I have been addicted to oxycodone 30mgs. Started out one a week, then one a day then for the last 2 months I was snorting 2 a day. Today is my second day clean. I haven’t slept at all maybe 4 hours in those 2 days. About 2 hours ago I decided to go online and read some drug information, turns out I just faced the fact that I am addicted to pills. I never thought of it as an addiction until I found out that opiate withdrawals are the same as what I’m goin through right now. The more I think about it I just want to go buy some. But thinking about it is what’s killing me. I never thought I would say this or even write this but I just need someone to talk to I guess, like the kind of comfort a mother can give to any child at any age. Except i cannot approach my parents i am in fear of them withdrawing my from the. College lacrosse team, or even the college itself. Can anyone help me? Like what am I going to go through in the next few days, week(s). Someone tell me I’m gonna be fine and. It be a lowlife the rest of my life.
You’re going to be fine, as long as you stop and don’t go back. Withdrawal lasts about 5-10 days, it will hurt but you will live. try going to some NA meetings, out of your area if that helps.
Get some Melissa Supreme, it will help you all around with the sleep and such. There’s also a sleep aid on the side bar over there —>>> which will also help you sleep.
Good luck, keep reading the stuff here and check in with us often for more support.
Larry
Have a better day.
my husband has been taking lortabs on and off for three years he has not had a pill for two days he says he cannot take it any longer now he is very sick up and down vomit bathroom repeat what can i do he says he will never do this again he is done i am a mother of two and i am tired of really pretending he lies to my face the last time he “quit” i believed him I want my husband back will he be able to get back to who I knew before the pills entered ?
If he stops the pills he will get back to normal, after a while.
Larry
Larry,
I feel like a moron… I can’t navigate the posts. I lost all my people all of the sudden! Where are Kate and Steve and Lee? I hope you are all doing well. You are still in my thoughts.
Tashe Delek
try looking in the post called how long does opiate withdrawal last
Does anyone know how to stop the creepy crawlies in my arms….i can’t stand it anymore and makes me want to use…
is anyone their lol
HEY my name is Brandon been on opiates for about a year.It started off with hydros 10s a couple a day then my tolerance went up so it got up to 8-10 a day.I then found someone who had oxycontin 40s so i started using them on average 3 a day for the past 3 months.Since day 1 reading these comments has kept me goin and now tommorow will be 10 days clean.I was wondering when will me bein cold and sweaty hands will go away?
one day at a time thank god everyday that you have a day to wake up to you sure can do it your here for a reason.your one of gods chrildren .please take 2 3 4 or 5 min a day and just close your eyes and say i am worth the love from god every day i take a breath .and pray for others not just for self but for others that need your pray
Hi everyone,
The last time I took a pill was early Tuesday morning. About 80 hours in. This is the most horrific experience of my life. I have been abusing painkillers on and off for about 6 years. About two years ago it went from a nice little energy boost to need in order to function. Once I realized I needed to put end to this, I always told myself “once these are gone I’m done.” Or just get through the next couple of days. I have 4 kids and a business and there was just never any time to get ” the flu”. I had a reality check last week that I just couldn’t ignore anymore so I went cold turkey. I think the worst is behind me. Now I have the annoying cold sweats and i’m easily irritated. I have to say the only way I have made it through the last few days is by reading the stories of everyone from this forum and others like this one. Whenever I thought about do.ding a perc I go online to see what others have to say. Thank you for sharing.
You’re right where you’re supposed to be.