Oxycodone Withdrawal Symptoms, Timeline & Detox Treatment Options
Oxycodone is the generic name for drugs sold under the brand names OxyContin and Roxicodone, among others. This opioid medication is used to treat moderate to severe pain.
While an effective painkiller, oxycodone use can also lead to dependence and addiction. Although oxycodone misuse is common, even patients taking their medication exactly as prescribed can become dependent.
Once dependence develops, oxycodone withdrawal symptoms will surface when you abruptly stop using. The withdrawal process is unpleasant and uncomfortable, encouraging people to continue using.
While oxycodone withdrawal symptoms are unpleasant, the risks of continuing to use this drug are immense.
What Are the Symptoms of Oxycodone Withdrawal?
When withdrawing from opioids, most users describe their experience as having flu-like symptoms. Psychological symptoms and intense cravings accompany these symptoms.
These symptoms are adverse effects that surface when you suddenly stop using a drug like oxycodone or reduce the dosage. This process is very unpleasant but is not typically life-threatening when managed slowly and under medical supervision.
Oxycodone withdrawal symptoms are similar to other opioid withdrawal symptoms and include:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Cravings
- Disturbed sleep
- Runny nose, sneezing, and watery eyes
- Tremors
- Increased anxiety
- Hot flashes
- Joint and muscle pain
The FDA warns that oxycodone withdrawal may also increase blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate. Your medical history needs to be taken into consideration before you begin the withdrawal process, which is why you must seek the support of a professional treatment team.
Although not typically life-threatening, researchers suggest that complications of opioid withdrawal are often underestimated and monitored inadequately.
Severe dehydration during the opioid withdrawal process can result in death. Although such cases have been reported mainly in jail and prison settings, these cases showcase the importance of being supervised and monitored during the withdrawal process.
The above symptoms are acute withdrawal symptoms, which typically subside in days or weeks.
Following this period, up to 90% of recovering opioid users develop post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS). The symptoms of this disorder are similar to mood and anxiety disorders, causing mood swings, increased anxiety, insomnia, and increased sensitivity to stress. Cravings and cognitive deficits are also not uncommon.
If you are a polydrug user (e.g., oxycodone and alcohol), you will likely experience additional symptoms, making the oxycodone withdrawal experience more complicated and, in many cases, more dangerous.
What Causes Oxycodone Withdrawal?
Oxycodone carries a high risk of abuse and can also cause an overdose if taken in a way that’s not directed. For these reasons, users must stick to the prescribed dosage.
When you take oxycodone for an extended period, a tolerance develops. At that point, you may begin to take more oxycodone to experience the same effect.
Once a dependence develops, this is when oxycodone withdrawal symptoms interfere with your ability to stop using.
It is not uncommon for individuals to continue using oxycodone even if they no longer require it, as dependence can occur in two weeks of regularly taking an opioid.
Certain factors increase the likelihood of oxycodone withdrawal symptoms, including high doses and whether or not you’ve been taking the drug for an extended period (e.g., more than six months).
Like other opioids, oxycodone causes reduced excitability of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). When your body and brain are used to getting oxycodone, getting the next dose is the new normal. When you don’t take that dose, your system experiences an imbalance, resulting in oxycodone withdrawal symptoms.
Brain abnormalities that result from chronic oxycodone use are an underlying cause of opioid dependence and addiction. Within days or weeks, these abnormalities tend to resolve following the detoxification phase. The abnormalities leading to addiction are much more complex and long-lasting, such as PAWS symptoms.
For those experiencing PAWS symptoms, researchers believe physiologic brain changes play a significant role. When you repeatedly use drugs, such as oxycodone, adaptive changes in the central nervous system cause the brain to respond less readily to naturally rewarding activities, like music.
Some clients will not experience PAWS after the acute oxycodone withdrawal stage. Others experience an initial clearing of symptoms for the first couple of months and then develop symptoms again.
Access to a customized treatment plan can make a significant difference if and when these symptoms present themselves.
Most commonly misused prescription drugs in the US
How Long Does Oxycodone Withdrawal Take?
The duration of oxycodone withdrawal is different for each user and is a highly individualized experience.
Some of the variables to consider include:
- How long you’ve been using oxycodone
- How much you’ve been taking each time you use
- The frequency of doses
- Whether you’re combining oxycodone with other substances
- Your mental health history
- How you take oxycodone (e.g., injecting, snorting, ingesting, etc.)
Oxycodone has a short half-life of just 3.2 hours for immediate-release formulations and 4.5 hours for extended-release formulations.
This timeline refers to the time it takes to eliminate half of oxycodone’s active substance from your system.
So, if you are dependent on oxycodone, you can expect to experience withdrawal symptoms in as little as 4-8 hours.
Once oxycodone withdrawal symptoms kick in, they can last for days or weeks.
For most users, symptoms peak within 72 hours, which is why it’s crucial to seek a structured, supervised environment. Taking this step will help you remain as comfortable and safe as possible while reducing your risk of relapse.
Since oxycodone is a fast-acting opioid, withdrawal symptoms tend to come on fast but do not last as long as the symptoms associated with long-acting opioids.
The initial oxycodone withdrawal period refers to acute withdrawal symptoms, and while this process lasts day to weeks, that isn’t the end for many.
As discussed, PAWS affects a significant amount of opioid users. It is not uncommon for symptoms to last 18-24 months.
How to Safely Manage Oxycodone Detox
It is not recommend that you abruptly stop using oxycodone or attempt the oxycodone withdrawal process unsupervised. To ensure the safest and most comfortable experience, you will require a gradual tapering plan.
During this process, medications may be prescribed to target specific symptoms, depending on your physical and mental symptoms, your medical history, and if other substances of abuse are involved in the withdrawal process.
If you’re a long-term oxycodone user, there are two tapering options — fast tapering and slow tapering. These plans differ based on how sharply doses are decreased and the timeline.
A professional care team will monitor you during the initial tapering period, focusing on your blood pressure, pulse, temperature, etc.
Depending on where you seek support for the oxycodone withdrawal process, you may also gain access to a spectrum of medications strategically prescribed and administered based on your personal needs and medical history.
When detoxing from opioids, methadone or buprenorphine are commonly used. Other medications target increasing anxiety symptoms, nausea, sleep issues, etc.
If you are a polydrug user, additional medications may be prescribed. If you have been taking opioids and benzodiazepines, or alcohol, you may face an increased risk of seizures.
The ultimate goal is to keep you safe and help you complete this initial step so that you can focus on your journey toward long-term recovery.
For this reason, the oxycodone withdrawal process should begin with an individualized assessment.
When seeking a treatment facility, you must choose a center that understands the value of holistic treatment. Ongoing psychosocial support is critical to avoid relapse.
Once you stop using oxycodone, your tolerance drops. If you were to relapse, taking similar doses to what you took before the withdrawal period, you would significantly increase your risk of complications, including coma and death.
When you work with a professional treatment team, they will help you every step of the way. Once you physically rid your body of oxycodone, you will focus on the next steps within the recovery process.
There are plenty of options for those experiencing PAWS symptoms to help alleviate symptoms. Working with an expert treatment facility means you will gain access to the support and resources you need to stay on track.
Treatment and support options include but are not limited to:
- Education to help you develop realistic attitudes and expectations toward recovery. It’s crucial to have a support system that reminds you that recovery is a process. It’s normal to feel that you are not fully recovered within weeks and months of abstinence. Developing healthy coping skills during this time could make all the difference when avoiding relapse.
- Encouraging you to live a balanced, healthy lifestyle. For example, many treatment centers will now help those in recovery create healthy eating plans, address sleep issues, and become more active. Through lifestyle changes, you can also help avoid triggers. The goal is to adopt habits that help you maintain positive physical and mental health.
- Prescribed medications to help alleviate ongoing symptoms — which is a highly individualized process.
- Ongoing therapy, including individual, group, and family therapy sessions. Your treatment plan will evolve with your needs and goals, ensuring you receive the level of support you need when you need it most.
When to Seek Help from a Medical Professional
When you work with a professional treatment team, they will help you every step of the way. Once you physically rid your body of oxycodone, you will focus on the next steps within the recovery process.
There are plenty of options for those experiencing PAWS symptoms to help alleviate symptoms. Working with an expert treatment facility means you will gain access to the support and resources you need to stay on track.
The detoxification process is the first step if you are ready to stop taking oxycodone. Work closely with your care team to create a treatment plan tailored to your needs and ongoing goals.
The top oxycodone treatment facilities offer a wide spectrum of evidence-based treatment options, providing you with the level of support you need to hit each milestone.
If you’re ready to begin your journey toward a healthier, more fulfilling future, free from oxycodone addiction, now is the time to reach out to a professional treatment facility.
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