What Happens in Oxycodone Withdrawal Treatment?

Oxycodone withdrawal treatment is often the first step toward recovery from addiction to oxycodone. For some, dependence on oxycodone is the only issue, but strong dependence on a substance is difficult to work through. With the help of withdrawal treatment, you can slowly end your dependence on oxycodone and get back to your old life.

Choosing a Facility

Methadone or another substitution medication may be prescribed during withdrawal treatment.

Many people decide to detox from oxycodone with the help of a detox facility. These programs can either be inpatient or outpatient, and a person should think about his or her needs before choosing which one to attend.

Outpatient facilities are often beneficial to those who need to withdraw from oxycodone and haven’t been addicted for very long. At these types of facilities, a person can attend treatment and then go home afterward. Inpatient facilities provide patients with a controlled environment and 24-hour care from trained medical professionals. This many be necessary for someone who has struggled with a long addiction to oxycodone or who is still dealing with severe pain.

Choosing a type of treatment facility is very important as, according to the NIDA, “no single treatment is appropriate for everyone.” Some people who are not struggling with addiction to oxycodone may choose to withdraw through their personal doctor’s care, tapering off use of the medication based on the doctor’s specifications. This is also a type of oxycodone withdrawal treatment.

Tapering Off Oxycodone

When a person tapers off oxycodone meds, he or she must do so consistently and safely. This is why a detox facility or a doctor’s care is usually recommended. Tapering off oxycodone can be a difficult process, but it is done to lessen the amount of withdrawal effects a person might feel otherwise. Without tapering off the dose, the patient would experience all withdrawal symptoms at once, leading to a very painful and uncomfortable time that is not necessary for successful recovery.

The VA states that “decisions regarding tapering schedule should be made on

an individual basis, faster or slower tapering may be warranted.” Usually, withdrawal from oxycodone takes about a week, but it could take longer due to the time allotted for tapering. A person will experience flu-like symptoms first including sneezing, runny nose, and muscle and joint pains. Then he ore she will usually experience two to three days of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Therapy

Often, therapy is necessary during oxycodone withdrawal. For many, their use of oxycodone has led to addiction as, according to the NLM, “oxycodone may be habit-forming.” The NIDA states that “counseling… and other behavioral therapies are the most commonly used forms of drug abuse treatment.” During withdrawal treatment, many patients are asked to begin therapy in order to help them continue into addiction treatment. As withdrawal is only the beginning for oxycodone addicts, the transition into addiction treatment should be as smooth as possible.

Oxycodone Withdrawal Treatment

Oxycodone withdrawal is not comfortable and can be very painful. Doctors must make sure patients are hydrated because of the severe loss of fluids that often occurs and that patients are as comfortable as possible. While oxocodone withdrawal is sometimes done at home, with proper treatment, it can be much less severe and, possibly, more successful.