Opioid withdrawal

From IDWiki
Revision as of 19:30, 20 July 2020 by Aidan (talk | contribs) (Text replacement - "Clinical Presentation" to "Clinical Manifestations")
(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)

Clinical Manifestations

  • Onset of symptoms depends on time from last dose and the half-life of the opioid
  • Symptoms progress over time, and vary with the patient, their health status, their frequency, duration, and amount of use, and any concurrent substance use
    • Within the first 6 to 12 hours: cravings, anxiety, anorexia, irritability, tachypnea, hypertension, sweating, yawning, lacrimation, rhinorrhea, piloerection, tremor, and dilated pupils
    • Within 24 to 48 hours: nausea, vomiting, insomnia, tachycardia, abdominal cramps, and involuntary muscle spasms and limb movements
  • Persistent symptoms usually resolve over 5 to 7 days
  • However, cravings, depression, irritability, and dysphoria may persist for weeks to months

Precipitated withdrawal

  • Occurs when buprenorphine or another partial opiate agonist is started while there is a full agonist still active

Diagnosis