Narcotic withdrawal syndrome
From Drug Rehab Wiki
A narcotic is any drug that dulls the senses. Some authorities consider alcohol to be a narcotic, but the word is most frequently used in terms of illegal drugs made from opium, such as heroin. The legal definition of narcotic is opium, opium derivatives, and synthetic substitutes for them.
Narcotic withdrawal syndrome is a series of unpleasant symptoms that can last as long as seven days that begin when a person who has become physically dependent on narcotics stops taking them.
Some narcotics have medical uses, including to relieve pain, stop diarrhea, suppress coughs, and induce sleep or anesthesia. These prescription narcotic drugs such as oxycodone, morphine, methadone, and hydrocodone, are narcotics and just as addictive as heroin and other street opioids. Illegal and legal opiate narcotics all cause euphoria, relaxation and pain relief, and adverse effects such as stupor, dizziness, sedation, slow breathing, constipation, and nausea. If a person takes too many narcotics, he can die from respiratory failure.
Symptoms of narcotic withdrawal syndrome will begin about six hours after your last dosage and can last ten days. You feel depressed, anxious and/or irritable, and think about your drug all the time. Bodily fluids increase, so you have a runny nose, sweats, and teary eyes. Since the drug was a pain killer, you may feel achy and have painful joints. Most people have diarrhea and vomiting, and then a fever. One person described it as the worst flu she'd ever experience, and what was also distressing was that she knew that she could get over it if she just used her drug again. Most people feel extremely restless, and have tremors and shakiness during narcotic withdrawal.
Narcotic Withdrawal Syndrome is so common that the symptoms have become part of the language. People talk about "quitting cold turkey," referring to the goose bumps and chills of the syndrome. They speak about "kicking the habit," referring to the uncontrollable shaking of the arms and legs. Finally, they talk about "sweating it out," referring to the flu-like symptoms.
Withdrawal symptoms vary from individual to individual, and depends on how often and in what amounts the person had been using these drugs. Professional medical monitoring can be extremely helpful, and some clinics use drugs or other means to ease symptoms.
