There’s a reason why fentanyl has gotten so much attention in the news in recent years. This highly potent opioid can be a critically important treatment for those who suffer from severe pain. However, it’s become widely distributed illegally, and it causes many fatal fentanyl overdoses each year in people who might not even realize they’re taking the drug. If you or a loved one has an addiction to this deadly drug, it’s important to pick up the phone today and get professional help, starting with assistance and medical support to get through fentanyl withdrawal in Los Angeles.
Fentanyl withdrawal can make people feel awful, with many saying they suffered flu-like symptoms when they tried to quit the drug. Still, why does this happen? Fentanyl and other opioids change how our brains and bodies function, and once you quit giving this drug to your body, your system needs time to reset and get used to living without the substance. Until that period of adjustment can happen, you’re highly likely to start to suffer from withdrawal symptoms.
While the worst symptoms will typically peak in less than a week, other lingering effects of withdrawal can stick around for months after your last use. If you’re struggling with an addiction to fentanyl and wondering where to turn for help, Muse Treatment in Los Angeles can provide the support, therapy, education, and skills training you need to get through fentanyl withdrawal and achieve long-lasting recovery.
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What Are the Symptoms of Fentanyl Withdrawal?
Once your body becomes dependent on fentanyl or other opioids, it will not handle the absence of this drug well, and that’s what kicks off the short but crucial period after you quit the drug known as fentanyl withdrawal. Symptoms can start just hours after using the drug, with symptoms peaking after several days. However, it’s common to feel “off” or struggle with lasting and more minor withdrawal symptoms for several weeks or even months after you quit.
Here are some of the most common fentanyl withdrawal symptoms:
- Stomach pain and diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sweating
- Weakness or trouble sleeping
- Muscle and bone pain
- Overly runny nose
- Feeling irritated
- Chills
- Goosebumps
- Yawning
These symptoms can be extremely upsetting and uncomfortable, and that’s why it’s recommended that people who are addicted to fentanyl get professional help with medically supervised drug detox so their bodies can start to get accustomed to living without opioids.
Why Is Fentanyl Withdrawal So Dangerous?
Overall, opioids are considered to cause uncomfortable and distressing withdrawal symptoms and psychological distress that are rough to experience, but aren’t life-threatening. However, fentanyl is a potent form of opioids – it’s up to 100 times as powerful as morphine, which makes it highly addictive and also can make withdrawal particularly bad. One of the biggest dangers of suffering from fentanyl withdrawal in Los Angeles is the intense cravings and powerful urges you can experience to use more of the drug in an attempt to feel better and to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms.
All too often, people who are trying to quit cold turkey on their own without professional help will seek out fentanyl to relapse when they feel these cravings. The danger is that illicit fentanyl is completely unregulated, and just a tiny amount can be enough to cause a fatal overdose. That’s why so many people accidentally overdose on fentanyl every year.
What Are the Best Treatment Options for Fentanyl Withdrawal in Los Angeles?
While fentanyl withdrawal in Los Angeles can be distressing, uncomfortable, and even dangerous, it’s important to realize that help is available to get through this brief period of time before you’re ready to get inpatient fentanyl addiction treatment. The most immediate form of help for many people who are addicted to fentanyl is going to be a brief medical detox program.
During several days or a couple of weeks in a detox facility, you will receive round-the-clock medical support and access to medications as needed so you can be more comfortable and safe while your body gets used to no longer having the drug. Medical detox can help you manage or minimize withdrawal symptoms, getting you physically stable and ready to focus on the mental aspects of your addiction in the ensuing addiction treatment rehab program you’ll start as soon as you’re done with detox.
Fentanyl and other opioids are often treated with medication-assisted treatment (MAT), which involves taking another medication to either prevent withdrawal symptoms or to help you be safer and less likely to relapse to fentanyl after your treatment program is over. Still, a big piece of getting over fentanyl addiction is going to be ongoing therapy, including individual and group therapy sessions, where you can address unhealthy and harmful thought and behavior patterns that contributed to or influenced your addiction. By addressing these mental components of your addiction, you can gain new insights and coping skills that will be crucial for you to handle challenges in the future and avoid temptations to relapse again.
How Can Medical Supervision Help in Fentanyl Withdrawal Treatment?
If you’re suffering from fentanyl withdrawal in Los Angeles, you know that this can cause uncomfortable feelings, pain, poor sleep, and other physical problems in addition to the mental cravings and urges to use the drug again. Medical supervision during a fentanyl detox program can address these physical problems and discomfort by providing you with medical support, round-the-clock supervision, and medications that will help you feel better and be less likely to suffer from the worst withdrawal symptoms.
At Muse Treatment, our medical detox program for fentanyl addiction is a brief start to your overall recovery journey. It might only be a matter of days or a couple of weeks. Still, it’s a powerful and effective way of jump-starting your recovery and getting physically stable enough to do the hard work of addressing the mental aspects of your addiction once you start your rehab program.
Call Muse and Get Help Overcoming Fentanyl Withdrawal in Los Angeles
Fentanyl is an extremely addictive drug, and it is the direct cause of far too many deaths in the United States each year. Even when people realize how dangerous it is and try to quit, they all too often fail when they do it on their own without professional support and guidance. The disturbing, uncomfortable symptoms of fentanyl withdrawal in Los Angeles can push recent quitters back to relapse as they try to feel better.
That’s why you need to reach out to the professionals to get help and find the best path forward to long-lasting recovery without fentanyl. At Muse Treatment’s drug rehab center in Los Angeles, our expert team knows what it takes to get through fentanyl withdrawal and achieve a brighter future. Don’t let fentanyl control your life anymore – call us today at 800-426-1818.
External Sources
- National Library of Medicine – Opioid Withdrawal
- MedlinePlus – Opiate and Opioid Withdrawal
- WebMD – What to Know About Fentanyl Withdrawal