What Drugs Cause Withdrawal Symptoms?

Posted On September 30, 2021

One of the most common questions that people with substance use disorders ask themselves and their loved ones is whether or not they will experience withdrawal symptoms when quitting drugs such as alcohol, heroin, methamphetamines, and cocaine. The answer, as with so many things in addiction treatment, isn’t black and white – there are many variables to consider when determining what drugs cause withdrawal symptoms and how intense they will be. Below we’ll discuss some of these variables so you can better understand your risk for experiencing withdrawal symptoms and how to cope with them if they arise during drug detox.

1) Opiates

Opiates include prescription painkillers such as morphine, codeine, and OxyContin, and illicit drugs like heroin. The symptoms of opiate withdrawal can be severe and can begin within a few hours of your last dose. These symptoms may persist for up to a week after you stop taking opiates. If you use opiates regularly and suddenly quit taking them, you are at risk of developing a physical dependence on them. If you are physically dependent on opiates—meaning your body has adjusted to functioning with these drugs in it—then quitting cold turkey is dangerous. To avoid serious complications from quitting abruptly, be sure to taper off gradually with medical help rather than stopping completely.

2) Stimulants

Part of what makes stimulants so addictive is that they make you feel great when you first take them. Unfortunately, their euphoric effects are short-lived and your body quickly becomes accustomed to them. If you suddenly stop taking them—especially without medical supervision—your body reacts badly, leading to withdrawal symptoms like dizziness, nausea, vomiting and anxiety. We all know that drugs are bad for us in large quantities over extended periods of time—but can they actually hurt us when we try to give them up on our own? It’s time for a little scare tactic: yes.

3) Sedatives

Sedatives are a class of drugs that help induce sleep or calm a person down. The most commonly used sedatives are benzodiazepines, which include Xanax, Valium and Ativan. Sleeping pills such as Ambien also fall into this category of drugs, as do barbiturates. While sedatives can be helpful for those suffering from severe anxiety or insomnia, they may cause withdrawal symptoms when used over a long period of time. When you stop taking sedatives after using them for a long time, you might experience agitation and insomnia as your body adjusts to being without them. You may feel nauseous and have trouble sleeping during the initial detox due to these withdrawal symptoms.

4) Alcohol

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms are potentially fatal. For that reason, it’s important to seek medical attention when trying to detox from alcohol. One of the most common signs of alcohol withdrawal is tremors (the shakes), which can range from mild to life-threatening. Other symptoms include anxiety, hallucinations, seizures and delirium tremens (DTs). You don’t need to be in an inpatient drug rehab facility to receive proper care; outpatient treatment centres can also help with detoxing.