Tag: drug withdrawal

What Cocaine Withdrawal is Really Like

Posted on by elite

Cocaine Side Effects & Withdrawal: The Little White Lie

Any type of drug addiction is dangerous. That much is obvious to addicts, their families, and their loved ones. Cocaine addiction, though, brings with it a unique set of dangers and challenges.

cocaine withdrawal

Some hazardous cocaine side effects are obvious. It makes users paranoid. It makes them stay up for long periods of time. Too much cocaine or crack can lead to cardiac arrest.

Many cocaine side effects, though, are subtler. Not least among these is the myth that cocaine withdrawal doesn’t exist. Because the drug isn’t physically addicting, many addicts think they don’t need help to quit.

This couldn’t be further from the truth! Cocaine withdrawal brings with it unpleasant and nasty symptoms. In fact, after experiencing some of these cocaine withdrawal symptoms, many addicts looking for recovery rethink their plan to quit cold turkey.

Before we address any cocaine withdrawal symptoms, though, let’s look more broadly at cocaine side effects and how they manifest.

Think your child may be using cocaine?

Cocaine Side Effects

Cocaine is a CNS stimulant. This means that, among other things, it speeds up how the body sends and receives information. It accomplishes this by releasing large amounts of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine and then blocking their reabsorption.

That’s enough science for one day. Find common cocaine side effects listed below:

• A Burst of Energy
• Euphoria
• Increased Alertness
• Irritability
• Paranoia
• Insomnia
• Dilated Pupils
• Restlessness

In addition to the above cocaine side effects, the drug also affects many major organs. These include: the heart, brain, sinuses, and kidneys.

[BLUECTA title=”Addiction is not a choice!”]866-205-3108[/BLUECTA]

Because it’s a CNS stimulant, cocaine increases blood pressure and heart rate. At the same time, it constricts the arteries and blood vessels supplying the heart with blood. The combination is extremely dangerous and can lead to cardiac arrest. This is especially true of older cocaine users, but can manifest in younger users as well.

Because of how it constricts blood vessels, cocaine can damage the brain. Even recreational cocaine use can constrict and cut off the supply of blood to the brain. In turn, this can lead to a stroke. This is true of older and younger users.

Repeatedly sniffing cocaine is very damaging to the sinuses. This is due to cocaine itself, remember it constricts blood flow, and the filler used by drug dealers. Sniffing potentially harmful chemicals isn’t good for the sinuses. Over time, cocaine use can actually erode and perforate the cartilage between each nostril.

Another unexpected cocaine side effect is how damaging it is to the kidneys. Cocaine can cause rhabdomyolysis, or a breaking down of skeletal muscle tissue. As this tissue is broken down, it’s released into the bloodstream and filtered out by the kidneys. This muscle tissue damages the kidneys and can lead to acute kidney failure.

Having explored some broader cocaine side effects, let’s turn our attention to various cocaine withdrawal symptoms.

Learn true facts about cocaine addiction!

Cocaine Withdrawal Symptoms

Just because it doesn’t produce a physical dependence, doesn’t mean that cocaine withdrawal is fictional. In fact, cocaine withdrawal is one of the most often overlooked side effects of long-term cocaine use.

What exactly do cocaine withdrawal symptoms look like, though? How does this sneaky white powder tighten its grip on addicts’ lives? Find a list of common cocaine withdrawal symptoms below:

• Overwhelming Cravings for the Drug
• Extreme Exhaustion (individuals have been known to sleep for up to twenty-four hours)
• Anxiety & Depression
• Cognitive Impairment & Confusion
• Hallucinations
• Suicidal Thoughts

cocaine side effects

And people think cocaine withdrawal doesn’t exist! Sounds like it exists to me. The good news these cocaine withdrawal symptoms offer is directly proportional to their severity. Because detoxing from coke is so unpleasant, there are many cocaine withdrawal and treatment options.

There are cocaine detoxes, inpatient rehabs, outpatient treatment centers, individual counseling, and even an entire twelve-step fellowship devoted to cocaine recovery.

If you or a loved one have experienced any of the above cocaine side effects or withdrawal symptoms, call Lighthouse today at 1-844-I-CAN-CHANGE or 1-(561)-381-0015. We’re here to answer any and all questions you may have and help you or your loved one return to health!

Learn how Lighthouse can help you to quit drugs and alcohol for good!

The Toughest Detox: Methadone Withdrawal and Side Effects

Posted on by elite

Withdrawal From Methadone Symptoms

Methadone is a long acting, synthetic opioid. For the non-scientifically inclined among us, that means it’s perfect for something called Opioid Replacement Therapy. This is also known as methadone maintenance.

Methadone Side Effects

Some advocates tote methadone as a wonder drug. There’s no shortage of evidence that, for certain people, methadone has helped greatly improve their lives. However, for most addicts, methadone is simply another addiction.

The complex case of this drug is complicated even further when looking at methadone side effects and symptoms related to withdrawal from methadone. Simply put, methadone has a lot of unintended side effects. It also puts users through an extended, hellish detox.

So, what are these methadone side effects? How do they impact methadone withdrawal symptoms? Find out below.

Is harm reduction helping or hurting addicts?

Methadone Side Effects

Methadone is a member of the opioid family of drugs. It’s side effects are comparable to other opioids like heroin, oxycodone, Vicodin, etc.

What are the effects of methadone on the body? That’s a very important question to ask so you know what treatment could entail. Methadone side effects are generally broken down into two categories, serious and not so serious. This first category, not so serious, includes the following:

• Lightheadedness

• Nausea and Vomiting

• General weakness

• Short Periods of Unconsciousness (nodding out)

• Constipation

• Decreased Sex Drive

• Weight Gain

• Insomnia

While none of the above methadone side effects are pleasant, none are incredibly dire either. Then we get to the point that many want to know: What are the serious effects of methadone on the body? These serious considerations are uncomfortable at best and life-threatening at worst.

• Chest Pain

• Respiratory Depression

• Hypotension (dangerously low blood pressure)

• Pulmonary Edema (fluid in the lungs)

• Bradycardia (dangerously slow heartbeat)

• Arrhythmia

• Low Levels of Potassium and Magnesium in the Blood

• Cardiac Arrest

Suffice it to say, nobody wants any of the above happening to them. It’s for these reasons, and many more, that methadone has become such a controversial drug and side effects to methadone have been under scrutiny.

[BLUECTA title=”Addiction is not a choice!”]866-205-3108[/BLUECTA]

Not least among methadone’s side effects is the difficult detox it produces. Methadone withdrawal symptoms have been known to last for up to six months. Before we talk about the length of detox, find common withdrawal from methadone symptoms below.

What is ORT and why are some people calling it “fake sobriety?”

Withdrawal from Methadone Symptoms

Remember, methadone is an opioid. So its withdrawal symptoms are similar to those of heroin, Percocet, and other opioids. These include:

• Nausea and Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Insomnia

• Hot and Cold Sweats

• Restless Leg Syndrome

• Body Cramping

• Extreme Depression

• Extreme Anxiety

• Irritability

• Bone Pain

• Muscle Pain and Cramps

• Drug Cravings

Those are the more common symptoms of methadone withdrawal, but what about the length? Well, this is where things get unpleasant. Methadone withdrawal symptoms have been known to last for as long as six months.

methadone side effects
Some people claim that the side effects to methadone are so unpleasant because “methadone gets into your bone marrow.” This is a myth. However, methadone is metabolized and stored by the body’s fat cells. In turn, this leads to a longer withdrawal than from other opioids.

Methadone withdrawal symptoms that last for months are generally less severe than these initial ones. However, insomnia, decreased appetite, shaking, and extreme depression have been known to linger.

Due to the severity of methadone withdrawal symptoms, it isn’t recommended that anyone stop “cold turkey.” Rather, you should reach out to professionals! Drug and alcohol treatment centers have safely detoxed people from methadone for decades.

If you or a loved one have experienced any of the above methadone withdrawal symptoms, call Lighthouse Recovery Institute today at 1-844-I-CAN-CHANGE or 1-(561)-381-0015. We’re here to help you or your loved one quit drugs for good!

Opioid overdoses may now be a thing of the past!

The Deadliest Addiction: Meth Withdrawal

Posted on by elite

Meth Withdrawal

If cocaine is a hell of a drug, then methamphetamine is the devil himself. Meth addiction has the highest relapse rate of any drug. Some statistics put it as high as 88%. Give that number a moment to sink in.

meth withdrawal
image via Wikimedia Commons

Okay, you’ve digested that 88% relapse rate? Well, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, here’s some good news – we absolutely can recover from meth! Thousands of men and women are living proof of this. The one thing they all have in common, besides being shining examples of sobriety, is that they endured meth withdrawal.

Meth withdrawal, among other things, is a grueling psychological process of depression, drug cravings, and reframing our thoughts. Look, it’s not a pleasant experience. That much is obvious. But recovery from meth is possible and within reach of everyone!

So, what are common meth withdrawal symptoms? More to the point, how do we get through this time without going off the walls crazy? Fortunately, Lighthouse Recovery Institute believes knowledge is power.

Sit back and learn various meth withdrawal symptoms and how to endure detox. Sit back and learn how to move from active addiction to a life beyond our wildest dreams!

Learn true meth facts and statistics

Meth Withdrawal Symptoms

Many people think that meth withdrawal doesn’t exist. This is because, unlike opioids or benzo’s, recovery from methamphetamine doesn’t require a physical detox.

What these people don’t realize, though, is the incredibly difficult psychological process of meth detox. To help combat the false belief that there’s no such thing as meth withdrawal symptoms, find a list of common ones below:

• Shaking

• Nausea & Vomiting

• Irritability

• Extreme Depression & Anxiety

• Hot & Cold Sweats

• Exhaustion

• Sleeping for Extended Periods

• Intense & Overwhelming Drug Cravings

These meth withdrawal symptoms make clear how grueling a process methamphetamine detox is. In fact, some of the above symptoms are ever physical! How can people argue that meth doesn’t produce a physical dependence when users detoxing experience exhaustion, sweats, and nausea?

Okay, so the above meth withdrawal symptoms don’t sound too pleasant. What should someone looking to kick a meth habit do? That’s where the professional step in!

[BLUECTA title=”Addiction is not a choice!”]866-205-3108[/BLUECTA]

There’s Hope For Recovery!

While meth withdrawal can be done cold turkey, it isn’t recommended. In fact, it’s strongly discouraged. Remember, meth has an 88% relapse rate. Do you want to chance relapse on a drug as dangerous as meth?

methamphetamine withdrawal
image via Wikimedia Commons

Not to mention, drug and alcohol rehabs offer some wonderful services for those suffering from methamphetamine withdrawal. Many treatment centers offer nutritional support. Taking vitamins and eating right (whole grain foods rich in fiber) can help to mitigate some meth withdrawal symptoms.

Treatment centers also offer a safe place to detox and recover from meth addiction. They’re a place where addicts are physically unable to get drugs or booze. So, when an intense craving hits, as it surely will, recovering addicts are safe and protected in rehab.

If you or a loved one have experienced any of the above meth withdrawal symptoms, call Lighthouse Recovery Institute today at 1-844-I-CAN-CHANGE or 1-(561)-381-0015 We’re here to offer our hand during a tough time. We’re here to guide you to a brighter tomorrow.

Which drug is considered legal meth?

We are here to support you during your time of need and help you make the best decision for yourself or your loved one. Click below to speak to a member of our staff directly.

Menu