Drug Detox

During alcohol withdrawal, you may experience symptoms such as anxiety, dehydration, diarrhea, and fluctuations in body temperature. Like with opioid detox, you will be encouraged to drink water, and you may be given supplements or medications depending on the severity of your symptoms.

Other substances might require detox, which include benzodiazepines. Symptoms of benzodiazepine withdrawal might consist of anxiety, restlessness, and agitation. You will receive monitoring for symptoms or complications and be provided with stabilization, reassurance, and appropriate medications to ease potential symptoms. 

Stimulants, such as cocaine or methamphetamine, rarely have complications or a need for an official detox due to symptoms only lasting a few days. However, some people might experience symptoms such as depression, which can benefit from psychiatric treatment.

Once you have stopped substance use, your body will naturally clear them from your system, which is known as detox. How long this process takes depends on various factors, one of the most significant being the substance's half-life. A half-life is the time it takes your body to remove half of the substance’s dose. This time can vary depending on the type. 

During detox, the symptoms you experience are your body’s way of responding to not having the substance in your body anymore. This period is known as withdrawal, and the onset, duration, and peak intensity of symptoms vary, just like the half-life of that substance. Below are a few of the most common timelines:

• Opioids, such as heroin: symptoms start 8 to 24 hours after the last dose, have a peak intensity of around 24 to 48 hours, and last 7 to 14 days
• Benzodiazepines: symptoms start 1 to 2 days after the last dose, peak intensity is around 1 to 7 days, and last 2 to 4 weeks 
• Cocaine: symptoms start within the first few hours, peak intensity is around 24 to 72 hours, and last 1 to 2 weeks
• Alcohol: symptoms start 6 to 24 hours, peak intensity is around 36 to 72 hours, and last 2 to 10 days

This timeline may also depend on factors such as your body’s metabolism, duration, and dosage. Having an honest conversation with your medical team will allow them to tailor a more precise and personalized detox and withdrawal timeline for you. However, be aware that changes may occur as you progress through withdrawal, and your timeline may change. 

Several complications can arise during withdrawal, and having medical staff available to provide you with support and medical treatment can lower the chances of those complications worsening. 

For example, alcohol withdrawal can lead to seizures, which require immediate medical attention. While not everyone who undergoes alcohol detox will experience a seizure, it is still better to seek monitoring. 

Opioid withdrawal can come with intense cravings that a medical professional can adequately manage. If someone who has been withdrawing from opioids decides to consume opioids again, they have a higher risk of experiencing an overdose. Staying under the monitoring of a professional can help you control these cravings. 

When you decide to detox at home, you have a higher risk of returning to use than you do when you are detoxing in a facility. If you return to use after not consuming the substance for a while and take the same amount you would before you started, you run the risk of overdosing. An overdose may occur because your body is no longer used to consuming that amount anymore.