What’s it like to withdraw from prescription drugs? The truth is, when you’re on a high dose of medication for an extended period your body will get used to the drug and you’ll develop a tolerance.
Once your doctor or psychiatrist decides that it’s time for you to stop taking them, withdrawals may occur. Some people say they feel:
- Anxious
- Others want to sleep all day
- Others will often feel tired and so on
Stimulant Withdrawal Causes Sleep problems
When you stop taking prescription drugs, the body stops producing enough dopamine. This means that it takes longer for your brain to produce a response to fall asleep.
Your sleep problems can worsen because of this and may last a few weeks after stopping the drugs. If these sleep problems continue long-term or if they are severe, talk to your doctor about options. You can find a doctor that specializes in addiction treatment through the National Institute on Drug Abuse. If you have trouble finding a doctor, talk to your health insurance company or try an online directory for doctors at WebMD.
Central-Nervous Depressants Withdrawal Symptoms are Seizures
A person’s central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord. This controls how you feel, think, move and remember. Prescription drugs, such as painkillers and sedatives, can affect how the central nervous system works.
When a person stops taking prescribed medications, they may experience withdrawal symptoms that vary from mild to severe. These reactions are often unpredictable due to their nature. In addition, the severity of these side effects is dependent on what type of medication you take- whether it be a stimulant or depressant.
Some common examples of prescription drug withdrawals include anxiety, drowsiness, difficulty sleeping, trouble with concentration, and memory loss. In addition, those that have suffered long-term addiction to recreational drugs like heroin or cocaine for years will likely suffer worse consequences than someone who has only recently begun using substances after being diagnosed with an illness because their tolerance has dropped over time.
Some withdrawal symptoms may be more severe and dangerous, such as seizures or panic attacks. These can occur in people taking prescription drugs for a long time without ever going through rehab to wean off the substances slowly with medical supervision.
In addition, some types of antidepressants can cause suicidal tendencies. At the same time, painkillers like morphine affect respiration rates and breathing patterns, leading to death if not monitored carefully during this period of detoxification.
Withdrawal Symptoms Vary From Person to Person
The symptoms of withdrawal from prescription drugs can vary depending on the type and dosage. Some people experience more severe withdrawals, while others have milder reactions with fewer side effects.
The severity also varies for different substances, but alcohol is typically considered one of the easiest drugs to withdraw from because its dependence-forming levels are lower than many other types of prescriptions or illicit substances like heroin or cocaine.
Generally speaking, you should ease into a detox by reducing medication over time instead of stopping abruptly to avoid some serious health consequences such as seizures that come along with rapid drug elimination through vomiting and diarrhea – something known as “dope sickness.”
