By Eric Hamilton (staff@latinospost.com) | First Posted: Sep 13, 2019 11:48 AM EDT

Are you taking opioid or thinking about this treatment option? You have to understand its side effects. Remember, opioid painkillers are incredibly addictive. If you want to avoid these side effects, it is necessary to take this painkiller with caution.

Once you stop taking this painkiller, you may face numerous withdrawal symptoms. In this situation, you have to deal with these symptoms. See the common withdrawal symptoms:

Sweating and Fever

Withdrawal symptoms from opioids are similar to flu, such as sweating, chills, and fever. Acetaminophen and ibuprofen are useful to treat fever. Make sure to wear comfortable and loose clothes made of cotton or any other absorbent material. This fabric can absorb sweat. 

If you are experiencing chills, put on different layers of clothes. These layers may include cardigans, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and bathrobes. Cold compresses like washcloths (dipped in chilled water) or cloth with ice packs may help you to decrease your body temperature. You can consider a cool-temperature bath to reduce the temperature of your body.

Shaking

Use of opiates can make your limbs and muscles feel heavy. Once you start withdrawing from opiates, your experience will opposite. You may experience muscle pain and shake. There is nothing to worry because this tremor can be subsided with time.

Home Remedies to Deal with Withdrawal Symptoms

Here are some great home remedies that may prove helpful to deal with withdrawal symptoms of opiate.  

Take a Medication

If you want to avoid the evil effects of opiate, it is essential to consult your doctor for a supportive medication. Suboxone is a famous medicine to treat opiate dependency. Doctors often recommend patients to use this medicine during the detoxification phase. Moreover, it proves helpful to maintain and stabilize treatment phases. It can effectively address opiates cravings.

St. Jhon's Wort

With the use of St. John's Wort, you can decrease shaking related to opiate withdrawal. People use this yellow flower for different conditions, such as insomnia and depression, to wound healing. Make sure to consult your doctor before taking this herb because it can interact with antidepressants, digoxin, birth control pills, etc. 

Quit Caffeine

If you want to decrease the symptoms of shaking, avoid caffeinated beverages. Stay away from soda or coffee and even decaffeinated alternatives. Remember, these drinks can make shaking worse and stimulate tremors.

Distraction Techniques

There is no need to resist or fight the tremors that can accompany withdrawal from drug addiction. Mental focus can decrease tremors and make you feel highly pronounced. It is possible to reduce the awareness of tremors with distraction techniques. For instance, watch television or hold heavy objects to treat this problem.

Use NSAIDs

Pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can be good for patients. With these medicines, you can decrease muscle aching related to tremors. These drugs prove helpful to deal with the withdrawal symptoms of opiates.

Treatment for Nausea

You may experience nausea during the withdrawal process. To control nausea, eat bland foods like crackers, toast, apples, rice, or bananas. These foods are right for your stomach. Try to eat 5 to 6 small meals in a day.

Drink plenty of water in small sips to stay hydrated. Feel free to drink Pedialyte or electrolyte replacement beverages. Try to avoid sports drinks because these can worsen diarrhea because of their high sugar.

Deal with Cravings

Withdrawing from this drug at home can't be easy. You may experience intense cravings to return to drug abuse. If you want to avoid these cravings, create a list of reasons behind cravings. Each person needs to recognize negative thoughts related to the withdrawal period. 

After recognizing these thoughts, it will become easy for you to focus on optimistic or positive thought pattern. Distraction techniques may help you to deal with cravings. A brief walk, music, or any other engaging activity can be helpful. 

Trouble Sleeping

When you are withdrawing from opioids, you may feel sleepy. It becomes difficult for you to enjoy good-quality sleep. In this situation, you can manage a schedule to promote naps and better sleep. Try to create a comfortable sleeping environment to decrease distractions. Use noise-blocking devices, including noise machines or earplugs to improve sleep.  

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