Can I Go Through Oxycodone Detox at Home?

Anyone who’s abused oxycodone for any length of time has already had a taste of how uncomfortable withdrawal effects can be. More than anything else, the fear of experiencing full-blown withdrawal prevents addicts from taking the first step towards recovery.

Oxycodone belongs to the Schedule II class of prescription opiates, all of which carry a high potential for abuse and addiction, according to Harvard Health Publications. When used for treatment purposes, oxycodone does a good job at relieving most any type of pain symptom, though the drug’s effects still place a person at risk of abuse, even when taken as prescribed.

Oxycodone detox entails stopping drug use altogether so the body can eliminate all traces of oxycodone from the system. More oftentimes than not, someone considering oxycodone detox has already experienced the negative effects of the drug in one form or another.

Unfortunately, the brain and body have already come to rely on oxycodone’s effects to maintain day-to-day functioning. Once oxycodone detox begins, the body must pick up where oxycodone’s effects leave off, which accounts for the uncomfortable withdrawal effects that develop.

Whether or not you can go through oxycodone detox at home depends on a number of factors. Ultimately, ensuring you have the needed supports in place to make it through the detox stage (whether at home or in a treatment program) offers the best chances at a successful detox recovery.

Oxycodone Detox Stages

The early stages of oxycodone detox will involve painful withdrawal.

Oxycodone detox typically follows a standard timeline made up of three consecutive stages. The severity and types of symptoms tend to vary from stage to stage.

The First Stage

The first stage of detox effects starts within the first 12 to 36 hours after a person’s last drug dose. This stage can last up to five days and produces the most severe of physical withdrawal symptoms. The worst of physical withdrawal effects take shape around the 72-hour mark with symptoms lessening in severity thereafter.

Symptoms commonly experienced in this stage include:

• Problems sleeping
• Severe abdominal cramp
• Nausea and vomiting
• Chills
• Hot flashes
• Irritability

The Second Stage

Oxycodone abuse disrupts the brain’s natural endorphin chemical levels, which will ultimately plummet once oxycodone use stops. Endorphins play a central role in regulating a person’s emotional state.

Once a person reaches the second stage of oxycodone detox, endorphin chemical levels are at their lowest. For this reasons, symptoms experienced at this point will be more psychological or emotional, as opposed to the physical effects experienced during stage one.

Second stage symptoms can last for up to two weeks and typically take the form of:

• Anxiety episodes
• Bouts of severe depression
• Hypersensitivity
• Ongoing insomnia

The Third Stage

The third stage of oxycodone detox comes with much milder withdrawal effects, though this stage can last for as long as two months depending on the severity of your addiction. Much like the second stage, a person experiences psychological distress more than anything else.

Third stage symptoms include:

• Ongoing feelings of depression
• Ongoing bouts of anxiety
• Restlessness
• An overall feeling of discontent or feeling “flat”

Questions to Ask Yourself

How Many Times Have I Tried to Stop Using in the Past?

Oxycodone addictions (and opiate addictions in general) carry a high relapse rate regardless of whether a person attempts oxycodone detox at home or goes through a drug treatment program. The psychological dependence that comes with opiate addiction can leave a recovering addict with continuous drug cravings that make it all but impossible for him or her to maintain abstinence.

Each time you try to detox and fail, it becomes that much more difficult to follow through the next time around. An inability to follow through may also indicate other types of support are needed to ensure a successful detox recovery. Oxycodone detox treatment programs provide a person with the coping tools needed to maintain abstinence on an ongoing basis.

How Severe is My Addiction Problem?

People who’ve engaged in chronic oxycodone abuse, or those who’ve abused the drug for months or years, have developed severe brain chemical imbalances that make it all but impossible for a person to function without the effects of the drug. Under these conditions, relapse will likely occur when attempting oxycodone detox at home.

Oxycodone detox programs provide medication-assisted treatments that help to restore the brain’s natural chemical balance and eliminate much of the discomfort experienced during detox, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Without needed medication treatment, the severity of withdrawal effects and drug cravings will quickly overwhelm your attempts to maintain abstinence.

Am I Experiencing any Depression or Anxiety-Type Symptoms?

The brain chemical imbalances that result from oxycodone abuse create optimal conditions for depression and anxiety-based disorders to develop. If you’ve experienced depression and/or anxiety-type symptoms on a regular basis, attempting oxycodone detox at home will be much more difficult.

A psychological disorder essentially aggravates a person’s urge to use oxycodone as symptom flare-ups only work to intensify drug cravings. In effect, the two conditions (addiction and psychological disorder) feed off one another. As a result, depression and/or anxiety symptoms will only get worse when attempting oxycodone detox.

Can I Count on Support from Family & Friends?

Considering the intensity of withdrawal effects and drug cravings that come with oxycodone detox, having some form of a support system in place can go a long way towards a successful detox outcome. Likewise, spending time around drug-using friends or family members can quickly thwart your recovery efforts.

Your home environment can also make or break an oxycodone detox, since a home filled with strife and dysfunction will only aggravate your stress levels and intensify drug cravings. Under these conditions, it’s best to go through an oxycodone detox treatment program where you’ll receive the guidance and support needed to make it through this difficult period.

Will I Require Ongoing Treatment After I Complete Detox?

While oxycodone detox is an essential first step towards overcoming addiction, certain aftereffects may make it difficult to maintain abstinence for any length of time. People at the early stage of addiction may be able to maintain abstinence after completing detox; however, chronic drug users will likely require ongoing treatment to ensure continued abstinence. In cases where ongoing treatment is needed, it’s best to go through detox at a treatment program that offers aftercare treatment planning services.