If you’re struggling to kick opioids, you aren’t alone. According to the CDC, between 2001 and 2016 there was a 200% increase in opioid addiction.
As a result of this epidemic, there are many people like you who are looking for ways to help with opiate withdrawal symptoms.
In this article, we’ll discuss how does xanax help with opiate withdrawal, as well as alternate methods of helping with opiate withdrawal. If you’ve been taking opioids (like oxycodone or morphine) on a regular basis for an extended period of time, your body has likely developed a tolerance to them.
This means that you need more and more of the drug to get the same effect that used to be provided by smaller doses. At first, increased dosages will make you feel great again—until they don’t anymore.
Now that your body is no longer used to having those substances enter it frequently and in large doses, it will react negatively when they do again. If this sounds like where you are now or where you have been recently with opioids, read on for our tips on how does xanax help with opiate withdrawal and other ways to help with opiate withdrawal symptoms.
Table of Contents
What does xanax do?
Xanax, or alprazolam, is a benzodiazepine (ben-zoe-dye-A-ze-eh-peen) prescribed for anxiety and panic disorders, as well as insomnia. It is commonly known as a benzo, benzo, or xanax, and is in the same class as drugs like valium, klonopin, and Ativan. It works by increasing the amount of GABA, a neurotransmitter in the brain that is responsible for slowing down brain activity, in the brain.
XanX has been shown to be just as effective as other benzos at treating anxiety and panic, but with fewer side effects like drowsiness or nausea. It is also faster-acting than other benzos, meaning that it works more quickly in the brain to provide relief.
Xanax is also sometimes used to help with opiate withdrawal, though there are other drugs that are more commonly used for that purpose.
How does Xanax help with opiate withdrawal?
Xanax works to help with opiate withdrawal by slowing the brain down and decreasing withdrawal symptoms like cravings, anxiety, and insomnia. It also acts as a substitute for opioids, blocking the receptors in the brain normally targeted by opioids. If you are using xanax to help with opiate withdrawal, it’s important to use it as a substitute, not a supplement.
Taking more xanax than prescribed, ingesting it more often than prescribed, or taking it in combination with other benzos or opioids can be fatal.
Xanax can also be helpful for preventing or reducing withdrawal symptoms during a taper off of opioids, or during a short-term transition to a medication like suboxone
Other ways to help with opiate withdrawal
Exercise is a great way to help with opiate withdrawal because it releases endorphins, which act as natural painkillers.
Additionally, it helps keep your body healthy and reduces feelings of anxiety. If you have the will and have begun tapering off of opioids, a healthy diet will go a long way towards helping with opiate withdrawal.
Foods rich in vitamins and minerals like iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 help to replace the nutrients you’ve been depleting from your body during your opioid use.
Exercise and diet to help with opiate withdrawal
If you’re struggling with opiate withdrawal, you may be feeling pretty low. This can make it hard to get out of bed, let alone go for a jog.
However, exercise is a great way to help with opiate withdrawal because it releases endorphins, which act as natural painkillers.
Additionally, it helps keep your body healthy and reduces feelings of anxiety. If you have the will and have begun tapering off of opioids, a healthy diet will go a long way towards helping with opiate withdrawal.
Foods rich in vitamins and minerals like iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 help to replace the nutrients you’ve been depleting from your body during your opioid use.
Conclusion
Opiate withdrawal is a nasty side effect of opioid use and abuse. Fortunately, there are several ways to help with opiate withdrawal.
You can take advantage of these methods by tapering off of opioids slowly, and supplementing your withdrawal symptoms with exercise and a healthy diet.
