Drug Detox Symptoms

Don’t try to treat your drug detox symptoms alone.

Drug detox is the vital first step to the addiction treatment process that often includes many uncomfortable drug withdrawal symptoms. The symptoms of drug detox are highly physical but may also be psychological as well. When an addict begins the drug detox phase they may experience a range of symptoms as a result of the procedure which may or may not be severe. In most cases, the symptoms of drug detox are not life threatening but in rare cases, these symptoms can become serious and require immediate medical attention to assure that they are safe.

Common Drug Detox Symptoms

Many different symptoms may be present when an individual begins the drug detox process. Some of the most common symptoms of drug detox include:

Anxiety: the psychological difficulty that is present as a result of the desire to have more drugs, the idea of not having drugs, or any other anxiousness that results during the drug detox process.

Stomach Problems: Many people feel nausea, have diarrhea, are unable to eat or may even suffer from vomiting and a range of other “stomach problems” during drug detox. Depending on the type of drug that an addict has been using and also on the amount of the drug, various stomach upsets may exist.

Suicidal Tendencies: Often times when an addict is undergoing drug detox they will have suicidal thoughts and tendencies. On the extreme end, the suicidal thoughts can result in the addict trying to kill themselves but when appropriately monitored suicidal thoughts can be overcome.

Pain: Drug detox can result in many different types of pain. Some addicts report feeling joint pain, muscular pain and various other discomforts as a result of the abrupt quitting of a drug.

Sleeplessness: Another common symptom of drug detox is sleeplessness. Many addicts have difficulty sleeping when they stop using drugs, feelings of exhaustion and fatigue are also common symptoms of drug detox.

How Long Symptoms of Drug Detox Will Last

The symptoms of drug detox may last a few days or even a few weeks depending on the type of drug that the individual is addicted to and also on the level of their addiction. In most cases, the symptoms of drug detox will only last about 72 hours but in more severe cases they could last 2 weeks or even more. The symptoms of drug detox will usually peak around the third or fourth day and then will begin to subside as time goes on. Depending on the type of drug detox program that an individual attempts and also on many other factors such as the level of addiction, the health of the individual and the type of addiction the drug detox symptoms may last only a short period of time or a very long period of time.