Fentanyl is an undeniable concern in our communities. Around 1,927 Arizonans lost their lives to a fentanyl overdose in 2022. That’s more than a statistic. It’s nearly 2,000 people with loved ones mourning them – loved ones desperately wishing someone so important to them could’ve lived a longer life.
Maybe you’re a loved one in this situation, fearing for your friend or family member’s life as they take fentanyl. Maybe you’re the person with a fentanyl use disorder instead. Either way, it’s not too late to seek treatment for a fentanyl use disorder.
Wolf Creek Recovery offers the first step to recovery from fentanyl addiction: fentanyl detox. We know how difficult that initial decision is to get help. Most of us are in recovery too, and we had to make that decision ourselves. It was one of the greatest decisions we ever made, and we encourage you to seek treatment. Everyone with a fentanyl use disorder deserves to build a life they love on the other side of fentanyl use, and we can help you get there.
What We Treat: Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms
Fentanyl is an opioid that is 50 times stronger than morphine and 100 times stronger than heroin. It’s powerful, and the withdrawal that can come when you try to stop taking it on your own can feel overwhelming.
That’s where fentanyl detox with Wolf Creek Recovery comes in.
What to Expect from a Fentanyl Detox Program With Wolf Creek Recovery
In our fentanyl detox program, our skilled medical staff monitors you 24/7 as you go through the withdrawal process. While you will still experience withdrawal symptoms in the care of our team, we have ways to help you manage your symptoms to ensure the process is safe, and that you make it through as smoothly as possible.
Medications to Ease Fentanyl Withdrawal We May Use
Something we may utilize to manage your withdrawal symptoms is medication-assisted treatment (MAT). The primary medication involved is buprenorphine, which is FDA-approved to treat opioid use disorder.
Buprenorphine is an opioid itself, but significantly less potent than fentanyl and heroin. Buprenorphine works as a good “substitute” for fentanyl during treatment, because it minimizes withdrawal symptoms and cravings without causing the same level of desired euphoria that stronger opioids might. This makes it a great tool to help you focus fully on recovery, instead of being distracted and discouraged by withdrawal.
Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms You May Experience
The detox period is tough without additional help. Withdrawal symptoms are the primary reason why people return to fentanyl use. Even in a medically-monitored detox program, you might experience some of these withdrawal symptoms:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Shakiness
- Sleep problems
- Sweating
- Runny nose
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Mood swings
- Fentanyl cravings
Fentanyl Withdrawal Timeline: Hour One and Beyond
The withdrawal timeline for each person will vary based on how you use fentanyl. Larger amounts of fentanyl and a longer period of time using it will yield a longer detox and withdrawal time.
Generally, however, fentanyl withdrawal lasts from five to seven days. Symptoms can begin as soon as six hours after the last dose. They peak in the two-to-four day period, and fade at day five and beyond. Some symptoms, especially psychological ones, may linger after the period ends, but they will go away with treatment.
Dangers of At-Home Fentanyl Detox: Could it Cause Death?
Trying to quit fentanyl by yourself isn’t just a lonely and painful process, it can be a dangerous one. While withdrawal symptoms themselves are rarely lethal outside of potential dehydration, detoxing at home puts people with fentanyl use disorder at higher risk of overdosing.
This is because withdrawal symptoms are hard to endure. If they take fentanyl again after being without it for a while, their tolerance for it has gone down. Someone could overdose on the same dosage they used before stopping because their body isn’t used to that much fentanyl flooding their system anymore.
Fentanyl overdose is lethal without quick medical attention.
The Relationship Between Fentanyl Detox and Rehab: Treatment After Detox
While detoxing is a necessary step in starting your journey to recovery, it’s the first of many. After you complete our detox program, you’ll move on to one of our others, such as inpatient or partial hospitalization.
There, you’ll participate in different therapies, from traditional individual and group therapy to exciting outdoor adventure therapy. It will all help you get to the root cause of your fentanyl use disorder and heal from it so you can achieve lasting recovery.
If you choose to let Wolf Creek Recovery walk alongside you on your recovery journey, you’ll have access to housing and extended care programs that can last 90 days or longer. We’re here for whatever you need to foster complete wellness. Call us at 1-833-732-8202 today, and take the first step toward building a life you love.
