Opioid withdrawal: Medically supervised withdrawal during treatment for opioid use disorder - UpToDate

Medically supervised opioid withdrawal, also known as detoxification, involves the administration of medication to reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms that occur when an opioid-dependent patient stops using opioids [1]. Symptoms of opioid withdrawal include drug craving, anxiety, restlessness, gastrointestinal distress, diaphoresis, and tachycardia. Medications used in the treatment of withdrawal symptoms include opioid agonists such as methadone and buprenorphine (a partial agonist), as well as alpha-2 adrenergic agonists such as clonidine and lofexidine. The principal purpose of supervised withdrawal is to safely and successfully transition the patient to medication for opioid use disorder. Supervised withdrawal alone does not generally result in sustained abstinence from opioids [2], nor does it address reasons the patient became dependent on opioids or the damage that the addiction has done to relationships, employment, finances, and the mental, physical, and spiritual healt

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