Supplements and comfort meds for opiate detox
- Anon
- Mar 31, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jul 30, 2024
If you are detoxing or tapering off opiates comfort meds and supplements can be a huge help.
They can help alleviate withdraw symptoms and minimize discomfort
Below we will list and describe some of the popular medications and supplements that are used to assist opiate detox.
Please keep in mind this list was compiled with the intention of laying out as many options as possible (assuming that most people will only be able to obtain some of the items on the list) and to provide maximum comfort, also the fact that many people are currently dependent/detoxing off fentanyl/fentanyl analogs (an extremely potent opiate) was taken into account.
You do not need all of these medications/supplements to detox successfully, and if you are detoxing off a small dependency (like low doses of oxycodone) , or a weak opioid (like codeine) this list may be overkill.
Before we start:
All detoxes and tapers should be done under the supervision of an experienced doctor.
These are just recommendations to discuss with your doctor.
Medication:
Gababpentin - Gabapentin can a huge help for opiate withdrawal. It has been reported to help alleviate many the withdrawal symptoms including, restless legs and hot/cold flashes. It can also help you sleep. Be careful gabapentin can be addicting if taken for too long.
Clonodine - Clonodine is another medication that is amazing for treating symptoms of opiate withdrawal. It has been reported to treat a wide variety of symptoms including, hot/cold sweats, anxiety and more.
Its particularly helpful for those whose fentadope contains tranq/xylazine, as the clonidine can help with the xylazine withdrawals.
Be careful clonidine can cause your blood pressure to drop, resulting in dizziness and fainting.
Benzos = Benzos are another staple of opiate withdrawal treatment. They are used to treat withdrawal induced anxiety and can also help you sleep. They also help relax muscle tension caused by withdrawal. I’ve heard of quiet a few people who have withdrawn from opiates using only benzos.
The common benzos favored for opiate withdrawal are klonopin and valium because of their long half life, but any benzo can be used.
Use caution. Benzos are highly addictive and if taken for too long you can end up trading one addiction for another. I would only recommend using them during the acute withdrawal phase, the first week, and only when absolutely necessary. Also Benzos especially large doses can impair your judgement making it easier to relapse. Mixing benzos and opiates is extremely dangerous.
Muscle relaxers = Medications like baclofen can be used to help relive tension and muscle cramps caused but withdrawals.
Weed = Some people find weed to be a huge help during their detox. They find it helps with nausea, helps with their appetite, relaxes them and helps them sleep. Others find that it increases their anxiety, and makes them more uncomfortable.
Imodium AD = This over the counter medication is a great solution for the upset stomach and diarrhea caused by opiate withdrawals. Its a must have for any opiate detox.
Tip; There are some great Telehealth sites that can get you a prescription for the basics like clonidine, gabapentin and even Suboxone.
https://ophelia.com is one of those sites. Depending on your state it may or may not be available to you.
Vitamins and Supplements:
Vitamin C - Mega-dosing vitamin c has been reported to alleviate withdrawal symptoms https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10836211/. Many people have reported amazing effects using this.
Multivitamin - Being that many of us don’t eat well while we are using and detoxing, and we lose a lot of fluids while detoxing a multivitamin can be helpful.
Magnesium - Magnesium has been reported to help with the restless legs.
Kratom - Kratom is a plant that effects the body and brain similarly to an opiate. It acts on similar receptors as other opiates.
There are tons of anecdotal reports of people who swear by it for relieving withdrawal symptoms. However similarly to opiates kratom is highly addictive and can cause severe withdrawals.
If you look on reddit there is a whole host of people who ended up trading an opiate addiction for a kratom addiction. Now some people may be fine with this. Its cheaper, legal in most states and more manageable than a full blown illicit opiate addiction. However if you want to be completely clean and have no dependencies I wouldn’t recommend using kratom for more than a few days during your acute withdrawal.
It's important to note that if you are using potent opiates like fentadope, regular kratom leaf is unlikely to do much for you until you’ve been clean for a few days and your tolerance drops. There are more powerful products known as kratom extracts, these products are many times stronger than regular kratom leaf and may be more affective for those with large addictions or using potent opiates. However the extracts are even more addictive than kratom leaf and the withdrawals are more severe.
So if you go that route I recommend using the extracts only when needed for max a few days and then switching over to the kratom leaf.
If your choice is either continuing to use fentadope or detoxing with the help of kratom I would definitely advise using the kratom.
In my opinion Kratom is clearly an effective harm reduction tool.
You can try to use kratom as a taper tool where you start your detox taking more and gradually lower your dose over the course of the detox. Or on as needed basis as part of a cold turkey detox to mitigate withdrawal symptoms when you feel you need relief.
If you’re going to purchase kratom it’s important to get the kratom from a reputable vendor. This will help ensure you get quality kratom. Most head/smoke shops sell low quality kratom that is over priced, and may contain harmful ingredients. Your much better off getting kratom from a reputable site that specializes in kratom. Happy Hippo is one of the best known and reputable kratom suppliers, their site is linked here (use the link for a discount). Other well known reputable sites are kraken kratom and kats botanicals.
Disclaimer: Kratom remains unregulated by the FDA, and is not approved for any uses, the authors of this text would like you to note that although this article contains many points regarding the use of Kratom, they should only serve as a piece of information - not medical advice.
Other Supplements:
There are other supplements people use to detox however I feel like the evidence whether anecdotal or scientific is not as strong as for the previous listed suplements.
I will leave a list of these supplements and you can research them and decide for yourself.
Remember, everyones experience is different and what works for you may be different than what worked for others.
Other supplements
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Please share your experience with detox supplements in the comments below or in our forum.
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I've recently had some success using Tianeptine to handle my withdrawal from pressed fent 30s, I had only been using for around 2 months, but in the past that's long enough for me to get nasty withdrawals. In my state (CA) you can buy tianeptine at gas stations and smoke shops, I feel that it's pretty similar to kratom extracts but I personally got much less of a high, I feel that it's best for maintenance to avoid cravings or withdrawal. If anyone has tried this I'd love to hear another experience