Kentucky’s opioid addiction crisis is showing real signs of retreat. The state recorded 1,100 drug overdose deaths in 2025, which is a 51% drop from the 2,257 lives lost in 2021. The numbers mark the fourth consecutive year of decline, according to a new report from Kentucky’s Justice and Public Safety Cabinet. 

The Bluegrass State’s slow but steady progress marks a victory for officials and residents. Kentucky communities have long had access to various substance use treatment programs, from grassroots Narcotics Anonymous meetings to more formalized care. For a state among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, the stats represent hard-won progress and a roadmap other states may follow.

The Opioid Crisis by the Numbers in Kentucky

The year-by-year decline tells a striking story of sustained effort:

2021: 2,257 overdose deaths

2022: 2,200 overdose deaths

2023: 1,984 overdose deaths

2024: 1,410 overdose deaths

2025: 1,100 overdose deaths

Kentucky isn’t alone. Nationally, the number of opioid-related deaths have declined dramatically, nevertheless, every death remains a tragedy.

Fentanyl Still Present in Nearly Half of All Deaths

Despite the overall decline, fentanyl’s grip on Kentucky’s overdose landscape hasn’t disappeared. Fentanyl was detected in 45.4% of overdose deaths recorded last year, underscoring why harm reduction remains critical even as total deaths fall. Fentanyl is lethal even in doses smaller than a few grains of salt, and is frequently mixed into other substances without the user’s knowledge.

Notably, methamphetamine took the top spot for leading cause of overdose deaths with 49.5% of those recorded in 2025. It’s a reminder that the broader narcotics crisis extends well beyond opioids alone, and that polysubstance use continues to complicate treatment and prevention.

Kentucky’s Decline in Opioid Addiction Deaths

Governor Andy Beshear’s administration pointed to a coordinated, multi-front strategy. Key efforts in 2025 included distributing more than $29 million in grant and pass-through funding from the Office of Drug Control Policy and distributing 182,810 doses of Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication that can restore breathing within minutes of an overdose.

Additional pillars of the effort included:

• 82 syringe exchange program sites serving 25,543 unique participants
• More than 137,000 Kentuckians receiving addiction services through Medicaid
• More than 19,100 Kentuckians receiving treatment via the Kentucky Opioid Response Effort
• More than 29,900 Kentuckians partaking in recovery services like housing assistance, employment services and transportation

Governor Beshear credited the progress to working together across Medicaid, recovery partners, and law enforcement. He called every piece of the fight critical to continued progress.

Harm Reduction and Opioid Addiction Treatment

Kentucky’s results demonstrate what a layered harm reduction approach can achieve. Syringe exchange programs reduce disease transmission and serve as a direct pipeline into treatment. 

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) using FDA-approved prescriptions reduces cravings, prevents withdrawal, and dramatically cuts overdose risk for people with opioid addiction. 

Peer recovery support, including Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings, provides the human connection that sustains long-term sobriety.

NA Meetings in Kentucky and Finding Help for Opioid Addiction

If you or someone you love is struggling with narcotic addiction in Kentucky, you’re not alone and community resources are standing by.

Narcotics Anonymous has chapters all across Kentucky. NA is often credited as one of the easiest first steps for recovery. Meetings are free, confidential, and open to anyone who wants to stop using drugs.

Just browse our listings to find NA meetings throughout the country, or dial 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to speak with an expert.

Maryland officials reported a historic breakthrough in its battle against opioid addiction and related overdose deaths. The state recorded 1,315 overdose deaths in 2025, the lowest total in a decade and a 53% drop from Maryland’s all-time high of 2,800 deaths in 2021. The numbers offer both hope and a stark reminder of how much damage the opioid epidemic has inflicted.

In large part, Marylanders can thank the wide array of programs available to support local communities, from neighborhood clinics and NA meetings to modern inpatient medical complexes. But while optimism is infectious,  for families and communities still living with the weight of narcotic addiction, the data marks a turning point—but not a finish line.

The Opioid Crisis in Maryland 

Opioid-related overdose deaths in Maryland fell 57% from their pandemic-era peak> Numbers dropped from more than 2,500 deaths in 2020 to just over 1,000 last year, which matches a national trend.

The county-level picture shows uneven but widespread progress. Baltimore County recorded 129 opioid-related deaths in 2025, while Prince George’s County had 81; both down sharply from 2020. Anne Arundel County saw a 70% decline, falling from 226 deaths to 69. Meanwhile, 11 counties reported fewer than 10 opioid-related overdose deaths last year, compared to just two counties at that low level in 2020. 

The Decline in Opioid Addiction Deaths 

State health officials credit a coordinated multi-front strategy. The reduction reflects expanded access to fentanyl test strips, substance use treatment and naloxone, which is the medication that reverses opioid overdoses. 

Naloxone and fentanyl test strip distribution has more than doubled since 2020. The state distributed more than 440,000 naloxone doses in 2025 alone. Maryland’s Rapid Analysis of Drugs initiative also helps health officials track changes in the illicit drug supply in real time. It’s a critical tool when opioid abuse patterns shift rapidly.

Pharmaceutical accountability is also playing a role. Maryland recently secured more than $90 million through the Purdue Pharma and Sackler family settlement, which ended decade-long litigation over the companies’ role in fueling the opioid epidemic. So far in 2026, the Opioid Restitution Fund has received $245 million, with $34 million already expended on prevention, treatment and recovery programs. 

Fentanyl Remains Dominant in Opioid Deaths 

Despite the progress, fentanyl continues to dominate the overdose landscape. Fentanyl-related overdose deaths fell 31% in 2025, dropping from 1,314 in 2024 to 906, but fentanyl still accounted for the overwhelming majority of all opioid fatalities in the state.

Baltimore‘s experience illustrates the persistent danger. Of the 568 overdose deaths recorded in the state’s capital in 2025, 425 involved fentanyl. The city also experienced mass overdose events, including one in July that hospitalized 27 people and an October event linked to medetomidine, a powerful animal sedative found in the drug supply and growing in nearby New York.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times more potent than morphine. Even a trace amount that’s invisible to the naked eye can cause fatal respiratory depression. Its presence in the street supply of heroin, counterfeit pills and other drugs makes fentanyl test strips and naloxone essential for anyone at risk.

Opioid Addiction Treatment Makes the Difference 

Maryland’s four-year streak of declining deaths reflects what public health advocates have long argued: harm reduction saves lives. Naloxone is available without a prescription at most pharmacies, and many community organizations distribute it for free. Fentanyl test strips allow people to check substances before use, reducing fatal exposure.

Beyond harm reduction, medication-assisted treatment — including buprenorphine and methadone for opioid use disorders — remains one of the top evidence-supported interventions available. Peer recovery and Narcotics Anonymous meetings provide the community-based support that clinical treatment alone cannot replicate.

“Every Marylander can be an important part of our efforts to reduce overdoses,” said Maryland Special Secretary of Overdose Response Emily Keller. She added that each year, “hundreds of lives are saved by everyday people who thankfully know what to do in a crisis.”

Finding Help for Opioid Addiction in Maryland 

Recovery from opioid addiction is possible, and Maryland has expanded the resources available to get there.Narcotics Anonymous meetings are free, peer-led, and open to anyone struggling with narcotic addiction. Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) or look through our comprehensive directory to find NA meetings anywhere in the country, no matter your location.

A team at Virginia Commonwealth University is flipping the script on how we fight the opioid crisis, not by fixating on where it’s worst, but by studying “bright spots” where communities are quietly winning. For the millions affected by opioid addiction across the country, their findings could offer a replicable path forward.

Virginia’s proud history has enabled residents to be resilient no matter what the circumstances. Indeed, the Old Dominion boasts a wealth of grassroots programs and peer support groups like Narcotics Anonymous and other support groups. 

The Opioid Crisis by the Numbers

Nevertheless, more than five Virginians die each day from an opioid overdose, making fatal overdoses the state’s leading cause of unnatural death since 2013.

However, these aren’t just statistics. Behind every stat is a family shattered by fentanyl, heroin addiction, or prescription opioid misuse. They represent parents who won’t come home, children growing up without a guardian, and neighbors lost to a disease that does not discriminate by zip code.

The Bright Spots Research Model’s Findings

Rather than concentrating solely on overdose hot spots, VCU’s Dr. Jacqueline Britz and her team are identifying “positive deviants.” They find communities that are mitigating substance misuse much better than expected despite facing the same social and economics as their neighbors.

The methodology is data-driven and rigorous. For instance, by analyzing the Virginia All-Payer Claims Database alongside census data, Britz’s team has built a statistical model that looks beyond raw mortality and overdose rates. They identify which communities consistently outperform their expected opioid mortality over several years.

The concept draws on a public health framework called Positive Deviance, which was famously used to combat childhood malnutrition in Vietnam by finding low-income families whose children were nonetheless thriving. They then scaled what those families were doing differently and applied them to a broader area to change the surrounding environment. Today, Britz is applying the same logic to opioid addiction by replacing “what is wrong” with “what is already going right.”

A Toolkit Built for Communities Fighting the Opioid Crisis

The research isn’t sitting in a journal. Britz and her team developed the Virginia Opioid Abatement Toolkit, a first-of-its-kind, state-specific, evidence-based guide for cities and counties on how to deploy opioid abatement funds and coordinate with various partners. Thousands of visitors and users across Virginia have already accessed the toolkit’s guidelines.

The toolkit team has attended 100+ national and community events and participated in 67 city and county task force meetings. They assured that those in under-resourced communities have access to strategies proven to reduce opioid-related deaths.

The goal is for smaller communities who might lack resources to “feel like they have a seat at the table,” said Tyler Burton, the toolkit manager and a former health department opioid response coordinator. The toolkit is publicly accessible here.

What This Means for Opioid Addiction Treatment

The bright spots model reinforces what recovery advocates and Narcotics Anonymous members have known for decades: community-driven solutions work. For people in active opioid addiction, that community can start with a single NA meeting. Peer support, medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and naloxone access remain the most immediate life-saving tools available. Research like this helps communities invest in them more effectively.

If you or someone you love is struggling with narcotic addiction, proven options are available right now. You can look for an NA meeting in your area or call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to meet with peers and take the first step towards a healthier future.

Many studies focus on opioid use, but there’s a hidden opioid epidemic affecting the most vulnerable: babies exposed to opioid addiction during pregnancy.

Opioid exposure during pregnancy, whether tied to opioid addiction or prescription use, can shape a child’s physical and emotional development. It also influences how they function at school and in everyday life. 

Opioid Addiction During Pregnancy: A Growing Crisis

A recent study by Gaëlle Simard-Duplain and Jonathan Zhang analyzed 20 years of data on narcotics effects on pregnancy. They tracked almost 900,000 births in British Columbia to identify babies exposed to opioids before birth. 

Highlighting that this isn’t only a Canadian issue, the study found that an estimated 95,000 infants in the U.S. may have been affected in 2023 by prenatal opioid use. Many of these children had dependencies on opioids while still in the womb. 

Long-Term Effects of Prenatal Opioid Exposure

According to the study, children exposed to opioids before birth were more likely to need healthcare services that go beyond routine wellness visits.

The path to recovery may include inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment, including medications used to manage opioid dependence.

These children may need more medical visits than the average child, but the number of visits adds to increased overall cost of healthcare. The impact can follow a child through their teen years. 

Prenatal opioid exposure is also linked to education and may contribute to struggles at school. These kids often need extra help in school, including special educational services to manage physical or developmental challenges.

They often have a harder time keeping up with other children in terms of learning and meeting grade level expectations. 

Early Intervention and Opioid Addiction Treatment Options

Researchers emphasize the importance of early care and intervention. Screenings during pregnancy and access to opioid addiction treatment can improve outcomes for both mother and child.

Timely support can interrupt the cycle of addiction before it impacts the next generation.

If opioid use or opioid addiction has become part of your pregnancy journey, reaching out for help today can make a significant difference. Treatment and support can protect your health while giving your baby the strongest possible start in life.

One big step you can take now is to connect with peers who can understand your experience and offer unconditional support.

Search Narcotics.com’s directory to find a Narcotics Anonymous meeting in your area. You can also call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) for immediate assistance.

Native Appalachian author Barbara Kingsolver has opened a new center focused on women’s opioid recovery in Virginia. Kingsolver won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Demon Copperhead, a novel about Appalachia’s opioid addiction crisis.

Now she is opening Higher Ground Women’s Recovery Residence in Lee County, Virginia, which provides a stable home for women who are learning to live sober after release from incarceration or inpatient substance abuse treatment centers.

Witnessing the Devastation

As a native Appalachian who lives on a farm in southwestern Virginia, Kingsolver knows firsthand how the national opioid epidemic “has changed so much of the texture of this place.” She has witnessed the devastation wrought by the pharmaceutical industry’s targeting of central Appalachia with sales of falsely proclaimed addiction-resistant prescription painkillers.

In the author’s words, “They came to harvest our pain when there was nothing else left.” 

Desperately Needed Recovery Services

In the process of researching for Demon Copperhead, Kingsolver delved deeply into the real life stories of individuals struggling with addiction and the loved ones who are often their caregivers.

The facility Kingsolver has opened in response to those stories, funded by proceeds from her Pulitzer-winning novel’s overwhelming success, offers desperately needed services to a region that has been ravaged by the opioid crisis.

Higher Ground fosters a safe and welcoming environment for healing from substance abuse, with private and semi-private bedrooms, a shared kitchen and a communal den. Perhaps most importantly, the center has helped to create a tight-knit support system of women who understand each other and the destructive impact of addiction on families and communities. 

Figuring it Out Together

This past June, an audience gathered at the Lee Theatre in Pennington Gap, Virginia to celebrate the center’s opening. When Kingsolver invited current residents onstage to share their experiences, they were more interested in discussing the bonds they have forged with housemates and staff members. 

35-year-old Syara Parsell, one of the center’s first residents, has already found work and enrolled in college classes. She says, “Together, we figure it out.” As Kingsolver says, in the end, the benefit to residents of the center “is not just sobriety, but belief in themselves.”

Finding NA Meetings

One of the best tools for achieving long-term recovery is meeting with like-minded people who are also sober.

You can find NA meetings in your area or call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) today.

Ed smokes five cigarettes a day and wants to quit. Peter has become dependent on opioids and wants to break his addiction. David is ready to give up alcohol, which has taken over his life. All three men are considering quitting cold turkey. They are ready to be done with their addictions, so they want to stop using the substance immediately. Does quitting cold turkey work? 

Is this a good idea? It might be ok for Ed, but Peter and David may want to reconsider. 

Depending on their history of use, quitting cold turkey may be a shock to their systems and cause withdrawal. General withdrawal symptoms can include:¹

• Cravings
• Headaches
• Shaking
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• Sleep issues
• Appetite changes
• Agitation
• Concentration issues
• Sadness
  

Can You Die from Quitting Cold Turkey?

With certain substances, withdrawal effects can be severe or even life-threatening. The body has become dependent on the drug, and an abrupt “cold turkey” approach could be dangerous if the person doesn’t receive treatment.

Here’s a breakdown of what happens with various types of substances:

Nicotine

There are no serious health risks if Ed wants to quit smoking cold turkey. However, he may have better success if he does this with support. A study found that only 3-5% of individuals who tried to quit cold turkey without help achieved long-term abstinence from nicotine.²

Alcohol

David has severe alcohol dependency. If he quits cold turkey, there are severe health risks. Alcohol withdrawal can include delirium tremens (DTs). These can start within two days of stopping alcohol cold turkey and can last up to five days. Without appropriate treatment, the mortality rate for DTs can be as high as 37%.³

DT symptoms can include:⁴

• Hallucinations
• Loss of consciousness
• Severe confusion
• Extreme hyperactivity
• High blood pressure
• Seizures
• Disruptions to cardiovascular function

Opioids

Like David, Peter may be putting his life in danger if he abruptly quits opioids without treatment. Opioid withdrawal typically causes flu-like symptoms. This includes vomiting and diarrhea. If severe, these can cause dehydration, which can lead to chances of heart failure.⁵

Other Drugs

Other drugs, such as meth and benzodiazepines, can cause similar withdrawal symptoms, including seizures, dehydration, heart issues, and psychotic reactions.⁶ If untreated, these can be life threatening.

Alternatives to Quitting Cold Turkey

Fortunately, there’s good news for Peter and David (and Ed, too). To avoid these physical dangers of quitting cold turkey, and to increase their chances of long-term success, they can turn to an alternative method of quitting the substance.

Their options include:

Tapering

Rather than stop taking opioids all at once, David can partner with a physician or other healthcare provider to taper off the drug. This involves slowly reducing the amount he takes over time until he eventually stops taking opioids completely. 

The length of time it takes to taper off a drug depends on how long you’ve been using it and how much you’ve been using. It can take a few weeks or a few months to complete this process, but it can provide a safer and more effective long-term solution than quitting cold turkey.

Medication

To quit smoking, Ed can use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). He may choose patches, sprays, or gum to prevent withdrawal symptoms. One study found that NRT can increase the chances of successfully quitting smoking by up to 70%.⁴

Medications are also available to help stop or reduce alcohol use. The FDA has approved acamprosate, naltrexone, and disulfiram for the treatment of alcohol use disorder. Disulfiram and naltrexone alter how alcohol is processed in the body to make drinking less appealing, and acamprosate can help ease withdrawal symptoms.⁷

Several drugs are also FDA-approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder: naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone.⁸ The use of these medications to stop using drugs or prevent relapse is known as medication-assisted treatment (MAT).

Medical Detox

To safely withdraw from drugs or alcohol, David and Peter can find a medical detox program. During medical detox, medical professionals offer treatment for withdrawal symptoms and provide 24/7 supervision to prevent complications. This may include sedation or other medications to help David get through the most severe, initial phase.

Medical detox usually lasts several days. When it’s complete, David’s body will be cleansed of alcohol, and he can begin his life of recovery. Medical detox programs are available for all types of substances, so Peter can also choose this method to detox from opioids.

Social Detox

This method can involve quitting cold turkey, but it’s done with support. If Peter’s symptoms aren’t life-threatening, he may find a social detox program where he can be monitored by professionals and receive counseling to help him through his withdrawal symptoms. This method does not involve the use of medication.

Cold Turkey Support

If Ed, Peter, or David choose to go “cold turkey,” it’s crucial that they get support. This may include formal services such as the medical detox described above, but it can also include other types of support. Many resources are available, including:

• Counseling
• Smartphone apps
• Support groups
• Medication
• Drug rehab programs

Does quitting cold turkey work? The bottom line: Yes, quitting cold turkey can work, but depending on the substance, you may need additional support to do so safely and effectively. 

If you or someone you love is experiencing a substance use disorder, help is available. Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) today to learn about your treatment options.

Sources:

1. Withdrawal management. (2009, January 1). NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310652/
2. World Health Organization: WHO. (2023, January 4). No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health. World Health Organization: WHO. https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health
3. Rahman, A., & Paul, M. (2023, August 14). Delirium tremens. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482134/
4. Rowden, A. (2021, March 23). The risks and benefits of quitting “cold turkey.” Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/is-it-bad-to-quit-cold-turkey
5. Yes, people can die from opiate withdrawal. (n.d.). NDARC – National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre. Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/blog/yes-people-can-die-opiate-withdrawal
6. Ashenafi, W., Mengistie, B., Egata, G., & Berhane, Y. (2021). The role of intimate partner violence victimization during pregnancy on maternal postpartum depression in Eastern Ethiopia. SAGE Open Medicine, 9, 2050312121989493. https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312121989493
7. Medications for alcohol dependence. (n.d.). WebMD. Retrieved March 1, 2024, from https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/features/fighting-alcoholism-with-medications
8. (DCD), D. C. D. (2018, April 18). How do medications treat opioid addiction? HHS.Gov. https://www.hhs.gov/opioids/treatment/medications-to-treat-opioid-addiction/index.html

 

Lily never planned on becoming addicted to oxycodone. Instead, she’d planned on running a marathon. But her life took an unexpected turn when she tripped during a morning jog and injured her knee. The pain was intense, and her doctor prescribed oxycodone to manage that pain.

Unfortunately, the oxycodone wasn’t enough to control Lily’s agony. She took more than the recommended dosage several times, just to take the edge off. And even though she told herself she had nothing to worry about, Lily really liked the feelings of euphoria the drug provided. She couldn’t run anymore, so she was feeling depressed. She secretly welcomed the opioid high.

Oxycodone Addiction and Opioid Detox

Lily started taking more oxycodone pills – and she took them with increasing frequency. She needed more of the drug in order to make her feel the desired high. Then one day, she ran out of pills.

That’s when Lily got sick.

Her muscles cramped up, she had a headache, she felt nauseated, and she was sweating profusely. She searched her symptoms online and quickly realized she had become physically dependent on the opioid painkiller.

The steady supply of opioids was no longer there, and her body’s systems were reacting with a fierceness in the drug’s absence. Lily understood in that moment she experiencing oxycodone withdrawal.

Symptoms of Oxycodone Withdrawal

Some of the typical symptoms people experience when they quit oxycodone include:¹

• Muscle cramps
• Vomiting and nausea
• Diarrhea
• Cold and hot flashes
• Anxiety
• Trouble sleeping
• Sweating
• Headache
• Watery eyes and nose

Note: It is possible to become physically dependent on oxycodone when you take it as prescribed. Your body gets used to the presence of the drug, so when you stop taking oxycodone, you can experience withdrawal.² 

What Happens After You Quit Oxycodone?

How long do the withdrawal symptoms last once you quit oxycodone? The process usually unfolds in the following timeline:

• Days 1-2: Initial withdrawal: Symptoms usually start 8-12 hours after the last dose of oxycodone.
• Days 3-5: Intensified withdrawal: Symptoms are usually at their worse during this time. Muscle aches are common, along with shaking and cramps.
• Days 6-7: Psychological withdrawal: At this point, physical symptoms lessen, and psychological symptoms grow stronger. Depression and anxiety are common.
• Days 8 and beyond: Detoxed: After eight to 10 days, oxycodone has usually been purged from the body (detoxed). Physical symptoms are gone. However, psychological addiction may still be present. If this is the case, you should seek additional treatment.

Is it Safe to Stop Oxycodone Cold Turkey?

Because she ran out of pills, Lily abruptly stopped taking oxycodone. Quitting cold turkey like this can produce very distressing symptoms, both physical and emotional.

For people who have other health conditions, the body’s physical reaction can cause serious issues. Even in healthy individuals, severe vomiting and diarrhea can cause life-threatening dehydration. And many people start using the drug again in a desperate attempt to make the oxycodone withdrawal symptoms stop.

To prevent this unhealthy cycle, it is usually best to taper off oxycodone as part of a professional opioid addiction treatment program. This is what Lily decided to do.

What’s the Process of Weaning Off Oxycodone?

Lily consulted with her doctor to develop an oxycodone tapering plan that worked for her. This plan would slowly wean her off the drug, minimizing withdrawal symptoms and helping Lily adjust to daily life without oxycodone.

Tapering plans typically include the following important steps when weaning off oxycodone:¹

• Flexible approach: The plan for tapering off oxycodone must consider the person’s risk, preferences, and goals.
• Initial decrease: The amount of the dosage decrease is less important than successfully achieving some form of initial decrease.
• Dose and interval: Tapering off oxycodone involves two separate processes: dose amount and the interval between doses. One or both can be adjusted throughout the weaning process.
• Slow progress: A slow taper is 5-10% dose reduction per month. This may be necessary if you’ve been using oxycodone for more than a year. A faster taper decreases doses by 10% per In extreme cases, where there is medical risk due to other conditions, a decrease of 30-50% may be appropriate. But this requires close monitoring.
• Scheduled dosing: If possible, it’s good to continue with the same dosing schedule. For example, if you’re used to taking prescribed oxycodone in the morning, continue to take it then.
• Pauses: Putting the tapering process on pause may be appropriate at some point in the process. This break gives you time to adjust to the new dosage and learn new coping skills.
• Progress: Tapering off oxycodone is considered a success as long as you’re making progress by reducing your oxycodone use.
• Support: During the weaning process, social support, mental health care, and physician supervision are important. Lily began seeing a counselor to help with her anxiety and depression.
• Healthy habits: Lily also benefited from developing ways to manage pain and maintain a healthier lifestyle. These included:
  • Good sleep habits
  • Healthy nutrition
  • Physical activity
  • Non-opioid pain medications

Medical Detox Helps You Successfully Quit Oxycodone

Sometimes, medications are used to help people detox from oxycodone. These FDA-approved treatments can help reduce oxycodone withdrawal symptoms and cravings. A healthcare provider prescribes the medication and closely monitors the patient’s progress. For some, this medical support can be the key for how to quit oxycodone.

Medical detox may involve one or more of the following medications:

• Buprenorphine: This is prescribed for moderate to severe oxycodone withdrawal. It reduces the person’s cravings for oxy and provides relief for withdrawal symptoms.³

• Methadone: This medication also reduces cravings and alleviates oxycodone withdrawal. It is used for medical detox from opioids that are longer acting, such as morphine.³
• Suboxone: This medication is a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone. It prevents cravings and blocks the intoxication effects of other opiates.⁴
• Other Medications: There are a number of drugs used during the detox process to treat withdrawal symptoms. Healthcare providers may prescribe medication to treat insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. These may include temazepam, metoclopramide, and propantheline.³

 

Sources:

1. Sarah.Rinn,. (n.d.). Tapering and discontinuing opioid use. Minnesota Opioid Guidelines. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://mn.gov/dhs/opip/opioid-guidelines/tapering-opioids/
2. Doj/dea. (n.d.). Drugs of Abuse, A DEA resource guide (2020 edition). Retrieved November 30, 2023, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/Drugs%20of%20Abuse%202020-Web%20Version-508%20compliant-4-24-20_0.pdf
3. Withdrawal management. (2009, January 1). NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK310652/
4. Grinspoon, P. (2018, March 20). 5 myths about using Suboxone to treat opiate addiction. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/5-myths-about-using-suboxone-to-treat-opiate-addiction-2018032014496

 

Suboxone withdrawal is worse than heroin withdrawal.

No one has ever been able to successfully taper off Suboxone.

Tapering off Suboxone is something that’s shrouded in both mystery and myth. While the thought of stopping the medication certainly generates a bit of anxiety, the unknowns and “what ifs” are truly the drivers of fear. What will it feel like when your Suboxone dose is decreased? Will it feel like you’re in withdrawal 24/7? Will anyone help you if the taper is going too fast?

By answering the what ifs and shining a light on the unknowns, tapering off Suboxone suddenly becomes a lot less frightening. Once the fear is under control, you’re free to play a leading role in your own recovery process.

What is a Suboxone Taper?

First thing’s first; let’s talk about what a Suboxone taper is and why it’s so important. Tapering is defined as gradually discontinuing or reducing the dose of a particular drug required by a patient over a prolonged period of time. Pay close attention to those last six words: “…over a prolonged period of time.”

The process of tapering is, by definition, meant to be slow.

Suboxone is an FDA-approved medication that has changed the way opioid addiction is treated. Its unique combination of two distinctive chemical compounds – buprenorphine and naloxone – give it the ability to virtually eliminate opioid withdrawal symptoms and minimize the risk of abuse. It takes time to recover from opioid use disorders, so most patients take Suboxone for an extended period of time.

Since buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist, it does carry a risk of dependency. Given this risk, when you’re ready to stop taking Suboxone, a supervised taper is always recommended.

Trying to quit “cold turkey” without assistance can be dangerous and cause painful withdrawal symptoms, both of which increase your odds of relapse. A supervised taper, on the other hand, significantly lowers or eliminates withdrawal symptoms and prepares your body for life beyond Suboxone.

What to Expect During a Suboxone Taper

The road to a successful Suboxone taper begins with open, honest dialogue between you and your clinician. From those conversations, you will work together to develop a plan to reduce the amount of Suboxone you take. The result is a tapering schedule that is highly individualized and focused on your personal needs instead of being focused on adherence to one specific approach.

Your dosage can be lowered a little bit at a time over several days, weeks, or even months. According to the National Alliance of Advocates for Buprenorphine Treatment (NAABT), Suboxone should generally be lowered in increments of 2 mg at a time every few days. Keep in mind, however, this progress relies on your level of dependence and individual experience. If you’re on a well-structured tapering schedule, you should only feel mild withdrawal symptoms for a few days following a reduction in dose.

If, at any point during the taper, your withdrawal symptoms or cravings become more intense, talk to your clinician. He or she can readjust your dose or slow the taper. You may need to go back to a previous dosage level in order to stabilize or increase the amount of time in between dosage reductions.

In some cases, a medication called Naltrexone may be used after you’ve tapered off Suboxone. Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist medication that works by blocking the effects of opioids. When used after the Suboxone tapering process, it offers additional anti-craving properties that can strengthen long-term sobriety. If used before the Suboxone taper is complete, however, Naltrexone can cause precipitated withdrawal.

Getting Help With Your Suboxone Taper

Some people might tell you that getting off Suboxone is impossible – that no one can handle the withdrawals or function without the medication. Thankfully, that isn’t true. With proper treatment and support, you can successfully taper off Suboxone.

How do we prevent opioid-related deaths?

Opioid-related overdose deaths continue to rise. But the public doesn’t want to deal with the problem in their city. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that overdose deaths rose nearly 30 percent in 2021.

The pandemic has only exacerbated the opioid crisis. And the crisis doesn’t have an end in sight, as newer, more potent opioids hit the street.

Public health officials are scrambling for solutions and agencies are increasing access to medication-assisted treatment. Communities are still largely opposed to methadone clinics in their town or city. This line of thinking is called “Not In My Neighborhood,” which is known by its acronym: NIMBY.

The only thing it’s doing is creating barriers to public health harm reduction efforts for the opioid epidemic.

Harm Reduction Helps Prevent Opioid-Related Deaths

Harm reduction services like methadone clinics, safety syringe exchanges, and even safe consumption sites are resisted in almost every city.

Sophia lives in New York City. She believes that the implementation of a safe consumption site is a disaster to the city.

“New York is already rife with addiction,” she says. “Bringing a ‘safe consumption site’ will only encourage addicts to swarm neighborhoods to use drugs, bringing crime, violence, and antisocial behavior to the city. I don’t want anything like that in my neighborhood!”

Those concerns are valid, and public safety concerns are important. However, Sophia does not get the full picture. However, medical professionals and researchers are working to shed light on the issue.

The Real Help of Harm Reduction

Dr. C. Debra M. Furr-Holden is an associate professor in the Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Department of Mental Health. She studies the effects of treatment centers on crime. Her Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research suggests there may actually be less serious crime near clinics than other community businesses. In fact, the research shows that drug treatment centers actually attract less crime than liquor stores and convenience stores.

Kathryn Stadeli is a surgical resident at the University of Washington. She is acutely aware of the effects of opioid-related overdoses in the state of Washington. She tells the Seattle Times that overdose-related deaths from fentanyl rose 70 percent in 2018 compared to the previous year.

Stadeli sees many of these deaths firsthand. She feels powerless over them.

“Unfortunately, opioid use disorder (commonly known as addiction) is not a disease I can cut away with a scalpel,” she says.

She suggests, however, that the use of certain medications can reduce the rate of opioid-related deaths by a staggering 50 percent. This method of treating opioid addiction is known as — known as medication-assisted treatment.

The problem: access.

Seattle, like many other cities, needs more medication-assisted treatment centers, like methadone clinics.

Stadeli talks about “Sarah,” whom she treated for a potentially deadly skin infection from injecting opioids. She explains that Sarah developed opioid use disorder after taking oxycodone for a sports injury. Like millions of other Americans who weren’t able to refill their prescription, Sarah turned to injecting heroin and fentanyl.

“I held her trembling hand as we wheeled her to the operating room; the fear invading her beautiful brown eyes when she asked me if she was going to die still haunts me,” Stadeli recalls.

Sarah had struggled to quit using on her own. Despite desperately wanting help, her situation and lack of housing meant that she wasn’t able to access the treatment she needed. Tragically, Sarah died from that infection shortly after her encounter with Stradeli.

“She was 22, and opioids killed her. Deaths like hers are preventable and unacceptable,” says the surgical resident.

The Benefits of Harm Reduction Services

Stadeli underscores the already substantial empirical evidence that that MAT is a far more successful treatment of opioid use disorder than alternatives, like rehab, resulting in less likelihood of overdoses. Those aren’t the only benefits.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) demonstrated that medication-assisted treatment:

• Improves patient survival
• Increases retention in treatment
• Decreases illicit opioid use and other criminal activities among people with substance use disorders
• Improves birth outcomes among pregnant women with substance use disorders
• Increases patients’ ability to gain and maintain employment

Yet, stereotypes about people who need medication, like methadone, persist. This stigma is a major barrier to treatment. This is why less than 10 percent of those with substance use disorder get the help they need.

In fact, research from the Recovery Research Institute shows that this stigma impacts the quality of care and how people with substance use disorders are treated.

Reducing Stigma to Prevent Opioid-Related Deaths

Given that level of stigma, it’s understandable why folks don’t seek help. And trying to quit on their own is an uphill battle with low rates of success. Added to that stigma is the public perception of bringing medication-assisted treatment centers to their communities, like Sophia mentioned.

Yet the evidence, like in Furr-Holden’s study shows the opposite to be true. Harm reduction facilities, like syringe exchange programs, methadone clinics, and other treatment facilities actually reduce the burden on the local economy by:

• Lowering rates of transmissible diseases, like HIV and hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• Reduce emergency department admissions
• Increased life expectancy and reduces overdose
• Improved access to treatment facilities and subsequently recovery
• Provided access to other critical services like housing and medical care
• Decreased the likelihood of engaging in criminal activities
• Reduced use of opioids
• Improved the likelihood of obtaining housing and employment
• Improves birth outcomes

Despite these overwhelmingly positive outcomes, being treated with methadone is still highly stigmatized. Most patients feel like they’re “dirty” for accessing this help.

How Can Destigmatizing Harm Reduction Services Prevent Opioid-Related Deaths?

Sarah Church, PhD, is the executive director of the division of substance abuse at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She mentions a quote from her colleagues, Murphy and Irwin, in a recent training:

After ten years of interviewing women and men in various stages of their methadone maintenance careers, recurring themes emerged, one of which was that being a methadone patient is a marginal identity; not quite junkie, not quite conventional. Clients’ efforts to manage this stigmatized identity were often shrouded in anguish and secrecy. Methadone patients were in a kind of identity limbo; a holding pattern between two extremely different social worlds. They were trying to affect an identity transformation; however, in many circumstances they were still associated with and defined by their ‘dirty secret.’

Prevent Deaths by Preventing NIMBY-ism

So, why we are still stigmatizing and resisting the very solutions to the opioid crisis because we don’t want it in our neighborhood?

Many would argue that, perhaps the solution to the opioid crisis isn’t only an increase in treatment facilities, particularly medication-assisted treatment facilities, but also the critical work of destigmatizing people with mental health disorders? What are your thoughts on the issue?

If you or someone you love is experiencing a substance use disorder, help is available. Call 800-934-1582(Sponsored) today.

If you happen to be in Australia this month, you might encounter Benny and Frankie. Benny will be the one pushing the three-wheeled pack-cart. Frankie will be the one on the leash.

This pair are making their way across the country on foot and paw. But they’re not doing it just for the exercise or to take in the scenery

Why are these two on a trek across the outback?

It’s all about addiction recovery.

“Not Without My Best Mate” – a Journey to Pet-Friendly Rehab

Benny knew he had become addicted to cocaine and cannabis. He knew he needed rehab. But when his family urged him to go, he just couldn’t do it without his best friend, Frankie.

For Benny, leaving his dog behind wasn’t an option. And while there are some recovery centers around the world that welcome pets, they aren’t on every corner. If you want to bring your pet with you to rehab, you may have to travel far from home and pay more for the treatment.

Benny decided to create his own solution. He and Frankie would take a recovery journey together. They would walk across the world, and use the experience to heal.

“An Impossible Task”

The plan: walk from one side of Australia to the other. Then, they’ll take their trek across the globe. Benny and Frankie will make their way to Bangkok and Beijing and ultimately end their journey in Alaska.

As of early April, the duo had been on the road for more than 100 days, making their way from Sydney to Darwin. They plan to reach this first milestone around July.

“It’s tough, but I wanted to experience the extremities of Australia,” Benny said. “I’ve set an impossible task, and I’m out to prove it is possible.”

“Unconventional Recovery”

Benny is on this journey for his own recovery, but he has another goal that reaches far beyond himself. He wants to create a pet-friendly rehab center.

He says the connection between owners and their pets shouldn’t be undervalued. “Having something to love and something loving you is a big part of your recovery,” he explains. “It’s a responsibility to wake up for every day. I’m trying to paint a path for an unconventional method to recovery … a pet-friendly recovery center.”

His plan is to open a recovery center that embraces this connection and welcomes pets along with their owners.

Benny has created the charity Walk2Recovery to back his efforts. The charity’s aim is to open the pet-friendly rehab center as well as raise awareness about addiction and recovery.

The Kindness of Strangers

Benny’s family met him and Frankie at their halfway point in Longreach. His mom noted, “I firmly believe that he’s conquered something in himself and he’s well on the way to recovery.”

But this isn’t the only support Benny and Frankie are feeling. Along their way, people have paid for their accommodations, invited them to stay in their homes, given them meals, or provided other support. Across the continent, people are taking an interest in Benny’s efforts.

Benny says it has been this kindness of strangers that has “kept him going on days when he felt he couldn’t go any further.”

He admits, “I get a lot of energy back [from people I meet] and it gives me the energy to keep going.”

Pet-Friendly Rehab: The Science Behind the Journey

It turns out, Benny’s idea of pet-friendly rehab may be unconventional, but it’s actually backed by scientific evidence.

Researchers have found that getting out in nature is good for us. It’s associated with increases in happiness, well-being, positive emotions, a sense of meaning and life purpose, and a decrease in mental distress.

And, they’ve found that trekking to remote locations seems to offer the most benefit.

And what about Frankie? He’s important too, researchers say. Dogs have played an important role in helping people with disabilities, illness, addiction, and other conditions since the 1860s.

Interacting with a dog can help restore natural functioning of a brain that has been altered by drug use. It raises dopamine levels (the “happy” chemical in the brain that is boosted by cocaine and other drugs). So, a four-legged friend can provide a healthy way to achieve a “high” – reducing the owner’s dependence on drugs.

Studies have also found that including dogs in therapy can give clinicians greater insight into their owners. Guided interactions with dogs during therapy can also help patients change thought and behavior patterns.

Wow – talk about a positive influence! It sounds like Benny was wise to keep Frankie by his side. And he was right in more ways than one when he said it simply:

“Frankie is my best mate.”

Get help today at 800-934-1582(Sponsored) to learn about treatment programs for drug and alcohol addiction.