How Long Does it Take to Detox Off Pills?

It doesn’t matter what drug you have become dependent upon, detox is never fun. While it is always a tough time detoxing off any pill or illicit drug, the time it takes to detox varies. Even when it comes to pills, detox time is different for each one—prescribed or not. Drugs that come in the form of pills are easy to become dependent upon because they’re easily taken through the mouth. Here is how long it takes to detox off various pills, but first let’s start with illicit drugs and alcohol.

Illicit Drugs

While there are many different illegal drugs, each one has its own time period for detox. It can take a long time—even weeks—to detox off heroin. Cocaine withdrawal can last up to ten days or even longer. The first phase of withdrawal for crystal meth is 24 hours, but the longer the person has been using meth the longer the full detox period will be. Other illicit and powerful drugs have their own detox periods and symptoms of withdrawal vary quite a bit, but it is never pleasant.

Alcohol

Despite that alcohol is very bad for you and extremely addictive, people don’t give it the attention it deserves as a substance you cannot become dependent upon. While it depends on how much alcohol the person is consuming, detox is shorter than hard drugs like heroin but can have severe symptoms. Alcohol has more longevity than illicit drugs, which means that people can drink very heavily for years. The longer the person has been dependent upon alcohol, the worse detox will be.

Opioids

Opioids are synthetic opiates. Heroin is an opiate, but opioids vary from mild to very strong. Fentanyl is much, much stronger than heroin for example. Detoxing off opioids can be quite long and painful. In addition to the withdrawal period that can be up to or longer than ten days, the lasting effects of detox can be significant. Furthermore, if the person originally took opioids to mitigate pain it actually makes the pain worse. When they get off opioids, the pain might come back. That’s why it is so integral to avoid becoming dependent on an opioid to begin with.

Fentanyl is the most powerful opioid on the market. It is extremely addictive and leads to a lot of overdoses. Oxycodone is a lot like heroin, creating a euphoric high. Codeine can be very addictive too. Withdrawal can last up to a week and long-term withdrawal symptoms like depression staying around for a month. Detox from opioids can have symptoms like nausea, vomiting, insomnia, body aches, and other pain.

Xanax

Another common question about pills is how long does it take to detox from Xanax? While Xanax is prescribed for anxiety, people also take it to get high. It is actually a very powerful drug that leads to a long high when taken. People become addicted to Xanax by taking more than one pill. Xanax withdrawal can be intense and the full detox period can last months. While the peak detox is within two weeks, there can be a lasting impact of withdrawal on Xanax.

Benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines, commonly known as benzos, are used to treat anxiety and panic. These disorders can be quelled by these pills but they can also be used to treat seizures. Klonopin and Valium are two widely known benzodiazepines. These drugs can be misused like Xanax for their hazy, alcohol-like intoxication. Not only can these pills cause paranoia, hallucinations, and constipation, detox can last for months. While the detox period can start immediately, withdrawal may last for one to two weeks or more.

While pills are seen as less harmful than illicit drugs, the consequences can be just as dire. Withdrawal can last even longer than some illegal drugs and the symptoms can be just as intense. It can take a long time to get over a pill addiction. Whether you’re using opioids, benzos, Xanax, or another pill, detox is sometimes brutal—taking a long time to get through. That’s why it’s important not to get started on a dependence to pills. If you’re addicted to a drug already, contact a facility that can help today.