In this article, I’m going to provide you with a Master List of all the common and uncommon Norco withdrawal symptoms that ensue from the abrupt cessation of Norco.
Additionally, I’ll be helping you out a great deal, because along with listing off all of the Norco withdrawal symptoms, I’m also going to provide you with the best remedies for minimizing or even eliminating each and every symptom.
After six years of studying and perfecting the “Art of Opiate Recovery,” I’ve come to realize that there are well over 70 Norco withdrawal remedies that can assist you to mitigate withdrawal symptoms.
I’ll be providing the cream of the crop in this piece, so sit tight…because help is on the way!
Norco withdrawal symptoms can be broken down into the following categories:
- Common Symptoms
- Uncommon Symptoms
- Physical Symptoms
- Mental Symptoms
- Emotional Symptoms
Now that you’ve been educated on the framework of this article, let us start the learning process and dive right in…beginning with an overview on Norco, tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, symptoms of Norco withdrawal, and the Norco withdrawal symptoms timeline.
How Norco Works in the Body
Norco is a brand name for an opiate painkiller drug called hydrocodone. Opiates are drugs that are derived from the opium poppy plant. Opioids are synthetic or natural drugs that do not originate from the opium poppy plant, however, they still bind to the same opioid receptors in the brain and body that opiates bind to, resulting in the same types of effects.
Despite all of the associated negative aspects (addiction, overdose, crime, etc.), Norco still has a positive intent. Norco is commonly prescribed for the treatment of moderate to severe pain.
Norco attaches to specific proteins called opioid receptors, which are located on nerve cells in the brain, spinal cord, GI tract, and other organs.
Once Norco attaches to the opioid receptors, the Norco effects come on, which include, but are not limited to:
- Pain Relief
- Euphoria
- Sedation
- Constipation
- Nausea
As human beings, we already have an endogenous painkilling system that is capable of producing pain relief, sedation, and euphoria.
This natural pain relief system is activated when we exercise, eat certain foods (e.g. dark chocolate and chili peppers), or perform other activities.
For example, imagine a man who has just run five miles along the beach.
As a result of this intense physical exertion, his body naturally produces its own opioid chemicals, known as endorphins and enkephalins, thus reducing pain, and promoting euphoria naturally (“runners high”).
Tolerance and Dependence
We already produce natural opioid chemicals (endorphins/enkephalins) in the precise amounts our bodies were designed to handle. The problem arises when an individual has been using Norco or another opioid drug for a period of time.
After prolonged use of Norco, the production of endogenous opioids is inhibited, which accounts in part for the withdrawal syndrome that results from the immediate cessation of the drug.
The continuous use of Norco overrides our natural ability to produce endorphins and enkephalins.
The brain comes to rely on Norco to create these neurotransmitters.
When a person stops using Norco, the brain doesn’t start creating these endogenous opioids right away. It short-circuits, leading to withdrawal symptoms, and deteriorating psychological function.
Whether an individual is abusing Norco or even taking Norco as prescribed by a physician, the continued use quickly leads to tolerance. Tolerance is a state of adaptation in which exposure to a drug induces changes that result in a decrease of the drug’s effects over time.
If an individual continues using Norco after a tolerance has been established, they will eventually develop a physiological dependence.
Dependence develops when the neurons adapt to the repeated drug exposure and only function normally in the presence of the drug.
Norco Withdrawal Syndrome
When a dependent individual abruptly stops taking Norco (leading opiate-blood concentration to fall below the required level), the now opiate-tolerant central nervous system (CNS) goes haywire. With no inhibitive stimulation to satisfy receptors, the pathways of the CNS fire signals strenuously, performing at a level much higher than pre-dependence levels.
Now the locus coeruleus responds by triggering the autonomic fight or flight response. What results is known as the Norco withdrawal syndrome, and it’s one of the most horrific experiences an individual could even go through.
Norco Withdrawal Symptoms
Now that you have a good overview of how the whole process starts, we can now review the physical, mental, and emotional Norco withdrawal symptoms that result from the abrupt cessation of Norco.
Please note that these Norco withdrawal symptoms can also result from lowering your dosage too quickly on an opiate taper. Tapering is lowering your dosage systematically over a predetermined time frame, which significantly reduces the shock to your body that a cold-turkey detox creates.
Physical Norco withdrawal symptoms include:
- Diarrhea
- Achy Muscles and Limbs
- Gastrointestinal (GI) Distress
- Nausea
- Hot and Cold Sweats and Chills
- Goosebumps
- Vomiting
- Teary Eyes
- A Runny Nose
- Sneezing
- Fatigue
- Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS)
Mental/Emotional Norco withdrawal symptoms include:
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Panic Attacks
- Social Anxiety
- Anhedonia (Inability to Feel Pleasure)
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Stress
- Inability to Relax
- Lack of Motivation
- Fear
As you can see, there are plenty of unpleasant Norco withdrawal symptoms that can afflict you while lowering your dosage too fast, or coming off Norco cold-turkey. The really awful aspect of Norco withdrawal is that you get hit with a ton of different physical and psychological Norco withdrawal symptoms.
If it were just one or the other, it wouldn’t be near as horrific of an experience.
But alas this isn’t the case.
Norco withdrawal symptoms are both physical and psychological, and most of the time these symptoms are very severe.
Now let’s move on to the next section, where you’ll learn about the Norco withdrawal symptoms timeline.
Norco Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline
How long do Norco withdrawal symptoms last and when do they begin? Approximately 12 hours after your last dose of Norco, the mild Norco withdrawal symptoms will begin to arise.
Here is a brief overview of the Norco withdrawal symptoms timeline after stopping the use of Norco:
- Day 1 – Unpleasant Norco withdrawal symptoms that make it difficult to get through the day.
- Day 2 – A significant increase in the severity of Norco withdrawal symptoms.
- Days 3-4 – Norco withdrawal symptoms peak and are the most severe during these final two days.
- Day 5 – The acute withdrawal phase is technically over, and the Norco withdrawal symptoms become much less severe, though you still feel them a lot.
Norco Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline – PAWS Overview
Many Norco users have successfully managed to get past the acute Norco withdrawal symptoms phase, only to realize that the struggle was far from being over. Though the symptoms, duration, and severity vary, an estimated 90% of all opiate daily users experience Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) to some degree after the acute withdrawal is over.
To accurately and simply define PAWS, let’s break down the meaning of each individual word:
- Post – “After”
- Acute – “Very serious or dangerous; requiring serious attention or action”
- Withdrawal – “The discontinuance of administration or use of a drug”
- Syndrome – “A group of symptoms”
Simply put, PAWS is a group of symptoms that occur after an individual has gone through the serious withdrawal phase induced by the discontinuation of drugs.
In his popular book, Staying Sober: A Guide for Relapse Prevention
, Terence Gorski states the following:
Post-acute withdrawal is a group of symptoms of addictive disease that occur as a result of abstinence from addictive chemicals. In the alcoholic/addict these symptoms appear seven to fourteen days into abstinence, after stabilization from the acute withdrawal. Post-acute withdrawal is a bio/psycho/social syndrome. It results from a combination of damage to the nervous system caused by alcohol or drugs and the psychosocial stress of coping with life without drugs or alcohol.”
PAWS Norco Withdrawal Symptoms Timeline
PAWS can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years. In fact, there is even a possibility that PAWS can continue for the rest of an individual’s life after quitting long-term daily Norco. Unfortunately, there is really no way to determine how long it will last.
Luckily, things like supplementation, nutrition, and exercise can help you reduce the severity and timeline of PAWS Norco withdrawal symptoms. Click here to check out my holistic PAWS treatment plan that will help you get better FAST.
PAWS Norco Withdrawal Symptoms List
There is a wide range of symptoms an individual might experience from PAWS. Post-acute Norco withdrawal symptoms will vary from person to person. Post-acute Norco withdrawal symptoms will also vary in severity from person to person.
Some common post-acute Norco withdrawal symptoms include:
- Inability to think clearly
- Memory problems
- Emotional overreactions or numbness
- Physical coordination problems
- Stress sensitivity
- Hostility
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Increased susceptibility to emotional and physical pain
- Gastrointestinal (GI) issues
- Intense cravings to use opiates
- Drug dreams
- Fatigue
- Inability to experience pleasure (“pleasure deafness”)
I strongly believe that the last two symptom (“pleasure deafness” and fatigue) is the #1 reason why most individuals going through PAWS relapse within the first 90 days of getting sober.
Going weeks to months without feeling any pleasure in life, and on top of that having no energy or motivation, is in my opinion more detrimental to recovery than any of the other post-acute Norco withdrawal symptoms.
Norco Withdrawal Symptoms – Top 20 Things That Can Help
Since you’ve made it this far in the article, I know you’re serious about using the best remedies for reducing the severity of your Norco withdrawal symptoms. I aim to deliver on my promise.
Thus, without further ado, here are the Top 20 things that can help, with clickable links so you can learn more by checking out articles entirely dedicated to each Norco withdrawal symptoms remedy.
In order from the most helpful first, here are the Top 20 remedies for reducing Norco withdrawal symptoms:
- Methadone
- Buprenorphine
- Kratom
- Ibogaine
- Gabapentin
- Lyrica
- Mega-Dose Vitamin C
- Clonidine
- Klonopin
- Xanax
- Valium
- Ativan
- Librium
- Loperamide
- DXM
- Baclofen
- Tramadol
- Cannabis
- Exercise
- Phenibut
Along with these, no matter which remedies for Norco withdrawal symptoms you end up using, make sure you also this Opiate Recovery Supplement.
You’ll need the nutrients in these supplements to help your brain begin restoring healthy levels of dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, and GABA, which are the most important neurotransmitters for mood and behavior.
This supplement can lead to the following benefits:
- Restores Healthy Neurotransmission
- Enhances Mood
- Eases Stomach Discomfort
- Increases Natural energy
- Calms Anxiety
- Reverses Depression
- Reverses Insomnia
- Reduces Opiate Cravings
Norco Withdrawal Symptoms – Conclusion
I hope you’ve gained tremendous insight and value from this blog post on Norco withdrawal symptoms and the Top 20 Things That Can Help.
I didn’t provide overviews on the Top 20 remedies for Norco withdrawal symptoms because this article is almost 2,000 words long (which is long enough!), and I’ve already written separate articles for each remedy, which have detailed information, including how to use each remedy for Norco withdrawal.
Now you have everything you need to know about Norco withdrawal symptoms, Norco withdrawal timelines, and the most effective remedies that can help you reduce or even eliminate your Norco withdrawal symptoms.
If you liked this article, then you’ll absolutely love The Ultimate Opiate Recovery System, which goes much deeper into Norco withdrawal and recovery methods.
Click here now to check it out.
If you have any comments or questions on Norco withdrawal symptoms, please post them in the comment box below.
my husband has been on Norco for over ten years, at the highest dose for his weight. he has spells of all the physical withdrawal symptoms that can last for hours or days. however without the meds, his pain would be unbearable, as it is the Norco only takes the edge off, but it allows him to keep as active as is possible, and for him, that is a must! due to the nerve dammage done with the back surgery he will never be without ever incresing pain, and i have no idea what to do to help him. I am hoping with this info our doctor will have some idea! Thank-you
I have severe chronic pain for many years. I fought taking opiates until I could not stand it any more. For about 6 years now I’ve taken Norco starting with only 1 pill per day. As my condition got worse my dose increased to 4/7.5mg. Per day. I slowly became very depressed still in pain and litetally did not want to live anymore! Last month I was given a urine test that shows me taking 5 additional meds THAT I DO NOT AND NEVER HAVE TAKEN! 4 days ago after seeing that test and my Dr. Looking at me like I was a lying drug addict! That day was my last Norco and my last cigarette as well! I’m 64 have smoked all my life and can’t breath. So I found a natural supplement called Kratom. Its controversial of course and not studied. Withdrawal from this poison called Norco has been hell. But i have not been in pain with kratom. All the other withdrawals are hell though. I’m still in the throws of withdrawals as I write this. But I never want opiates again in my life NEVER. Over time Norco stops working. I hate drugs but look like a drug addict and think my meds may not be pure from this drug test. America’s medical system is so broken! Had I gone to hospital they would have slapped a soboxin patch on me given me an IV ( which I need) …and sent me home with another script of addictive meds used to get you off them! No thanks. I’m praying the kratom will continue to work for my pain and will not become illegal! I never want to go through this poison hell again!
Hey there… Ill start off with my history to put things into light… I started taking norcos when i was 14 at first i didnt even like it but kept being fed them.. Shoot to 2015 when i was more then hooked, and switched to heoin since in chicago here its so simple to get the H.. Its been a week plus H free and have been using loperamide about 80 to 90mgs daily to feel completley withdrawl free.. Well tonight i get my norcos, 240 a month to be exact.. My question is, i want to stop loperamide because of the heart problems i read about, so im going to take my norcos again and cold turkey off them eventually.. Do u think this is a smart tradeoff given the health problems with lope
If you have Norco and want to come off them, why do a cold-turkey? You absolutely don’t want to use those high dosages of loperamide long-term. Have you considered using the 240 Norco to do a taper? I wrote up a taper plan that many have used and loved. I’ll post a link to it in case you want to check it out:
How To Taper Off Norco Naturally>>
2 months ago i oded on H and xanax combo, and went to detox acouple days after and managed to be clean for 2 months(most time clean in 14 years since im now 28..) and totally regret being relapsing since ive tried hard twice… It ruined my life ive been locked up in cook county jail twice, lost my family loved ones etc, and am personally just sick and tired of it. So back to now, its been 2 months since that clean period, and when i was clean i suffered from PAWS and even started to drink everyday(havent drank like that in 10yrs never had a prob with booze) so ya like us all my life is and was in shambles. I read that tapering just prolongs the withdrawls as i also tried in the past. Id rather just get it started instead of teasing myaelf for i am serious about wanting sobriety.. I may just stop the norcs in a couplr days for i was worried about the long half life lope has and supposidly loperamid withdrawls are even worse. So hats why i wanted to take the norcos to get lope out of my system. Anyhow thanj u for responding and i will read your link rifht now. Thank you
Tapering is not for everyone, but I’ve seen it work very well for lots of people. Since you’re gonna cold-turkey, at least you have 20 links in this article above that are the most effective and helpful remedies. Hopefully, you can get a few of them to make things easier on you.
NO…get off all of them! Kratom and other therapies treat pain!
Matt, I have a addictive personality and with this it is so hard for me to wean myself off of kratom. What can I do?
Please help.
I take the kratom every day but never after 5pm. My dose varies depending on how I feel from my first dose in the morning if I don’t feel a high I continue to use it until I do.
I don’t crave the kratom I just want the high.
I would recommend getting addictive to exercise as the natural high from that is healthier and even better of a feeling than kratom. Read the following two articles which will benefit your situation:
How Exercise Helps People Recover From Addiction>>
16 of the Most Epic Natural Ways to Get High>>
I just started kratom 4 days ago and am currently in withdrawal from Norco! I don’t feel high from kratom but it eases my chronic pain. Just wean back and find other things to do than chase a high! My goodness if you have your health you are blessed! I sure wish I had my health back! But i never will have.