In this article, I’m going to provide you with a list of the Top 7 Prescription Medications For Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms. I’ve been researching and blogging about opiate withdrawal remedies for over four years now, and as a result, I’ve learned some really cool stuff!
As of today, I’ve found more than 60 opiate withdrawal remedies, which fall into the categories of prescription medications, over-the-counter medications, natural drugs, supplements, nootropics, natural remedies, and home remedies for opiate withdrawal.
The focus of this piece is to inform you about the Top 10 Prescription Medications that I’ve found to be the most beneficial.
I’ll provide a brief overview on each medication’s mechanism of action and benefits, and if you want to learn more detailed information (such as recommended dosages) you can click on the links provided to read entire articles dedicated to the medications you’re interested in.
Now that you’re aware of the framework of this article, let’s dive right in and start learning about the Top 7 Prescription Medications For Opiate Withdrawal.
1. Methadone
Methadone is one of the only prescription opiate withdrawal medications that can totally eliminate 100% of your opiate withdrawal symptoms. This is because methadone is a powerful opioid drug.
Methadone binds to the same opioid receptors in the brain and other parts of the body that drugs like heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and other opioids bind to. Once methadone binds to these receptors, the opioid effects come on.
Common effects of methadone are the same as other opioids:
- Pain Relief
- Sedation
- Euphoria
- CNS Depression
- Constricted Pupils
- Constipation
After an individual takes a dose of methadone, the drug quickly binds to the opioid receptors, and if enough is taken, withdrawal symptoms and opiate cravings are completely eliminated.
Many people that want to get off opiates without withdrawal enroll in methadone treatment facilities, which are outpatient programs that are commonly referred to as “methadone clinics.” Click here to learn more about this popular prescription medication for opiate withdrawal.
2. Buprenorphine
Approved by the FDA in 2002, buprenorphine has since become one of the favorite opiate withdrawal medications among individuals that are addicted to opiates. Buprenorphine, sold under the mono-drug brand name Subutex, and under the combination-drug buprenorphine/naloxone (brand names Suboxone or Zubsolv), works in the same way that methadone does, only not as strongly.
Buprenorphine, like methadone, attaches and binds to the same opioid receptors in the brain and other parts of the body that drugs like heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and other opioids bind to. Once it attaches to these receptors, it mimics the effects that opioid drugs produce (though it’s not as powerful).
For this reason, buprenorphine is referred to as a “partial opioid agonist.”
The other opiate drugs I just mentioned are known as “full opioid agonists,” because they activate the receptors in a stronger and more complete way than buprenorphine. See the illustration below.
Buprenorphine is one of the most widely-prescribed prescription medications for opiate withdrawal, and many people decide to continue taking buprenorphine as a long-term Opiate Replacement Medication to prevent cravings and opiate-relapse.
Click here to learn more about this effective presription medication for opiate withdrawal.
3. Gabapentin
Gabapentin, sold under the brand names Neurontin among others, is a prescription medication that can ultimately prevent you from experiencing opiate withdrawal symptoms, so long as you take the right dosage.
Gabapentin is commonly prescribed in the treatment of:
- Epilepsy
- Neuropathic Pain
- Hot Flashes
- Restless Leg Syndrome
Gabapentin was designed by chemists at Parke-Davis to be an analog of the neurotransmitter GABA that could more easily cross the blood-brain barrier, thus making the effects in the brain very significant.
GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter that acts as a mental relaxant. I often to refer to GABA as the “brain’s natural Valium.”
It is also commonly prescribed for many off-label uses, such as the treatment of:
- Anxiety Disorders
- Bipolar Disorder
- Insomnia
Gabapentin has been shown to be a very effective prescription medication for opiate withdrawal in numerous studies. Click here to learn more about this powerful medication.
4. Pregabalin
Another one of the top prescription medications for opiate withdrawal, pregabalin has the ability to mitigate the severity of your withdrawal symptoms in a major way. Pregabalin, marketed under the brand name Lyrica among others, is a prescription medication that is very similar to gabapentin.
Pregabalin is used to treat:
- Epilepsy
- Neuropathic Pain
- Fibromyalgia
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Like gabapentin, pregabalin is a GABAergic anticonvulsant and depressant of the central nervous system (CNS). This means that it significantly relaxes the body and mind.
Pregabalin is classified as a GABA analogue and gabapentinoid. It is a close analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.
Some off-label uses of pregabalin include:
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Prevention of Migraines
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Alcohol Withdrawal
Pregabalin has been shown in a research study to significantly ameliorate opiate withdrawal symptoms, making it one of the most highly-effective and beneficial opiate withdrawal medications in the world. Click here to learn more about this top prescription medications for opiate withdrawal.
5. Clonidine
This is another one of the most-commonly-prescribed prescription medications for opiate withdrawal. Clonidine, sold under the trade name Catapres and others, is a blood pressure (hypertension) medication that belongs to a class of drugs known as central alpha agonists.
Clonidine is also classified as a sympatholytic drug, which is a medication that inhibits the postganglionic functioning of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). The SNS is part of the nervous system that is responsible for the fight or flight response.
Sympatholytic drugs are commonly used as antihypertensives and for the following disorders:
- Anxiety
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- Panic Disorder
- PTSD
Clonidine is one of the most-commonly-prescribed medications for opiate withdrawal for a reason…it works!
Clonidine is by no means a “magic bullet,” because it doesn’t eliminate all of your opiate withdrawal symptoms.
However, when used correctly clonidine can ease the following opiate withdrawal symptoms:
- Reduces anxiety
- Helps you fall and stay asleep
- Slows down a racing heartbeat which helps to calm you down
- Prevents Restless Leg Syndrome
- Gets rid of the chills and goosebumps
Multiple studies have shown clonidine to significantly reduce the severity of opiate withdrawal symptoms. Click here to learn more about this highly-beneficial prescription medication for opiate withdrawal relief.
6. Benzos
Benzodiazepines, commonly referred to as “benzos,” are a class of psychoactive drugs whose core chemical structure is the fusion of a benzene ring and a diazepine ring.
Benzodiazepines enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter GABA at the GABA-A receptor, resulting in effects that can be very helpful in relieving opiate withdrawal symptoms.
Benzodiazepines have the following properties:
- Sedative
- Anxiolytic (Anti-Anxiety)
- Anticonvulsant
- Muscle Relaxant
- Hypnotic (Sleep-Inducing)
The use of benzodiazepines as highly-effective opiate withdrawal medications has been reported in numerous studies, as well as in anecdotal evidence, especially from individuals that have used the Thomas Recipe for opiate withdrawal.
To learn more about these amazing prescription medications for opiate withdrawal, click on the following links for a complete article on how to use specific benzodiazepine drugs, including Klonopin, Ativan, Librium, Valium, and Xanax.
7. Baclofen
Here is another one of the lesser-known prescription medications for opiate withdrawal, which is very effective at reducing withdrawal symptoms. Baclofen, sold under the brand name Lioresal among others, is a centrally-acting skeletal muscle relaxant that was approved by the FDA in 1977 for its ability to reduce muscle spasms, muscle tightness, and pain.
It’s typically prescribed for spastic movement disorders, most commonly in instances of:
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Cerebral Palsy
As an off-label use, many people have now benefited from using baclofen as an effective prescription medication for opiate withdrawal.
More and more people are using baclofen as an opiate withdrawal medication because its chemical makeup closely resembles the neurotransmitter GABA.
Baclofen is similar to benzodiazepines in this regard, however, baclofen binds to a different subtype of GABA receptors, which leads to similar, though distinctly different effects. While benzos bind to the GABA-A receptors, baclofen binds to the GABA-B receptors.
Other drugs that bind to GABA-B receptors are:
In research studies, baclofen has proven to be worthy as one of the most effective prescription medications for opiate withdrawal symptoms relief. Click here to learn more about using baclofen for withdrawal.
Prescription Medications For Opiate Withdrawal – Final Thoughts
If you’re feeling overwhelmed from reading all this information, I don’t blame you. We’ve just covered a lot of prescription medications for opiate withdrawal and went deep into pharmacology and brain chemistry concepts.
If you’re anything like me, you learn especially well by watching informative video tutorials.
Does that sound like you?
If it does, check this out now…
If you’re interested in learning more about prescription medications for opiate withdrawal, as well as other withdrawal remedies such as natural drugs, dietary supplements, nootropics, natural remedies, and home remedies, then I encourage you to check out my Ultimate Opiate Recovery System.
In it, you’ll find detailed video tutorials on how to get off opiates from home without withdrawal symptoms.
You’ll learn exact dosages of medications and other remedies that will be the most beneficial for easing opiate withdrawal symptoms from the comfort of your own home.
Click here now to view the Ultimate Opiate Recovery System.
If you have any comments or questions on these Top 7 Prescription Medications For Opiate Withdrawal, please post them in the comment box below.
Matt
Hey Matt,
Amazing site. If I could afford your coaching plans, you bet your ass I’d be signing up (sliding scale???).
When it comes to the prescriptions to help ease withdrawal (about to jump off of Suboxone), I’m wondering if we’re limited to just one? If there are certain ones that shouldn’t be combined or maybe there are two or three that work together, but not all seven? How does that work? I certainly don’t want to wind up with ANOTHER problem with respect to medication tapering and withdrawal and I don’t want to accidentally kill myself either 😉
My doc seems to usually use a combination of Clonidine, Clonazepam and Seroquel as his detox agents. I notice you don’t even list Seroquel and after reading about it, I wonder if I shouldn’t skip that one altogether. But, he has never mentioned Gabapentin (which, if I’m not mistaken, seems to be your number one choice BY far [but also the scariest]), not has he brought up Lyrica. Are those worth pursuing? Are they worth pursuing above the aforementioned or in combination with or what?
I know you must get flooded with this stuff, I hope you get a chance to take a look. Also – serious about the sliding scale thing. I’d be interested in just email consults about 2-ish times a week for the next six weeks…maybe a payment plan could work out? Anyway…
thanks man.