Creative logo illustrating Withdrawal by the Drugs and Me team

Withdrawal

{What to expect when you stop taking certain drugs}

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Depressant withdrawal (excl. alcohol)

Depressants are used for a variety of reasons and complications in life. They can help us feel better in certain situations, like taking opioids for pain or benzos for anxiety. Ultimately they are just a short-term fix and won't get to the cause of the problem. Usually your doctor will only give you a short-term supply, to avoid the possibility of addiction or withdrawal.

This information is particularly important if your supply has come from the black market, where dosage will vary and inconsistent supply is common. When supervised by a professional, withdrawal side effects are generally short term and manageable, even for long term users. It's not uncommon for users to feel incredibly anxious during withdrawal but they usually feel much better after a short period of time.

Symptoms of depressant withdrawal

Physical symptoms:

  • Restlessness
  • Insomnia
  • Elevated hr
  • Sweating
  • Elevated bp
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Tremors
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Diarrhoea

Psychological symptoms:

  • Anxiety
  • Confusion and paranoia
  • Delirium
  • Hallucinations
  • Seizures

Benzos

Benzodiazepines like Xanax or Diazepam are generally misused with other drugs (poly drug use). Users enjoy the effects of combining them or believe that using benzos will reduce the effects of withdrawal from other substances, like heroin, or enable sleep following the use of stimulants, such as cocaine or crack.

Withdrawal from benzos can be very unpleasant and in extreme cases life threatening. Physical dependence is common with tolerance growing quickly. Withdrawal effects may include, but aren't limited to, increased anxiety, irritability, weight loss, raised heart rate / blood pressure, shaking or muscle cramps, insomnia and sensitivity to sound or light.

If a person has been using benzos for a prolonged period of time and has built up a tolerance to the drug, stopping use abruptly can be extremely dangerous. Going 'cold turkey' may cause seizures, which could result in further harm such as trips and falls.

Long term benzo use is linked to anxiety and depression and these manifestations of withdrawal may last for weeks or months depending on a variety of factors. Anyone attempting to withdraw from benzos should do so with support from medical professionals in order to taper (reduce in a planned way) effectively.

GHB / GBL

Taking GHB consistently then suddenly stopping can induce withdrawal. For some people, this can come on after just 7 days of persistent use. If you use GHB heavily for long periods of time, you MUST NOT quit cold-turkey. Your withdrawal symptoms will be more intense and can be life-threatening, see our section about GHB addiction if you're planning to quit GHB.

Symptoms of withdrawal can come on a few hours to several days after the last dose of GHB and they usually last for 12 days, but sometimes longer. Some people can continue to experience some withdrawal symptoms, like anxiety, depression and insomnia, for months or even years after their last dose of GHB.

References: Healthline; Bateson A. 2002; Pétursson H. 1994; Hu X. 2011; Benzodiazepines: How They Work & How to Withdraw; NHS.UK

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