Gradual withdrawal of addictive medicine

Any medications can be addictive and you may be in danger of becoming dependent on the medicine. For example, addictive medication can be sleeping pills and morphine. Ask your doctor if you are in doubt as to whether your medication is addictive.

Some people experience that their medicine gives them many adverse reactions, or are in doubt as to whether it is still necessary. Just as you always agree with your doctor about what medication you should take, you must always also agree with your doctor on the withdrawal of the medicine. You should never stop using a medication without having spoken with your doctor first.

If you agree with your doctor that you should try to gradually reduce or withdraw from your medicine, then you and your doctor must together make a plan for this. It varies how quickly you can withdraw from medicine. It depends on which medication you are taking and how long you have taken it. If you have been taking this medicine for a long time, you will usually need to withdraw more slowly.

When you stop taking addictive medicine, you may experience that you have abstinences. For example, these may be problems with sleeping and internal unrest. These are signs that the body must once again become accustomed to going without the medicine. The abstinences may be similar to the symptoms which the medicine was to work against. It typically takes one to three weeks before the abstinences are over.

If you experience very bad abstinences, it is important that you contact your doctor. Then you can adjust the plan together and agree on the way forward. Clear agreements with your doctor are important when you gradually reduce and withdraw. This is so you avoid as much discomfort as possible along the way.

It is a good idea that you are in a calm period of your life before you start withdrawing from an addictive medication. It can be very difficult to gradually reduce and withdraw from addictive medication, and it is a good idea if you have someone in your network who can support you in the process. Sometimes one must actually make several attempts before the withdrawal is a success.