A Quick Look at Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms

As mentioned in previous articles, there are 11 opioid withdrawal symptoms measured by the Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS). In case you aren’t familiar, opioid withdrawal is what happens when someone who’s been taking opioid drugs (like painkillers or heroin) stops taking them or rapidly tapers down the dose. These drugs can be very addictive, and the body gets used to having them. When the drugs are no longer there, the body reacts with a lot of uncomfortable symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and insomnia, to name a few.

The Autonomic Nervous System - Our Body’s “Behind the Scenes” Helper

‍The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a part of your body's nervous system that works automatically without you having to think about it. It controls many important functions like your heartbeat, breathing, digestion, and even the way your eyes adjust to light.

The ANS has two main parts:

1. ‍Sympathetic Nervous System: This part helps your body deal with stress or danger. It's like your body's "fight or flight" response. When you're scared or excited, it makes your heart beat faster, your muscles get ready to move, and your pupils get bigger to see better.‍
2. Parasympathetic Nervous System: This part helps your body relax and recover. It's like the "rest and digest" response. After a meal or when you're relaxing, it slows down your heartbeat, helps with digestion, and makes you feel calm.

Together, these two parts keep your body balanced and ready for anything that comes your way.

During opioid withdrawal, the body “panics” without opioids, and the withdrawal symptoms are the result of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) being knocked out of balance. Later, we’ll explain how the ANS also becomes an important player in overcoming withdrawal symptoms.

Treating Opioid Withdrawal Completely

There have been opioid withdrawal treatment options around for decades. However, it’s nearly impossible to find a single treatment that addresses all 11 withdrawal symptoms without introducing additional unwanted side effects. And, very few are designed to treat initial symptoms (“acute” withdrawal) as well as delayed or prolonged symptoms (“protracted” withdrawal).

How Wearable Neurostimulation Can Help

Wearable neurostimulation solutions, like Sparrow Ascent from Spark Biomedical, target branches of the vagus and trigeminal nerves that surface on and around the ear. Sparrow sends painless electrical pulses through the skin to stimulate these nerves, which are part of the autonomic nervous system(ANS). That stimulation can help alleviate all 11 opioid withdrawal symptoms by re-balancing the ANS.  

Let’s dive a bit deeper to see how. 

Vagus Nerve Stimulation

The vagus nerve is the only cranial nerve that travels from the brain through the body, touching organs such as your heart, lungs, spleen, and stomach. Through its role in theANS, it controls functions like heart rate, digestion, and mood.Stimulating the vagus nerve can help:

• Reduce Anxiety
• Improve Sleep
• Relieve Gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
• Lower Heart Rate and Blood Pressure

Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation

The trigeminal nerve is the largest cranial nerve with roots and branches like a tree extending from the brain throughout the face and ending in an area near the temple at the side of your head, just in front of your ear. The trigeminal nerve, also a part of the ANS, helps to regulates autonomic responses associated with opioid withdrawal, like:

• Tearing up
• Pain
• Excessive sweating
• Goosebumps

Addressing the 11 Opioid Withdrawal Symptoms with Neurostimulation

Let’s break down all 11 withdrawal symptoms and how neurostimulation can help alleviate each symptom throughout the acute and protracted withdrawal process.

Sparrow Ascent from Spark Biomedical offers a comfortable, drug-free alternative to traditional opioid withdrawal treatments. Addressing each of the 11 common withdrawal symptoms through non-invasive and painless auricular(ear) stimulation provides a holistic approach to managing withdrawal. Compared to other treatments, it offers efficacy and safety with no systemic side effects, like those common with medications used to treat opioid withdrawal.

If you’re ready to tackle opioid withdrawal and want SparrowAscent in your corner, take a look at Sparrow Ascent wearable neurostimulation information on this site, then take our qualification quiz to see if this opioid withdrawal management solution via telehealth is a good fit for you or your loved one. Or, you can find a Sparrow Ascent prescribing provider near you.

Sources:

Spark Biomedical Official Website

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)

Mayo Clinic

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