Opioid Use Disorder Symptoms

Identifying opioid use disorder symptoms is crucial to early treatment and better outcomes. Also, find out what treatment options are available. Tolerance and withdrawal are the two most common opioid use disorder symptoms. Untreated symptoms may lead to coma, irreversible brain damage, or death. Tolerance is when you need an increasingly higher amount of the drug to feel the effects. Withdrawal refers to uncomfortable, sometimes fatal, symptoms that may occur when you stop using the drug. Because opioids are potent drugs, you must take them only as recommended. If someone you love takes opioids, keep a close watch on the signs and symptoms of opioid use disorder. Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Fast Facts OUD affects over 16 million people globally and over 2 million Americans. OUD typically comprises two phases – exacerbation (worsening of the disease) and remission (decreased symptom severity). However, regardless of the phase, the risk of relapse never goes away. People with OUD have a...