How can you choose foods wisely to avoid feeling sick during withdrawal? This article will give some simple tips about eating during the drug withdrawal process. Withdrawal from any drug is tough, but withdrawal from alcohol, benzodiazepines and sleeping medications can be more than just tough. It can be dangerous. Never try to withdraw from these kinds of drugs without medical supervision. Withdrawal from opioids, amphetamines and marijuana are not dangerous as a rule, but it’s still best to seek medical help. You will be much more comfortable and more likely to succeed.
Eating During Withdrawal
Even if you are doing your withdrawal under medical supervision, you will still need to know how to eat. Withdrawal, especially from opioids, often includes dramatic gastric symptoms. You may have severe stomach pain, nausea and vomiting, especially for the first few days. The digestive issues usually improve quickly and are often among the first symptoms to subside. They rarely persist beyond five to seven days.
If you’re profoundly nauseated, don’t eat. You’ll just encourage vomiting that way. It won’t hurt a healthy person to go without eating for a few days. Make sure you stay hydrated, though. Sip room temperature pure water throughout the day. Don’t gulp it. Frozen fruit bars are a good thing to try, too. Eat them very slowly so you don’t shock your stomach with their coldness. Ginger or peppermint herbal tea may also help with nausea. Let it cool to a tepid temperature and then sip it slowly. Jello might be a good choice during this time, but avoid pudding or any kind of milk products.
Treat Diarrhea and Stay Hydrated
You can also drink Gatorade or sports drinks intended to replace electrolytes. Don’t drink regular tea or coffee until you get your appetite back. If you have persistent and frequent diarrhea, take loperamide. You can buy it without a prescription in the medication section of any supermarket or drug store. Diarrhea will cause you to lose important body fluids that will be hard to replace when you’re already sick.
When you Start to Feel Better
When you feel your appetite beginning to return, take it slow. Start out with non-citrus fruit like apples, melons or berries. Avoid refined sugar and processed foods. Keep it as natural as possible. During the time you were abusing drugs, you may have not been supplying your body with the nutrients it needs. You can start to make up for that now. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. They’re full of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the cells from damage and help them to function better. Make sure you continue to drink plenty of liquids. They will help your liver function and will also help to flush out toxins from your drug abuse. Part of your withdrawal symptoms are probably caused by the presence of toxins and your body working to eliminate them, so do what you can to help it along.
Coffee and tea in moderation are acceptable at this time. As long as your nausea is gone, milk products are okay too. You can begin to add in lean protein from chicken and fish. Salmon is especially good. It contains important Omega 3 fatty acids. In fact, you should take a fish oil supplement to get more Omega 3 fats. These fats support cells’ function and fight chronic inflammation. This will have an overall healing effect that will help you recover faster.
Chocolate
This one may come as a surprise, but chocolate is actually a perfect food for drug withdrawal and recovery. It contains natural substances that are similar to the endorphins produced in the brain. Endorphins relieve pain and elevate the mood. Especially if you’re withdrawing from opioids, you are probably deficient in endorphins. Chocolate may also have the following health benefits:
- It may lower blood pressure
- It may normalize blood lipids
- It may reduce risk of heart disease
Chocolate is high in flavonoids, which are a type of antioxidant. The darker the chocolate, the more healthful it is. You can avoid the high sugar content by buying sugar-free dark chocolate in gourmet shops and specialty grocery stores. You can also buy dark cocoa powder and mix it into hot milk sweetened with stevia.
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