Supplements and Vitamins for Opiate Withdrawal

No vitamin or supplement has been established as a substitute for evidence-based opioid withdrawal care or ongoing treatment for opioid use disorder. Below are the supplements people ask about most during opiate withdrawal, what they are, and where they fit.

If you are trying to get yourself, your life, and your body back on track, good for you! We're genuinely proud of you for taking the steps you need to make your life better.

Supplements do not treat addiction and do not replace treatment. Nutrition still matters, particularly when illness or substance use has affected your eating. Correcting a documented deficiency is different from claiming a supplement treats addiction.

Ready to get started? Read below.

Taking Vitamins for Opiate Withdrawal: Disclaimer

Before we start, we need to mention that vitamins and supplements are not a replacement for opiate addiction treatment or medical care.

They are used in addition to treatment, not instead of it.

You are always encouraged to talk to your doctor before adding supplements to your diet. Supplements can contain multiple ingredients, interact with medicines, or cause adverse effects. A product marketed for sleep or relaxation may add sedation to other substances.

Bring the label to a pharmacist or clinician before combining it with buprenorphine, methadone, or other prescriptions. Do not assume an online testimonial establishes safety.

What Do Opiates Do to Your Body?

No matter how you were taking opiates, withdrawal is hard on your body, and substance use may have affected how well you have been eating.

If you can tolerate food, regular meals and fluids can help meet ordinary nutritional needs. Vomiting or diarrhea may require assessment of hydration and electrolytes. Inability to keep fluids down, fainting, or severe weakness warrants medical advice.

A clinician can assess whether poor intake, weight change, anemia, or another problem needs targeted testing or treatment. With that in mind, here are the supplements people ask about.

Lipoic Acid

Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that our bodies make naturally. It's also present in foods like tomatoes, spinach, and red meat.

It has not been established as a treatment for opioid withdrawal. If nerve pain is the reason you are considering it, tell your doctor about the pain so it can be assessed.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C has normal roles in the body. That alone does not prove that taking large supplemental amounts reduces opioid withdrawal, prevents a return to use, or makes buprenorphine work better.

Rather get it from food? Orange juice with no sugar added has high amounts of vitamin C.

Vitamin(s) B

There are eight types of B vitamins, all of which have different roles in your body. The most popular supplement is B12, which is cobalamin. A B-complex supplement contains all eight, or at least more than one.

Want to get them from food? Eggs, beef, salmon, and clams are all high in B vitamins.

As with vitamin C, a normal role in the body is not proof that a supplement eases withdrawal. A clinician may recommend supplementation for a specific deficiency, nutritional problem, or other indication.

One more thing about water: drink regularly, but avoid rigid fluid targets that ignore kidney, heart, or other health conditions.

Milk Thistle

Milk thistle is sold as a "liver health" or "liver support" supplement. If you have questions about your liver and any medication you take, including Suboxone, ask your prescriber rather than adding a supplement on your own.

Avoid any supplements that market themselves as "detox products." Some can contain a laxative or appetite suppressant.

The FDA and FTC have taken action against companies marketing unapproved products with opioid withdrawal or addiction treatment claims. FDA warning about unapproved opioid withdrawal products

Kratom products and concentrated opioid-like products should not be treated as harmless vitamins. They can introduce dependence and other risks, and the FDA has specifically warned about products containing concentrated 7-OH.

A Multi-Vitamin

Don't want to take three different supplements a day, or more? Some people prefer a general multi-vitamin.

There is no universal vitamin stack that everyone taking Suboxone needs. If you choose a one-per-day vitamin, just make sure it's okay with your doctor.

Supplements for Opiate Withdrawal and Recovery

When you're using Suboxone to recover from an opiate addiction, you're already taking steps in the right direction.

Vitamins can help cover ordinary nutritional needs along the way, but they don't replace treatment.

Buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone are established medication options, with different initiation requirements. Buprenorphine and methadone can address withdrawal while providing ongoing treatment. Detoxification alone is not recommended because recurrence of use and overdose remain significant risks. CDC: Treating opioid use disorder

Other prescription medicines may relieve selected withdrawal symptoms but are not interchangeable with maintenance treatment. For example, lofexidine has a defined withdrawal-management role and monitoring requirements. DailyMed: Lucemyra prescribing information

Before buying a product, ask whether there are reliable human studies for the exact product and claim, whether it is approved for that purpose, and how it interacts with your medicines. If cost is the reason you are considering supplements instead of treatment, tell your care team.

Keep naloxone available. A suspected opioid overdose requires 911 and naloxone if available, not a supplement or detox product. CDC: Responding to an overdose

Always check with a doctor before taking a supplement.

Start Suboxone treatment online. You can see one of our Suboxone doctors online, by video. The first visit is $89. Follow-up visits are $50 weekly, $75 every two weeks or $89 monthly. Visits are cash pay, and medication is priced separately.