Withdrawal
The body reacts to less of a substance after becoming used to it.
Learn the signs. Help without blame.
Drug withdrawal.
What can it look like?
Notice a change. Know when to get help.
Withdrawal means the body reacts when a substance it has become used to is reduced or stopped. A syndrome is a group of symptoms that happen together.
It can involve alcohol, street drugs, or prescribed medicines. Physical dependence means the body has adapted. It can happen during proper medical treatment. Addiction means use is hard to control and continues despite harm. Withdrawal alone does not prove addiction.
There may be no obvious warning signs of drug use. Flu, low blood sugar, stress, depression, and other illnesses can look similar. These examples help you seek care; they cannot identify a drug or diagnose a person.
First: check for an emergency.
Call 911 now for a seizure, sudden confusion, trouble breathing, chest pain, collapse, or a person who cannot be awakened. New hallucinations after stopping alcohol or a sedative also need emergency care.
Hard to wake + slow or stopped breathing = possible overdose. Gurgling or unusual snoring in someone who will not wake is also a warning. Do not assume they are just sleeping.
If an opioid overdose may be happening, give naloxone if available, following the package directions, and call 911. Follow the dispatcher’s breathing or CPR instructions. If the person is breathing, place them on their side. Stay until help arrives if it is safe. They still need care even if naloxone wakes them.
Call or text 988 for suicidal thoughts or a mental-health crisis. Call 911 if danger is immediate. These numbers are for the U.S.; elsewhere use local emergency services.
Three words that mean different things
Intoxication / being high
A substance is affecting the person now. They may seem sleepy, unsteady, unusually active, or unlike themselves.
Overdose / poisoning
A substance causes dangerous effects. Breathing or consciousness may fail. Emergency help may be needed.
These can overlap, especially when several substances are involved. You do not need to decide which one it is before calling for help.
Different names. Sometimes different contents.
A street name is a nickname. It is not a label checked by a pharmacist.
The same word can mean different drugs. Names vary by place and change over time. Hearing a word in ordinary conversation does not prove someone uses drugs.
A pill sold as Xanax, Percocet, or Adderall may be fake. Fake pills may contain fentanyl or other drugs. A familiar name, color, shape, or stamp cannot confirm what is inside.
“Dope,” “downers,” “speed,” and “blues” are not precise names. Do not use them to choose a withdrawal treatment. Tell a health worker the exact words you heard and say when the contents are unknown.
Picture this
A family hears “bars” and thinks it means a prescribed Xanax pill. But a pill bought outside a pharmacy may contain something else. If the person will not wake or is breathing slowly, call 911 and respond to a possible overdose. Do not wait to identify the pill.
The lessons below list examples of names you may hear. They are not a complete or locally guaranteed list.
Choose a substance
Huffing, gases, synthetic drugs, and medicine misuse ↓ Drug-test limits ↓
Why street names can be misleading ↑ · Molly, Special K, acid, shrooms, and tusi ↓
Tap a name. Each lesson has a Listen button.
The scenes below are made-up teaching examples. Symptoms can start while use is reduced, not only after it stops. Risk varies with the substance, regular use, and health.
Medical help before stopping
Alcohol
Beer, wine, liquor
Names you may hear
Everyday words: booze, liquor, spirits. Beer and wine also contain alcohol.
What you may notice
Shaky hands, sweating, nausea, anxiety, poor sleep, or a racing heartbeat after cutting down. Severe withdrawal can cause seizures, seeing things that are not there, or confusion.
Picture this at home
A person who drinks heavily every day stops. That evening they shake and sweat. Later they do not know where they are. This needs emergency care.
What to do
Daily heavy drinking needs a medical stopping plan. Ask for same-day care if symptoms have started. Call 911 for a seizure, new confusion, or hallucinations.
Medical help before stopping
Anxiety medicines: benzodiazepines
Xanax (alprazolam), Ativan (lorazepam), Valium (diazepam), Klonopin (clonazepam)
Names you may hear
Benzodiazepines: benzos, downers.
Xanax / alprazolam: bars, Z-bars, zannies, sticks.
Klonopin / clonazepam: K-pins, tranks.
What you may notice
Strong anxiety, panic, poor sleep, shaking, or muscle pain after a dose is missed or reduced. Severe withdrawal can cause seizures or major changes in thinking.
Picture this at home
Someone takes an anxiety medicine regularly. Their refill runs out. They cannot sleep and become shaky and panicked. This can happen even when the medicine was taken as prescribed.
What to do
Contact the prescriber promptly. Do not stop suddenly or cut the dose quickly on your own. Call 911 for a seizure or new confusion.
Medical help before stopping
Other sedatives and sleeping pills
Barbiturates such as phenobarbital; some sleeping pills such as Ambien (zolpidem)
Names you may hear
Broad words: downers, sleeping pills, sedatives. These words may describe different medicines. Ask for the actual medicine name.
What you may notice
Poor sleep, anxiety, sweating, shakiness, nausea, or cramps. Some sedative withdrawals can cause seizures. Abrupt barbiturate withdrawal can be life-threatening.
Picture this at home
Someone stops a regularly used sleeping medicine. They become shaky and cannot sleep. A family member assumes they are only having a bad night. A clinician needs to check.
What to do
Ask the prescriber about a safe plan. Do not suddenly take away a dependent person’s medicine. A seizure or sudden confusion needs 911.
Urgent medical assessment
GHB and related drugs
GHB; GBL and 1,4-butanediol can turn into GHB in the body
Names you may hear
GHB: G, liquid ecstasy, liquid X, scoop, Georgia Home Boy.
“Liquid ecstasy” refers to GHB in these slang references. GHB and MDMA are different drugs.
What you may notice
Anxiety, shaking, sweating, sleeplessness, or a fast heartbeat after stopping frequent use. Severe withdrawal can cause extreme agitation, hallucinations, and confusion. It can worsen quickly.
Picture this at home
A person has been taking a liquid drug frequently. When they stop, they become sweaty, restless, and confused. The family does not know the liquid’s name. Do not wait to find out before seeking care.
What to do
Frequent use followed by stopping needs urgent medical assessment. Call 911 for new confusion, hallucinations, or severe agitation.
Medical support matters
Opioids
Fentanyl, heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone; methadone and buprenorphine can also cause dependence
Names you may hear
Heroin: H, smack, black tar, horse, chiva.
Fentanyl: China Girl, China Town, Tango & Cash. “Blues” may refer to fentanyl or pills sold as oxycodone.
Oxycodone: oxy, roxy, 30s. Percocet: percs.
Suboxone / buprenorphine-naloxone: subs, bupes. This is also a prescribed treatment medicine; hearing the name does not mean misuse.
What you may notice
Repeated yawning, watery eyes, a runny nose, sweating, goosebumps, body aches, restlessness, stomach cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Picture this at home
After running out of an opioid, someone looks as if they have the flu. They yawn, ache all over, and keep running to the bathroom. Infection can look similar.
What to do
Seek treatment rather than trying to endure it alone. Vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration. Pregnancy needs prompt medical advice. After a break, the body can tolerate less opioid: returning to an old amount can cause a fatal overdose.
Watch mood and safety
Stimulants: the crash
Cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine; some prescription stimulants
Names you may hear
Cocaine powder: coke, blow, snow, yayo.
Crack cocaine: crack, rock. Crack is a form of cocaine.
Methamphetamine: meth, crystal, ice, glass, crank, Tina.
Amphetamines: speed, uppers. Adderall: Addy, study buddies. “Speed” can also refer to methamphetamine.
What you may notice
Heavy tiredness, sleeping much more or disrupted sleep, increased hunger, low mood, little pleasure, irritability, and strong urges to use again. There may be few obvious physical signs.
Picture this at home
After a period of little sleep, someone sleeps much of the day, eats more, and says nothing feels good. A family calls them lazy. They may need help with a crash, depression, or another illness.
What to do
Ask directly whether they are thinking about suicide. Call or text 988 for a crisis; call 911 for immediate danger, chest pain, severe agitation, or sudden confusion.
Support for sleep and mood
Cannabis / marijuana
Weed, THC products, including some vapes and edibles
Names you may hear
Cannabis: weed, pot, grass, ganja, Mary Jane, mota, herb.
Product words: wax and dabs may refer to cannabis concentrates. “Edibles” means a product made to be eaten; the word alone does not tell you what is in it.
What you may notice
Irritability, anxiety, restlessness, poor sleep or vivid dreams, less appetite, and low mood after stopping regular use.
Picture this at home
A person stops daily cannabis use. They snap at small things, cannot sleep, and do not want dinner. These changes can reflect withdrawal, but they do not prove it.
What to do
Talk with a clinician if symptoms disrupt daily life. Seek urgent help for suicidal thoughts or loss of contact with reality. Synthetic cannabinoids, sometimes called K2 or Spice, have different and potentially more dangerous effects.
Quitting support can help
Nicotine
Cigarettes, nicotine vapes, chewing tobacco, nicotine pouches
Names you may hear
Product words: cigarettes, cigs, smokes, vapes, dip, chew, pouches. These are not all names for nicotine itself. A vape or pouch may contain different substances.
What you may notice
Strong cravings, irritability, restlessness, trouble focusing or sleeping, increased hunger, or low mood.
Picture this at home
Someone stops vaping nicotine. They pace, snack more, and have trouble concentrating. Their family thinks they are being difficult. Quitting can be uncomfortable.
What to do
A clinician or pharmacist can help with quitting treatments. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for U.S. tobacco-quit support. Serious mood changes need care.
An everyday withdrawal example
Caffeine
Coffee, energy drinks, tea, some headache medicines
Names you may hear
Product words: coffee, tea, energy drinks, caffeine pills. A product name does not tell you how much caffeine it contains.
What you may notice
Headache, sleepiness, irritability, nausea, or trouble focusing after suddenly stopping regular caffeine.
Picture this at home
Someone who drinks coffee every morning skips it. By afternoon they have a headache and feel unusually sleepy. Withdrawal is one possible reason.
What to do
This usually settles with time. Ask a clinician if symptoms are severe or unusual. Do not assume a sudden severe headache or confusion is caffeine withdrawal.
Other names that can cause confusion
These are extra name explanations. They do not mean that every drug causes the same withdrawal symptoms.
| Names you may hear | What they may refer to | What to remember |
|---|---|---|
| Molly, ecstasy, E, X, XTC | Usually names used for MDMA | GHB is sometimes called “liquid ecstasy,” but is a different drug. A product sold as Molly is not guaranteed to contain MDMA. Source ↗ |
| Special K, Kit Kat, vitamin K | Ketamine | Ketamine is different from benzodiazepines such as Xanax. “K” alone can be ambiguous. Source ↗ |
| Acid, blotter acid, dots | LSD | These names do not establish the contents of an unknown product. Source ↗ |
| Shrooms, magic mushrooms | Psilocybin-containing mushrooms | A nickname cannot identify a mushroom or rule out poisonous mushrooms. Source ↗ |
| Pink cocaine, tusi | An unpredictable mixture sold under these names | It may contain no cocaine. Ingredients vary from batch to batch. Source ↗ |
Less familiar substances. Serious risks.
Getting high does not always involve a familiar street drug. Some people misuse household chemicals, gases, medicines, or products sold as “herbal” or “research chemicals.” A store shelf or natural-sounding label does not make a product safe.
These lessons cover exposure, poisoning, and withdrawal. Not every symptom below is a withdrawal symptom. Other illnesses and accidental exposures can look similar. A product nearby is a clue, not proof of misuse.
Recognize the change. Get help.
Inhalants: huffing and sniffing
Names you may hear
You may hear: huffing, sniffing, bagging, dusting. These describe use, not one specific drug.
What is it?
Some household or workplace products give off vapors that can poison the brain and body when deliberately inhaled.
During use or poisoning
Slurred speech, dizziness, poor balance, confusion, chemical smells, stains, or irritation around the mouth. Ordinary product use can also explain smells or stains.
Picture this at home
A teenager seems drunk, but there is no alcohol smell. Their clothes smell of chemicals and their speech is slurred. This could be poisoning, not simply bad behavior.
After stopping or repeated exposure
Repeated use can lead to cravings, anxiety, low mood, poor sleep, and difficulty focusing when stopping. Brain, nerve, or organ injury can also persist.
What to do
Sudden heart failure can happen even in a single session. Call 911 for collapse, breathing trouble, chest pain, a seizure, or inability to wake. Stay calm; do not chase or startle the person. Do not enter an unsafe fume-filled space.
Recognize the change. Get help.
Nitrous oxide
Names you may hear
You may hear: laughing gas, whippets, whip-its. Galaxy Gas is one product brand, not a different drug.
What is it?
A gas with legitimate medical and food uses. Recreational inhalation can cause serious injury or death.
During use or poisoning
Dizziness, fainting, confusion, or poor coordination. Repeated exposure can affect vitamin B12 function and damage nerves: tingling, numbness, weakness, or trouble walking.
Picture this at home
Someone repeatedly uses a gas product and later says their feet are numb. The family thinks they only slept in an awkward position. New weakness or walking problems need medical assessment.
After stopping or repeated exposure
Lasting nerve symptoms are not just a comedown or ordinary withdrawal. They can need urgent treatment even after the person stops.
What to do
Call 911 for collapse or breathing trouble. Seek prompt medical assessment for new numbness, weakness, or trouble walking. Tell the clinician about nitrous oxide exposure.
Recognize the change. Get help.
Nitrite “poppers”
Names you may hear
You may hear: poppers. Labels may say room odorizer, leather cleaner, or liquid incense.
What is it?
Nitrite chemicals sold under misleading product labels. They are different from nitrous oxide and are not safe to inhale or swallow.
During use or poisoning
Severe dizziness, headache, fainting, or trouble breathing. They can dangerously lower blood pressure or prevent blood from carrying oxygen properly.
Picture this at home
Someone becomes faint and short of breath after using a small liquid product. A family assumes a store-bought product cannot be dangerous. It can be poisoning.
After stopping or repeated exposure
These signs can be acute poisoning rather than withdrawal. Do not wait for a withdrawal pattern to develop.
What to do
Call 911 for collapse, trouble breathing, or blue or gray lips. For a possible exposure without those emergency signs, call Poison Help: 1-800-222-1222.
Recognize the change. Get help.
Synthetic cannabinoids: K2 / Spice
Names you may hear
You may hear: K2, Spice, synthetic weed, herbal incense. These names cover changing chemicals, not one consistent drug.
What is it?
They can affect some of the same brain receptors as THC, but are different from cannabis and can cause much more unpredictable harm.
During use or poisoning
Severe anxiety, agitation, confusion, hallucinations, unusual sleepiness, vomiting, rapid heartbeat, or seizures.
Picture this at home
Someone becomes confused and vomits after a product called “herbal.” A routine drug screen is negative. The symptoms still need medical care.
After stopping or repeated exposure
Frequent users who stop may have severe anxiety, sweating, poor sleep, nausea, or vomiting. Seizures and heart or breathing symptoms have also been reported.
What to do
Call 911 for a seizure, chest pain, breathing trouble, collapse, or sudden confusion. Seek medical help for withdrawal symptoms. Do not assume K2 withdrawal is like ordinary cannabis withdrawal.
Recognize the change. Get help.
Synthetic stimulants / cathinones
Names you may hear
You may hear: bath salts, research chemicals, plant food, Ivory Wave, meow meow. “Bath salts” here means a drug label, not ordinary bathing products.
What is it?
A group of laboratory-made stimulants. Names and ingredients can change; the label does not establish what is inside.
During use or poisoning
Heavy sweating, a racing heart, overheating, extreme agitation, confusion, paranoia, hallucinations, or seizures.
Picture this at home
Someone has not slept, is drenched in sweat, and believes strangers are watching them. They say the packet is just “plant food.” The behavior and physical symptoms need assessment.
After stopping or repeated exposure
A stimulant-type crash can include exhaustion, poor sleep, cravings, or low mood. Exact withdrawal patterns vary with the chemical and other substances taken.
What to do
Call 911 for overheating with confusion, chest pain, a seizure, or unsafe severe agitation. Keep yourself safe and avoid confrontation.
Recognize the change. Get help.
Cough-medicine misuse: DXM
Names you may hear
You may hear: DXM, Dex, Robo, Triple C, CCC. A medicine’s brand name does not identify all its ingredients.
What is it?
Dextromethorphan is a cough medicine. Misusing it can cause intoxication; combination cold medicines may contain other harmful ingredients.
During use or poisoning
Slurred speech, poor balance, unusual sleepiness or excitement, sweating, vomiting, confusion, or hallucinations.
Picture this at home
Someone seems unsteady and confused beside an unexpectedly empty cold-medicine bottle. The family thinks an over-the-counter medicine cannot cause poisoning.
After stopping or repeated exposure
Do not assume these symptoms are withdrawal. Too much cold medicine or interactions with other medicines need assessment.
What to do
For suspected excess medicine, contact Poison Help promptly even if the person looks well. Call 911 for breathing trouble, a seizure, collapse, or inability to wake. Keep the packaging for clinicians if available.
Recognize the change. Get help.
Tianeptine
Names you may hear
You may hear: gas station heroin. This nickname does not mean the product is actually heroin.
What is it?
A drug not approved by the FDA for medical use in the U.S. Some products are marketed with misleading mood, brain-health, or supplement claims.
During use or poisoning
Unusual sleepiness, agitation, confusion, sweating, nausea, vomiting, or slowed breathing.
Picture this at home
Someone takes a product sold for mood or focus. When they run out, they become very ill. Their family did not realize that a shop-bought product could cause dependence.
After stopping or repeated exposure
Dependence and withdrawal can occur. Effects during use and withdrawal can resemble opioid poisoning and opioid withdrawal.
What to do
Seek medical help for symptoms or difficulty stopping. Call 911 for slow or stopped breathing, collapse, or inability to wake. If opioid-like overdose is suspected, use available naloxone as directed while calling 911.
A negative drug test does not rule out danger.
“Negative” means the test did not detect the substances it was designed to look for. It does not mean “no drugs,” “no poisoning,” or “safe.”
Many routine screens miss synthetic cannabinoids. New synthetic drugs and other exposures may need specific laboratory testing. What gets detected depends on the exact test, the substance, and when the sample was taken. Even specialized testing has limits.
“Synthetic” means made through chemical processes. It does not automatically mean undetectable. There is no universal drug test that checks every substance.
Picture this
A person is suddenly confused and a home test says negative. The family still calls for medical help. A clinician considers poisoning, low blood sugar, infection, and other causes instead of relying on that test alone.
A positive home test is also only an initial result; a laboratory may need to confirm it. Prescription medicine can explain a positive result. A test alone does not diagnose addiction.
Ask a clinician: “What did this test check for? Could it miss the exposure we are worried about?” Do not delay emergency care to buy a test or wait for a result.
Someone at home seems different.
You do not need proof of drug use to ask for medical help.
- Describe the change.
“You are shaking and have not slept. I am worried about you.”
- Ask calmly.
“Have you stopped or changed any medicine, alcohol, or other substance? Can we call a health worker together?”
- Share what you know.
Tell the care team what changed, when it started, and any known substances or missed doses. Bring medicine containers if available. Do not delay emergency help to search for them.
Avoid blaming, threats, or labels. Do not force someone to stop a regularly used medicine or attempt a home detox with borrowed pills, alcohol, or sedatives. A clinician can make a safe plan.
If someone is threatening or unsafe, move yourself and children to safety and call for help. Do not physically restrain them. Keep medicines and unknown substances secured away from children.
For a child, pregnancy, an older adult, serious illness, several substances, or an unknown substance, seek prompt medical advice. Repeated vomiting, inability to keep fluids down, or worsening symptoms also need prompt assessment.
Help is available.
Withdrawal care is the beginning, not the whole treatment. Medicines, counseling, and ongoing support can help. Ask about treatment for opioid or alcohol use disorder, not only “detox.”
“I may be having withdrawal. What is the safest next step?”
“Someone at home has changed. Can you help us work out what is happening?”
The SAMHSA helpline gives treatment information and referrals. Poison Help advises on possible poisoning or unknown exposures. For trouble breathing, a seizure, or inability to wake, call 911 first.
Some sleep, mood, and craving changes can last beyond the first days. New or worsening symptoms need assessment, rather than automatically being called withdrawal. There is no single timeline for everyone.
About these lessons
Introductory education about common withdrawal patterns, not every substance or a home treatment plan; includes poisoning and lasting-injury examples as well as withdrawal. Sources checked October 11, 2026. Independent clinical review is pending. Our source and review policy.
MedlinePlus: Drug use and addiction ↗SAMHSA: Treatment and support ↗