Methoxetamine Withdrawal and Detox

Methoxetamine (also known as MXE) is a synthetic designer drug that acts as a dissociative hallucinogen, with properties and effects similar to those of PCP and ketamine. It serves as an effective, fast-acting antidepressant, as well as a party drug. In recent times, this drug has been flooding the UK market as a substitute for ketamine. It is considered a Class B substance in the UK.

You can consume MXE by inhaling it through the nose, injecting it, or taking it orally. Being a fast-acting substance, you can experience altered sensory experiences, a feeling of detachment from your body, and a distorted sense of reality, shortly after taking the drug. The effects can last for as long as five to seven hours.

Other effects of using MXE include:

  • Increased empathy
  • Intense feelings of happiness (euphoria)
  • Reduced feelings of depression
  • Increased introspection
  • A sense of peacefulness and calm

Depending on the particular batch (and other factors), you can also experience negative effects, such as:

  • Fear
  • Impaired coordination
  • Anxiety and panic
  • Paranoia
  • Increased heart rate
  • High blood pressure
  • Catatonia
  • Trouble speaking
  • Nausea
  • Respiratory depression

MXE might be considered by many to be a safer alternative to ketamine for recreational abuse. However, this doesn’t change the fact that MXE is a dangerous substance to abuse in any form. Aside from being capable of causing permanent bladder damage, MXE is a habit-forming substance that can easily lead to physical dependence and addiction. Once you’ve developed an addiction to MXE, quitting on your own becomes very difficult, as you will experience a variety of withdrawal symptoms.

These withdrawal symptoms can vary in severity, ranging from mere discomfort to being physically painful. Subsequently, this makes overcoming MXE addiction on your own a difficult and even dangerous affair. For the sake of your safety, you should only attempt to quit MXE abuse via a medically assisted detox in a qualified rehab facility.

A medically assisted detox will combine therapy and medication to ensure your withdrawal symptoms are minimised and your recovery process is as painless and comfortable as possible.

Methoxetamine Withdrawal: What is it?

MXE withdrawal occurs after you’ve developed a physical dependence to the drug and attempt to stop using it, or fail to take a fresh dose after an extended period of time. Typically experienced MXE withdrawal symptoms include depression, impaired cognition, difficulty sleeping, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

In this case, withdrawal is simply your body reacting to the absence of MXE in your system after it has come to rely on the drug’s effects to perform normally. This is a result of your continued use of the drug, causing your body and brain to adapt to its presence and effects. Absence of the drug in such a scenario will lead to your body struggling to cope without the influence of MXE.

When trying to quit MXE and experiencing withdrawal, a medically supervised detox is your best option. This is because during a medically assisted detox, any changes and complications that arise during that period can be properly cared for.

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Causes of Methoxetamine Withdrawal

MXE withdrawal is caused by your body feeling it cannot function normally without the effects of the drug in your system. This occurs due to frequent and regular abuse of MXE, leading your body to believe it cannot function normally without the influence of this substance.

Withdrawal symptoms will continue until your brain is able to revert to the state and level of functioning it was before you began abusing MXE. Depending on the severity and nature of your dependence, you could experience psychological and/or physical withdrawal symptoms for some time. Psychological withdrawal symptoms may take longer to overcome, but you can make a full recovery, as long as you place yourself under the care of a professional addiction treatment facility.

A variety of factors will influence how intense your withdrawal symptoms will be when you attempt quitting MXE. Some of the more principal factors include:

  • Polydrug use: combining MXE with other substances with the aim of enhancing their effect is a dangerous habit. Aside from that, it also contributes to worsening withdrawal symptoms in the event you try to quit.
  • Duration of abuse: the longer you’ve been abusing MXE, the more severe your addiction will likely be. In turn, the more severe your addiction, the more severe your withdrawal symptoms will be.
  • Physiology: physical features such as gender, age, height and weight will all contribute to determining the severity of your withdrawal symptoms. Family history of substance dependence can also play a role.
  • Dose: the higher the dose of MXE you were abusing (and your tolerance to the drug), the worse withdrawal symptoms will likely be.

The presence of a co-occurring disorder can also negatively influence withdrawal symptoms.

MXE withdrawal may be uncomfortable, but you need not fear and avoid it. This is because withdrawal is an important stage that you need to go through before you can successfully beat your addiction. By placing yourself in the care of a qualified rehab centre for medically assisted detox, you can safely negotiate the withdrawal process with greater ease.

Phases of Methoxetamine Withdrawal

If you’ve developed a physical dependence on MXE, you can generally expect to go through the following three phases when you attempt to quit using the drug:

Early withdrawal phase: for most people, this can occur after hours or even a day after taking your last dose of MXE, and could continue for a few days.

Acute withdrawal phase: this can begin within a few days of quitting MXE. This phase often comprises the manifestation of the worst withdrawal symptoms.

Protracted withdrawal phase: this phase usually only occurs if your abuse of MXE was particularly severe, especially if you were abusing it alongside other substances, such as alcohol or stimulants.

While no set timeframe concerning MXE withdrawal is known at present, the right medical assistance can help minimise the intensity of symptoms, as well as their duration. Follow-up therapy and family support services are especially important in order to achieve a smooth and long-lasting recovery.

Methoxetamine Withdrawal Symptoms: What to Expect

The more you know about MXE withdrawal symptoms, the better prepared you’ll be to face them. Symptoms that typically characterise MXE withdrawal include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Insomnia
  • Problems with coordination and motor skills
  • Tachycardia (increased heart rate)
  • Tachypnea (rapid breathing)
  • Double vision

As MXE is considered a party drug for the most part, when used in such a setting, it is typically abused alongside other substances (polydrug use). This can lead to an increase in the severity of withdrawal symptoms.

If frequently abusing MXE with alcohol – and you try to stop using both substances at the same time – alcohol and MXE withdrawal symptoms can occur simultaneously.

Other instances that will increase the severity of MXE withdrawal include:

  • Use of the drug in larger doses
  • Frequent abuse of the drug

Timeline of Methoxetamine Withdrawal

Due to the shortage of available information concerning MXE withdrawal, a clear timeline that maps out the progression and duration of the withdrawal process is unavailable. However, in most instances, MXE withdrawal can last for anywhere between days and weeks, depending on the severity of addiction. The timeline of withdrawal will also be influenced by your physiology and whether MXE was being abused in combination with other substances.

Generally, two to four days is needed for MXE to completely leave your system. Because the rate of metabolism differs from person to person, your experience can differ from that of another individual.

After your last dose of MXE and all traces of the drug have left your body, withdrawal symptoms typically peak. Within a day or two, you can expect such symptoms to subside, but you’ll still experience psychological cravings. By the end of the detox period, cravings will diminish and your physical withdrawal symptoms should disappear altogether.

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Methoxetamine Detoxification: The Lowdown

There’s more than one way to accomplish a complete MXE detox. However, a medically supervised detox is typically recommended as the best way to minimise the severity of withdrawal symptoms and the safest way to accomplish a completely effective detox.

During the initial stages of detox treatment, you’ll be put through an intake process, whereby the severity of your addiction – as well as the state of your health – will be evaluated. Based on information gleaned from the evaluation, the addiction treatment centre will then recommend an appropriate course of treatment to best suit your condition.

If your MXE addiction is severe, it is recommended that an inpatient detox facility be used for your treatment. An outpatient treatment facility will be better suited to patients with a mild addiction, who will likely experience less severe withdrawal symptoms. However, there is also the option of combining inpatient treatment with outpatient treatment, for both convenience and effectiveness. For instance, you can use an inpatient facility during the initial and more crucial stages of detox and then progress to outpatient treatment towards the end.

Methoxetamine Detox Process

It is strongly advised that you undergo an MXE detox under the supervision and care of a certified medical professional with experience of dealing with MXE withdrawal. This way, any complications brought about by an ill-managed detox can be avoided.

Usually, the tapering method is applied to help addicts safely and effectively get through the detox process. A tapering programme involves gradually decreasing your MXE dose over a period of time. This will give the body sufficient opportunity to adapt to the absence of MXE in your system. It’s also safer and greatly minimises the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms, giving you the opportunity to gradually withdraw from MXE and regain your physical and mental health.

Once you’re completely detoxified, treatment can be moved to a formal rehab facility, where the root of your dependence issues can be addressed. An individualised programme that utilises individual and/or group therapy (as well as life skills training and other interventions) can be applied to ensure a full recovery. Intensive outpatient programmes can also help reinforce what you learned during treatment.

Home Detox

Quitting MXE by detoxing using the ‘cold turkey’ approach at home is not considered safe, as it can pose a variety of health dangers. If improperly cared for, MXE withdrawal symptoms can lead to health complications. By detoxing at home, you won’t have access to immediate medical help and you might not be properly prepared for the withdrawal symptoms that follow. Furthermore, detoxing at home greatly increases your chances of suffering a relapse, as you’ll still likely have easy access to your supply of MXE.

For best results, an inpatient treatment centre is most ideal; here, you’ll have access to 24/7 medical care from professionals. In such an environment, you’ll be protected from triggers and stressors that could cause you to abuse MXE and you won’t have access to any drugs to abuse. Also, your condition will be monitored round-the-clock and medical assistance provided (as needed) to reduce the health risks and dangers brought about by withdrawal.

Why Detoxification at Home can be Harmful

Specific reasons why detoxing from MXE at home can be harmful include:

  • Unpredictability of symptoms: withdrawal symptoms can fluctuate unpredictably, leaving you overwhelmed and vulnerable to health dangers.
  • Self-medication during withdrawal can do more harm than good, as you might end up abusing other drugs and substances in an unhealthy manner.
  • The risk of relapse is greatly increased during a home detox, as there’s no one to stop you from indulging in cravings, and maybe suffering an accidental overdose.

To appropriately undergo MXE detoxification, contact a confidential addiction helpline today.

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Medically Supervised MXE Withdrawal Detox

For the sake of your safety and in order to achieve long-lasting recovery, you should complete MXE withdrawal under a doctor’s supervision. This can be provided in an inpatient addiction treatment facility, where you’ll have access to round-the-clock care, as well as medication to help alleviate your symptoms. Medical supervision can also be applied via an outpatient programme (but to a lesser extent than during an inpatient programme).

Medication can be provided in instances where withdrawal symptoms are deemed severe. There are a variety of medications available for the treatment of specific symptoms during a Methoxetamine detox, as well as to speed up the detox process. While said medication cannot completely eliminate withdrawal symptoms, it can definitely render them far milder.

Treatment for Withdrawal

There are different treatment programmes that can be offered to individuals who are struggling with MXE addiction, including:

  • Inpatient treatment. This can be offered to recovering addicts whose addiction is severe and requires intensive therapy. Such treatment provides care and support in a drug-free living environment, where the patient has to remain for the duration of treatment. This can last for a few weeks or several months, depending on the damage already caused by addiction.
  • Outpatient treatment. This option can be used to treat those with a less severe addiction. It can also be offered as as a step-down level of care for patients who have just been discharged from an inpatient programme. This involves receiving addiction treatment from home.

An aftercare plan is also an essential part of the MXE addiction treatment process. Aftercare begins after detox and rehabilitation have been completed. It involves attending meetings with a counsellor or therapist, as well as visiting groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous for support group meetings. Studies have shown that recovering addicts who make use of aftercare plans have a higher chance of staying addiction-free and preventing a relapse.

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Guided Methoxetamine Therapy

Specialised treatment and therapy can be provided for unique circumstances, especially in instances where the recovering addict has a co-occurring disorder. Depending on the unique circumstances of your condition, the following specialised treatment and therapy options could be prescribed:

  • Group therapy
  • Family therapy sessions
  • Creative arts therapy
  • Individual counselling
  • Nutrition, wellness, and stress management services

Live a Drug-Free Life Again

Preparing to quit using drugs is only a part of a lengthy and complex recovery process. By the time you begin treatment for drug abuse, addiction has usually already developed into a serious issue. The compulsion to source and take drugs – coupled with the need to experience their effects – takes full control of your life. Abusing drugs can take over all the activities you used to enjoy, and disrupt your family, work, and social life. It can also make you more likely to suffer from other severe problems. Since addiction can impact almost every aspect of your life, successful treatment must address your needs as a whole.

The journey to a healthy and abstinent life can be challenging, and requires lifelong commitment and hard work. However, it offers immeasurable rewards and transitioning from addiction to recovery is well worth the effort.

Like any journey, addiction recovery begins with the first step. An essential step to building a drug-free life is attending rehabilitation treatment. This can include medical assistance to undergo withdrawal and overcome the effects of addiction, as well as counselling to uncover the root cause of drug abuse. If you need any help overcoming MXE addiction, talk to a treatment counsellor to discover effective rehab programmes that will meet your needs. You can live a drug-free life again, and treatment will help you recover in the best way possible.

Preventing Relapse

Preventing a relapse is essential for a variety of reasons. Firstly, after undergoing detoxification, your body’s tolerance to drugs greatly reduces. This means that the dose to which you were formerly accustomed to (after undergoing detoxification) can easily lead to an accidental overdose that could be potentially fatal.

Secondly, after suffering a relapse, many addicts find it difficult to re-commit to addiction treatment.

You can successfully prevent a relapse by taking advantage of aftercare services and attending support group meetings and counselling programmes for as long as necessary. This will help you stay focused on remaining drug-free. Also, you must be able to identify the triggers and circumstances that typically cause you to abuse drugs and subsequently learn to avoid them. This can include being around friends who still actively engage in drug abuse.

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Tips for Handling Cravings

Cravings during addiction recovery are much easier to manage if you keep yourself busy with hobbies and other activities. This will keep your mind from dwelling excessively on cravings and the desire to use drugs. Another important tip is to stay away from activities and individuals that typically drive you to abuse MXE. Support networks – such as your family or 12-step programmes – can also help you stay focused on abstinence, as well as combating the temptation of cravings.

 

Find a Treatment Centre

 

Depending on the severity of your addiction (or your general preference), you can opt for either an outpatient or inpatient MXE treatment programme. However, before choosing a specific addiction clinic, be sure to verify the treatment centre’s success rate with other patients. This way, you can get treatment at a clinic with the best facilities that has the capability to offer the most convenience and keep you happy throughout the duration of your treatment.


FAQs

How Long Does Methoxetamine Withdrawal Last?

Due to the shortage of available information concerning MXE, a clear timeline that maps out the progression and duration of the withdrawal process is unavailable. However, in most instances, MXE withdrawal can last for anywhere between days and weeks, depending on the severity of addiction. Also, factors such as physiology and whether MXE was being abused in combination with other substances, will each influence how long withdrawal lasts.

Are There any Home Remedies for Getting Clean Safely?

There are home remedies for detoxing, but this isn’t recommended. This is because such home remedies only care for the physical aspects of your addiction and not the psychological. Furthermore, home remedies are limited in how much care they can provide – especially if your withdrawal symptoms are severe. It would be far safer to place yourself under the care of an inpatient programme, whereby a medically assisted detox and proper care can be provided.

How Long Does it Take to Detox from Methoxetamine?

How long detox takes will vary from person to person. Depending on your physiology – as well as the severity of your addiction – detox can take days or weeks. Generally, two to four days are needed for MXE to completely leave your system. Because the rate of metabolism differs from one person to the next, your experience can differ from that of another individual.

After your last dose of MXE and all traces of the drug have left your body, withdrawal symptoms typically peak. Within a day or two, you can expect such symptoms to subside, though you’ll still experience psychological cravings. By the end of the detox period, cravings will diminish and your physical withdrawal symptoms should disappear altogether.

Can Medication Help?

Yes, medication can help. Benzodiazepines are typically prescribed to help minimise withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and so on. Over the counter medication can also help minimise MXE withdrawal symptoms, such as nausea or diarrhoea.

What Is Methoxetamine Withdrawal?

MXE withdrawal is your body’s physical reaction in the event you suddenly quit using the drug after it has adapted to the effects. As your system starts ridding itself of all traces of MXE, you’ll start experiencing withdrawal symptoms that can be quite painful and difficult to bear. These can include depression, impaired cognition, difficulty sleeping, and suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

Are there ways to Prevent or Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms?

Methoxetamine, MXE, M-ket, or Mexxy withdrawal symptoms can be minimised by using the tapering method to wean yourself off the drug, rather than attempting to quit ‘cold turkey’. Withdrawal symptoms can be further minimised with the aid of medication prescribed by an addiction specialist.

Can I Find Help?

Yes. MXE addiction specialists in a rehab facility can provide all the treatment and support you need to get past the withdrawal phases and make a full recovery. Treatment at the hand of such professionals will ensure you stay as comfortable as possible for the duration of the recovery process. If you would like to know more about MXE withdrawal and detox – as well as how to get professional help for you or a loved one – call a confidential addiction helpline today.

Can You Die From Methoxetamine Withdrawal?

There have been rare cases of death occurring when a person is ‘coming down’ from MXE. If MXE withdrawal is not properly managed, it can lead to a variety of physical and mental health complications, which in the worst case could prove fatal. Therefore, to safely negotiate withdrawal, undertake this process in the care of medical professionals.

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