Oxycodone’s manufacturers say people shouldn’t stop taking the drug without talking to their doctors.[1] Suddenly quitting can lead to distressing oxycodone withdrawal symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, fever and severe bone and muscle pain. Most doctors recommend a taper to ensure their patients can stop using this opioid safely and comfortably.
A taper is likely the best choice for someone taking oxycodone medically. Meanwhile, people who misuse oxycodone and have dependence or oxycodone addiction should detox in a medical detox program to manage withdrawal. Then they should transfer into a Medication for Addiction Treatment (MAT) program to get long-term help to avoid relapse.
Here’s what you need to know about how an oxycodone taper works and why another method might be better for your long-term recovery.
No matter what, you should never taper off oxycodone without medical supervision. Always consult a doctor or addiction specialist to create a tapering plan or receive MAT like Suboxone or methadone.
What is an Oxycodone Taper?
Oxycodone is meant for short-term treatment of acute pain. However, some people take their pills for long periods to help with chronic conditions (like arthritis) and others misuse them for long periods due to opioid use disorder (OUD).
As the name implies, an oxycodone taper involves using smaller amounts of the drug until you’re eventually using none. This method allows your brain and body to adjust to a drug-free life in a slow and controlled manner. It also helps to prevent unpleasant oxycodone withdrawal symptoms and cravings.
Researchers say fewer people are now prescribed opioids like oxycodone for long periods.[2] But even those who have used the drug consistently for several days or weeks might benefit from tapering instead of quitting abruptly.
Tapering Helps to Mitigate Withdrawal Symptoms
People who quit drugs like oxycodone quickly, without a taper, can develop the following withdrawal symptoms within about 12 to 48 hours of their last dose:[3]
- Muscle aches
- Bone pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Cold sweats
- Shivering
- Goose bumps
- Anxiety
- Restlessness
- Tremors
- Sleep disturbances
- Rapid heartrate
- Increased blood pressure
- Runny nose and tearing eyes
These symptoms may last up to one week, with the intensity peaking between 1-3 days.[3]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says some people quitting opioids abruptly also develop uncontrolled pain, psychological distress and enhanced suicide risks.[4]
Quitting quickly is far too dangerous for anyone to attempt. An oxycodone taper could be a much safer option.
Why Choose an Oxycodone Taper?
It may seem easier to simply decide to quit taking opioids and toss out all your pills the same day. But a taper comes with benefits a cold-turkey quitting process can’t touch.
Known benefits of an oxycodone taper include the following:
- Ease of administration: With a taper, you won’t need new medications or prescriptions. You can use what you have in a new way while you work towards becoming abstinent.
- At-home care: You won’t need to enroll in a program or check into a facility. You can take care of this problem from your home.
- Enhanced privacy: Work with your doctor on a schedule that works for you, and don’t tell anyone else about it if you don’t want to.
- Controlled pace: Tapers should be gradual, allowing your body to adjust and avoid withdrawal symptoms. You can move as slowly as your doctor recommends.
Another major benefit of an oxycodone taper is reducing the risk of long-term side effects of opioid use, including:[3],[8]
- Hypersensitivity to pain
- Chronic constipation
- Bowel obstruction
- Increased risk of falls and broken bones
- Depression
- Sleep apnea
- Osteoporosis
- Respiratory issues
- Suppressed immune system
- Heart attack
- Infertility
- Erectile dysfunction
When to Taper Prescribed Oxycodone
If you are on oxycodone for pain management, there may be several reasons your doctor decides an oxycodone taper might be right for you. Some of the more common reasons for tapering off an oxycodone prescription include: [9]
- No improvement in pain
- Unmanageable side effects
- Non-adherence to the treatment plan (i.e. misusing oxycodone)
- Risk factors for opioid use disorder (e.g. family history or personal history of SUD)
- Overdose
- Co-occurring medical condition that can increase risk (e.g. lung disease)
- Comorbid use of sedatives like benzodiazepines
- Co-occurring psychiatric condition that may worsen with oxycodone use (e.g. PTSD)
In the event of any of these situations, your provider may speak to you about tapering your oxycodone and trying alternative medications or treatment options.
How to Taper Off Oxycodone
Oxycodone tapers work best when they move very slowly. Typically, that means reducing your total oxycodone intake by about 10% per month if you’ve used the drug for more than a year.[5]
To keep oxycodone levels relatively consistent within your body, doctors typically reduce your dose and not your drug interval.[3] For example, instead of taking 3 pills every 4 hours, you might take 2.5 pills every 4 hours. When your dose is so small that another reduction is impossible, doctors consider switching your drug-taking intervals.
Your taper should be managed by a medical doctor.[6] Together, you’ll examine how much you should lower your doses, and you’ll check in about your symptoms. If you develop withdrawal side effects, the taper is moving too fast, and an adjustment is required. Your doctor can help to manage this process for you.
At-home care can help you manage an oxycodone taper too. The following tips may help:[3]
- Drink plenty of water and other non-caffeinated beverages to ensure you stay hydrated.
- Eat healthy meals on a set schedule. Aim to limit processed sugars, and choose fresh, healthy foods instead.
- Get exercise (as your symptoms permit).
- Use relaxation techniques like medication or music therapy to support mental health.
- Surround yourself with people who support your recovery.
Considerations for Forming an Oxycodone Tapering Plan
Your doctor will work with you to create an individualized oxycodone tapering plan based on many factors, such as: [9]
- How long you’ve been taking oxycodone
- Whether you were taking it medically or misusing it
- The dose you were taking
- How severe your OUD is
Generally, longer tapers are more tolerable since you likely won’t experience any or many withdrawal symptoms. However, a doctor may choose to do a more rapid taper in the case of illegal activities or situations where the risks of using oxycodone outweigh the risks of a rapid taper.[9]
Sample Oxycodone Tapering Schedule
Your tapering schedule will be individualized based on your needs, physiology, dose, duration of use, symptoms and more. The most common tapering schedule will involve a dose reduction of 5% to 20% every month.[9]
However, people who have been taking oxycodone for many years may need a slower taper, with the dose being reduced by 2% to 10% every 1-2 months with pauses as needed.[9]
Meanwhile, if you’ve only been taking oxycodone for a few months, you may be able to do a faster taper in which your dose is reduced by 10% to 20% every week.[9]
Oxycodone Taper Chart
Below you’ll find sample tapering charts, ranging from rapid taper to the slowest taper:[9]
| Rapid Taper | Fast Taper | Slow Taper (most common) | Slowest Taper |
| Reduce by 20% to 50% of first dose then by 10% to 20% each day | Reduce by 10% to 20% every week | Reduce by 5% to 20% every month | Reduce by 2% to 10% every 1-2 months |
| Starting dose:80mg per day | Starting dose:80mg per day | Starting dose: 80mg per day | Starting dose: 160mg per day |
| Day 1: 56mg per day | Week 1: 72mg per day | Month 1: 72mg per day | Month 1: 152mg per day |
| Day 2: 48mg per day | Week 2: 64mg per day | Month 2: 64mg per day | Month 2: 144 mg per day |
| Day 3: 40mg per day | Week 3: 56mg per day | Month 3: 56mg per day | Month 3: 136mg per day |
| Day 4: 32mg per day | Week 4: 48mg per day | Month 4: 48mg per day | Month 4: 128mg per day |
| Days 5-7: 24 mg per day | Week 5: 40mg per day | Month 5: 40mg per day | Month 5: 120mg per day |
| Days 8-11: 16 mg per day | Week 6: 32mg per day | Month 6: 32mg per day | Month 6: 112mg per day |
| Days 12-15: 8mg ** | Week 7: 24mg per day | Month 7: 24mg per day | Month 7: 104mg per day |
| Week 8: 16mg per day | Month 8: 16mg per day | Month 8: 96mg per day | |
| Week 9: 8mg per day** | Month 9: 8mg per day** | Month 9: 88mg per day ** |
**Continue this rate of taper until off the oxycodone
What is Medical Detox?
While an oxycodone taper involves taking smaller amounts of the drug you’re accustomed to, medical detox involves using different medications to allow a quick shift to sobriety.
In a medical detox program, doctors use medications like methadone or buprenorphine to mimic oxycodone’s action on the brain. With these medications, you won’t feel traditional withdrawal symptoms. A rapid dose reduction of these medications allows you to get sober within a few days or weeks (as opposed to the months you need for a taper).
Detoxification is not an OUD treatment. More than 90% of people who complete detox, but don’t follow up with continued treatment, return to opioid use within the next few months.[7] A program like this can help you get sober, but you’ll likely need additional measures to stay that way.
Using MAT
MAT programs usually involve buprenorphine products like Suboxone.
Suboxone (buprenorphine/naloxone) is designed for at-home use. People in MAT programs that use Suboxone work with doctors on their long-term recovery goals while taking their medication at home. For some people who have tried and failed to get sober multiple times, MAT is revolutionary, allowing them to finally achieve the recovery that had eluded them for so long.
Bicycle Health offers MAT via telemedicine. You’ll meet with an addiction treatment doctor via a secure portal on your computer. If MAT is right for you, you’ll get a prescription and can then pick up your prescription at a pharmacy near you.
Contact us to find out if this model is right for you. It could be the life-changing step you need to build a better future.
Reviewed By Peter Manza, PhD
Peter Manza, PhD received his BA in Psychology and Biology from the University of Rochester and his PhD in Integrative Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. He is currently working as a research scientist in Washington, DC. His research focuses on the role ... Read More
- Oxycodone: U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682132.html. February 2021. Accessed April 2023.
- Opioid Prescribing in Canada: How Are Practices Changing? Canadian Institute for Health Information. https://www.cihi.ca/sites/default/files/document/opioid-prescribing-canada-trends-en-web.pdf. 2019. Accessed April 2023.
- A Patient’s Guide to Opioid Tapering. HSS. https://www.hss.edu/conditions_patient-guide-opioid-tapering.asp. May 2018. Accessed April 2023.
- FDA Identifies Harm Reported from Sudden Discontinuation of Opioid Pain Medicines and Requires Label Changes to Guide Prescribers on Gradual, Individualized Tapering. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-identifies-harm-reported-sudden-discontinuation-opioid-pain-medicines-and-requires-label-changes. April 2019. Accessed April 2023.
- Pocket Guide: Tapering Opioids for Chronic Pain. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/pdf/clinical_pocket_guide_tapering-a.pdf. Accessed April 2023.
- 5 Steps to Tapering Opioids for Patients with Chronic Noncancer Pain. NPS Medwise. https://www.nps.org.au/news/5-steps-to-tapering-opioids. January 2020. Accessed April 2023.
- Medically Supervised Withdrawal (Detoxification) from Opioids. Providers Clinical Support System. https://pcssnow.org/resource/detoxification-from-opioids/. June 2021. Accessed April 2023.
- Long-Term Opioid Therapy Reconsidered. Annals of internal medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3280085/#. 2011. Accessed January 2024.
- Opioid Taper Decision Tool. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. https://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/AcademicDetailingService/Documents/Pain_Opioid_Taper_Tool_IB_10_939_P96820.pdf. Accessed January 2024.
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