Deep muscle and joint aches — often described as feeling like a severe flu — are among the most universally reported opioid withdrawal symptoms.
Why it happens
Opioids suppress pain signals throughout the body as part of their normal function. When they’re removed, this suppression stops, and the nervous system becomes temporarily more sensitive to pain than baseline — this is sometimes called withdrawal-related hyperalgesia (increased pain sensitivity).
What tends to help
- Heat (baths, heating pads) for muscle relief
- Gentle movement and stretching, which can reduce stiffness even when it feels counterintuitive
- Over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen) can help with the pain component for many people — check with a doctor if you have any conditions (like kidney or liver issues, or a history of GI bleeding) that make these a concern
- Treating the withdrawal directly — this is one of the symptoms most directly resolved by starting medication for opioid use disorder rather than managing pain symptom by symptom
A note on chronic pain
If opioids were originally prescribed for a real pain condition, that underlying pain may still be present once withdrawal-related hyperalgesia resolves — this is worth planning for with a doctor, ideally before starting a taper or detox, not after.
Medically reviewed by [pending]. Sources: SAMHSA TIP 63.