| | TheBostonChannel.com - Health Encyclopedia - Opiate Withdrawal |
 | | Opiate withdrawal is caused by stopping, or dramatically reducing, opiate use after heavy and prolonged use (several weeks or more). |
 | | About 9% of the population is believed to misuse opiates over the course of their lifetime, including illegal drugs like heroin and prescribed pain medications such as Oxycontin. |
 | | Because opiate withdrawal produces vomiting, and vomiting during anesthesia significantly increases death risk, many specialists think the risks of this procedure significantly outweigh the potential (and unproven) benefits. |
| www.thebostonchannel.com /encyclopedia/6861280/detail.html (887 words) |