dope sick

adjective

variants or dopesick

ˈdōp-ˌsik 

or less commonly dope-sick

: suffering from withdrawal symptoms as a result of discontinuing the use of an addictive drug (such as heroin or oxycodone)

… I was in very rough shape. I was dope sick coming off smack …

—Marianne Faithfull

One witness described the feeling of being dopesick as "the flu times 10." Times 20, said another.

—Grant Parpan

People who are dope sick in opioid withdrawal will do nearly anything to alleviate that suffering.

—The News Virginian (Waynesboro, Virginia)

dope sickness noun

or less commonly dopesickness

… I saw the shame he felt as a result of his addiction and the actions he felt he had to take to keep the dope sickness at bay.

—James Moore

Word History

First Known Use

1903, in the meaning defined above