SOWS (Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale)
Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale (Gossop 1990): the PATIENT rates ten withdrawal symptoms 0-3 (none to severe) for a total of 0-30.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Feeling sick
- 2
- Stomach cramps
- 2
- Muscle spasms or twitching
- 1
- Feeling cold
- 1
- Heart pounding
- 1
- Muscular tension
- 2
- Aches and pains
- 2
- Yawning
- 1
- Runny eyes
- 1
- Trouble sleeping
- 3
Result: SOWS 16 of 30 (Gossop 1990).
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What you enter
- Feeling sick
- Stomach cramps
- Muscle spasms or twitching
- Feeling cold
- Heart pounding
- Muscular tension
- Aches and pains
- Yawning
- Runny eyes
- Trouble sleeping
How this is calculated
Gossop M. The development of a Short Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS). Addict Behav. 1990;15(5):487-490. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.