How to stop the pain of opiate withdrawal?

Thanks for filling us in Cold Turkey. What I am wadding through is nothing compared to what you have stared down. I admire your determination. I have mentioned in another post that Xanax and exercise and keeping busy have helped me through my very steep taper. 11 x 10 to 13 x10 to 9.75 x10 to 5 x 10 to 4 x 10 to 3 x10 in as many days. And honestly, I think I have it under control. My last day is coming up soon and I'll be happy to be done with the whole business. I may be kidding myself but I feel like even after a year of abuse peaking around the 15 x 10 hydros a day level that I may walk away with just some anxiety and RLS. Man, I really hope so. Keep on it though, your doing great!

Does anyone else find the boredom to be one of the worst parts, psychologically? What I mean is that even tapering down from 13 10s to 3 10s in five days, I have been okay. Not great, not even good but okay. I can hack it, with a little xanax. But by 9PM when I have done every possible thing I can think of to keep myself busy I really don't crave them in an itchy, crawling the walls way but in a "damn, i'd just like to chill and watch a movie like most people do with a glass of wine or a drink?" I'll get through it, I believe that if my body can cut down to 4 10's a day then I can cut down to none and that is where I am headed over the next few days but those lonely hours when I don't want to go to a bar because a hangover of any sort will send me right back to the pills are really tough psychologically. I know it is in my head and I can get through it. Lord knows I have spent plenty of time amusing myself during those hours without hydros in years past. But, it is still kind of empty. But, maybe that is just the pills talking. Who knows, its a bear no matter how you cut it. 

HI,EVERYONE    I'm back

I just want to start by saying I dont want to compare me problem with any of yours.

I am posting this because it is theropy for me and I am hoping it can help someone else as well(it is keeping me Busy) and keeping busy is what I've been saying all along. I am aware that herion and other addictions are differnt and more difficult but this is really no picinic.With that said,

DAY 13

Find that I am feeling much much better today,still a little shakie and anxious.But much better. Unreal leg and feet are still hurting but much better. still sleep problems but fell asleep without aprobem,just couldn't stay asleep long.

Feeling better every day.

POSTING every day really helped my.

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU /YOU CAN DO IT

You don't know me but you do

Be back tommorrow

DAY 14

I only slept for an hour and a half last nite. I took a melatonen that didn't do sh   it   

Just real tired today. but I think Im past the real suffering .

My case took 14 days to feel kinda normal

I am 23 and I have been on OC H roxy anything with painkillers u name it.    I got onto Methadone for 2 years and went up to 100mg and decided this is destroying my life as a person.  I have not taken it for 8 days and I feel great!!!  I can cry again, Laugh again, Feel normal again.  Please do not give up and relaps.  My father has been on this sh*t for over 30 years and he will die on it.  The chills, pain, fever, sleepless nights, restless legs, loss of appitite will subide I promise.  Make sure You take a bunch of meal replacements like ensure, breakfast essentials, whey protien, multi-vitamins and keep busy.  I noticed just taking a walk will take the edge off.  I also want to say that The Chronic has helped me in ways i can not describe.  It helps me sleep, eat, and stay level headed.  Try to smoke a bowl and I will personally tell you that this habit is 1000000000000000000 times healthier and safer.  smoking weed has been the savior for me and I want people to know DO NOT GO COLD TURKEY UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO FALL BACK ON like a drink or a bowl.... maybe cigarettes but I wouldnt try that sh*t...

DAY 24

I feel real good,feel like I'm done.NOW to stay that way

GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU SUFFERING.

KEEP TO IT  you don't know me ,but you do

 

I am bout to eat a handful of tabs and go to sleep start withdrawl tomarrow off of, oxycontin fetynol, ive been abusing opiates for better part of 8 yrs, i did methamphetimine last night too cause i went all out before i quit, prolly a bad idea but i got a baby and im for sure quitting, everything everyone said atleast helps a lil so listen and try it ppl, ive quit so many times and its all true, i have a baby now and im done for good, wish me luck, ill let u know how it go PeacE

To Louis:
I hope to god u make it bro. i gotta just lay on the couch for 3 days til i can move again. when ive took weeks or even just days trying to taper down, it always ends up bad. my advice, quit now and lay on couch 4 3days or keep tapering but make yourself suffer. if u dont atleast go sober for a full day or sober til atleast like 2-3 in afternoon, or jus take one in the morning. u mite be set up for failure. i was taking 8-10 tab tens twice a day. i did good tapering down to 1 a day, half morning and half at night, but i didnt make myself stay sober really at all, maybe like 3hrs outta the whole day. anyways every other thing in life was goin good for 3 or 4 days i was just taking 2 halves and then, sh*t hit the fan with me and my old lady i was about to give up and then me and a friend got into it, i grabbed a handful of tabs i jus couldnt take the smallest thing. idk it might be different for u but id be careful man, ive tapered myself down to almost nothing 3-5 times and everytime close the end, tiny thing screwed me.
          good luck tho brother, be strong

I am on a path to hell with my withdrawals.  To whomever said Tramadol won't get you high is wrong.  It does the same thing with the brain as opiates do, you just have to take a sh*t load.  Fortuanently I was one of the lucky ones to go to Iraq and get hit by a roadside bomb.  I have a 10 by 4 3rd degree burn scar on my arm and it will not heal right.  The skin breaks open and it is very painful, they said they can do surgery but it will just take the scar to a less degree and will not help with the pain because I have deep tissue nerve damage and when I hit it on anything I break it open and it throbs in pain.  I have yelled at doctors over opiate withdrawal because they would not prescribe me after they had me on Vicodin-norco, percocet, morphine and then they tried some nerve medicine and none of them worked but the norcos.  Nausea from the percocet and the morphine made me tired.  I have found after experiencing so many withdrawals about the fifth day it gets a little better.  You don't sit on the toilet as much and you start to feel a little better mentally, although this comes with a tool that I fortunately have is benzos.  On top of all this physical pain I am also Bipolar which puts me in a lot of mental pain as they found out after a serious suicide attempt after that shitty deployment. I was in so much pain I could not sleep without getting up every 10 minutes to unwrap my burn and run cold water on it, lidocaine cream and then rewrap that took a total of an hour and then I would have to unwrap and go through the steps about 10 times a night.  I use to self medicate on alcohol to feel better until I got court problems and quit that drinking.  I rely on medication because I need it, but would love to stop.  I can't deal with the lack of energy opiate withdrawal gives you.  I like others in this abuse the opiates and have to find them on the streets to get the energy back.  Energy is my biggest problem and I hope this break through anti-deppresant works for that 2 weeks in and you start to feel the effects after 6 weeks.  As for the pain...I am just going to man up and deal with the f*****g sh*t because I am over these drugs.  Try getting a script of low dose, but added up to the same script.   It helps me mentally with the benzos.  As for the opiates, I am on my fourth day and I am trying so hard.  Doctors get you addicted and then try to taper you down when you built up the tolerance a horse couldn't handle.  f**k the doctors and see how you feel when shrapnel takes a hit on your arm.  Hey here is some vitamin E campsules split them open and put them on the burn it will eliviate the pain..f**k you look at my f*****g arm.  Here take some gabapetin that will work.  Go back to med school you f*****g ignorant piece of sh*t that doesn't help and at the VA it takes about two months to get in for an appointment if your a vet.  I'll take any advice and I wish you all the best as I do for myself, but it is very depressing dealing with opiate withdrawal and being bipolar.  If you have any advice for the energy thing I would love to get my natural hormones back.   Thanks, and good luck on your journey.

Hi, I too have had troubles with taking pain medications. Not because I was trying to get "high" but because I have been prescribed from a doctor several medications, for being disabled. I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, for those who don't know what that is, it is EXTREMELY PAINFUL and is a chronic joint condition where your joints can slip out of place easily die to too much collegan in your skin. Also it can bring on other types of conditions that are all somewhat similar and more common things like tempromanduliar joint disorder or TMJ ( in my case I get extreme tension headaches and have sharp shooting pains in my jaw so bad I do not want to eat ANYTHING, also fibromyalgia (chronic pain in the muscles and joints), and arthritis, or even rheumatoid arthritis (which is an autoimmune deficiency joint and bone pain, that when I get a viral infection, instead of helping my body it seems to "attack" my joints causing even more extreme pain. Also leads to extreme stiffness in my hands and carpal tunnel syndrome. Because of all of this I get such bad pain I feel like in order just to live a "normal" life pain medications are the only thing that helps me. However, when my pain hurts so bad....I too, will overtaken medications, not caring at the time if i run out, so EVERYTIME I run out of my script before I can refill it......and EVERYTIME I withdrawal. Finally, I have come to a point that I feel like the pain of withdrawal and the pain I take the stupid things for in the first place, make it so I just want this final withdrawal to be OVER!!' I have been through this for ten years and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!! If you are withdrawing from opiates, or have a child you wanna help overcome withdrawal from Here are some things that may work for you. Keep in mind I take percocet 10/325 10 times or more a day (oxycodone) it's a little stronger than hydrocodone but not much (hydrocodone is an anti inflammatory) oxycontin is stronger than oxycodone and fetanayl is similar too ( this may help with any of those) I AM NOT A DOCTOR!!!! and some medications I mention some people may agree can lead to other addictions, but they don't have the same problems that opiate withdrawal does.....( I'm just giving an idea of what helps me, so if u comment, please be nice about it) I'm just trying to help  First.....you are going to sweat A LOT...that's good, you are detoxing let your body sweat it out even exercise, go to a sweat lodge, sauna whatever. Drink a TON OF WATER!! there are "beauty detox wraps" you can go do they are supposed to help you lose a ton of weight quickly, but really they are a detox. Find one that's a good idea. Also, go to a natural foods place and they have the master cleanser (or called the lemonade diet) it is the BEST detox in the world!! A lot of mobiestars do this "detox diet" to lose 20 pounds in 10 days, but it is VERY DIFFICULT and requires you to drink liquids ONLY for ten days!! Also, get a colonic if you can, it's kinda weird to some, but try and flush your body in EVERY WAY YOU CAN!!! once your body is flushed, you with get those "man made" chemicals out of yoursystem to feel normal again! NEXT.....your going tone DRAINED of energy, if you can just take a couple of days to sleep GREAT, if you can't, you can try coffee, 5 hour energy shots, or red bull, whatever! I take ADDERROLL it is a medication used for ADHD ( it can be highly addictive too, BUT doesn't have withdrawal. It will give you tons of energy. EVERYBODY WILL NOT AGREE THAT IS A GOOD IDEA, BUT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT GETTING RID OF OPIATE WITHDRAWLED, so YOU decide, and please don't slam me for saying so, it just helps me with energy. You can try natural herbs such as ginseng root too. I only used adderoll for my withdrawal than I quit ( your body will Sweat it out in a day) it DOES NOT give energy to People with actual ADHD, it reduces your hyperness so to speak. Suboxtone and methadone do get rid of withdrawal pains, but I guess lead to worse things down the line, and from my understanding it is WAY WORSE of a withdrawal from those. Keep telling yourself, I am detoxing this out right now, I'm going to be OK. I have heard of the Thomas recipe too, never tried that but it may work, but it too uses other forms of meds like Valium, kalonapn, and stuff. Even if you aren't disabled like me and just have a substance abuse problem I KNOW the master cleanse works, but it is difficult!! There is a section in the book for EXTREME DETOX ( this is for people that just ate a poison or something) they use salts like Epsom salts or sea salt soaked ace bandages to wrap around your body in the tub, the salt "draws" all artificial poisons out of your body immediately. Also, take baths every day in Epsom salts too, and if you don't wanna try a colonic, look on the side of the Epsom salts, you can drink It in a huge thing of warm water and it acts as an immediate laxative to flush your body. Also the master cleanse has you drink Salt water every day and a laxative tea at night. For pain like mine, do tons of research about your disorder and find natural Remedies.... For TMJ take excedrin tension headache relief. Take ibuprofen or arthritis pain relief (buy it at the dollar store) STAY AWAY FROM TOO MUCH ACETOMINIPHEN THOUGH, it is actually what is soooo bad for your liver ( in my opinion it is worse for you then narcotics. DID YOU KNOW, drinking TONIC WATER helps with arthritis?!? It does! Drink Tonic water every morning to relieve stiff hands  IF YOU TAKE THESE OPIATES FOR A SUBSTANCE PROBLEM MAKE SURE YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE A CONDITION UNDERLYING WHY YOU TAKE THEM.....90% of people who take narcotics have an underlying pain "problem" due to Something they don't even know about. And last but not least....if u have taken narcotics a long time, there is a good chance you have nerve damage, that in itself sucks, get a prescription for gabapentin... It helps a lot!! Once you got your body "detoxed" now it's time to do it a favor and take vitamins and eat a healthy diet and organic. It makes you wonder sometimes if their are so many new illnesses and conditions out there due to the unnatural "hormone antibiotic filled" foods we eat, that we've created new illnesses and made our bodies mutate from certain antibiotics that use to help Us get well. I AM NOT A DR, so this is just my advice, and what works for me. Maybe, I should be though, because I sure as hell would take the actual time to find out what was ailing my patients and NEVER prescribe them pain narcotics to make their lives worse!!' good luck to all of you, it does get better, and once your yourself again it is easy to let go of! Do it for the ones you love, be it your wife or husband, your parents, or your children BUT NEVER FORGET DOING IT FOR YOU IS THE NUMBER ONE WAY, everything else will fall into place, and god bless all of you! 

Hello to all you beautiful Souls.

   This is my ever first post to this, or any site, concerning my battle with opiates.  I'm hoping to both answer some of the common recurring questions concerning our RECOVERY, and pose a few of my own in the process..

"He lies under the weight of incubus and nightmare;
He lies in sight of all that he would fain perform,
Just as a man forcibly confined to his bed by the mortal languor of a relaxing disease,
Who is compelled to witness injury or outrage offered to some object of his tenderest love:
He curses the spells which chain him down from motion;
He would lay down his life if he might but get up and walk;
But he is powerless as an infant,
And cannot even attempt to rise."

Excerpt from Thomas De Quincey's, "Confessions of an English Opium Eater" 1821
 
   I come from a home that taught very good morals.  I am considered to be a very attractive and physically fit man, with a highly logical mindset; an education to back it up.  I have also been a morphine addict for about 8 years now (OC, MS contin, etc.) It got to a point that I was doing - and HAD to (insufflate) 400mgs or so EVERY day, just to keep the Demons (WDs) at bay.  Needless to say, I spent every dollar I had ($18000 - $20000 per year - EVERY year,) for after the Pharmacist who got a great number of us hooked suddenly left his store, and we on the hook to find our oxys elsewhere...

   One day, I met this very special, gorgeous young girl who had addictions in common with me, and we hit it off right away.  We helped each other cope with life and depression - and found sex to be explosive once again.  Alas, the woman I now loved got hooked on the same dose as I - and had to pay for hers as well..

   One day, after not being able to 'score,' she looked me straight in the eye and told me that if I don't set up an appointment for Methadone treatment, she would be forced to 'sleep with the dealer' in order to get our next fix.  This was unacceptable.  I took that first step, and off to the Clinic on Monday we went...  Initially, Methadone was the answer.  Well, that and LOTS of sex.  I was eating right, my mental state was clear, I could actually regulate my temperature again, and because we had each other, there was no need to pump artificial endorphans (see: 'endo-morphines') into our bodies, for love, sex and health was at the top of our agendas - as they once were some time ago for the both of us..

   So the treatment was working.  The downside was the inconvenience of having to show my face at a Methadone clinic -- and explain that one to my less than sympathetic friends and family...  (that's another story)  So many VERY strange people:  prostitutes, homeless, mothers-to-be, abusers, tough-guys, ugly people, Beautiful people; young and old.  Every one of us has one thing in common:  we all have the disease and were trying to get better (in our own way.)   And because of that, I came to the conclusion that:  I am NO better than ANY of these people, negative traits aside.

   I found that the treatment program is slightly flawed in the way that they make (and watch) you drink the Methadone every day.  Yet, what I found (in the beginning,) was that I wasn't "jonesing" for a drink (like I do now, nearly 2 years into it,) until the 3rd day.  So I actually kept the liquid in my mouth until I could walk out the dispensary, and when I got to my truck, spit it into a water bottle.  ($5 every day..)  If I hurt, I'd drink it.  If not, no worries.  Until I weened down to the point I'm at now...

   Now, if I miss just 1 hour past 24hrs, I can barely lift my head off the pillow - let alone drive my ass to work!  Let alone work!  I found that there is NOTHING that will ease my WDs except for Morphine or Methadone.  And Morphine is NOT the answer (as it is so short lived, and you have to overcome the depression for the next 3 days after your last hit:  the higher you get, the harder you will fall!!)  I do not know what the answer to getting off Methadone is at this point, now that my dose is so low, but all I know is that for every 1mL I go down, I am depressed and fatigued for another 2 weeks or longer..  As somebody in the drink line once said, "this stuff gets right into your bones."

   And he's not lying.  But the alternative is MUCH worse.  I have been clean for 18 months, and I am SO glad that those greedy script-holders will NEVER get another $40, $50, $80 for an 80mg oxy from me EVER again!  I'm on a rebound, but still have far to go...  I know and empathize with All of you good people going through this pain.  It is a terrible drug.  And it WILL kill you.

   And they (those quack "doctors") will give this sh*t out to you - and take it away from you - at a moment's notice, but if you even HINT at a script for natural, 100% safe Marijuana, you're looked down upon or worse.  Why is this true?  (amerika's biggest threat is Canada's weed?  Give me a F***ing Break!)   Something is just so TERRIBLY wrong with this world! 

   I wish you all much love and luck and success, wherever you might be in your recovery.  I have to cut out now, but I am a Cornucopeia of knowledge - for those of you who have ANY questions, or need to talk or for support -- I will be glad to help you, if asked.

Peace

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20yrjunkie posted on 7/28/11 2:56 AM



ok all i can say is this.ive been strung on the needle for 20 yrs.i NEVER sniffed.ive done in excess of 3 grams a day at time or more than a brick in bags.i was a hardcore junkie criminal so money came easy.its has been my experience,and i know you are leary of other drugs but the ONLY thing that has worked for me in the past is valium/xanax in large does and clonidine and lots of reefer.youl need at leat enough valium/xanax to take between 30 mls of valium or 2 sticks of xanax 2-3x a day as needed(basically when you wake up nand want to go back to sleep) an 1 ml of clonidine in the morning and at bed time for at least 1 if not 2 wks.make sure you dont have anything to do during the next 2 wks. when you wake up take the pills smoke a bowl or small joint whatever you prefer with a cup of green tea.make sure you also drink lots of fluids and take vitamins as well as you body is probably deprived of both.and stay away form anything that will raise you blood pressure,i.e. caffiene,chocolate,etc.when you withdrawal you blood pressure raises causing the symptoms to be worse,hence the blood pressure meds.chances are you will fall asleep within the hour and you will probably get a little high from this combo.but here is how it works.the benzos relieve the anxiety and help you sleep while the clonidine lowers your blood pressure which in turn helps to keep the withdrawal symptoms a little less harsh.you wont be clanking and sweating as much.as for chills they may still be there.now i cant say that this dosage is for everyone.you will have to experiment a little depending on your habit you may need more or less.take what you need until you feel comfortable.suboxone and methodone suck,they are just replacing one opiate for a synthetic one and after you come off of them you still kick and meth is way worse than heroin,i use so much of the pills because ive found the only way for me to kick is to sleep through it,however you may be diferent.good luck.and remember,starting out you may not need so much,it depends on your habit,like i said only take what you need and i strongly reccomend no more than 1ml of clonidine at a time...

not to be rude but you are incorrect. if you are addicted to oxycottin, hydro wont do sh*t. when your addicted to them its in your receptors inside your brain, when u give it one everyday then switch to hydro it might calm u down but it wont relieve the problems. still get cold chills, anxiety and all that. when you are addicted to opanas hydro wont do sh*t. u might can pull it off with a roxy 30 or higher but its still gonna get you amped up where as the opana will get you amped up and sedated. especially when you start taking oxy w out apap then go back to hydro and youll see. you do that and youll be sh**ting for days and days. take a opana 40 or roxy 30 two or three times a day everyday for 30 or 45 days or more, then go back to taking hydro 10/650s or 10/325s and you will sh*t until you literally drop pants sizes.

yep yep yep

I shot heroine for 6 years. I quite cold turkey 5 years ago and never looked back. I just relapsed and have been using pain pills the past 4 months. I am in great physical shape. My question is can I run say 5-10 miles to push the withdraw feeling and the dope out of my body?