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Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
This community is a place to share information and support with others who are trying to stop using drugs, prescription drugs, alcohol, tobacco or other addictive substances. Discuss with others, the symptoms of addiction, addiction recovery, ways to quit like tapering and cold turkey, and withdrawal symptoms. If you are interested in general "chat", please visit our Addiction Social Community.
Opiate withdrawal
by Attorney, Dec 22, 2006 12:00AM
Hey,
I am a working mom (I guess my nickname gives the working part away) and have been on Lort 10 for about 2 years. In the last year I have gotten up to 15-20 per day. I recently quit cold turkey (despite having to work and be a wife and mom)and am on day 6. The withdrawal has gotten better, but I think that I fear the night time the most. I just can't seem to sleep.....almost at all. Any idea how long this will last?
I know that I am strong in that I have made it throught the worst part of this whole thing....having to function normally through most of this, but I cannot keep going with such little sleep. I feel so groggy in the morning I almost can't get going.
I really can't go to anyone...even a doctor...because of my and my family's position over here. Can anyone please give me some advice or even some words of encouragement?
Thanks to all of you for allowing me to read your stories. It has really helped me throughout all of this during those restless nights. You are all so strong in what you have done!
I am a working mom (I guess my nickname gives the working part away) and have been on Lort 10 for about 2 years. In the last year I have gotten up to 15-20 per day. I recently quit cold turkey (despite having to work and be a wife and mom)and am on day 6. The withdrawal has gotten better, but I think that I fear the night time the most. I just can't seem to sleep.....almost at all. Any idea how long this will last?
I know that I am strong in that I have made it throught the worst part of this whole thing....having to function normally through most of this, but I cannot keep going with such little sleep. I feel so groggy in the morning I almost can't get going.
I really can't go to anyone...even a doctor...because of my and my family's position over here. Can anyone please give me some advice or even some words of encouragement?
Thanks to all of you for allowing me to read your stories. It has really helped me throughout all of this during those restless nights. You are all so strong in what you have done!
I, too, have learned so much from those posting on this site. It has been an education...and I feel for and support you and all those trying to withdraw, it isn't easy I'm finding out. Even being on 30 a month is rough to pull away from, but that is 365 a year that I was taking! When I started doing the math...I didn't like what I saw....!
Actually it is a good thing that so many are realizing what drugs can do to the body...and I guess it depends on who wants to have a real life and who doesn't.
I've been lucky that I had a good doctor who felt that I wasn't abusing them, but he died 2 years ago...that sent me reeling. He understood the pain because he got migraines also. The doctor that took his place supports me knowing the migraine pain can be excruciating but he also says to try other methods first, before reaching for the opiate.
I've been using this "HEAD ON" that is advertized on TV and in drug stores..and I can't believe it...it has been working for me!!! Hard to believe. My headaches were the sickest, most painful things since I was 8 years old. And they come along with something like "HEAD ON", which is homeopathic but the druggist said he can't keep it on his shelf...all the older people are using and swearing by it!!! And now I'm trying it and it seems to works!?! Go figure! If anyone else here has migraines or tension headaches, try it and let me know if it works for you!
As for you having difficulty sleeping, opiates I do know can keep you awake for days sometimes! And withdrawing even makes not sleeping worse for awhile. My doctor gave me Ambien...which I don't care for and will quit soon. But when I was under a great deal of stress in my life I would take a whole one once in awhile but later on I only took 1/2 a pill at a time, now I only take them (1/2) maybe once or twice a week. It does work but you had better be near a bed because you will go out pretty fast. I think after I get control of the opiate, then I will get more tired..at least that is what I'm hoping. I am quitting all medications and going to do the homeopathic way for awhile and see if it works for me.
Good luck to you Attorney, hang in...you sound determind. There are certain homeopathic ways to try for sleep. Visit a health food store and ask them, they are usually very willing to help.
Good luck to you,
CAN
Maybe that was the worst of it yesterday... I seem to be somewhat calmed down today... chills have passed.Eating is unthinkable. ewww... this is sheer hell.
Any advise would be appreciated.
Gip
Hey, I posted to you in a different thread - hang in there! Do Gatorade/powerade. I'm telling ya - it made me feel better yesterday.
I have not gone c/t - i'm down to 5mg a day right now - so I cannot imagine what you are going through - but i know it sucks.
Attorney - thanks for your post. You can do it - seems like you have done the hard part - and you sound mentally like you are ready to beat this thing! Draw on the experiences from others in this group - it does help. It helps to know you aren't alone!
Gip - keep us posted. I'll be thinking and praying for you!
I am fairly new to this forum and am sooo glad that I found it. I go to a Methadone Clinic and have earned myself a week of take homes for my compliancy and clean drug screens. But I have read all of your posts, and can totaly relate to the withdrawals and what you are all going through. Its very important to have a STRONG SUPPORT SYSTEM while you are in recovery..thats the #1 thing to always remember. Even if you can't make it to a NA meeting to whatever, come here or lean on some close friends. I, myself don't really have much of a support system, but I do have a counselor as a part of the clinic that I go to and that does help immensely. I got pretty bad myself on the Hydros & Loratabs..a script of 60 might last me 2 days.
But it took my going to jail with my ex-hubby's mom in Jan.2006, to realize just how bad I had gotten and this was while on the clinic. She had gotten a script and asked me to drop it off, and I did....went back to pick it up, and was met up with the cops. So needless to say, I spent 20 days in jail, without Methadone..and went through major withdrawals in there. I went through major sweats, sneezing, my arms & legs twitched while I tried sleeping. The meds that the jail gave me was a cocktail of different dugs, that made me hallucinate and ****. But then after that, they only gave me meds for like a week or more, and after that I was left with being W-I-D-E- AWAKE at nights.
I have heard that you can go through with withdrawals for many months. But if you are going through this cold turkey..I don't recommend it..but if you do, go to an herbal store and see what they have for helping you sleep. I'm sure that they have herbal teas that will help for sleep. As for detoxing..tell them that you need a Detox Regimen. Its also known as a Liver/Kidney Flush but they have a term for it, just ask. I am a big believer in alternative meds. I have Polycystic Kidney Disease, Chronic Pain, Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Degenerative Disc Disease/Lumbar & Cervical Disease, Gallbladder Stones, Kidney Stones and etc. I just recently had a heart attack and underwent emergency, double bypass open heart surgery in Ocotber 2006. I am ONLY 33 years old. But thats what genetics does for ya. 2 of my arteries were 100% clogged with plaque from High Cholesterol.
But back to the alternatve meds, afew years back, a friend told me about herbs, cause she had MS (Multiple Scelerosis) and she had been using herbal meds. I go to this place, and after telling them my probs with my health, they gave me a bunch of bottles.I took them home and took the pills as prescribed. After a few days..I past 2 kidney stones!!! This is NO BS! I am dead serious.
If it had not been for the toilet paper floating on top of the water in the toilet, I would have missed them. But when I passed them, they were caught by the toilet paper
(GROSS, I KNOW) but thats how I know that Herbal Medicine works. I mean think about it, what did they do in the olden days for medicine? They used home remedies, herbs, and etc. So I know that it works. But I would NOT go to a GNC and expect to get what ya need. I'd go to a hole in the wall, small herbal shop somewhere..make sure that they have taken some kind of classes or that they are certified in herbs. Because I went to a small herbal store and thats how I come to find my special regimen. Just go in and tell them your ailments and they will lead ya around, giving you what you need.
Sorry for such a long post...but for some reason I am soo passionate about drug addiction/script addiction and alternative meds. I just want people to know that there are other ways to deal with pain and health problems. Because I live with my pain every day of my life. But I am closing for now. Bless all of you who are doing this cold turkey! It takes a hell of a person to do that...
God Bless,
Jess 'da Rabbit :)
I am now on day seven. I expected that this would be the day that I feel better and have more strength to fight this through. Unfortunately, this is not the case. I kind of feel like I am back-tracking.....the jumpy legs, shaking and even more restless.
Out of all the reading I've done I have come to realize that it will take much more than 7 days to be completely finished and back to some sense of normalcy.....but does that mean that there will be bad days and good days? Like I said, I am a "sleeper", and I don't know how much more of this I can take. It kinda makes you a little crazy to function on a normal level with so little sleep!
Good luck to all of you who have done and are doing what I have done. One thing I have realized out of all of this hell is that I AM very strong. Not just anyone can do it like this......so congrats to all of you in my position. If you are strong enough to make it through this HELL, you can do just about ANYTHING!
It's brutal... today is day three for me ..... so far the worst.
I have some Xamax I've been taking at night to sleep, but I gave them up a week before I started backing off from the Hydros... trust me...as soon as I am over this feeling of tossing and turning....they are in the trash. Thank God I wasn't using them daily, so getting off them was not a big deal, I actually felt better.
The Hydro on the other hand... stomach cramps, chills, body aches... the whole nine yards... I'm miserable... but it's only day three. It's like having the worst stomach