DuchessGolden and other with Medical Training. Please Help

Question

This is a friend of RBC3 and my question is I took hydrocodone on/off for 4 yrs then in december and january about 4 weeks I started goin to a methadone clinic , I was taking 45 mgs Then I stopped. I didn't any withdrawals and was drug for about another month then I relapsed for about 3 weeks then decide to go back to the clinic about 3 wks ago april 10 since I have been taking 50mgs of methadone but I have alot of body pain ALOT , so is the pain from the long term affect of takin opiates , increased senstive to pain , nerve cells messed up , and will they repair themselves and what do you recommend I do? a

DutchessGolden · Answer

There is no set time period, all we know is that opiate receptors are widely disrtibuted throughour the central nervous system, large intestines and other parts of the body. As you continue to use opiates the number of opiate receptors in the body increase. This is one reason that PAWS (post acute withdrawal syndrome) can last up to ten years in opiate users as opposed to the 1 to 2 years in alcoholics, for example. The body is attempting to repair itself ( increasing endorphins the body produces for all of the extra opiate receptors etc.) I can post some info I sent in an e-mail to athena and mis take on exactly how opiates work on the brain, how dependence occurs and about PAWS(in a nutshell of course) if you would like, just let me know.
xoxo- D.

sillysarah · Answer

How much hydrocodone do you need to take to do permanent damage to your central nervous system or I guess over about how long of a time period of regular use?  I also wondered about the effect that it can have on your hearing how high of a dosage would cause hearing damage?  I am sorry I just always freak out about the side effects.  Oh and one last question is it the asprin that is usually in vicodin and norco that hurts your liver or the hydrocodone, or both?  Is taking norco better for you liver that regular vicodin because it has less asprin? sorry sooo many questions!!

DutchessGolden · Answer

Well ok, first you probably didn't have w/d because methadone is a long acting opiate. You might not experience withdrawals for up to a month after stopping, for some even 60 days. Your pain could be due to your opiate tolerance and prolonged use causing hyperagesia (increased sensitivity to pain, decreased tolerance to pain).Your pain could simply also be due to a very high opiate tolerance. You might want to up your dose of methadone. The nerve cell damage caused by prolonged opiate use (more less caused by the withdrawal going c/t) attempts to correct itself after you are no longer using opiates. This could go on for up to 10 years for opiate users. PAWS is most likely caused by the body attempting to repair the nerve cells and no, not all of the chemical and biological changes in your central nervous system can be reversed.

I have worked on some fascinating research in cloning the kappa opiate receptor in the brain (successfully) and research on implanting certain nerve cells into the brain that could be specifically helpful to opiate users in the future.

xoxo- D.

RBC3 · Answer

r u there?

DuchessGolden and other with Medical Training. Please Help

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