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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.
Positive thinking for detox
by KimH, Jun 01, 2003 12:00AM
I am in the weening process from ultram. I have a doctor and family helping me. I wanted to ask the people who are experiencing sobriety to please tell me, do you really feel better? I am getting in the depressed part of this but when I start to feel like I will never be happy or feel good again, I'll feel like @%$# forever, I then see someone post how good they feel being sober. Is it really good? I mean, if you post the horrible parts of being a drug addict, and the now good parts of being sober, it gives me and I'm sure many other people who are detoxing hope to go on knowing it gets better. Something to strive for. I guess only sober people can answer this, but the more replies the better, and people like me can read this when we're down and hold on to the hope we can have. The encouraging sobriety stories (like expillman talking about being free) have kept me from using 3x. Please post more encouragement for us with "withdrawel blues". thanks KIMH
Having said that, I will also state uniquivocally that you can and do become physically dependent on opiods whether or not you are using them legitimately or not. When you go off of the drugs, you will suffer drug withdrawl and it is not pleasant at all.
Now, on to positive thinking. I know that it has helped me a lot. I live alone and have no one but myself for support regarding my issue of drug dependence. I simply made up my mind that this was a battle for survival and I was determined not to be defeated. It helps to make incremental, OBTAINABLE goals and monitor your own progress. While in withdrawal, it is not helpful to make the goal of I WILL NEVER USE OXYCONTIN AGAIN, but instead make the goal of making it to hour 72, or whatever.
Refuse to be depressed! Refuse to be defeated! Think of the power that you will wield when you regain control of your life!
You will not feel badly forever, TIME is a powerful healer, for grief and for drug withdrawal. Think of time as your ally instead of your enemy. IT IS ON YOUR SIDE! The time will pass!
Think of the power of this concept! There is no way that the PRESENT STATE will remain as time always marches forward. Unless you have a very rare and devastating condition known as anterograde amnesia you will always be pointed towards the future and the future will be bright if you are strong.
EXPillman
In Opioids with short half-lifes, such as hydrocodone (Vicodin/Lorotab) hydromorphone (Dilaudid) or immediate release morphine (MSIR) or immediate relase oxycodone (OXIR) the symptoms may appear in 6-12 hours and peak at 24-72 hours. With the longer half life drugs such as Methadone (Dolophine) M.S. Contin or Oxycontin, the withdrawal symptoms may be delayed and last longer.
Tapering can be done by reducing the dosage 25% every 2 days until a daily dose equivalent to 30 mg of oral morphine is reached. This level is also equivalent to approximately 3 Percocet or Vicodin 5 mg. per day, a pretty low dose. After this level is reached, the drug can be discontinued.
*This is from my notes from The American Pain Society-Principles of Analgesic use in the treatment of acute pain and cancer pain.
alow me to welcome you to the forum. i have been posting here since
july 0f 2001. i have been ghosting for awhile and thought it was time for my 2 cents worth....
i am a *drug addict*! specifically a junky. you talk this a bad thing. you have the right to call your self and how ever you choose to lead your life whatever you wish...so why judge someone else?
i went for the beter part of 20 years breaking into drug stores to support my addiction....it was a good life until i got caught. i then "cleaned up my hand" for 17 years. then n old injury came back to haunt me....2 surgerys latter the only way i can funcion most days is with oxycontin. i go to see a very kind doctor at a pain clinic. i have been able to put my life back togather somewahat. but i am still an addict...why? because it is what i choose to call myself.
for what it's worth, a little tollerence of others will have a huge pay off for you. when you get to 300 hours clean you may need it. also i've found that being judgmental of others is really only me judging myself.
you can have your word games about dependence and addiction if they really make you feel beter...i'm not sure that is what this
board is about...i would rather try to be supportive of members new and old and when i tired of this, then i would start to clean
up the mess in my own head (and believe me there is one)
keep posting and keep an angel on your shoulder
kip
Let's approach this intelligently and logically. First and foremost, if you have a medical condition that causes you pain, find a good physican and discuss it with him. Be completely honest about everything, especially if you have had substance abuse problems. Work with your doctor and get yourself AS HEALTHY AS POSSIBLE. If you are too fat, lose weight. If you are not eating right, start eating right. If you don't exercise, start walking if you can. Think of your body as a machine, how can you expect it to take care of you if you don't take care of it?
There are medications that are not addictive, do not build up tolerance and will not put you into withdrawl if you stop. They have side effects, but they can be managed. Many of these preparation are available OTC, and very cheap. What am I talking about?
NSAIDs. Non steriodal anti-inflammatory drugs. This drug class includes aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and a host of others and have analgesic, anti-pyretic and anti-inflammatory properties. Acetaminiphen (Tylenol) has analgesic properties and will reduce fever, but has no anti-inflammatory properties. I would avoid it like the plauge becuase it has a ceiling dose of about 3000 mg. per day before it destroys your liver.
If you have chronic pain, a good course of therapy on these drugs must be exhausted before considering other drugs. I cannot stress enough that even though this group of drugs is HUGE, they remain underutilized to treat chronic pain.
How can you do this? You must find the right drug at the right dose. These must be taken at high enough dose and AROUND THE CLOCK as opposed to PRN to be effective to the maximum. It is my opinion that IBUPROFEN is one of the most powerful analgesics we have available today. There is no tolerance built up and no physical dependence that results in withdrawal. Now, I'm not talking about a dose of 400 mg. per day of Advil. I'm talking about pushing the dose UP, DOSE TO EFFECT UNTIL SIDE EFFECTS BECOME INTOLERABLE should be the principle. The main side effects are usually gastroentestinal and can usually be managed unless you have problems with G.I. bleeding and/or peptic ulcer disease. This is why you must consult with your doctor.
There are alternatives if you have G.I. problems! There is a wonderful drug called Trilisate (Choline Magnesium Trisalycilate) that does not cause the erosion of the gastric mucosa like most NSAIDS. It is a salicylate like aspirin so it can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ears) at higher doses, but it is worth a shot if you have GI problems.
This is a lot to digest, and I will type more later. If you have questions, please ask t