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Mental Health (Expert Forum)
Coping with withdrawals
Answered by
Roger Gould, M.D. - Mental Health, Wellness
Questions posted in the Mental Health forum are being answered by Dr. Roger L. Gould, author of the Mastering Stress and Depression program and affiliated with the UCLA. Department of Psychiatry. Topics covered include anger, attention deficit disorder (ADD), bipolar disorder, dementia, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), learning disabilities, memory, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), panic, personality disorders, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, stress, transitions, and work problems.
Coping with withdrawals
by thewiseonehere, Apr 14, 2006 12:00AM
First off, let me start by saying hi and saying from what I've seen, this is an excellent site with excellent and supportive people!
Anyway, I was taking only 4 mg of suboxone recreationally everyday for the last several months (thanks to a buddy of mine who get's the stuff like candy from his doctor), and I decided I'd quit and weather the storm. I can deal with the runny nose. I can deal with the body aches. I can deal with the gut-wrenching cramps, diarrhea and depression. But Damnit, HOW CAN I GET RID OF THIS INSOMNIA???? I have slept a total of 4 hours in about 4 or 5 days. I think this is day 6...I've called in sick to work for the last 2 days, and I pretty much have to go back to work tonight (in about 18 hours) because they are short-handed...I have tried just about everything I could find to sleep. In these last several days, I've tried Melatonin, Valerian root, Diphenhydramine HCL (OTC Sleeping Pills) and my doc wrote me a prescription for 20 30mg Temazepam's. I took one at about midnight, only to wake up 2 hours later, leg twitching and eyes wide open, darting around the room...I swear, It's the insomnia that has caught me SOO off guard....This is my first real experience of coping with withdrawal. And It wouldn't seem that the withdrawals would be that bad for a person who has only abused the stuff for only about 4 months (and on occasion before that),But BELIEVE ME, THIS IS HELL ON EARTH!!! I have half a 200mg seroquel a buddy of mine gave me, and seroquel has put me to sleep in the past...If this continues for much longer, I might try it...ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS??? Please help...I need the support.
Thank You
Anyway, I was taking only 4 mg of suboxone recreationally everyday for the last several months (thanks to a buddy of mine who get's the stuff like candy from his doctor), and I decided I'd quit and weather the storm. I can deal with the runny nose. I can deal with the body aches. I can deal with the gut-wrenching cramps, diarrhea and depression. But Damnit, HOW CAN I GET RID OF THIS INSOMNIA???? I have slept a total of 4 hours in about 4 or 5 days. I think this is day 6...I've called in sick to work for the last 2 days, and I pretty much have to go back to work tonight (in about 18 hours) because they are short-handed...I have tried just about everything I could find to sleep. In these last several days, I've tried Melatonin, Valerian root, Diphenhydramine HCL (OTC Sleeping Pills) and my doc wrote me a prescription for 20 30mg Temazepam's. I took one at about midnight, only to wake up 2 hours later, leg twitching and eyes wide open, darting around the room...I swear, It's the insomnia that has caught me SOO off guard....This is my first real experience of coping with withdrawal. And It wouldn't seem that the withdrawals would be that bad for a person who has only abused the stuff for only about 4 months (and on occasion before that),But BELIEVE ME, THIS IS HELL ON EARTH!!! I have half a 200mg seroquel a buddy of mine gave me, and seroquel has put me to sleep in the past...If this continues for much longer, I might try it...ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS??? Please help...I need the support.
Thank You
Doctor's Answer
by Roger Gould, M.D., Apr 14, 2006 12:00AM
, Apr 14, 2006 12:00AM
when i first started taking pain pills it was during a stretch of time where i was injuried most of the time for a year and a half. 3 broken ankels, broken hand and a torn rotator cuff. i ahd never thougt of taking nor did i know anyone that was taking these meds at the time(bearing in mind i was stlill pretty young at the time, 15yrs) i began to love the feeling i got when i took these pills but was no where near dpendent on them. i would share them with my friends and eventually they too began to develop and affection for these pills.
i didnt began to become addicted until around 15months later. it was around that time i watched what was a very promising baseball carrer come to a dramatic and un-happy ending. because i was unable to play for the majority of 2 years due to my injuries several colleges and scouts began to loose interest in me. claming that anyone with the injury history i had could never stay healthy enough too develop into a professional baseball player. this absoultely killed me moral, baseball was my life and i had planned on it being my meal ticket through life. Also the injuries that i suffered where not practical injuries that happen consitently, the injuries i had over that period of time were of the freak variety, where you look back and say to yourself i cannot believe that just happened to me.
shortly after i decided to leave baseball and become what i now consider as a loser but at the time, was the popular kid at my school that everyone looked to for what was cool. everyone was unaware of my love for opiates
once out of the game i began to loose interest in schoolwork and began to hang out with frineds all the time against my parents advice. i was depressed and thought my life was over, it was then that the pills became my comfort in life. when i was on them i didnt care aboout anything i was just happy, and i loved being happy again.
not before to long i was taking somewhere around 15-25 vicodins, percocets, demerols, just what ever i could get my hands on that contined opiates. this became far to expensive to continue although i never considered quitting at that time. i siwtched to oxys in an attempt to save some money. the same thing happened, i was eventually taking at the least 400mg a day it was insane, and the worst part was that i knew how bad what i was doing was on for my body, mind and emotions. again i needed a way to get the euphoric feeling without spending the amount of money that i was. so i switched to herion. i became addicted to heroin for around 1.5 years and during that frame of time attempted to quit many times being succesful several times but eventually craving the euphoria and returned to my abuse.
the thing i find strange about your original post is that suboxone i had heard was the miracle pill in terms of coping with withdrawal from herion or for that matter any opiates. but each time i tired to quit i tried a new method, not for any reason just thought i had the soulution each time i wanted to quit.
Although the first tim i attempeted to stop using was during my oxy stage and for the most part was unaware of the hell that was in store for me. i had all the symptoms of withdrawal i wanted to die but kept telling myself that i ahd food posioning, i think that helped in preventing me from relaspsing thinking that there was not cure for my condition other than time.
the most effective way i found for coping with withdrawal is going to your docotor or any doctor and telling them your situation. i reccommednd asking for clonodine, which i beilieve is a medication for blood pressure, but is very effective in eliminating withdrawal symptoms, in addition to clonodine my cocktail consisted of perscription sleeping pills,which if you havent been through withdrawal before i cannot urge you enough to consider some kind of sleeepaid,
i also took a medication to aleiveate some of the cramping that occureed this were also very useful in preventing dihaera. and finally i was on valiums to help with anxiety and cravings.
it is also helpful if your are able to clear your schedule for 4 or 5 days, i didnt leave my house for 4 days and becuase of that i didnt have to worry about interacting with other people or having to perform a task or job at work. this will do wonders in terms of preventing immediate relapses.
i had no ill feelings from withdrawal using that method and when i woke up the 5th day i felt great and life became better with each day that passed. making it wasier and easier to stay clean. orginally my doctor wanted to perscribe me to some type of medication that would have prevented me in the future of being able to get that euphoria that you get from opiates. i am unsure why i at the time refused to take the perscription, although i think it may have had something to do with the fact that i was experincing the same eupohric feeling while he was teeling me i wouldnt feel this way anymore. and anyone that has experienced that euphoria knows that you never want the feeling to end. although if you come across this medication i suggest jumping at the oppurtunity.
another way i quit, although probably dangerous and not reccomend is nyquil, sleeping pills and immodium
although my addiction was not as sever as it had been at times it was still a very real a serious addiction. but i found that the nyquil helped in eliminating some-most of the flu like symptoms experienced such as: the nausea, hot/cold flashes, joint/back pain. [t is important that you be careful if trying to use over the counter medications to help quit, because it is easy to take a much larger dose then neccessary for 2 reasons, anyone worried about withdrawal obviously has been taking more than the reccomended dossage of some kind of substance so it is easy to assume you should take more than the dossage for other meddications. 2nd if the medeicine is helpful in alleviating some of your symptoms you are prone to continue taking more and more at the slightest sign of any symptom.] the sleeping pills, as anyone who has been through some kind of withdrawal knows can be a life saver. during withdrawal a very common symptom so common i can alomst guarrantee that if you go through withdrawal anytime in the future you will not be sleeping without the help of something. the immodium is obviously used to help the frequent bowel movements that occur during withdrawal. which in the past i never could get over and usally was so bad or uncomfortable that i immediately relapsed.
also helpful in coping, although not legal is the miracle known as marijuana. this i have been succesful with while stopping from shorter or less sever addicitons. it helps with cravings as well as cramping, bowel disurbances,pain and the mental obstacle that is your own mind that has been programmed to love your substance of choice.
It is immpossible to overcome withdrawal if you havent mentally come to terms with quitting and overcoming the addiction. you must truly,whole heartedly want to stop using or you will never be succesfull in overcoming withdrawal
it is very difficult for anyone to go through the days immediatley following the abscence of somthing that previously was depended upon by your body, but you must realize it is only a phase that will pass. i know that during the early days of quitting that it seems immppossible to overcome this, but know that this is nothing that is going to kill you and continue to tell yourself how much easier and enjoyable life would be w/o having this addiction in your life
there are many other ways that i have found to be helpful, if anyone is interested or needs advice or support email me at ***@**** please only contact me if serious about quitting
So happy to have found this site and the offer of help.
LOONG story shortened...I've been addicted to opiates(started with loritabs,and norco,etc..),now on subutex. Been addicted for a little more then 3 years. Subutex or suboxone for 2 yrs. I've weaned down to 1miligram a day of subutex. I started at 8mil. When I abused hydrocodone it was up to 20 or more pills a day..
This has been a huge challenge. A couple years ago I went cold turkey off pain meds....OH MY GOD!!! what a damn nightmare...Talk about no sleep and no support and some serious pain in the legs and my back and was just wanting to crawl out of my skin and DIE!!!
What has made my journey especially difficult is the 'shame' I felt. The 'secret', of wanting to remain that strong person everyone believes I am and was...My 16yr. old daughter and my husband who is in law enforcement, and he would speak 'low' of addicts. That was an extra embarrassment. At this time he is supportive but does not have a clue on how to relate or empathize with me. Our family Dr. has kept me on the 1 mil. of subutex for the last few months...I then tried to go off with out asking or telling(thought i'de surprise everyone) and I was the one in for a surprise...after 4 days...I was having pretty uncomfortable withdrawls(sub stays in body for quite a few days). My doctors office was closed over the weekend and I went to ER room and got 20 loritabs. That lasted me til Monday;and back to the doc. Now I'm on subutex AGAIN!!! I'm taking 1mil, a day. I want my old life back sooo bad. I'm willing to endure some discomfort,but hate to let my daughter see me sick all the time. I was an energetic person and athletic and 'bubbly'. Now I'm more isolated and scared to work because of the fact of just wanting to be drug free and set free from the physical dependancy. My doc is one in only 7 in my city that even can prescribe the medication. I thank god for him,but feel he'll let me stay on this for a loong time...
it's expensive and inconveniant. I want to know what sort of things i can do to slowly get off this(but within a month)..I do have plenty of xanax and sonoma sleeping pills and soma muscle relaxers; if these things can help! Does anyone else have a suggestion or a plan that worked for them? I'de appreciate any type of advice or support...THANKS!!!