Chest Pains after being sober

[Jennip]

I was addicted to pain pills and sedatives for ten years.  The last two years I was taking 6, 80Mil oxycotin a day, chewed up, and it was not a problem for me to chew up and swallow 15 percocet or vikes at one time.  I was also taking between 10-15 valuim or xanax a day.  I have ben totally clean for the last 5 months, not even an asprin and never have I felt better physically or mentally.  However, ever since I stopped using, I get these chest pains right in the middle of my chest.  SOmetimes it hurts so bad, that I can't move an inch or i feels like my chest is ripping open.  I know it is not heartburn and I am only 29 and have put on 15 pounds in the last several months so now I weigh 110.  So I know it is not because I am too skinny or anything.  DId anyone ever experience this when getting off pills?  Thanks for the input.

[Zurich42]

Five months is incredible!!! Congrat's! What an inspiration you are on this forum!
As for chest pains, I had 'slight' chest pains - more associated with heart racing and or the GI tract.  

However, I've seen a 'lot' of chest pains come in to the Emergency Room - and highly suggest that if you are experiencing any type of chest pain, that you contact your physician immediately.  Also, route any/all Urgent Cares and Emergency Rooms in your area so that 'just in case' you need to go there, you can tell someone to drive you.  I don't want to scare you - or perhaps I do - but I wouldn't mess around with heart and/or chest pains.  I've seen people with chest pains on Thanksgiving day not come in because it was 'Thanksgiving day' and follow-up the day after only to pass away from us because the ER saw them too late.  

Please take my advice - and call your physician.  Communicate to him/her your condition and concerns and make sure you have both an available route and transportation to an Urgent Care and/or ER.  

[Jennip]

Thanks Zurich.  I have an appointment next Tuesday for a check-up and I will let my Doctor know.  She already knows my situation because when I started seeing her a few months ago, I told her I was an addict and not to prescribe me anything no matter what story I come in there with, I used to come up with some good ones :).  Thanks for making see that I should take it a little more serious...

[Zurich42]

You're talking to someone who works in ER's nationwide and see's the 'worse' things that can happen to people (very rarely good things - like a birth).  But to be honest, I'd rather have you be 'safe' than sorry.  You've helped me and encouraged me - I wouldn't want to have something bad happen to you.

[GoingToMakeIt]

Don't mess around with chest pain. If something changes between now and your Dr's appt GET HELP!
5 months is a wonderful testimony!

[Jennip]

Thank you everyone for the advice and the kudo's, hehe.  I didn't expect that seeing as it's only been 5 months.  Good luck to everyone.  Just a quick note to everyone who is in the struggle...To be honest, the first few months suuuuccccckeddddd!  After the initial physical part of the withdraw was over (about 3 weeks for me), the mental part pretty much drained me.  I honestly never ever in a million years thought I would ever be happy without some sort of substance in my body.  I never thought I would feel "normal" or be able to have the happy feelings I once had as a teenager.  EVen a couple months into it, I still felt that way.  But by month four, which seemed like ten years, I found myself waking up in morning feeling alert and dare I say, kinda happy.  Then as the days went on, i go better and better and better.  It's been 5 months now and I can say with a straight face that I feel "normal" again.  I have normal moods, happy and sad and excited.  The excited feeling is the best.  I get excited about a TV show coming on or spending time with my nephews and I am so excited for CHristmas family dinner.  I finally won't be the blacksheep nodding out at the dinner table...Whoo-hoo.  But it was a long road to get to this place that I never thought I would be at again.  Don't get me wrong, I still sometimes crave that "high" but today I feel (and I know this is so cliche but it is the absolute truth) I feel like everyday is a natrual high and it is wonderful.  I just went Christmas shopping today and felt like a person that fit in.  I was just "normal" and felt human again.  

It took me about 100 tries to get it right.  The longest I was clean was one week in a total of ten years.  I know this was probably not the safest thing to do, but I quit cold turkey.  I don't suggest it because it was literally the worst time in my life and I am sure I could have ened up in the hospital, but it was the only way I thought would work for me.  So if you are feeling hopeless or unsure, just tell yourself each day that you will hang in there for one more day.  EVentually I think you will come to te point where I am.  You will feel good again and wonder how you ever lived lie like you were everyday.  Goodluck!

[Boinngo]

Thank you so much for that last post.  You have litterally convinced me that I will make it.  I have been clean for 6 days now after a big drug habbit the last of which was with vic.  I am having the exact same feeling you described.  I don't feel like I will ever be happy again like I was when I was a teenager or I don't feel like I will ever feel normal again.  That scares me the most because I don't even know what normal feels like anymore.  You have inspired me Jennip.  Thank you.

[Jennip]

Hi Boinngo.

Im so happy I could be helpful to you.  6 days is really good.  You are over the worst part of the physical withdraw.  Keep hanging in there and I promise that you will start to remember what normal feels like again and you won't ever want to losethat feeling again.  You are doing great!

[Victor322]

Interesting topic as i have chest pains too. After years and years of denial, It's now my belief that those 'pains' are from unresolved emotional issues...ton's of fear and sadness needing to be released, repressed emotional pain in my chest area that needs feeling and expressing, not medicating.

I had several medical tests, all were negative. Took drugs for years as an attempt to bludgeon those feelings into submission...I now know that won't work anymore.

Best to All!

[Jennip]

I have my doctors appointment tomorrow for the chest pains I have been having except now of course, they are gone.  I have not had any pains in a couple days but I will mention it anyways.  I think it might have just been stress or perhaps I pulled a muscle or something, but everything is good now.  I will update tomrrow on what my doc says.