A Little Help for WD

[monkeypie]

This isn't a question but I wanted to share something I discovered last night. I was in Night Four of Oxycontin WD and hadn't slept in that many nights.(this plus the usual nightmare symptoms) -- I decided to become proactive and not just lay in bed kicking. I took two 400mg Neurontin plus eight CELESTIAL SLEEPYTIME EXTRA capsules (Valerian / Kava Kava / St Johns Wort) and was finally able to get some healing sleep.

MY STORY: I was in a car crash (Nissan vs Ford Expedition-- I lost) seven years ago and since then have been through the gamut of NSAIDS, muscle relaxers and finally six years ago started an ever-increasing regimen of Opiate Pain Killers. First Vicodin -the big ones- eight a day. Then Methadone 10mg eight a day. Then MS Contin 10mg eight a day. Then came the "miracle drug" Oxycontin first 20mg 2x day then 40 then 60 and finally two years ago I started taking (was prescribed) 80mg 2x day. I was getting along just fine but then...

I also have severe Fibromyalgia which developed after the car wreck. Pain all over and the Oxy only took the sharp edges off. I also have harsh crampy pre-menopausal periods as well as Endometriosis. I use marijuana medicinally and have for years and am a righteous advocate of it. (it's the laws that are trouble)  Something must have happened in the Clinic I go to because out of the blue (first time in seven years) they gave me a UA (pee test) and when I came up hot for cannabis the Dr cut me off cold turkey from Oxy. Not good.

The ethics of cutting a six-year opiate patient off cold turkey are questionable at least-- I believe the first tenet of the Hippocratic Oath is "Do No Harm" but that is beside the point of this forum. I'll let Karma take care of the jerk who did this to me. I mainly just wanted to share what worked for me as far as WD-- this is now Day Five and I feel as if I am almost done jonesing. Hope this helps someone else.

[landbray]

the benefits of marijana for medical purposes
my best friend died of ovarion cancer 11-24-04.
For 5 years everyday she smoked pot.
It made her eat, helped her sleep,,made her hungry.
and when she looked in the mirror she could almost forget
that she was dying.
I believe it help her live a year longer or 2
it was a personal choice.
wish we all had the same in our medical care. Good luck
to you, sounds like the worse is over
paaddict

[worried878]

sounds like u r hanging in there tho....and that is something in itself...congrats on ur clean time

[monkeypie]

My Doctor is an idiot. I go to a low-income clinic where the Drs are interns and I get a new one every year or so. Until now they pretty much stayed with the regimen the previous Drs and I had worked out. Then I got this new guy -- five foot nothing with a huge attitude. He wouldn't Rx for me until he met me and then only gave me a two-week supply. I get my meds directly from Purdue Pharma and they will only fill ONE script, no matter how large or small, every 28 days.  I was forced to enroll with Prescription Assistance and then prevail upon Catholic Charities to help me with the co-pay when I needed the second two-week Rx.

I use an herbal concoction for pre-menopausal periods pain. I have Endometriosis and a prolapsed uterus and the pain is unbearable. The herbs work wonders (Black Cohosh, **** Quai and Hemp Seed) but the hemp came up as marijuana on my UA (pee test). In the seven years I have been at the clinic they never UA-ed me until this new Dr came on the scene. I explained the deal to the Dr but he was unmoveable and single-minded about taking away my Oxycontin.

So, the answer to your query is I am in WD because the Dr cut me off cold turkey. He gave me two two-week Rxs and a woman from the clinic left me a voice mail chirping "You need to wean yourself off, bye now".  I tried taking my 80mg dose further apart then the prescribed "every 12 hours" but the pain was intractable and I just had to take them twice a day.

Now I have none and the clinic will give me no more Opiates at all. I would rather stay ON the medicine-- it took a year of trying everything from Vicodin to Morphine to Methadone and finally Oxy and once we got up to 80mg 2x day I was feeling SO much better. I was able to work (I am a writer and sitting at a desk with herniated disks is not fun) and have some kind of social life. I am now relegated to my bed most of the day and I wonder if I will ever feel right again.

But I tell ya, after reading all these posts and seeing what other people are going through I am almost glad to be done with Oxy. Of course now I have pain pain pain to contend with not to mention the WD that seem to go on and on and on. I will keep ya posted.

monkeypie

[rue10]

Wow!  That doesn't seem quite right what the dr. did.  Are w/d because you can't get anymore or do you want to be done with the pills?

Please keep posting your progress.

Best of Luck.