Good for you!! And I ditto what ActingBrandNew just said to you.
Going to NA already and getting enrolled in an outpatient group....YOU ROCK!!! lol It was help you SO much....it has for me.
Wanted to mention that the Thomas Recipe that you posted up above is a bit different than the one in our MedHelp Health Pages (bottom of this page)...we cut out #1.....no benzo/lithium, etc....or if you take it....to beware and only take it for a week or so (a benzo). I made the horrific mistake at 9 months clean of taking 1/2 a pill a day for a 90 day run of my husband benzo script.....and felt my feet walking down a MUCH TOO familiar path.
I'm a "back" person too. Also had major back surgery. There are actually A LOT of us "back" peeps around here...lol So glad you have chosen to be FREE.....be sure and let us know how you're doing or have any questions...this is a GREAT forum for encouragement, support, tips and loving you thru it. Here's to clean and serene~~
I have to say that I'm quite impressed with where your at already. From all you've written it sounds like you have a very solid plan and then you even add an outpatient to the mix...I think your gonna make it! Its really nice to hear and I look forward to hearing how its going.
Thanks so much for the replies and wow day by day is gonna be the hardest. I am going to actually do a outpatient treatment to get more support. Im hoping aleve and motrin will help also a heating pad. Im just tired of the chasing and feelings of worry about running out. Im surrendering to my disease. IM DONE I GIVE so to speak.I will definatly keep in touch on my day by day jorney.
Great to hear you plan to get clean! I am at day 15 from a yearlong, maybe more, Oxy 15mg X way too many habit.
Fantastic advice above, it's all true. Week 2 is much better than week one.
My medical problem is like yours, a back problem, but I decided not to do the 4-level fusion.
There are ways to handle back issues without pain meds. I have 1 book written by medical professionals that detail Pilates for post surgery backs. I have another book written by an orthopedic surgeon who had back surgery and got addicted. He developed his own series of exercises. PM me if you are interested.
Also read what others have to say about hyperalgesia-some really good info here on this forum about that.
In short, have a plan in place to deal with back pain if it is an issue.
(I have been trying everything I could think of to stay away from my Oxy demon)
You can do this! The folks here are AMAZING when it comes to supporting others, you have come to the right place!
Nutrition is important during wds. Follow that Thomas Recipe, and eat as healthy as you can. May be hard the first few days due to no appetite or upset tummy. Eat lots of high potassium foods like bananas and potatoes (with the skin on). This helps the restless, crampy legs. Lots of water, juice, and gatorade to stay hydrated. Stay away from caffeine. It will just increase your anxiety. Hot baths with epsom salts help the restless legs and general aches and pains. You aren't on a ridiculous dose, so it shouldn't be unbearable. It's not gonna be fun, but you can do this! Just try not to psyche yourself out. The worrying and fretting over what may or may not happen only makes it worse. Stay busy with music, books, funny movies/tv. Get on this site and chat when it gets rough. We have all (or are) where you are and want to see you succeed. Another thing to think of is the rebound pain. I also suffer from a legitimate pain issue. For a while your pain level will spike. This is your brain trying to trick you into using more pills. It does pass and the pain gets better. My pain is actually slightly better than what it was on the pills. Look up opiate induced hyperalgesia. I wish you nothing but the best of luck! We are here for you.
I just wanted to add that what I posted above sounds pretty bad but in all reality its very doable. Just treat it like you have the flu. If you find yourself sitting around thinking about how bad you feel...try to do an activity so you wont dwell on it.
"My question is how long does it normally take to get thru the withdrawals? "
Its different for everybody but it sounds like you have a solid plan. (Thomas Recipe and NA) The physical stuff usually gets better for most after the 5th day and then its dealing with the mental aspect.
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Day 1: The morning after you last used narcotics you probably won't wake up feeling bad right away. However as the day progresses, the symptoms of withdrawal become blinding. Your nose will run, and your eyes will water. You will realize that you've gone all day without eating. Most importantly, you feel like your body is carrying an extra fifty pounds of weight. And this isn't even the worst part.
Day 2: The worst part of day two is knowing you are going to wake up feeling much worse than day one. You might wake up sweating, but feel freezing at the same time. By now your legs are starting to ache and your back is screaming at you. Once again, the urge to eat probably isn't there. Don't stress that, just drink plenty of fluids. Your temperature changes from freezing to burning hot in minutes. Towards the end of the day, even though you are physically exhausted and sick, your legs won't let you sit still. Trying to lie down to sleep is very challenging. Once again, once you do fall asleep you will probably wake up drenched in sweat at least once a night.
Day 3: Good news, this day SHOULD not be quite as bad as the first two. However, depending on the type of opiate you used, the symptoms could last longer. However, the one great thing about withdrawing from this drug is the symptoms come on fast, and generally subside within a week or two. You once again probably woke up sweating but freezing at the same time. You will still feel like not eating, but by now your stomach should be screaming at you in more ways than one. You may decide to try to eat, only to have it come right back up. Also, by this time your colon is starting to spasm from being dead for so long, so you will start having diarrhea. It is highly important to keep fluids going in on this day. You will still feel restless and exhausted, but by now it should be manageable.
Day 4: By now you're probably tired of changing your sheets every morning, but the night sweats should subside soon. You're stomach is still cramping and you're spending a lot of time in the bathroom. However, your bones and muscles should not feel as bad as they have (especially if you were able to maintain some amount of nutrition). For a second you are starting to breathe deeply again. This is when the real work begins.
Day 5: As the physical symptoms start to subside (or at least lessen) this is when the hard part kicks in. By now you may have noticed that you're dropping things, forgetting where you are or where you're going, or even putting your clothes on backwards. Your brain is still in a fog and unfortunately, will probably remain that way for a while. You may break down in tears one minute, and then feel nothing the next. Or, you may feel emotions at inappropriate times or with inappropriate people. This feeling is the longest lasting of all the symptoms. Many people say they still experience the "fogginess" years after getting clean.
From here on out, it should only get easier. Remember; take it one day at a time and keep telling yourself that you will not feel like this forever. Find a support group, or attend twelve step meetings to help you cope as well as to help keep you occupied. Relapsing will only make future withdrawals more lengthy and painful. However, if you can make it through the first five days you are well on your way to a life and a future of sobriety.
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Stay plugged into this site and let us know how you are doing.
Always,
ABN