C/T from opiates with marijuana

[Climb_Strait]

I'm on day 3 of quitting a 75 to 150 mg of oxy habit. Ive been smoking abou 3 grams of marijuana a day, my wd symptons dont seem that bad. I have had no diarhea and no restless legs. Is there a connection. My opiate addiction has been going on for about 4 years.

[rnangel]

I was a chronic pothead for years and can hardly believe those are my words up there. Marijuana increases your heart rate and can cause tremendous anxiety. In fact the only panic attacks I've ever had were after smoking weed (I was several months without it at the time). I'm not here to judge that's for sure..but would not want to stumble anyone either. I have had many opportunities to smoke it when I've felt restless and discontent with recovery and the mere thought of it causes me anxiety. This is just my experience :o)

[MikeInFrance]

Yeah sleep is really tough to come by alot of us when detoxing. I CT'd it after working my way up to 250mg oxy a day. Only detox ever and it wasn't easy at all. I'm around 35-36 days clean today and the first 10 days sleep was nonexistent. It was strange cuz if I could get like 10 minutes in somehow I'd feel like that was so energizing but the feeling of exhaustion would return and I'd be in a zombie like state. It was just in the past 2 weeks that i really started getting hours in each night. And now I can sleep about 6 hours+ a night (although not straight through)  I won't suggest pot for anyone but I do smoke and it does relax me. As previously stated, I'd personally take that over an addictive Valium or any benzo anyday so I do. Sorry Gnarly! Your awesome and probably the most knowledgeable person I 'know' here but this time we'll just agree to disagree.

[Omacastrop]

My pain dr. had been prescribing me 120 mg of oxy a day plus break thru pain meds. I decided to stop them bc it's not good for my heart, kidneys, & liver. I'm lucky that I live in a state where medical marijuana is legal. So as I was going through my horrific w/d from the pain meds on abt day 3 I would smoke pot to relieve symptoms, it helped somewhat, but I had horrible w/d symptoms. I stayed awake for 8 days. I'm coming up on 21 days free of oxy! Yay me! Lol but still have some symptoms like sneezing, & not sleeping unless I take a sleeping pill. I'm working on that part. Good luck to u:)

[rnangel]

Hi, I've been hanging around this forum for a few months now and have enjoyed reading the threads and getting to know a little bit more about everyone. I'm an addict. I guess I would be considered a cross addict. I have a DOC (or two lol) and have battled addiction for over 20 years. I've done it all and am not proud of it. The memories of some of the places my addiction has brought me are difficult to erase and the source of much guilt and shame. On bad days these memories tend to override my accomplishments...family, education, great job. Addiction does not discriminate. The white picket fence is hardly enough to keep ourselves and the ones we love safe from the clutches of addiction. Two things are foundational to recovery..mutual support and knowledge. Without them we cannot feel empowered to change.

All drugs of abuse—nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, opiates and others—affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is part of the limbic system. Normally, the reward circuit responds to pleasurable experiences by releasing the neurotransmitter dopamine, which creates feelings of pleasure, and tells the brain that this is something important—pay attention and remember it. Drugs hijack this system, causing unusually large amounts of dopamine to flood the system. Sometimes, this lasts for a long time compared to what happens when a natural reward stimulates dopamine (chocolate, exercise..etc). This flood of dopamine is what causes the “high” or euphoria associated with drug abuse.

Studies have shown that addicts who quit nicotine are 50% more likely to stay in recovery. Any drug that activates the brain's reward system tickles the brain and can lead you back to your DOC.

When an addict is dedicated to recovery they are willing to make the needed changes in their behavior and associations. To buy a bag a weed may seem innocent enough but the dealer is likely involved in other shady stuff. When we sugarcoat the use of other drugs as being helpful to our recovery we jeopardize our sobriety. Of course I'm not referring to AD's to treat co-existing anxiety and depression. Benzo's are a touchy subject for some but they seem to be the most sugarcoated of all. These is not only my opinions but also widely cited in addiction medicine literature. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally for respecting diversity and choice. We ARE free-moral agents. I just feel it was important for me comment as I don't want knowledge deficit to be a stumbling block to anyone.

I'm sending peace and well wishes to everyone!
In love and respect,
RNangel

[downandout1982]

I tried smoking but it almost seemed it made it worse. I am not a smoker so it made me focuse and concentrate on my w/d more, but I am glad its helping you. good luck.

[almostfree]

i have somked pot for 15 years and it is legal here with a mediacl card . I stopped opiates 43 days ago because they changed me so much and that is my addiction. Pot is very addictive, it may not change some people and put them on a path of destructuon but it is a drug and different drugs do different things to people. It helped me a lot thru my detox but i wanted to warn some people that it is addictive . I don't plan on stopping anytime soon because it doesn't ruin my life or change me in any way but relaxing me . If i don't smoke at a certain time i become bitchy and i know tons of people who are the same way . I don't promote smoking pot but i also don't think it's that bad , unless that is your addiction and it has put you on a downward spiral ! Any type of drug is addictive that's why it's a drug !

[Emily_MHManager]

Minn - It wasn't your connection, it was most likely what I call a server hiccup on our end.  No worries - I deleted the duplicates.  :)

________

As for the rest of this discussion, please remember that many in the community are struggling to not use any mood-altering substance, so while smoking pot may help some of you in some way, we do need to be careful not to promote it or recommend it as a treatment aid.  ANY mood altering substance has the potential for addiction, and the debate on physical vs psychological dependence can go on for years, but it's not relevant here.  It is also illegal in the US (with few exceptions for medical marijuana), and many other places, which is something to keep in mind.

Just proceed with caution.

Emily

[minn66]

Moderator, I have no idea why my post showed up 4 times. I had a data connection error and didn't think it posted at all!  I am sorry, y'all.

[minn66]

Just my humble opinion, but I think anything has the potential to cause harm if misused.  Honestly I don't understand why alcohol is legal and pot isn't. I have heard of more domestic abuse and auto accidents due to misuse of alcohol and other drugs than marijuana.  I tried pot when I was younger and it made me feel paranoid and I didn't like it.  I know a couple of people who smoke on occasion and they can take it or leave it.  They don't crave it and if they want some and can't get it then oh well, no biggie.

I personally don't want to use anything mind-altering, but of the large number of things one can become addicted to, I just don't see pot as nearly as harmful as other substances (even food) that people put in their bodies.

Through meetings and a lot of discussions I have learned that people with strong addictive personalities can get addicted to anything.  The ex-smoker substitutes food, for example, and gains a lot of weight.  I actually knew a food addict who became addicted to exercise. Great right?  Wrong!  She became obsessed, ate toi little, exercised too much and collapsed at the gym one day.

I am not condoning the use of pot.  However, like pills it does have medicinsl properties and sll of those things, if used correctly, csn be of benefit.  It is our addictive personalities that can take something good, even something we need to live (like food) and turn it into something that can harm us.

[kk1303]

Pot is like Clonidine + an appetite...Nonaddictive & helps with opiate withdrawals :-)

[MikeInFrance]

I wasn't trying to promote it and I'm pretty aware of what this forum is seein that i am here... But we cannot discuss how we feel about it then we do ourselves and our recovery a disservice. No matter what thread is started on any subject here , and the subsequent responses , some will agree and disagree. To me that's what makes this forum so great. You get to see all sides and in the end , as always, it's your decision what u do.

[dominosarah]

This is a substance abuse forum.  Some come here who are addicted to pot and it is affecting their lives in a negative way.  Promoting it is really not the thing to do.  For many of us we cant smoke pot as it stirs the addict that lives in our brain.  

[MikeInFrance]

You can't compare a natural growing plant to a synthetic heroin like substance. And as u know there are so veryany people here actually prescribed more addictive drugs to come off of other addictive drugs. To me pot is not addictive. I doubt someone could take oxycodone, heroin, or any opiate for that matter for months or longer and just stop with no negative effects. Agreed? With pot I do and can and have never seen it any other way in anyone I know who does smoke.  I lived in a country for 2 years where it could be bought legally. Where you  are even allowed to grow it at home and where the official medical opinion is that it is not addictive and does not have a negative impact on society. One place , one person has one opinion and others, other opinions. But to me it absolutely cannot be associated to a narcotic in anyway.  Every single pill that has the potential for addiction is much more dangerous than pot ...what about cigarette addiction? Nicotine? Nobody suggests smoking crack to get over those withdrawals cuz it's just obviously not right, right?

[bmdad]

Speaking of a can of worms....

Let's say someone came here needing some support and suggestions because they are addicted to pot. There have been some on here in the past asking for help. If they said "hey, I started taking vicodin to help with the symptoms and it's made a big difference"! Would everyone think that it's okay to take vicodin to help quit smoking pot?

[bama88]

the natural high we talk about isn't the same as pills. its a self awareness. its like the feeling of Friday night date night...going out with family...stuff like that.

[Climb_Strait]

Wow! I just want to say, Im no pot head. Im a narcotic addict trying to get off these devil drugs. When my wife and I were planning this detox we both thought that with all of marijuanas medical benefits this would probably help. And it has, tremendously. I know its illegal in many places, where I live as well, but its also legal in many places BECAUSE of its medical benefits. It seems to me this is a legitimate medical application. Also, today I have not smoked. I woke up, yes I slept last night, 8 hours, with an appetite. So I really had no need. Im really looking forward to the natural high from a clean life I keep hearing about. I just dont think its application here should be so easily dismissed because it gets you high. Valium and xanax get you high and theyre both part of the thomas recipe that is so highly spoken of. Anyways... Thanks EVERYONE for the support and here I come day 5.

[gnarly_1]

im sorry if I offend anybody but a buzz is a buzz is a buzz and no addict needs one it way to ez to become cross addicted and although it may not be physically addictive it is physiologically addictive the whole idea of doing this is to get strait from mind altering substance regardless how there packaged as a general rule of thumb most member who try it say it dosent help it time to get clean people.......Gnarly  

[lulu747]

Can of worms indeed(:



I think as an addict, it's less about the substance you use and more about the reason you're using it.  We have to be honest with ourselves and be accountable for our behaviour.  
I have a close friend who is struggling with her husband's marijuana addiction. He smokes pot daily and behaves erratically and dangerously at times while under the influence.  He has put their child at risk by driving him to school stoned.  If they go to the States and he doesn't have access to pot, he is irritable and does not engage in family activities.  

Marijuana, like opiates, alcohol, benzodiazapines etc. is a powerful mood altering substance.  

[bama88]

wow. a can of worms on this subject.lol. i think we are all different with different bodies or personalities...yes in order to be clean by standard definition is not to use any substances to get high... but someplace it is legal. so depending on a lot of issues it is what it is...i feel that anything we abuse or use to escape lifestyle trials is addiction...eating to many banana splits in my case lol...shopping gambling anything that takes over...as an escape thing isn't good. alot of addicts jump from one substance to another...i did.
im for getting clean and staying clean. however one achieves this. but if what you do could put you in jail...id think twice about it...now if ya live in an area that pots legal ie California is the place to be...then that is an option.

but alcohol is legal too...and drinking and driving can land ya in the pokey....so.

when you get down to the heart of sobriety i don't think pot is ok. i don't think liquor is ok. just like me now...yes i have had surgery today and yes i have a reson to take pain pills...i am no longer clean:(.

remember were all here for one reason or another....but we are all addicts. and pot is the gateway drug. and even Thu i want to move to northern California to legally grow pot...its not legal here. and i don't want to go to jail. but i have smoked in past detoxes and will say it helps with detox.

[bettermomma]

Well either way... addictive or not addictive... in many cases like a comment stated above... it distracts the mind weither it hits different receptors or not, all I know from experience, is that it helped me suppliments and suppliments down when I was nauseated and it helped with my mood... not suggesting for a second that it's a good thing but it worked for me at the beginning of detox... now that I'm 37 days clean, I, like Sara have no desire for the altering effects of any drug or alcohol. All I'm trying to say, is that none of us have any room to condone anyone else... we r all here for one reason or another... support! So with that, I conclude that it's all personal preference, and if I had it too do over (I wouldn't want to), I'd probably detox the same way that I did. Hope this helps...

God bless,
Momma

[Sarah11212]

That last post I made was for "justme1119"

[Ballgame]

Pot doesn't help as it works on different receptors.

[Sarah11212]

I'm confused about your comment that read, "I have never understood how people justify putting smoke into their lungs"...
Not sure what your doc was but if your on this forum than I am to assume that you put some sort of drug into your body that either wasn't good for you to begin with or it was prescribed and become an addiction which means you were probably taking alot more than prescribed which in reality, was not good for you either.
So I'm not quite understanding how you cannot see why people justify putting smoke into their bodies while others, including yourself, were putting dangerous amounts of drugs into your/their bodies?

[charliej41]

Good topic and the way I read it about 50-50 with you all. Me I am a smoker and I think it helped me get through a lot of this and I do what ever it takes to stay off the pain pills. And I live in a state where I go to jail for having it the firs 4-5 days of my detox I dident have any smoke went got some and frost thing it did was help with my up set gut got me start eatting more and it helps me with my pain most people will tell me I just swiching one drug for another I was going to go to an after care but when I told them I still smoking they told me I can't go till I can pass a drug test so I told them no thank u I try to never take another pain pill. But if I whant to smoke a little I see no wrong in it. I am 20 days with no pain pills so I feel I doing somethig right