Depression from my withdrawals. Help appreciated..

[HadtoSTOP]

So I was introduced to Norco by my boyfriend about two years ago and have been abusing them ever since. I VERY recently ( almost two weeks now) have quit. I am experiencing things that are not so great but my biggest problem right now is how up and down my mood seems to be. One day i will be feeling great, full of energy, and the next day i wont get out of bed. Im taking xanax to help me with this but that isnt prescribed to me either. Im not sure if taking the xanax is a wise decision but it helps me sleep so i figure that if im going to have to go thru the aches and pains might as well be able to get comfortable sleep, right.....or wrong? Im not sure what im doing since ive never been thru any of this before. I cant tell if the withdrawals from the opiates is causing my depression or if its the xanax? Help!

[deleteme]

Hello,

I can definitely relate to the feelings of depression and anxiety that you are experiencing while trying to kick opiates. After the death of my husband I started using large amounts of Dilaudid daily, acquiring a SERIOUS habit. After many times of trying to quit on my own (unsuccessfully), I checked myself in to a medically assisted detox. I started feeling better at about the 3rd or 4th day. I couldn't believe how good I felt!!!!!!
Then when I returned home I became increasingly depressed and eventually started using again. Coming home has always been a HUGE trigger for me, and I'm not sure exactly why.
Anyway, I can't really give you much advice on how to alleviate the depression which you are experiencing, except to try some different SSRI type meds and see which one works the best for you. Anti-depression meds have come a long way since Prozac.
After my last medically assisted detox, (I've been through 4) the doctor prescribed a low dose of Cymbalta. It seems to be working well so when I see my PCP in a week and a half, I'm going to ask him to increase the dose. My doctor also suggested that I take L-Tyrosine (a Thyroid hormone precursor) and DL-Phenylalanine for energy in addition to the Cymbalta. These taken together seem to be working for me somewhat. They actually DO seem to provide energy and don't have that irritating, shaky, caffeine type of feeling. It just feels like healthy, natural energy. I purchased these through my doc but I think that they are available at health food stores, except for the Cymbalta. You will need a script for that.

Some other drugs that can be purchased at health food stores include St. John's Wort and HTP-5 (which is supposedly a seratonin precursor). I have tried both and neither really worked that well for me. But that's just me, and everyone's different. It may be worth giving those a try?.....

Regarding your sleeping difficulties, you may want to ask your doc for something such as: Doxepin, a.k.a. Sinequan, and Trazadone. (both are completely non-addicting) These work well for me, especially if taken together. Another drug which works well for me is Seroquel. Don't know if you are familiar with it or not, but Seroquel is an anti-psychotic med. However, the detoxes that I went to prescribe it to just about everyone for sleep, psychotic or not.
I've also have had much success with Soma. If you are unfamiliar with Soma, it's a muscle relaxer. There are varying opinions of the safety of taking this drug over long periods of time. Some doc's claim that it is physically addicting, and other doc's claim that it is safe to take. My personal experience is that I had been taking Soma daily for years and was able to stop taking it without any discomfort at all. However, I would recommend staying away from Ambien due to the many side effects that it has, and it seems like everyone that I know that has taken it (including myself) have experienced some very negative, serious side effects. I do not have any personal experience with any of the other new sleeping meds such as Lunesta or Lyrica so I cannot offer an opinion one way or another. You may want to do some research online about it. The link provided below has a lot of good info about these drugs.

Please, do yourself a favor and stay away from the Xanax, or any other benzo. These are THE MOST difficult substances to get off of, and withdrawals can last for many months. You cannot detox safely from these meds on your own. You would need to be in a hospital. Also, sometimes it can take up to a year before feeling "normal" again, (whatever that is)
For a good source of info about benzos and withdrawal, click (or copy & paste) on
the following:   http://benzowithdrawal.com/forum/index.php

Some non-addicting over the counter sleep aids include:
melatonin
benedryl or any benedryl type product (in which the active ingredient is diphenhydramine hydrochloride)
Some of these include Sominex and the like. All of these have worked well for me.
However it may be wise to stay away from Tylenol PM. There is a lot of evidence that Tylenol, even when taken as prescribed in therapeutic doses, has caused liver failure in many people. There is much information on line about this as well. Personally, I do not take Tylenol AT ALL due to this reason.

I hope that this info helps you, at least somewhat.
Best of luck to you and God bless.

-ME

[HadtoSTOP]

Thank you so much for your advice and shared knowledge. Im also wondering if pot would help with all of this. Im a big fan but occasional smoker and i hear it has a lot of great health benefits. Its legal in the state of california so it would be completely legal. Again, this would only be for recovery purposes since i still have trouble starting my day without some motivation......
Thanks for the advice about the xanax. I will be very careful and am only taking it to sleep at night since i cant go 30 min without waking up from HORRIBLE nightmares and night sweats. Arg! I wish someone would have warned me about all of this before i ever touched it.

[CR_ST_NA]

yea it's so important for me to remember that bad days are just gonna happen. even after i started treating my depression with anti-depressants and after care i was disappointed cause i thought i was supposed to have "perm-a-grin" i think that is what made me start abusing drugs in the first place, i never wanted to feel bad, then after a while i wasn't able to feel at all, just numb. after you are clean for a while you realize life is a gammot of emotions, a roller coaster and i was just happy to feel anything at that point.

[worried878]

does the xanax make u feel sleepy or does it give u energy?  i do know that xanax can cause some depression..be careful with that drug..u dont need a new doc....also narcotic wd causes this..for me i felt great for a week or so after detox.then fatigue and depression set in...be ready for any mood as they may change alot right now..this is why aftercare is so important...for me it was good days and bad days, then more and more good days after a while...everyone has bad days tho...not just addicts in recovery..we just need to oearn how to accept bad days without trying to "fix" them with pills...it is ok to feel bad sometimes....i called those depression days doomers..and i had my fair share of them...i remember doing rocket shots just to get out of the door every moring for work...exercise and the amino acids got me out of that slump..hang tight and keep posting..good luck and congrats on 14 days!

[CR_ST_NA]

yes if you can go without the xanax then ditch it for sure, it is highly addictive. if you can't stop it cod turkey then start weening yourself down. it takes a long time for your body to get back to normal (what ever that is) after abusing opiates, depression and mood swings are among a few w/d symptoms that you can experience for quite a while. if you can add sauna to your exercise that is another great way to rid your body of toxins. remember that recovery is a journey not a destination, it's one day at a time, sometimes one moment at a time. you can do this, with support. find some NA meetings in your area, it will help so much. best of luck. God Bless, christina

[xru11]

I have heard some people suggest that Xanax gives some people a sense of energy or focus.  Perhaps that might be the case with you.  In any event be careful with the Xanax; there are lots of people on here that had a really tough time with benzos.  I would hate to see you kick opiates only to develop an addiction for Xanax.  During a withdrawal and recovery period from opiates most people report high levels of anxiety and bouts of depression and lethargy, a malaise of sorts that comes and goes over a period of months after quitting.  The energy you report having is a bit puzzling to me.  You have the right idea though!  Exercise can really help expedite the recovery process and elevate your mood.  I am on day 139 of quitting subutex (which I took for almost a year to get off of vicodin and lortabs.  I still get depressed too.  Most of the anxiety is gone but I still struggle with feeling down and unmotivated.  Fresh air and exercise help though and healthy eating can't hurt.

Good Luck to you and keep it up (minus the Xanax).

[carr]

Hi, I am 165 days into recovery from opiate addiction and a few others. I can only speak for me, but I still get depressed. Mood swings are normal as your body is adjusting to the lack of opiates. Read up on PAWS..post accute withdrawal syndrome. This will tell you more of why you are feeling this way. You can find the information in the Health Pages on this site. Good luck and dont give in no matter what. Life is good, clean.

Carrie

[HadtoSTOP]

Also want to add that unlike a lot of the other people in the forum, i have A LOT of energy. I feel almost cracked out from all of the new found energy i have been experiencing, is this normal? I have been putting it to good use and working out, figuring i can maybe sweat out some of the left over toxins in my body from the pills. Has anyone else felt the same?