Help with lack of energy for liscamdave, Please!

Hey all,
I wanted to start a separate post about lack of energy during w/d for a new member, liscamdave...she is, it sounds like, a single mom, having to work, and off of oxycontin for two weeks now. She is having a terrible time with NO ENERGY, and I was wondering if you guys would mind posting about how long your lack of energy lasted during and after withdrawals, how you handled it, what your day to day life was like until your energy came back, etc. Would you guys mind sharing?
As for me, I am a VERY ADHD person in general...the lack of energy ( I'll start calling it loe) lasted about two weeks I think...and every day got much better, but it was about a month before I was up and making dinners, cleaning the way I used to, etc. The first few weeks, I couldn't even do a load of laundry, and I'm not joking. I had to FORCE myself to do it...I think on day 5, I felt much better than the first few days, but I really did have to force myself. There were some days during that first month where my energy would come and go...One day I'd wake up feeling great, the next I felt like I couldn't even shower ( and many days, I didn't...and this coming from a person who never could, and can't now, leave the house without being showered, hair straightened, makeup, etc). I am embarrassed and ashamed to say that for the first few weeks, I think, my husband had to do everything from bathing, feeding, brushing teeth, and reading stories for my two year old. I had not enough energy to do so. It was horrible. Thank God, and I really mean THANK GOD, that I am a stay at home mom and didnt have to work. Son goes to preschool part time, so that was a huge help, too. I seriously don't know how you single mom's/dad's do it, esp having to get up and go to work. You are stronger people than I am, and that is how and why you are accomplishing the horrible task of getting off drugs!!!
Sorry for the long post...feel free to ask questions!

[Yoda99]

Hi dear, your story sounds very much like mine.  Because of a bad car accident I was in almost three years ago, I was taking Oxycontin ER 80 mgs.  My prescribed dosage was six 80 mg tabs a day.  But I ended up abusing them and got to where I would go through the 180 in two weeks.  The last time that happened, I just decided to stay off of them.  I have been clean for over three months now.  It was hard but you can do it too.  You should be through most of the physical symptoms now except for lack of sleep and no energy.  I regained a good bit of energy in the 2nd month but I'm still not sleeping well.  One of the things that helped me get my energy back was eating 5 or 6 times a day (small meals or nutritious snacks).  Also I would drink Slimfast, not to lose weight, but because it had vitamins in it already and appealed to me because it took a long time for my appetite to come back.  I sound like a Slimfast rep. but the Optima Chocolate Royale, really, really cold and over ice would give me a boost.  Also if you work out a little exercise program, it will actually give you energy.  I know you probably don't feel like exercising, but even if you do a little walking or a little workout every morning, it will actually give you energy.  Just don't do it close to bedtime because it will keep you awake.  If I can be of help to you, feel free to ask me anything, ok?  I wish you the best.
Good luck,
Yoda
PS - I also did not want to share my addiction problems with my family or friends.  None of them knew.  So this forum was my source of support, and I will always be grateful for that and hope to repay the encouragement and support that was given to me.

[emilyanne]

Yoda,
I Didn't know you were three months clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like I said in my post above, I am major ADHD, lol, and I have trouble keeping up with everyone's current state, but holy cow, CONGRATS!!!!
I also had a hard time with appetite until my, maybe, 6th week, I forgot to mention that!! This sounds ridiculous, but I actually drank my son's PediaSure, which was disgusting, but it has so many vitamins and gave me more energy. The lack of meals and nutrition is a MAJOR factor in energy or lack of it, and I cannot believe I forgot to mention that. Thank you so much for bringing that up...that has alot to do with it...that's why anorexics are so frail and have no energy, I think...no nutrition, and your body does not have ANYTHING to produce into energy!!! Awsome point!
Thanks so much for responding, and oh my gosh, CONGRATS on your 3 months!! I can't believe I didn't realize that! I am going on 6 months, and I am so happy...I have the energy now to make dinners, keep house clean, keep food in house, play with and put son to bed, etc. At the beginning, the pills gave me that "super mom" energy, but towards the end, I didn't do sh*t...the pills only made me depressed. ( Not that I'm super mom now, guys...believe me, I have my days, especially being in the middle of terrible twos, lol) but I am sure as hell a much better mom OFF the pills than on them, even when they were giving me "motivation and energy", because now I don't crash when coming down from them...my energy stays pretty consistent throughout the day, although I have to admit by 7 or 7:30, I'm exhausted...

[Yoda99]

Congratulations to you also!  And you made a good point too.  In the beginning the pills did seem to make us more energetic, like the bionic woman we could get so much done.  But as time passed, that effect faded and the opposite happened.  I am so embarrassed to say but I got to the point, I just wanted to take my pills, watch tv in bed, and let the world pass me by.  I even passed on invitations from family and friends because I preferred the company of my little oxys more than anything.  When I finally quit and came out of my haze, I could not believe all that I had let go.  I was totally astonished at the normal day to day things I had either stopped doing or I was half-***ed doing.  Thanks for the good post and thanks for trying to help liscamdave.  
Yoda

[fishmeal]

Hi, Yogi,

I just wanted to ask you how you now feel after 3 months????? Are you feeling completely healthy and normal?

[Yoda99]

No, I don't feel 100% yet but I think I'm getting there.  It's so much better than it was though, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  
How are you doing?
Love,
Yogi (I'm going to get that Lizzie for naming me Yogi...)

[liscamdave]

Thank you so very much for helping me out. I will take any advice I can get at this point. I truly have no one to talk to and this is my only means for support, and so far..it has helped me tremendously. The lack of energy I feel is almost unbearable. I dont know what else to do to wake up. I can't sleep, then wake up and feel horrible. I admit am throught the worst of it, and I can handle it, but I just can't get anything done..How long is it gonna last...lol....But thank you and congrats on being 3 mos clean, I know how proud u are....

Thank you./....

[liscamdave]

Thank u so very much for posting that. I truly dont have any sort of help and have absolutely no energy at all. I can't take it. I am so backed up in wash, dishes, cleaning..  I barely have the strenght to bathe my daughter. It is the worst feeling in the world. Then at night, I can't sleep. This is all just so unbearable. But, anyway, I hope it subsides...THank u so much...I really appreciate you trying to help me....

xo

[Yoda99]

Honey, it will get better.  I promise.  But in the meantime, just do what you absolutely have to do.  Don't even worry about chores like dishes, etc.  Like my mom used to say "it'll be there when you're dead".  So don't stress over it.  Just do what you have to do to get by.  Are you eating (grazing) throughout the day like I suggested?  My email is ***@**** if you ever want to email me, ok?  Take care,
Yoda

[liscamdave]

Well, I am trying, but the appetite isnt there. My Dr. is super good, he gives you meds for your appetite, but they too make me weak. I feel like I just need to make it through one night, WITHOUT any meds at all. But then I know I will be up with RLS..and I can't take it...I want to knaw my arms off. But it has subsided substatially as the nights go on. Anyway, thank you so much for the help and support. I literally have no one to talk to and it is so hard. No one in my life knows of my addiction. I am the classic Closet Addict...I can't bring myslef to tell anyone about it. When I husband died, I got like almost $80,000.00 in death benefits, ALL GONE!!!!!!!! SPent it all on Oxy's...What a waste.....

Thanks again!!!

Good Luck