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Thomas
I am on here now to say that you have all helped and especially if it is you thomas03 that discovered the Thomas Receipe, you are my hero. It has helped tremendously, I know because I didn't have it 5 years ago when I detoxed before. I am not 100% yet and look forward to that time but I would have to say I am about 75% and that's alot better than a year ago when I felt as though my whole life depended on when I can get my next refill and how (consumed more than the prescribed amount and pharmacies and doctor started catching on). Never knew you could get them on the street and it's definately a good thing.
Don't get me wrong, if someone offered me one I would definately have to think and struggle but I beleive the last 2 weeks will have an impact of whether I really do it or not. ONE DAY AT A TIME!!!
Hugs and welcome!
all there is to say,you will be feeling better soon,
keep posting.
2 weeks more than great its wonderful.
i will keep you in my prayers, keep up the good work.
peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hippy
This writing is helping already.....
I just need to write to vent. Im feeling really down right now and not wanting to be around. My arthritis hurts so bad all I have done is cry for hours. You guys are my only support. Everyone that is around me has always seen the strong side of me and doesnt understand all this like you do. All I can think about is running my car off the road. I know thats bad and selfish but I cant stand this anymore. You are always there for me and I just needed to talk. The depression just seems to get worse. I need help or someone who will just listen, cause my husband doesnt seem to. I feel like I talk to a wall when he's around. SOrry for my stupid sob story. I just know you guys always listen to me. I love you all.
Erika
I appreicate you being here for me?!
Erika
I know the depression thing, beleive me cause it hit me about 4 days ago. I come out of it in about 2-3 days and then things just turn around on me. What about you.
Are you still using or are you in detox mode? Have you been able to get any exercise? Also, are you using the recipe?
Think of all the great things in your life but most of all, try and think about something outside of you. Post some responses to the others here who are using and you will find some relief from the depression.
Pray that God will tell you why you ended up here, and finally, all evidence from everyone here suggests that each day gets a little better than the last...
God's Grace to you Erika. Hope you feel better soon.
Rex
As far as when you'll feel better you should be getting spurts of some uptime within a few days maybe even tommorow. Its a gradual thing and at about a month clean you'll just realize you feel better and are more motivated to do things. There will still be some down times especially first thing when you wake up, I hated that! I wanted a pill to get me going so I could get the kids ready, pretty soon though coffee was enough. I relapsed after 8 monthes clean from a rehab for a short period because I honestly believed my kids should have a happy mommy for just one night. I thought there was no way I would relapse after what everyone had done for me while I was in the hospital. I was full blown immedialtely but I crawel into a meeting 6 weeks later, cried my eyes out and someone referred me to an addictionologist who detoxed me and put me on an antidepressant Zoloft and wellbutrin)and Ritalin, yes I abused it some, of course, but I didn't need it like opiates. I don't know if thats really what helped but I haven't had that horrible defeated feeling since then. Bad moods, yes. Tears, yes. Ups and downs, yes, but not extreme like before when I'd get a rush of euphoria then a horrific fall into depths of pure agony sometimes to the point of thinking I wanted to die. I have become much more balanced, you know, the way we are supposed to "feel", sometimes good, sometimes bad, but, I have laughed so more since I've been clean than I ever did when I thought I was that supermom person. I love to laugh and my kids are hysterical (when they are not getting on my nerves)it feels really great to be normal again. So hang in there a little bit longer you will see life is so much better clean. I promise. How old are your kids anyway? I have to log off but I will post again later tonight. Remember to breathe deeply when craving hits it will pass in just a few minutes you'll see.
Erika
lifeisbetter - Spent the weekend in New Orleans with my daughters dance company, did not go to Bourbon Street once! Must be getting old! (did go to the casino)How have you been?
Erika-Ann, Vicqueennomore - Hang in there ladies, I've lived you life from the man's side and I'll admit y'all have it tougher dealing with the kids than we do. Keep posting, everyone here is thinking about you!
teeitup!
So, two weeks. That's huge! If you can, use that L-Tyrosine "bump" to get into some mild aerobic exercise. That will stimulate the release of endorphins and help you recover more quickly. That's a GOOD addiction to have!
Thomas
I will take your advice as well as beleive it or not my same dr that prescribe for so many years told me to do and that is exercise to release the endorphins a chemical that vics use to release. He called it simular to what they call a Runners High...
Thanks!!!
Elizabeth
Mom of two 7 & 12...BTW I told them I take meds for my back and I am coming off them for a while to see how I do without them and that coming off them is hard stuff..and I need extra help with patience... :)
throughout the post here today.
just wanted to wish everyone a good day.
it is really encouraging to see so much positive reality.
it really helps us all, we are all in this together.
we have so many ties that bind us together.
peace-------------hippy-------------michael
You people are amazing. I have been reading the posts here for a few months now, and I love how you support each other.
I had a few major ortho. surgeries over the last 16 months. Fortunately, they were a success and I can walk pain free again. Unfortunately, I will shortly have to detox from hydrocodone. I tried tapering a few times, but it has never worked. I would look at the time I still had to go through the taper and lose hope. I am going to go cold turkey in about two weeks. I will be out of drugs at that time.
I can totally relate to Erika and Vicqueen. I got sober from alcohol a little more than six years ago, when my first daughter was only a baby. AA nearly killed my marraige. The meetings, books, change of social life and change in my own personality all put a huge strain on my marraige. I slowly left AA and replaced it with more family and community functions. My wife hated AA and the whole process of getting sober. She has a hard time seeing addiction as a disease and treats it as a character flaw. I am very scared of going through the process again.
When I am on Hydro, I turn into Super Dad. I play Cinderella and Barbie, read Harry Potter etc... I also take over most of the chores with the kids (baths, playdates, homework help...) Basically, all my time at home is spend with the kids. It is a lot of fun, and I am scared of losing that. When I have tried to taper, I too got very moody. I would yell, scold and look forward to going to work so I could get away.
I (hope) am planning to post much more once I start my detox. Thank you all for your honesty and thoughfulness.
Kevin
I found when coming off Lortabs I would sneeze like crazy. Many of us fanatics believe we are expelling demons when we sneeze ,yawn and so forth. I'm praying for you. It gets better.I've been there and hope to stay this time.
B'Belt
I still have alot of things that I think I can't do like "normal people". The difference between the early part of recovery and the next stage where I'm at is that I just have a little more experience "dealing" with things without drugs. I also have become painfully aware of some of my faults. The good thing is I can work on them in my own time. I know my biggest problem is being selfish with my time. Sometimes I find it much more rewarding reading what you all have to say than it is doing the mom/wife thing. I guess it does go in spurts though. Other times, when I see one of my kids do something for the first time, grinning with pride while making sure mommys watching or when they score a goal in soccer, etc. it is those moments that make me feel like being a mom is the greatesst thing in the world.
They say when you quit using, you are emotionally the same age as you were when you started trying to escape your insecurities, troubled family, physical or emotional abuse etc. Doesn't necessarily mean drugs either. My first escape was music and books I could go in my room and forget that my brother just molested me again and got away with making me feel to ashamed to tell, we all have our own "baggage". The older I got the more I needed to do to distract me...from me. Now at 37, I'm probably around 20 emotionally. I still think of myself first but now I am at least aware of it and it really makes me uncomfortable. Of course addicts need to feel badly enough about something in order to change. So my point is don't be hard on yourselves. Growing up takes time. Fortunately its not nearly as long a road as it was when we were physically growing up. I figure I've aged 5 years in about 1, so I'm doing ok. I finally believe its ok not to be perfect and not everybody is going to like me. My husband got the brunt of my anger and my feelings were so up and down at the early stage of recovery I'm surprised he didn't just leave, I almost dared him to really. I should give him a break and appreciate the fact that he stuck around, I guess he really did support me after all, but I'm not ready to tell him that yet. I know he's not the one to blame for all my problems but it sure is easy to blame him anyway. I still don't know why that is. We have learned the words I'm sorry though. Thats progress right? I like getting up in the morning now and I love learning how to live. In all honesty guys, life is getting better and better. So don't give in to this depression your feeling right now, you would miss so much out of life. Keep going day by day, it is all so worth it and I wouldn't change anything because it got me here and I'm enjoying the journey finally. You all have been a great help.
Sorry I missed your calls last night. I was out to dinner with my beautiful fiance. We had a really good night...after I finally caved & took a pill. I figured, O.K. I'm seeing "trails" from the intense pain. I can't describe the pain I was in yesterday afternoon. I literally started shaking & sweating & couldn't handle it anymore. It's only been a few days since my surgery & as most of you know I had some more titanium screwed into my ankle. I REALLY tried to go all day without the meds but HAD to take one. Instantly felt better. I KNOW that the meds are used for a reason but I needed to make sure that I only took one when I ABSOLUTELY NEEDED ONE. So far this morning, I've taken another pill only after waking at 4:00 am on the verge of tears. Thank you Rex for checking in on me. To everyone out there; Rex has gone above & beyond to make sure I was doing O.K. We have been in pretty close phone contact & he's a GREAT guy. Deeanna, my fiance thanks you as well. I hurt pretty bad this morning but will manage. Also Rex, I found my Mom's cat...He's gone. I found him on the side of the road. My poor Mom is HEART BROKEN. Pray for her speedy recovery as I know you prayed for the return of her cat. It broke my heart to tell her I found him & he was gone. Had to have my cousin scoop his poor little body into a box & take him to the shelter to be creamated.
Anyways,
How are you doing this morning? How was that Disney movie? Pretty deep stuff huh?
FINISHED!!
I also beleive that our age stops at the time of when we tried to escape, I too escaped into my room hiding behind Cat Stevens and whoever else could sing a sad and depressing song that I could relate to. Molestation being the culprit also. I have to learn all over how to deal with things and not escape from them. It's hard to do when you are 40 years old but you stopped growing emotionally at 12.
Kevs...I am sorry for your suffering as some of us know first hand how unsupportive a partner can be when they look at us as having a flaw and not a disease. That was well said and so true for some of us. Keep posting &/or reading this does help, everyone here is great!!
Erika, how are you today???
Love, Erika
Feel better soon!!!
anyone member me? oxy, morphine, percs, vics, hell anything i could get for the past 7 yrs. strung out bad. thought the world was over. i'll never feel better again....ahhhhhhhh
well,.........47 days my good friends. feelin like i can whip the world. take it from me.....ya gots ta go to the depths of hell, suck it up, hurt like you never hurt before, then.......................SUNSHINE my good people. IT..............DOES........GET............GOODDD!!!!!
Good for you and keep up the good work, I will remember those like me when I am days ahead like you!!!!
I remember you.... 47 days....HOLY **** BUDDY...GREAT JOB!!!
The last I talked to you, the struggle over your supplier coming to town, and 600 percs was being played out.
So nice to hear from you again....fill us in.
How'd you finally kick??
tf
that was the post my friend........i owe you feller. thank you
tf
As for right now i am now ending my 15th day of freedom from hydros of any kind, using the Thomas Receipe during the day and about every other night a soma if I struggle to sleep.
Nose stuffed up, still sneezing, some anxiety from habit of using before I make a phone call or surf the net or start dinner or go to work or stop one thing and start another. It could only be done when I took a pill.
You are an inspiration, I can't wait for the freedom of cravings and these petty little w/d symtoms. I sound selfish because others are going thru it bad right now but sometimes my tolerence for dealing with them diminishes.....
ANGEL
this address is open to everbody here. just cause im clean, i aint leavin my pals. but helpin helps me. dont get me wrong folks, im still one of the worsed addicts here. i just aint takin the evil.
i'll "itch" the rest of my life..just caint scratch
tf
Anyone??? Anyone???
ya know, i tried the patch........it kept tearin my lips up when i took it off
then tried the gum........had trouble keepin it lit
little humor there people........uh, very little
little town next to the mexico border here in southern arizona
I will reserve to these forums for now and or emails but I really appreciate the number and I will put that in a handy location just in case.....
I really liked hearing it gets better....
some day I may be a medical experiment for the gum or the first lawsuit...heehee
Everyone sues these days don't they????
hey....the lawsuite sounds good. we'll go in tellin them your addicted, and i'll show em my torn up lips. we'll make a million.
dam, buy alot a dope with that, huh??? NOT!!!!
hang tuff my friend, you got 15 days? your truely a queen for that. its time to talk to your brain. its fooled into not producing the natural opiates. remind it to get in gear, your not doin its work no more. back in the day, i wuldda told anyone there full a **** and boilin over if they told me i would feel normal again without the"evil" today...im tellin other folks that very thing.
hell....look at kieth richards//living proof, drugs dont kill haha
God be with you---
tf
Anyway, thanks for your insight and humor, I needed it!!!
Keep supporting us newbies and people like you will be heros for those like me who can then become heros for others and so and so and so....
Right now your scared. Its ok partner, we all are at this point. Its the nature of the beast. Remember Tammy, this is a cowardly beast. It feeds off your weakness. I decided a while back that this beast would not rule my life no longer. I was so tired of it. There was a time when I thought the only way to rid the evil was to blow it out of my head with the only two friends i thought i had left......Smith & Wesson. Then i figured, this is exactly what the beast wanted. I was bucklin down to the devil. the devil would dream of me all day, i would dream of him all nite. However, in my dream, i never made that "deal" This is where i won. It hit me like a ton a concrete. Its simple, just say no to the evil. the devil kept messin with me, makin me hurt. this made me madder and madder. the madder i got, the easier it was to shout at the beast. "in jesus name, be gone from me you lo-life no good, rotton s.o.b", i would chant over and over. eventually, the evil was gone ---------
tf
FINISHED!!
I can tell you that most painkillers are supposed to be used for short duration (2-4 weeks tops).
Is that where you are?
Rex
Two questions to ask:
1) Do I have an addicitive personality?
2) Am I taking medications as prescribed and for real pain
If the answers are NO and Yes, then you are using the meds for what they are intended for, right?
You may want to get a second opinion on your phys problems.
Just becareful with the vicodin - very powerful and can turn you into a slave!
Will pray for you..
Rex
I will kep watching this forum what a great way for folks to help each other and its good to talk for sure lets folks they are not in this alone you all have a good thing going here and again Thanks Rex
FINISHED!!
Its a long haul back to normalcy.. if there is such a thing!
Peace!
Suzie
Thanks for letting me know about how long it stays Suzi....
Tammy
Hadn't slept in days, the trip to New Orleans for my daughters dance comp. last weekend toasted my body, to much driving and sitting. Still hanging a 2 ES's a day and a butt load of hot baths.
Everyone keep posting, venting whatever just don't give up. Being mad, sad or whatever is better than being numb! Good to see your post Thomas03.
teeitup!
My use was always fairly mild, with the most recent doc only giving me 12 7.5 Lortabs a month. Only after reading about withdrawals did I realize I don't have irritable bowel syndrome...I was going through w/d every month!!
Long story short-I had major ortho surgery done 8 weeks ago-brachial plexus neurolysis. MAJOR deal. I am on norco 10/325 12/day, neurontin, dilantin, and Celexa. Whenever I talk with my dr about how I feel I am taking to much meds, he just says that we will deal with the addiction later, that my nerves are learning to be an arm again and as they learn new pathways, I'm not supposed to be in any pain, or the nerves will learn pain pathways.
Sounds like an addicts dream, right?
So now I think, great, and then I have detox to look forward to SOMEDAY after this plethora of drugs just for the asking and I still have to eventually have the same procedure done on the other shoulder!!
This forum has already helped me so much. I see people who are in recovery, people not ready to detox yet, people that are on their 6th or 8th or 18th try at quitting. And we all speak the same language. Wow and thank you all.
I am thankful that my daughter is a senior this year so that when I detox, she will be away at college. I have told her all of what I have learned here. Told her I was addicted to my pills and what I read about what to expect when I go off them, what my doc said about the pain, etc. Thank God I can be honest with her. I told my husband that I was addicted last night and he said that we will do this together. I'm very lucky to have a supportive family.
Question: since it will very likely be a year until I recover from this surgery, then still have to have the other shoulder done, would it be a good or a bad idea to join NA (or sounds like AA) now, or wait until I am clean?
Thanks for listening to me ramble! Connie
teeitup!
Erika_Ann - sent you an email the other day, how are you?
teeitup!
I am 38 in April and have just the one child, live in Washington State. I am very surprised to hear about some of the aspects of this addiction, like the legal part of it. I mean, I kind of knew that I didn't want to go to the same pharmacy for different drs scripts, but I didn't really understand how the drugs were controlled until reading about it here.
I have gotten my wisdom teeth pulled one at a time to get more drugs. I had my ingrown toes done to get drugs. I've "fallen and sprained my back" before. But I told myself it was to ease my shoulder pain. Thank you everyone for posting and helping me admit to myself the truth. I already feel like I have found a family here. Thank you.
I was a bank teller here in Tri-Cities. But finally my left thumb wouldn't even "fire." I couldn't get it to move. Makes it hard to count cash and add up checks. People with discs herniated or slipped have drop foot, I had drop thumb!
I have an absolutely lovely scar from my neck down to my armpit. While they were in there scraping nerves, they also removed two of my neck muscles and a part of my first rib to relieve compression of the thoracic bundle of nerves.
I've noticed that the majority of the folks here started out with injuries of some sort. Is it that the docs are just beginning to realize how addictive pain meds are or is it that patients are just beginning to feel like they can talk about it? I also have the sense that a lot of the same docs that happily doled out the dope are abandoning their patients the minute they mention addiction. How do we help change THAT?
Connie
FINISHED!!
FINISHED!!
My husband and I had a wonderful night; we went on a date! Out to dinner just us. It was wonderful. I am so lucky to have his support and the support of my daughter. I don't know what I would be going through if I felt like I had to hide this. I just feel very lucky to have found all of you and to realize that while, yes, I have legitimate pain, my body and mind are ADDICTED!! I would never have realized/admited that I am an addict if it weren't for all of you on this forum. I truly believe that you have saved my life by being honest and having a place to be honest. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
I know I have a long road ahead with at the very least another 2 years of taking drugs ahead of me before I can even consider detox. Thank all of you in advance for being my teachers, mentors. I have something to learn from each and every one of you, even those of you who think you are failures or relapsed or needed or used (Kebby, YOU are my teacher, too) and Suzi and Tammy and Kent, and Erika and REx and Tom and Son4 and Elizabeth and Blessed2 andJ.D. andteeitup andB'Belt and hippee and Oxy and Linda and want2behappy and all of those I am yet to meet.
One thing I want all of you who started down this road and didn't have pain to know: Just because I am here because of pain, WE ARE NO DIFFERENT!!! We got here through different means, but we are still both HERE. The only thing different is I will always have to find a way to deal with the pain, I just have to somehow become more creative, that's all. We both love that damn poppy plant. It knows our name. It knows where we live and how to find us. Heck, I feel guilty for having a stash when I wish I could somehow help Elizabeth!! But that wouldn't be helping her. You CAN make it until Tuesday, Sweetie! I believe in you!
Take care everyone, and thank you for being there for me. Everyone of you are so awe inspiring.
Connie
I am so proud of you, JEW, day 15. WOW!! I have been reading about how bad it can be for the first few days. The desparation. You were turned away from a clinic, correct? Or was is pharmacy wouldn't refill? So you had no stash? How horrible. Look how strong you are!! You are AWESOME! I don't know what will happen when the time comes for me. I mean, I know I don't "have" to any time soon and will have a steady supply and I'm STILL hoarding. How sick is that?
Today has been a good pain day. If I stay on top of the pain, take it as perscribed, I need less meds. If I take two in the morning, then next dose can be 1, then 2 then 1. I can cut out 4 pills that way and I don't feel so groggy. Sometimes I get stubborn and feel guilty about taking so much meds and try to wait out the pain. Then the cycle gets worse.
So what are you doing for your pain? Was it Uncle Arthur? The west side is so darned damp. I get so stoved up when we go to Seattle or Bellingham to stay with relatives/friends.
Anyone who wants to email, feel free. It helps to have distraction. My husband likes me to be distracted on days like today when I am feeling better and I try to do too much. :) Love Connie >^..^<
***@****
Thanks again,
melrose9126
Also emails are not able to be posted on this site..
Thanks,
melrose9126
so here it is. day 12 the runs are gone for the most part and i'm somewhat functional. but i don't feel normal by any means. what i'm wondering is how long til the all day headaches, chills and dry throat will subside? after being on the "good stuff" for so long, i can't find anything that will help! does anyone have any suggestions?
thank you. and i hope everyone can KEEP ON KEEPIN OFF!
Thanks
gave me a urine test and the test reported that i had no Lortabs in my system. I did miss a few day due to losing them so i dont know why the test came out like it did. can missing a few days and drinking over a gallon of water a day rinse out the Lortabs out of my; body
I would just like to answer the original question:
opiates and all their metabolites are normally out of the system within a few days, a week at most. Any traces being found are very low and would not normally be detected.
The reasons for the much longer withdrawal and the associated effects which can last weeks and months are two fold:
Your body adjusted its own production of "endogenous opioids" (meaning the heroin like chemicals it produces itself) while you were using in order to keep levels as close to normal as possible. This takes a while to reverse, which means that in the mean time you're left without your body's natural pain killer (or with very little of it).
The other thing the body does is turn up the processes meant to counteract this internal opioid system. Imagine two systems in the body, each balancing the other out. When you turned up the opioid one, the other system was turned up as well.
When the two effects above are combined, you're left with some serious pain, diarrhea, and everything else you've been feeling. The good news is that if you can keep them down, things like ibuprofen may help a little. Also, keep in mind that this is your body getting back to normal, think of the pain as the cost that will remind you in the future why you probably don't want to go back ;-)
Hope that helped,
adij
***** (Edited by MedHelp)
Glad I found this place, M
this is my first time here...it's wonderful to find people that feel my pain. I take 4 lortabs a day - more than that make me feel very sick. what worries me is that after a week in jail - the only thing I was looking forward was taking a pill - more than seeing my kids =( I currently stopped dring vodka - but i would drink only 2-3 drinks at nite. Am I making excusses or am I in trouble/denial? i'm very scared that if i become sober - i would find out that i'm making a mistake on divorcing my husband (who put me in jail for attacking him), but that's because my daughter told me he touched her privates about 5 yrs ago. it's very important to me to know if i'm making a mistake or i do have a valid action/excuse?
i'm extremely sad and lonely, because CPS decided to return my kids to my husband, because my daughter got scared and said that he never touched her =(((((
helpless
However, this is an old thread and you may not get many responses.
Copy your post and repost as a new qusetion. Go to the top of the page and hit the post a question button. Good luck..see you in the forum>
Disasterpeiced
You have to protect the kids at all costs otherwise they will end up all messed up. You can't wake your daughter up she has to do tht herself, but please save the kids!