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Well here it is copy and pasted for your reading and withdrawal pleasure...
Thomas Detox Recipe
PLEASE NOTE: I am not a doctor, simply a long-time Rx opiate junkie who has had many opportunities to develop a way to detox. This is a recipe for at-home self-detox from opiates based on my experience as well as that of many other addicts. It is not intended as professional medical advice. It is always wise to make sure none of the recipe ingredients or procedures conflict with medications you may be taking. Likewise, if you have any medical condition, disease, allergy or any other health issue, consult your doctor before using the recipe. Thanks, Thomas
This recipe is designed for cold turkey opiate detox. It assumes that you can get about 5 to 7 days away from your job or household responsibilities during which you can sleep, veg and act as miserable as you feel. Opiate WD mimics the symptoms of the common flu, so, if you need a smokescreen, hide behind a bad case of the flu.
If you can't take time off to detox, I recommend you follow a taper regimen using your drug of choice or suitable alternate -- the slower the taper, the better.
For the Recipe, You'll need:
1. Valium (or another benzodiazepine such as Klonopin, Librium, Ativan or Xanax). Of these, Valium and Klonopin are best suited for tapering since they come in tablet form. Librium is also an excellent detox benzo, but comes in capsules, making it hard to taper the dose. Ativan or Xanax should only be used if you can't get one of the others.
2. Imodium (immodium) (over the counter, any drug or grocery store).
3. L-Tyrosine (500 mg caps) from the health food store.
4. Strong wide-spectrum mineral supplement with at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper and Magnesium.
5. Vitamin B6 caps.
6. Access to hot baths or a Jacuzzi (or hot showers if that's all that's available).
How to use the recipe:
Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you're aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn't need the Valium after day 4 or 5.
During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.
Use the Imodium (immodium) aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don't take it, however, if you don't need it.
At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the "coffee jitters," consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help.
With breakfast, take the mineral supplement.
As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have any medical complications, first check with your doctor before detoxing to verify that this regimen is safe for you.
So, there it is in it's entirety. This is what got me to Day6. Hope it helps you as well.***@****. If you want more personal help, I'm here for you.
~Lisa
I am two weeks off the pain killers and I have to be honest, going cold turkey was the hardest thing I have ever done (especially having to work and be a mother throughout it all). However, the worst part of all of it was the not being able to sleep. I went 48 hours at one time without sleeping a wink!
Before you decide to quit taking the pills, make sure that it is a good time for you. You will need plenty of rest and lots of support. Yes, there will be horrible days, usually around day 2, but after about 3 full days of being "clean" you will feel a little bit better.
However, you do need to know that your body will need about 10-14 days to get back to feeling somewhat "normal". You will have little energy, with chills and aches, but the worst will be over.
You can do this! I can tell you that Ambien was great to help me sleep during the recovery. You may want to talk to your doctor to get some. At least this way you will be able to sleep away the worst days......I didn't get some until afterward and really wished I had them earlier.
If you really want this, you can do it. It will be difficult, but if you want it bad enough, you will do it. You may want to focus on something in your life that is giving you the "want" to change, and keep that in mind when you feel like you can't anymore. Loved ones are always worth bettering yourself!
:-)
You are exactly right - 2 days sucked, 3 days (today) much better. I did not do the ambien but have done the Thomas Recipe since yesterday and IT DOES help a lot!!!!
Today I'm feeling sad... I haven't been out of the house since Xmas Day...so I decided I was going to face the world as a drug free individual. Physically, I'm not feeling so bad and of course, being new to this withdrawal thing, I am analyzing every fiber of my being at every given moment. I'm digressing here....
I get in the car...very proud that I managed to look relatively OK..got my make up on, etc., and I'm going to meet my G/F and her hubby for dinner. Now this is my best friend...we have known eachother for 40 years....I GOT LOST GOING TO HER HOUSE...totally disoriented, I had to stop the car to figure out where I was and had to talk myself through how I had to get where I was going from where I was. GAWD... no one prepared me for this crapola. I actually drove 15 minutes out of my way going somewhere I normally go on an average of 2x's a week. That was 15 minutes before I realized I was going to where? I have no clue.
I have no appetite so I flipped my food around on my plate at the restaurant then asked for a box for the dog. Dinner was uneventful...but I just couldn't sit and relax I couldn't wait to get out of there.
I had to do food shopping so I managed to scuff my way through that as well...and I'm home and didn't hurt anyone. But how long does this last??
I just want to sleep... and I don't know how to do that either.
I will NEVER go through this again.... EVER!
Now of course, my G/F knows I stopped with the pills. She eats percs faster than I can count when she runs out of Rx..she buys them from HER FRIEND @ 7 bucks a pop....we are together so much and tonight for the first time I saw her.... I actually saw "me" in a whole other light. I am so afraid for her and I have no right to be judgemental ... I would actually go through this FOR HER if I could.
Sorry for the loooong post... I really need some help here.
XoXo
Gip
http://www.dpeg.org/treatment/methadone_withdrawal.htm
To answer your question... everyone is different but generally, it has been found that following opiate detox, there are two periods of protracted withdrawal. The first (or sub-acute withdrawal) lasts 2-8 weeks and people describe moderate to severe insomnia and fatigue, low energy, and other depressive symptoms. This is quite variable but is sometimes difficult for people to tolerate. Unfortunately medications have only a limited effect. However the symptoms always go away with time as the brain heals and restores itself to its natural state. This is where the aminos can greatly help. The second phase is very mild and is easily tolerated because by this stage the patients feel so much better than when they were using drugs.
I do not know of a quick fix... time takes time. The human body is an amazing thing and there is a concept called homeostasis (balance). The body will return to a balanced state and the brain/neurotransmitters will balance given sufficient time off of the methadone. But this all takes time... one approach to detox, minimizing PAWS, and faster balance is a Suboxone detox for 1-2 weeks and then amino acid therapy for 10 days with periodic boosters over the next year. This is not an inexpensive proposition but can help someone during early detox and recovery when relapse is more likely due to PAWS related conditions that persist and make using again seem like the only way to feel normal. I have been through Methadone withdrawal and recovery and it was hell... the depression sucked, I couldn't keep my legs still... I could not sleep and was miserable... I literally wanted to die and found myself thinking of plans to end it all... slowly, one day at a time, things got better and then one day I realized that I could see colors again... I could taste my food again... I could laugh... and all without any chemical assistance. I have a relationship with God today and I am grateful for his grace that lifted me out of the opiate addiction... but I needed help to make it during the early days of withdrawal or else I would have gotten loaded again and I could never have found a relationship with a God of my understanding while Methadone stood between me and that God... sorry for the long winded reply and I hope that I helped even a little... I will pray for strength for you tonight and please do not hesitate to ask for help from anyone... the hardest three words for people like us to say are "I NEED HELP"... Michael
So my question is, will suboxone get me through my workday, and will I then be dependent on it? I have a pretty physical/ fairly stressful job, so detoxing there scares the hell out of me. ... any ideas on this one?
Good luck,
Greatgreebo
I am on day for and yes I am taking time off work and feel sorry for my gf since she does not or ever has used opiates so she doesn't understand the withdrawl systems. I can relate with thinking of ways to end it all because either way it seems hopeless. Neverless I am staying strong and actually followed a similar recipe up at the top of the page for detoxing. Basically I am just venting but we will get through this. The body is amazing when it comes to bouncing back - so I have heard.
I don't have the runs anymore but feel out of it still. I have been going to the gym trying to exercise. I don't have any musclerelaxers like the other guy did but I am just dealing with it. I was taking sometimes 2 - 80mg Oxycontin a day along with high doses of percs for the last 4 years. So I know this has to be hard for everyone on here. Let me know how things are going for you and your husband - stay strong!!
I was addicted to hydrocone for 4 years. When i quit, my habit was up to 10mg a day. (that is 18- 5/500 pills a day).
I also have a back injury that caused excrusiating pain almost everyday.
1. First, I had to come up with a solution for the pain.
Move to a low-humidity state- humidity actually constricts things in our body that cause alot of the pain.Also a warmer climate- the cold, cold, weather stiffles you with arthritus like symtoms and pain
Lose the job that was too physically demanding
Find an exellent physical therapy program to my specific injury
2. After repeatedly trying to quit cold-turkey, I confronted my doctor who told me simply to wean down gradually till I was only taking 1 pill. This took 1 month to do.Having picked a specific date to finish. I would wait as long as possible to take any pills and then it was only enough to be able to withstand the withdrawl symptoms. (having to run to the bathroom was a good indicator to use) ha.Don't get me wrong, this was uncomfortable, but I could still funtion.
Quitting cold-turkey is quite a shock to your system and if you're not in exellent health, can be quite damaging and lengthly.
3.The last day I took a pill, I began bombarding my body with nutrients (mainly for the brain) and good wholesome foods, exersize. Only surrounded myself with upbeat, happy, enjoyable people. Music, movies, anything that could stimulate "happy, funny, endearing feelings". Always looking ahead to the bright future I was going to have.
My first week of no drugs was probably one of the best weeks of my life! Withdrawl was very mild and new self awareness stepped in. The biggest withdrawl was pain, which my body was probably making up to get me to take some more drugs, but that subsided after a few days.
That was Dec. 3, 2007. Today I have the most awesome life!
I wish you much success and happiness!
I tried to get off of the Subs and the withdrawl was worse than the pain pills.
So we did some research online and found some horrible stories about the medication. People were being told that they would need to detox in the hospital or get back on pain pills. My Doctor never told me that the detox would be worse than if I had just stayed on the pills and slowly taper myself.
I would not recommend Subutex or Suboxone to anyone. Yes, you do not go through withdrawl but when you want to get off of them you cant!!!
I am going to my 1st NA meeting tomorrow and will need counseling to find out why I just don't want to live being sober.
I just really needed to get this off my chest and talk to people that are in the same situation.
Thanks for all your comments and advice.
In any event, good luck bro. Kicking *****. I am an addict, I abused opioids for years (from heroin to pharms), and it is nasty to kick, although I have done so several times now. There is no magic bullet and the thing that I always found hardest was not the kicking, but the staying clean bit, as I often sank into depression for a long period of time following the kick. Good luck! Peace bro.
I had to put myself on 2 weeks of shorter acting opiate 10mg 30 pills of percs and 10 days in detox center (they wouldnt take me unless I did that),
iv been home now 5 days and am in HELL will this stuff NEVER leave my system I want iv been off sub more then a month and been tapering for 15 days now total from vics down to 1 lil pill cant walk sleep all day vomit, i was supposed to be married 2 days ago and had to fake a flu, Iv decided to stick this out no matter what but im saying this is the worse HELL iv ever been through PLEASE do your research before you get on sub, I wanted to end my habit a year ago and so here I still sit looking on the web to feel better, the worse part is i had 700 dolars worth of subs at my house jsut in case I needed them again and my biz partner made me throw them OUT thank god too becasue I definitily would have taken them yesterday. (thinking Id figure out a differnt way) well guess what THERE is no other way.