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Increased Pain After Detox
I just completed a 10 day detox for opiates (norco, fentanyl) and am finding my pain levels have increased. I have nerve damage in my arms/hands due to an auto accident and two neck surgeries. However, the beds in detox were to bad that my spine took a serious beating. Now, besides my arms, my lower back & legs are also hurting! This is scaring the crap out of me because clearly I can take nothing for the pain. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. ♥
Best Answer
me to the site. My pain level was way up there also after getting clean. It takes time for the receptors in our brain to heal. When you first quit your pain gets worse. As each day passes the brain starts to heal and the receptors start to get back to normal. It takes time. I'm about 74 days clean and my pain is a lot less than it was when taking the pain pills. I know its hard to believe but it's true. It happened at around the 3rd week, give or take. I'm so sorry your in so much pain but hang in there it does get better. Try taking Advil. God Bless and comfort you
Hi and welcome,
It may take time for the pain to subside. You are 10 days in and while that is wonderful it is a short time in terms of detox. I would give it another week and then see how you feel. You should talk with your doctor about alternative pain treatments. There are non-narcotic medications that may help. Physical therapy, Aqua therapy, Acupuncture..etc.
Stick around and others can give you suggestions.
It may take time for the pain to subside. You are 10 days in and while that is wonderful it is a short time in terms of detox. I would give it another week and then see how you feel. You should talk with your doctor about alternative pain treatments. There are non-narcotic medications that may help. Physical therapy, Aqua therapy, Acupuncture..etc.
Stick around and others can give you suggestions.
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What you are experiencing is VERY normal when getting off opiates. It happens to most of us. The reason for increased pain "initially" is because when we were flooding our bodies/brains with opiates....the natural opiates we were designed to produce actually stop because we are artificially putting chemicals in there that mess with our pain/opiate receptors.
We can do some things to help the process of producing natural endorphins on our own again. Here's a great article that helped me:
http://www.ehow.com/way_5919457_natural-receptors-lost-opiate-addiction.html
You can take OTC pain meds which may help some, but honestly you have to just bite the bullet and do what you can to get them producing again. L-Tyrosine works for many people (which the article explains and tells you why). Exercise, music, certain foods.....the dreaded word "TIME"...
As far as your nerve damage some of it may heal....some of it may not. I was bedridden for almost 2 yrs before I could get the surgery I needed so badly and I have permanent nerve damage because of that. What I DO find helps me (and my back)...is doing stretches. It sounds too simple really, but it really helps! You can do them laying down, too. Since you are back home now on your own mattress, that should help in time, too. I was blessed by being able to get a really good mattress just before my surgery and even now, it helps A LOT. (water...LOTS of water helps, too)
You hang in there....keep posting....ask questions....share with us. We're here with ya the whole way~