Life after Oxycontin!

[gene10]

Thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes on my trip to detox from Oxycontin abuse. I spent 6 days in-patient at a nice detox facility up in the woods.  They used methadone to detox me & prevent the withdrawal from the Oxy.  It worked very well & I was tapered from the methadone over the 6 days & am now off of everything!

Being at a detox center with many other addicts was a true eye opening experience!  I was with herion addicts, coke abusers, & alcoholics.  I was amazed that every heroin addict I talked to had heard of Oxycontin & knew to snort it for the full effect.  But they all progressed to shooting heroin eventually.  I met people who spent many periods of time in jail, lost their jobs, families, homes, etc.  I went to lots of AA meetings & lectures & saw films about addiction. And I realized that I am no different than any other addict up there, just luckier to have not lost my job of family.  I met a guy who spent $100,000.00 in the past year on drugs.  But everyone there wanted to stay sober & we all worked together to do that.  They told me that only 1 in 40 patients there will stay sober & that's a depressing thought but I am that one person!  Most of the people there have been to numerous detoxes before but this was my first & last.  (I hope & pray)

So if you are addicted to painkillers, there is a way out.  Call your doctor or insurance company or look in the phone book for detox centers (they are everywhere) & ask for help.
I find that I get a lot of help just reading the posts on this website.  It is therapy for me & I also put my own posts here & have gotten tremendous support from others - doctors & addicts.

I will be checking this website regularly so please write to me.

[Joanne]

CONGRADS....YOU DID IT AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM YOU ....I AGREE ..I READ THIS FORUM ALOT TO MAINTAIN MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PAIN I GAVE UP..I MUST BE REMINDED OF WHAT I WAS SAVED FROM ...JUST LIKE YOU ..
GOOD JOB..KEEP US UPDATED

[Sherriq]

Congratulations Gene!

I've been reading your posts and following your story and I'm so glad you got through it okay.  Now for the hard part - staying off the stuff.  Rehab was an eye-opener for me, too.  One of the hardest things for me to accept was that I was just like everyone else there.  I never saw the pills as "drugs" - to me, they were "medicine from the doctor."  It took me - and my family - a very long time to realize and accept the difference.  

Like I said in another post on this forum - I get more from this board than I do/did sitting in a meeting.  And it really does help to be able to encourage others and help them along their path to "real life" again.  Please keep posting and let us know how you're doing.  We're here and we care.

Good luck, and again - way to go!

[Gene to Joanne]

Thanks guys for your wonderful heartful messages.  I am proud to be off Oxycontin now but I realize that what I read in other posts is true.  I feel pretty lousy without my drug of choice & I know that I have to be patient & I will feel better as time goes by.  This morning was the first time here at home when I didn't have to go to my workshop at 5:00AM to snort some Oxy so I could get rid of the withdrawal & go back to sleep.  That felt great!
Reading this website helps me a lot & going to AA meetings will also help me focus on what I am trying to do.  I don't want to be one of those people who end up back at detox again.  I don't think my wife would be so supportive next time.  She's still pissed at me for hiding my habit from her all this time as well as spending house money on drugs.

So keep writing & I will keep reading!

[Mick]

gene congrats!!big question, how did you go about finding this place. are yu sleeping at night again. good luck.

[Gene to Joanne]

I actually called my insurance company to see who they covered & took that list & called those places to see how they detoxed you.  I also called a few recovering friends to see what they knew about these places. The consensus was to use a place that was a nice country facility where you are not in a hospital & have some freedom to move around the grounds & they use Methadone to detox you.  It definitely worked.  And I'm off of methadone now too so that's important to consider since you don't want to go on methadone maintenance if you can avoid it!

I slept OK up there even with the awful beds they had but last night, my first night home, I slept very little.  I think that all of the stress that my wife unloaded onto me really took its toll.  I hope to sleep better tonight.  The Dr gave me Trazedone to use for sleeping & I have been using it with some success.

[Bill to Gene]

Gene,
When they gave you the methadone to detox, did you feel any discomfort at all from withdrawing from the oxy? You mention you do not feel that great now? Is it depression? Do you feel any axiety as that is what happens to me if I miss a dose of oxy? ALso, why do you need a sleeping pill to sleep if you have gone through the detox process?
Your input on my questions will help me decide if I should try and detox. Thanks and we are all proud of you for your courage do to this.

[Ted]

Can Ultram be taken while oxycontin still in system? Anyone have an answer?Please let me know. Can't get my oxy script for few days.

[Gene to Joanne]

The methadone took care of the withdrawal quite well I must say!
The detox is only the beginning of getting the opiates out of your body.  I'm sure that what I'm feeling now is the post detox depression that I have heard about.  I am so tired that I can hardly function.  I barely made it to work today.  I feel like an old man when I walk or climb stairs.  I have bouts of anxiety & jumping out of my skin feelings. I am definitely depressed.  I am on 10mg of Paxil & I need to increase that dosage.  I guess sleeping is hard due to the withdrawal too.  Believe it or not, I am also going through withdrawal from methadone even though I was on it for only 6 days & it was tapered down slowly over the 6 days.  The only cure for the way I feel is to take more Oxycontin & that is not an option for me.  

There is no easy painless way to stop taking opiates especially when I was taking so much every day.  (160-320mg of Oxy)
I will just have to grin & bear it for a while.  Hopefully I will see some improvement over the next week or so.

[Brian to Sick and Scared § ALL you guys]

First of all, congratulations!  You are starting on the sometimes difficult but always rewarding road of recovery.  Please don't get complacent once the post-acute withdrawal is over.  A cautionary note about Paxil--read the postings below regarding its potential for withdrawal.  I personally think there are many other antidepressants with much lesser side effects than Paxil that have the same result.  Beware.

[Bob K]

Gene congratulations I wanted to tell you that I also have that very tired feeling. It will be two weeks for me tomorrow without oxy. I wonder if there is an antidepressant that makes you feel energetic. I thought I was ok but this is going to be quite an adjustment. For some crazy reason it makes me feel better when I post on this forum. Good luck we will get our energy back Bob k

[tom to Gene et al]

So it's your first and last rehab. You certainly have my best wishes that it turns out to be just that. Allow me to add a gentle caveat: Virtually everyone says and means that during or after their first rehab. There's nothing wrong or unusual about believing that. But, Gene, understand that recovery is now commonly recognized as a series of recoveries and relapses. This doesn't mean your recovery will go that way. But the danger in placing too much emphasis on 'the first is my last" is that, if you should relapse, you may feel so defeated and disillusioned that you fall even farther than you did before your first rehab. This is quite common. As much as we don't want to see ourselves as a statistic, we inevitably are just that. I said the same thing as you and meant it. I believed that I was different than the 39 who were coming back. But I wasn't. When I relapsed after that first rehab I fell into a despair of drugs and more drugs. I believed I had thrown away my one chance and set out to prove how hopeless I really was. I was lucky to live through it. But I was wrong on both counts: I wasn't the exception to the rule and I didn't have just one chance to recover. If you do relapse, Gene, don't think of yourself as a failure. Don't punish yourself by ingesting more drugs than before. Think instead, "I recovered once and I can do it again and again for as long as it takes. I am a decent man worth saving and my life is worth living, even if I fall again and again and again." It is enough that you go longer before each relapse. That in itself is a tremendous victory. Good luck to you and everyone battling addiction.

[Bonnie]

Gene,congratulations on your successful rehab.I am presently taking oxycontin and wish very strongly to stop it,but up until now I have'nt had the courage.I am planning on going to detox next week.Good luck and thanks for the encouragement you have given me.Keep up the good work!

[Gene to Joanne]

Thanks to both of you for the nice words & the good advice about relapsing.  My sponsor has told me that I can't & shouldn't say that I am finished with Oxycontin because relapsing is very easy.
And if I do relapse, then I will have a harder time getting straight again due to pride & shame issues.
I went to my first post detox AA meeting last night with my sponsor & it was a great meeting.  After the meeting, about ten people came up to me & welcomed me to the group & gave me cards with their home numbers & names & told me to call any time of day or night if I needed to talk.  I was overwhelmed by their genuine concern for me.  I know that going to meetings is very important for me especially for the next 90 days & I am going to one tomorrow.  (actually today since it's 2:00 AM)

I am having a terrible time with debilitating fatigue & the inability to go to sleep at my normal bedtime.  I get the "eebie jeebies" where I can't relax & I have that jumping out of my skin feeling.  The doctor prescribed Neurontin for that but it hasn't worked so far.
Does anyone know how long these side effects last?
I know that I could feel a hundred times better if I did Oxycontin again but I keep telling myself that that is not an option for me.  I can never touch that drug again as long as I live.

I really do believe that I won't relapse but I have to follow my sponsor's advice if I want to keep that promise to myself.

[tom to Gene]

Force yourself to exercise aerobically, i.e., vigorous walking, mild jogging (even 15 min will help) or lap swimming or anything that gets a large portion of your body in continuous motion 15-20 mins or beyond with sustained high-rate breathing (slow down if you get a headache, though). Emphasis on continuous and sustained (it's not aerobic if you stop and start, such as with tennis or handball). You're so used to manipulating your physical and mental state with drugs that you probably can't imagine that this will help, but it will save your life. Besides, there is a natural high at the conclusion of aerobic exercise that will appeal to your addict mind (think about the high from the start to motivate the addict in you -- it works!). Also (very important): frequent hot baths or jacuzzi's, especially before bedtime (or during the night). The hot baths go a long way toward relieving that incredible body ache and fatigue you're feeling right now (I know, it's horrible). If you can, eat like a pig. But, Gene, the thing that's really killing you now is that you're smack-dab right back in the very environment where you're used to being on Oxy. Everything you see, hear or feel is screaming at you to use Oxy. If you can, get out of there! Go somewhere where you've never been high. And stay away from anyone you're used to being high around. The very site of them will make you want to use. I know this isn't always possible or practicle (such as with your immediate family), but get as close to this as you can. Meetings, obviously, are the safest place for you to be right now. Good luck!

[Gene to Joanne]

Wow Tom, that is a lot of great advice!  I wish someone had told me these things a few days ago.  I am printing out your message & will try my best to follow your advice.  It's my only hope of surviving what my body is going through.
I am avoiding all of my friends who still get high for now & went to my 2nd AA meeting tonight.  I even raised my hand & talked a bit & got some great advice from a long time sober addict.
I know that things will get better over time.  Unfortunately, my family & job demands are very strong right now & I can't take off any more time from work right now.  I think a week off with my exercising at my gym & just taking care of myself would be a great help to me but I am out of vacation & sick time & can't afford to take time without pay.

So I will keep reading this website & posting messages as well as talking to my sponsor & go to as many meetings as possible.  They really do help!
Thanks again Tom!

[Brian to Sick and Scared § ALL you guys]

The fatigue you feel is common and will only go away with time.  I tend to prescribe enervating antidepressants (such as Prozac) but they don't often do much (although I think they have some placebo effect).  Tom's advice is excellent--try his suggestions and they will help.  And remember, time does heal all wounds.  I know it seems like you will never feel better, but you will.  We've all been there more times than we care to consider.  I've been there from both sides of the fence (addicted and helping to treat addicts).  I wish you the best.  Brian

[Kimberly]

I am also detoxing off Norco (Vicodin 10mg).  It sucks bad, I did not have the option to taper just stop.  I feel very depressed, like life is way too overwealming, and their is no JOY in life.  Like Gene said I know I can put an end to my suffering but it will put me back into the drugseeking stress and I can't handle that either.  I told my doctor (rehab doc) that I was feeling like this.  I take 30mg's of Paxil and he added Wellbutrin.  The wellbutrin helps immediately, at least for me.  It makes me feel a little disconnected but that anxiety in my stomach that I can't live with is decreased by 65% at least after the first pill.  He said the difference with Wellbutrin is it puts chemicals into your brain unlike the ssri's (prozak, paxil, zoloft) that slowly urge you brain to produce itself.  I would also like to know how long this will last?  How long can I expect to feel like this.
Kimberly

[Bob K]

Kimberly I stopped taking oxycontin 17 days ago. I started feeling a lot better about the fourteenth day. I didnt get any antidepressants but I was lucky enough to have been detoxed with buprenorphine. For the first two weeks I felt sad and sore. I must say that I am glad I didnt do anything that would change my course. Today I am feeling much much more like my self. I was afraid that i would not get better because I am 50 years old. I started jogging at dawn yesterday and I think that has helped quite a bit, I wish you well Kimberly P.S.  I was addicted to pain killers for about 10 years. Bob K

[Gene to Joanne]

14 days to feel better?  I can deal with that!  Congratulations Bob on your new found sobriety!  I still can't fall asleep at night due to the muscle spasms or eebie jeebies as I call them.  This is really killing me especially being back at work & covering for my partner who is on vacation for 2 weeks.
Did you have anything like this? This Thursday is 2 weeks for me but I don;t ecpect to see any improvement by then.
I also remember why & how I got into painkillers in the first place;  chronic pain which I had been suffering from before I started taking narcotics. Now that I'm clean, I am really feeling my age & I'm starting to think about how bad my job may be for me physically.  I hope that as I adjust to my new lifestyle, my pain will decrease.  Chronic pain would surely send me back to Oxy, even if I don't wan't to get high with it.

[Bob K]

Gene you can expect to see improvement. I started taking oxy for bad pain also. But in hind sight I was trying to kill my pain with an elephant gun. I always did what I wanted. When my doctor said no more oxy I made a phone call. I really thought I was doing the right thing. I bought someone elses medicine for 9 or 10 months. THE more I started to need it the more expensive it got. I was being used because I put my self in the care of a drug dealer. I did get the hebe gebies as I called them. They stoped on about the 14th day or so. Once in a while I take one of my wifes small xanax to help with the sleeping problem. If that dosent work I restring a guitar or play a little or do something that needs to be done while IM awake. The person who sold me the oxy all of a sudden dosent want to see me in pain. screw that my life is hard enough and im not giving this person any more of my money. You will be fine very soon. I have mentioned that previous to the oxy I had a ten year thing with darvocet about 6 a day. That never caused me any problems I keep telling myself. Im glad that I now realize that anything like that at all would be like changing seats on the Titanic. Bob K

[Kimberly to Bob K]

Thanks for your advice, I have taken a few pills over the past 10 days, about 15 Vicodin, I hope it doesn't ruin what I am trying to do.  I picks me up to hear realisticly I will begin to feel better after 2 weeks.  I feel like dying right now, the anxiety in my stomach is the worse, Wellbutrin was working for the first two days but today not so good.  I wish you all the best. Kimberly

[Bob K]

Kimberly Im feeling better about living without oxy but I have to be realistic. I was taking pain meds for a long time and my healing process is just beginning. When I walk across the room its a whole new ballgame for me. Im going to see my doctor for a well needed physical. I hope the bad feelings you are having go away soon. When I think about my life I realize that the nineteen 60s 70s 80s and 90s were all very active drug years for me. One type or another I always kept up with the times. It feels like Im dying also at times and may very well be. Tonight I feel better than I ever did during my whole oxy addiction. I know its going to take a lot to maintain this new high. Good luck Bob K

[From Aunt Lindy to Mariah]

I was wondering how you are feeling today?  I am in the same situation that you are in only I have not quit yet. I am afraid of how I will feel.  I know how I feel now when I run out too soon. I feel like I am going through an exorcism when that happens.  I hope that you are doing well. I admire your courage.
Sincerely,
Mary.

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

I will be seeing my niece next weekend during our annual family reunion and need some advice.  I saw her last on Mother's Day and she looked like death.  She was puffy, pale and had trouble standing.  My brother informed me that she was taking Oxycontin for knee pain.  As of yesterday she was still taking it and I am more than a little concerned.  She has had this knee pain since 1992 and has not gotten any better.  As an addict who is trying to stay in remission myself, I would like to talk to her about this problem.  She has moved to another state because the doctors here won't deal with her anymore.  Her husband has left her because of her addiction.  My brother thinks that her pain is real even the Mayo Clinic gave her a clean bill of health several years ago.  Should I get involved?  I really want to grab her and shake some sense into her.  How should I handle this, if at all?

Thanks,

John B.

[Kimberly to Bob K]

Mary, I am feeling much better, I still have anxiety in my stomach but it is getting better.  I have taken a few pills like I said, but over the past week I have only taken six.  I can go two or three days without taking pills and I have no physical withdrawls anymore, so detoxing really is not as bad as it seems.  Well, that's not fair, it is very crappy, but give it two weeks, and starting to get better after the first 7 days.  I am starting to get energy back.  Not exactly the same yet but I have confidence it will improve.  I crave pills like crazy, and I want them bad and I don't know how to get rid of that feeling.  But I do remember having an addiction to Crank about 10 years ago. I used it for 3 years daily, I decided to quit because it made me a bad mother.  It was depressing for about 6 months.  I looked forward to nothing, but then I was normal again.  Drug free... I am sure that is what will happen this time and I believe the same will happen to you.  I will pray for you.  One thing that has helped me are these posts and getting in to something I used to be interested in.  I have not had the energy to read or anything like that until the past couple of days but just thinking about studying my subject started to get me excited.  I am very into paranormal activity ( I know it sound dumb but I love it )  Now I am looking up information and it gives me something to look forward to.  Now I did give into my craving sometimes, I am not saying that's right but I was still able to detox.  You can write me at ***@****.  I wish you the best and I would like to give a big thank you to Bob K and everyone else on the forum.  This is a great help.  Kimberly

[Sherriq]

John,

What is it you want to say to your niece?  What can you say that will be different than what everyone else has already said?  What makes you think she'll listen to you, much less care about what you tell her?

I'm not trying to be mean or rude - honestly - I'm just playing sort of "devil's advocate."  We've all been where she is now - what could anyone have said to YOU that would have made you stop?  Why DID you stop?  If losing her husband, having to move to another state to find a doctor, and having the Mayo Clinic say there's nothing wrong with you is not her bottom - then sadly, she's not there yet.  

I've been in the EXACT same position you're now in - it was/is my sister who is abusing narcotics - and I've tried talking to her more times than I can count.  I've told her what I went through, what I lost or almost lost, etc., etc., etc., but she's still in complete denial about herself.  She even says exactly what I used to say to people, "Yes, but you just don't understand!  I NEED this medicine!  It's not drugs, it's medicine from the doctor!  If I could just get rid of this awful pain, I wouldn't have to take all these pills. And just because YOU had a problem with them doesn't mean everyone who takes pain meds is an addict!"  (She also tells me to mind my own business, and we've gone for as long as a year not talking because I won't stop "bugging" her about it.)

Believe me, I understand completely about wanting to shake her till her teeth rattle.  It's really a hard thing to watch - especially when you know what's ahead for her if she doesn't stop.  And when you care about someone, you can't just stand by and not at least TRY to do something.  

One thing I DO remember that really got my attention - people who told me the brutal, honest truth - and who didn't sugarcoat it.  I clearly remember 2 people who told me quite plainly that I was a junkie and an addict.  They told me it didn't make any difference what I called it or where it came from - it was still the same thing.  They also had the audacity to tell me that while I may at one time have had genuine pain, that was now just the excuse I used to get what I wanted/needed.  Both of these people then stared me straight in the eye and told me I wasn't fooling anyone but myself.  They both also said they would be glad to help me if I REALLY wanted help, but they weren't putting up with anymore of my BS.  Naturally, I walked off in a huff, but deep inside I was crushed because I knew they were right.  

I don't know what approach you should take with your niece - but I think you've already decided that you MUST at least TRY to do something.  Just be sure no one can overhear you, that she knows exactly where you're coming from (what you've "been there, done that")and that you'll be there for her if she wants help.

AND - just a word of caution to you.  Don't take it personally if she rejects you and/or what you have to say.  I'm sure you understand.  

AND - forgive me, but I'm sure you'll understand this, too - stay out of her purse!  (I ashamed to admit that I have been there, done that.)

Good luck - you're a great uncle to care so much.  She's fortunate to have someone who sees things as they really are.  Hopefully, she can somehow benefit from your mistakes.  Please let us know what happens.
Take care,
Sherri
P.S.  I'm sorry this is so long, and I sincerely hope I haven't offended you.

[Bob K]

Kimberly  it sounds like you are getting close to living without your pills. I hope your stomich feels better. I feel pretty good tomorrow is 24 days for me. I really have few complaints withdrawl wise any more. 24 days goes by slowly but it sure seems worth it tonight. Good luck again Kimberly. Bob K

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

You gave some very good advice and no I am not offended.  I just feel so badly for my niece that I want to do something.  She was in med school when this whole thing got started and now she is on permanent disability and cannot work or go to school.  Her brother is into crack cocaine and has flunked out of the university and is constantly in trouble with the law.  It just seems that our whole family is cursed by addictions going back at least two generations!  I will talk with her but will be careful about how I word things.  When I was in my own world of addiction to pain meds, I thought everything was just fantastic. No one could have made a difference when I was high. I just want her to know that I will always be here for her and my nephew, too, should her ever need me.

Thank you!

John B.

[Gene to Joanne]

Hi all!  I am still alive & still withdrawing from years of opiate abuse.  I think that last night was the first night I didn't have muscle spasms.  It's been 20 days since I started detox.  I also started to sleep better although I am still dead tired all the time & have a constant headache.  It is hard just to climb stairs.  That might be partly from having stopped working out & having gained a lot of weight the past year.  Opiates always made me hungry!  I am glad to hear that Bob K is getting much better & is staying away from Oxy.  Good luck to Kimberly with detoxing.
How are you doing Mary?

Life without opiates is sooo hard right now.  I feel so lousy & was told I will feel like this for a while.  Every time I have to deal with stress I just want to go back to my little helper drug.  But I don't want to be back in detox or be an active addict again.  I go to AA meetings as often as possible & that helps a lot.

Thanks to all who have posted & continue to do so!

[Bob K]

Its good to hear your feeling a little bit better Gene. Its been 25 days now for me. I have the same stairs you do. I cant stand those stairs. I dont even like going down them. One surprising fact for me is that I have not missed one day of work since I quit. I hope life gets easier for you without the opiates. I try to focus on the benefits of being off oxy. One big one that comes to mind is that I dont fear that I may nod off when Im with my kids. I still do feel tired thruout most of the day and my body always aches somewhere. I have been exercising a little bit at a time and that kind of gives me hope. Keep in touch Bob K

[Gene to Joanne]

I have trouble sometimes remembering why I stopped taking Oxy.  I am sooo tired & achey (achy) every single day & am not very good at handling this while I am working. I have a very physical job & I am worried that I may not be able to continue this work after 28 years because of the pain.  But my sponsor says that's the addiction talking so I will persevere & keep going to meetings.  Does anyone know of pain medication that works & does not contain opiates?

[From Aunt Lindy to Mariah]

Hello Gene,
Have you tried Vioxx or Celebrex? I dont know if it would help but even if you got SOME relief it may help you from feeling so physically drained. I wish you the best. I hope you can hang in there.  Having a sponsor like you do puts you so ahead of the game!
Sincerely,
Kimmie

[Gene to Joanne]

My wife is on Vioxx & raves about how much it has helped her!  I have a doctor appt Monday and will ask him about those two drugs you mentioned.
However, my sponsor is advising me to stay away from any pills, even non-narcotic, because that might put me back into the frame of mind that it's OK to take pills for pain & could lead me back to opiates.  I understand his line of thinking but I don't think that my suffering is going to do me any good at all.  In fact, it makes me want opiates again.

Thanks Kimmie for the words of encouragement!

[Bob K]

Gene how are you doing today? I hope its getting a little better for you. Today is a big day for me it is day 30 without opiates. I still have the sweats but it is about 90 degrees in Philadelphia. I found a 40mg under my sofa while cleaning. I must be getting better I flushed it. These last few days seem to be getting much better for me I hope the same happens for you and anyone in our crazy boat. Bob K

[Gene to Joanne]

Way to go Bob, flushing that 40mg!  I am starting to see improvements in my sleeping & muscle spasms but I still feel quite bad with a constant headache & a few migraines to boot.  I am sooo tired & am almost ready to quit my job of 28 years beacuse it is so hard to drive around & fix copiers feeling like this.  Everything I do is such a chore! Plus, all of the pain I was covering up these years has come back to haunt me. I am really torn as to what to do.  I think that if a doctor offered to put me on a daily regimen of opiates, I would have a very hard time saying no!  But no doctor is going to do that for me so it's just as well.
I really hope I start feeling a lot better soon, I don't know how long I can take this.  I am real glad you are doing so well.  Keep up the great work!  I am up to day 23 or 24 now.

[Jason]

I am so glad I found this site!!! I have been addicted to perscription pain killers for 5 years, it started with Vicodin ES, and Percocete, and through the years , due to tolerence levels increasing, I moved to Oxycontin 10mgs, then 20mgs, then 40 mgs, then 80mgs, then 160 mgs......I realized at this point I had a problem, couldn't do a thing without having them. I don't have any medical reasons for taking these, but after dental work 5 years ago is how this all began, but I didn't need them for maybe a week or so after the dental work, but I "LOVED" the way they made me feel. After a while I was dependant on them.
     So on Fri. I checked into a detox, I was very scared as to what was going to happen. But I wanted my life back!! I wasn't treated with Methadone though, I'm glad of that, because I think it's like trading apples for apples, however the did put me on some meds to mask the withdrawl symptoms... the doctor explained to me that I will still feel discomfort and man she wasn't kidding, I had every withdrawl symptom as mentiond earlier except for vomiting. I'm on my 4th day of detox, I'm almost there...but one thing that really helped me was attending some NA meetings, when I went it made me realize that addiction shows NO mercy, everybody from senior citicens, to kids younger than me , I'm 25.  Sometimes those meeting get very emotional, but it helps to know I'm not in this boat by myself. also you pick up some powerful messeges such as "One is too many, and a thousand is never Enough".  
     They say I should be detoxed by Fri, but then there is the after care session, with group sessions, counsilers, therpists and stuff like that.
     This is the hardest thing I ever had to do in my whole life!!  But it is worth it because I get to have my life back. But what scares me is the statistics as discussed earlier, and I would be ignorant to say that it's not going to happen to me. But I "hope" it doesn't, I brought this fear to the floor at the meeting...I got some encourageing words though, after the meeting several members came to me and said "What screws up the odds is the people who are there because some judge in some courtroom sent them there and these people really have no desire to get off drugs." The desire to get off drugs is the only requirement to join NA.
    I hope I don't relapse, I don't ever want to go through this again.
     The support at this web site is great also, I'm glad I found it...another messege NA spreads is "Just For Today".
    
     We're all in this together, right?? So let's keep this postive energy flowing. Thank You for rour time I will return to let you all know how I am progressing.
Jason

[Bob K]

Jason four days is great I know you must still feel pretty bad at times. Im writing this to tell you that I was addicted to oxy and went thru withdrawl myself. Today is 32 days opiate free for me. I cant tell you how much better I feel. If you hang in there you will also feel much better. I check out these postings twice a day if you need to talk. Bob K

[Jason]

Dear Bob,
  Congratulation!! you have come pretty far.  For me My withdrawl symptoms are almost over.. I feel a lot better than I did a week ago, but just because I'm detoxed does not fix everything, Now I have to treat my addiction for which there is no known cure,but the feelings of addiction could be put to rest. I'm not done with my program yet, I got about another 6 weeks, this is the part with group meetings, therpists, counselers and stuff like that. Just remember that "One is too many, and a thousand is never enough"

"We're all in this together"
Jason

[Plazzy]

That is very nice to hear you have successfully detoxed.
I dont even know you, but i am proud of your effort.
I have been hooked by OC for a year now. I can't get them as often as I want, but I usually average 20-30 20mg pills a week.
I do crush them up and snort them, I may only actually swallow 1 out of 20 pills. I know its sux, but i love the feeling. I am able to be productive at home and get things done! I have more fun with my life when I'm on OC's. Well, this is obviously a dangerous addiction, and currently I am not holding any OC.
Its been nearly a week since I last had one, and I feel so awful, cold sweats, headaches, extreme fatigue, and no desire to participate in life. All this while having the responsibility of a wife, child, home, and an excellent job (which happens to be where my OC contact works also). I make it a point to fulfill my responsibilities but it is painstaking without the physical and mental crutch of OC. I have snorted herion and feel like OC is actually better, because in moderation I am so productive while on the medication. This is a strange way to live, I want to be independant from OC, but I love it so! Does any one have any suggestions, I don't know what steps to take to get on Methadone treatment, please enlighten me. I need methadone but I can not afford to go to a rehab center and stay.

What can I do???

Plazzy

[[e-mail]]

Gene, Hey thanks for your honesty in dealing with your situation,its helpful to here your not alone in the struggle of dealing with this stuff.

[spook]

YES

[gea]

hello, myself and my husband have been sitting here for hours just reading and reading trying to get some sort of hope!! something about you wants me to reach out. i was perscribed oxycontin after being on every other narcotic for years following a car accident. they worked great for the pain but much like alot of others i learned that sniffing them gave a better "feeling" so i shared these with my husband and now we are both struggling to end this big circle and have had no success with going cold turkey, i can't handle it on my own and when i'm ready to check myself in to some sort of rehab i feel guilty because i can't just leave my husband with detoxing on his own and caring for our children 4 and 10. you seem to have success with the rehab and i was wondering if your insurance did cover this and if so in full?

[gea]

hello, myself and my husband have been sitting here for hours just reading and reading trying to get some sort of hope!! something about you wants me to reach out. i was perscribed oxycontin after being on every other narcotic for years following a car accident. they worked great for the pain but much like alot of others i learned that sniffing them gave a better "feeling" so i shared these with my husband and now we are both struggling to end this big circle and have had no success with going cold turkey, i can't handle it on my own and when i'm ready to check myself in to some sort of rehab i feel guilty because i can't just leave my husband with detoxing on his own and caring for our children 4 and 10. you seem to have success with the rehab and i was wondering if your insurance did cover this and if so in full?

[spook]

Hang in their,if you can,think about your children and what they would think,its been over 10 days now and you must be feeling a little better?,Do not go on methadone as it is more difficult to stop and you will not get very high and you will feel like you do now for about 5 months when you stop,If you get back on OXY`s,try to not snort them and get sustained release,I know the psychological craving that Oxycodone induces and it is harder to stop than IV heroin,so try now it will only get harder,sweat it out man.you can do it,do it for the kids,do it now,before you can never do it please face that evil pain now and get it over and done with.