Off opiates since 9/27/14. Masked health issues start to come up...

[NeverAgain127]

Hi guys:

Thought I'd check in an give y'all an update.

I was on 40 mgs/day of oxycodone (prescribed) for 8 years.  I've been off them since 9/27/2014...stopped
counting days, but I know I'm over 4 months now.

First off, let me say that getting off of them was AWFUL.  I weaned down to 30, 20 then 10 mgs/day and jumped.
Still had a bunch left in the bottle and threw them away.  I was so sick of the fog, the constipation, the memory loss,
AND (the biggest reason) they stopped working and were now CAUSING pain, instead of relieving it (I have all sorts
of pain issues.)

I didn't even experience full blown withdrawal until 4-14 days clean.  On day 4 I developed diarrhea, which took a solid 2 months to go away.  On day 14 I started with a dry hacking cough every 2 minutes.  It scared the LIFE out of me; subsequent chest xrays and pulmonary function tests were normal, however.

There isn't a lot of formal documentation of 'withdrawal cough' but if you google it, you'll find a smattering of folks in recovery who report this symptom.   Opiates suppress the cough reflex (which is why codeine cough syrup is often prescribed for people who need relief from coughing at night just to sleep.)     When you take away the opiates, the cough reflex wakes up.   For me it took 14 days for it to come alive, and ---this is the absolute truth---it took THREE MONTHS for the cough to go away.

So here I am now.   Almost 5 months off the oxycodone.  All the old pain came back, but not as badly I remembered it, and not as badly as the opiates were causing.  

However, I have developed a brand NEW symptom that is really upsetting me.   High Blood Pressure.

I have always been healthy; I don't drink much at all, rarely smoke, and I have always regularly exercised.  My family history is STRONG for hypertension (both parents and all 4 grandparents) but I thought (falsely) that I had escaped this particular genetic bullet.   On opiates, my BP was always blissfully low.

Silly me.  Of course it was low...that is what opiates DO...they lower your BP and pulse.  Along with respiration; which is how people OD and die on opiods of all kinds...they simply stop breathing.  

I had pre-eclampsia when I was pregnant 25 years ago...I remember now my obestetrician at the time telling me "you may develop high blood pressure some day."  

Well that day is now.  For the past few weeks I've been light headed and dizzy.  I blacked out twice, and my daughter, a med student, took my BP.  It was 165/105.   Too high.

I passed it off as stress at the time...we were moving her across state lines into grad school and with all this AWFUL snow (I'm in the Northereast U.S.) I was ready to tear my hair out.

But then the day before yesterday, I was in my home office, making sales calls (my career took a nose dive once I got off the opiates.  Hard to be in sales sober...)  I was very, very dizzy, and my head was tingling.  Something from my old training (I was a pharmacist 20 years ago) told me "blood pressure" and I used a monitor to take it 3 times.  Yikes.

It was 165/105, the 170/110, then the last reading was so high I just ignored it.  I called my doctor, who surprisingly got right on the phone with me (once I told his receptionist what was going on.)  He told me to take a Clonopin, lay down with my feet elevated, and spend the rest of the day resting.   He also told me he was starting me on Toprol XR.

It's a beta blocker, which reduces cardiac output and slows heart rate.  He started me on the lowest dose possible:  25 mgs, once a day (it's the slow release form.)

I told him I felt like a total failure.  All my life I wanted to escape the health problems of my parents...I felt as if all my efforts to maintain my health were for naught.  

He disagreed...told me with my family history, there was a 99% chance I was going to develop essential hypertension.  

Sigh.  So today is day 2 on the meds.  So far, my BP has come down a little, but is still high.   I'm having nausea, trouble sleeping, sweating, yuk.  

I'm not seriously overweight, but when menopause hit 7 years ago, I packed on 20 pounds literally overnight.  No amount of dieting or exercise would make the scale budge.  I was told that it is nearly impossible to lose "meno-weight" but I'm determined now to try.  I'm putting myself on a strict 1200 calorie a day diet, and as soon as my BP comes down, I'm going to start exercising again (the doc told me to lay off for a week.)

So. That's my story.  I think I may have been developing hypertension for a while now, but the oxycodone masked it by artificially lowering my numbers.

Anyone else have this problem? What meds did you go on?  Did you have side effects?

I'm going to be posting in the High Blood Pressure forum.  

Thanks guys...for listening to my tale of woe.  I'm still glad I'm off the oxycodone.  It's a bad life on them...

Yours in Reality,

-Robin

[refills]

Hey Robin. I know, right? I try not and say it but you just have to think it. What the heck? We go through this because we hate the other life but where is the better life and when does it arrive? Nah, just being dramatic, we both know we are way better off right now. It's just the transition doesn't happen overnight for some people. Naturally with drinking and benzo's my bp was always through the roof. It had gone down but now it's back up again. I just don't take 5 pills for it now. So yeah we're making up for lost time. I guess are older bodies have taken a beating over the years. We just can't expect to wake up out of a self induced (addiction) coma and not feel the pain we laid before ourselves.

I just have to say that you were a big part of my own recovery. Two story's that haven't been told completely yet but we are getting there. For everything that's worth fighting for. I'm just very happy that you and I are still standing fighting the good fight. Best Wishes Robin!........ike

[kellygirll]

never,,,, i too thought i would feel great coming off the opiates I've been off for 5 1/2 months and i feel like sheet tired no energy on and off depression no motivation at all and i too have gained 20 pounds over the summer and no matter what i do i can't seem to loose anything i went and had bloodwork done yesterday to see if i have hypothyroidism i have lots of the symptoms and you are absolutely right about the gluten so bad it causes so much inflammation grain brain is a great book so is wheat belly good luck sister hope you are feeling better

[NeverAgain127]

Hi Krissy:

Yes, I think it is from opiate w/d's.  That cough takes forever to go away.  Even at 4 months, I still had it once in a while.   Very scary...and doctors dont' seem to know anything about it.

Merri:  I'm trying to lose the 20 lbs I gained in menopause...it will put me at a perfect weight for my height.   I'm simply eating less calories and as soon as my doctor says its okay, I'll start exercising again.  I have always been a regular exerciser...usually 30 mins on the elliptical every day.  Right now, however, I've been told to "take it easy" until they get my meds right.
I've never heard of that drink but I will check it out.  

I'm trying to eat very little starch...there is a new book out called "Grain Brain" about which I've heard good things.   I'm convinced that all wheat (gluten) causes inflammation in our cells.   But I don't want to over-do it with protein.   Protein molecules are huge and difficult for our bodies to process; I think ideally, our diets should be 1/3 protein and 2/3 plant foods.  Easier to say than do!

CRSeaside:  Yes, I have Clonidine too.  It's a very strong and effective medicine to bring down BP quickly, but not great as a long term medicine.   I'm using it right now when I have "spikes."  

As I mentioned, sarah, I'm on 25 mgs of Toprol XL/daily.   It's a low dose, but I can't really go any higher (as my doctor's PA explained to me last night) because it lowers heart rate....and mine is already pretty low (high fifties to low sixties) because of years of exercising.  If I take any more of the Toprol, my heart rate could dip dangerously low.  

So...moral of the story..they may have to add a second medicine if the Beta-Blocker doesn't do the trick.

Sigh.  This is all so depressing.  I thought I'd be brimming with health after getting off opiates, but that didn't happen.    Instead I just feel OLD.  And lets face it, we all get older, and it always sux.

Thanks for the support guys.  I see so many newbies on here, struggling.   Please, please, if any of you are reading this, getting off opiates is DEFINITELY POSSIBLE.  It means you're going to feel like crap for a while.  But then it's over...

Back to lurking!

-Robin

[Krissy_123]

I don't have the blood pressure issues....but the cough,wow ya!! I still have it after 2 1/2 months. When I first started w/d it started out as a dry tickle in my throat and turn into full blown coughing fit. It's not as bad now,but I still have it. I just ignore it now. I've had my lungs and chest checked and nothing wrong in there. So I guess it was from the oxycodone use you figure??

[Merri123]

Actually I think you have done great. You are dealing with the pain and if hypertension is your only other problem then that is awesome. Many people have it. Once you get used to the medicine and you level out you should be good. Sometimes it may take trying a couple different medicines to find one that works for you. That happened with my bro in law. Weight is also an issue. He was told he had to lose weight too. Being stocky, it is a battle for him.

Now this may sound weird but have your heard of No Diet.com?  It is basically liquid protein you take before you go to bed. No eating 3 hours before. It is good for you and has no side affects. I know several women who used it to lose their meno-weight. It's worth a try.  Along with walking and eating right, you may see results my friends have. It helps you sleep better too, with blood sugar levels...  

So congratulate yourself. No way are you a failure. You have won your life back.

[CRSeaside]

I was recommended Clonidine.

[dominosarah]

Yep, this happened to me!  Mine was brought on by stress from a previous job.  I was given 10 mg of Lisinipril and it has worked wonders.  You didnt fail at anything.  This is all a part of us "growing up"!