Opana detox, cold turkey.... Here we go....

Question

How many of you have actually successfully came off of the devils fury itself? (Opana)  I have been snorting the ER's for a cpl yrs now with a short 7 month break on Methadone.  I'm just fed up with it all and I'm ready to move on with my life.  I know withdrawals suck (been through them a time or 6) but I dont feel Methadone or Subs will truly help me get clean. So has anyone beatin' an Opana addiction on her before?

norcomonster · Accepted Answer

I was taking (snorting) 30mg Oxycodones (up to 25-28 pills daily).  and I am 90 days clean.  I'm familiar with Opana - and gnarly_1 is correct, w/d's are same as oxy.  obviously i was on a huge amount - and every medical professional I've told that number to since getting "clean" almost falls out of their chair.  i'm not proud of that at all, and  i'm the classic example of "it would never happen to me", as far as addiction is concerned.  started small with norco - and even quit on my own about 15 months ago.  at that time i was taking 12-16 norcos/daily.  i went through the whole cold-turkey ordeal, it sucked... but within 3 months, I was back taking pills again.  remember it's an addiction - and it doesn't want to go away... so it will do it's best to get back into your life no matter what you do.  Anyway, after about 10 months of using again - i quickly went from 1-2 30's/day - to 6-8 30's/day- to 25-28 30's/day.  i was my own worst enemy, because i could afford to buy them. my point in telling you this is because i went through several rounds of w/ds.  some of them on purpose, some of them because i was simply out.  as with most people on here, i was no longer taking them for the high, but only to keep from getting sick.  i was physically warn out, emotionally shot, and financially drained. .. but still just did NOT want to go through w/d's again.  i was under the assumption that "nobody knows"... i thought i was awesome at hiding it.  so when you say you have to go through this incognito - i totally understand, but i totally recommend you don't.  finally, a friend of mine caught onto what i was doing and called me out, set up an appt for me to see a treatment counselor for an "assessment" the next morning.  This meant i had to finally tell my wife, and my family what had been going on in my life for the past four years.  it was hard to do - but it was the best thing i ever did... it was like the largest weight ever was lifted from my shoulders.  i was done hiding it... i was done lying to everyone.  there was a lot of "oh, that's why he's been acting weird", "that's why he no longer does anything fun with us"... so maybe i wasn't as good at hiding it as i thought... i was isolating myself, and i was f*cking tired of using pills to "feel well".  (sorry, this is turning into a rant... but i feel l like getting it out).  once i told people what was up with me - i realized very quickly how many people were on my side still.  i was amazed by how much love there really was around me.  i realize this might not be an option for everyone, but if there's anyone you can tell... i suggest you do it.  within four hours after my assessment with the drug counselor, i was in the  hospital in a medical detox unit... the counselor is a good example of a guy who almost fell out of his chair when i told him the amount i was taking.  it literally scared him... and he talks to addicts on a daily basis.  that made me realize i better not try to go through this cold turkey.  telling my family/loved ones is what allowed me to get the actual help i needed.  the odds of getting through the full onslaught of major opiate w/d's without help (even just being able to tell someone you know - and having them be there for you) is slim.  obviously not impossible... there's people on here that amaze me, but from my own experience, it helped.  at this point, i was just happy to go to the hospital - and safely come off that sickening amount of opiates.  at this point, i wasn't thinking much past detox... and i suppose in some way i was in some weird state of denial about being an addict.  But after spending 5 days in a hospital bed... and multiple people telling me i needed to go to INPATIENT treatment if i really wanted to understand what was going on with me, i decided to go.  i never, not in nine million years, would have ever thought i'd go to treatment... especially not inpatient.  afterall, the impetus for me quitting on my own 15 months before was for this sole purpose: "if i dont quit on my own... i'm gonna have to go to treatment".  that wasn't enough to stop me from starting back up three months later.  EVEN after going through ****** withdrawals on my own.  if there's any chance whatsoever for anyone to go to a hospital to detox, i'd totally recommend it.  especially somewhere that does a rapid suboxone detox.  (happy to share my experience with that if anyone is curious).  but don't be fooled; suboxone and methadone are just as powerful of an opiate as anything else.  they are just longer acting (and yes, i understand sub is not a full antagonist opiate... but it's an opiate nonetheless - and the w/ds from it suck).  so finally i was done with detox - and then off to treatment.  they are very good about keeping you lightly lubed up on suboxone ... enough to get you in the doors of treatment.  i still had about 10 days of w/ds, but they were soooo much better than if i were to stop cold turkey off the amount of opiates i was using on a daily basis.  so it took about ten days of zero sleep (not only restless legs, but also estless arms) until i started to let the stuff they were teaching me in rehab sink in.  after a month in rehab - i started an outpatient program, and attend the occassional AA meeting (again, something i never in a million years thought i'd do - i was the guy who read other people's posts that say "you should really have aftercare in place", and said... "no f*cking way" - but they were ALL correct with that bit of advice... again, something that is hard to do "incognito").   I am happier than i've been in four years, i'm excited to do things again.. i'm excited to be a better husband, a better brother, and a better son... i'm so glad to understand that i am not a bad person, but rather i am a sick person.  

i know this is an overboard long response to your question - and i probably should have just started a knew thread... but your post was the first one i read, and it immediately made me want to respond... because opana is scary.  every bit as scary as oxy - probably even more.  we can talk for hours about what the w/ds are going to be like.  been there, done that... it's just part of what you need to do to stop this crap, and get your life back.  i think the 3 to 4 days thing is deceptive... for me, the real physical **** is over in 4-5 days, but the worst part is the lethargy, the sleeplessness, and the total emotional drain that awaits us in the following 12-15 days.  i say it takes 15 days to get your first "pink cloud", where you start to get hints of normalcy - and another month till you're the person you remember before you set your *** on this slippery slope of opiate addiction.  THAT, is why i think so highly (now, only that i've been though it) of inpatient treatment.  i seriously dont think i would have quit on my own without the information i now have from spending 28 days doing nothing but really learning and thinking about what i just put myself through.  no cell phone, no computer, no outside influences... just me, a bunch of other people going through the  same thing i am, and whole lot of information... take it or leave it.  

again, if anyone is still reading - sorry for the digression, i just wanted to get it out there.  happy to talk to anyone and share my experiences with standard issue opiate addiction, ct w/ds, legit detox, treatment, and recovery... however limited my experience in recovery may be... at least i have a start on it... and i empathize and understand every damn post on here related to the hell that is opiate addiction.  i'm 100% certain everyone can quit... but i have no illusions of it being an easy road to travel.  it takes hard work... and people on here have been through the worst of it - so it's a great place to start.

be well.

Jbizzl · Answer

I keep a subutex on deck that can taper off way easier than pans 8mg I get ten doses out of one pill and try and do it everyother day

Jbizzl · Answer

It almost killed me for real I stayed off for six months when i got better.  I had to go to the hospital They had to send me to the big hospital in the ambulance 28th lights and all almost dude go to doc if you throwing up bad

sewyouthink · Answer

Just keep thinking you just have a really bad case of the flu or think about people with cancer who have to have chemo to live ... It is really hard though! Get an electric blanket, take lots of hot baths and showers ... And rest. Eat the BRAT diet for a while ( bananas, rice, applesauce and tea) but just eat a little at a time. Take lomotil, Advil ( unless you are not supposed to due to ulcers or something) Tylenol (again don't if you have liver problems) and try to love yourself for trying so hard! Respect you!

sewyouthink · Answer

I am on my 11th day of withdrawal from oxymorphone ER 10 mg twice a day  and Vicodin about 60 mg a day  and starting to have an hour or two, two or three times a day that I can wash clothes and make my bed and do dishes. Thank you for your post - cold turkey is very very hard but my husband, Advil, lomotil, Tylenol , a heated blanket and lots of hot baths really help. I look forward to seeing " pink" in maybe 20 more days!

DingoThecowboy · Answer

Opana w/d are the worse w/d

gnarly_1 · Answer

HEY DUDE how you holding up you should be in the middle of acute withdrawals you doing ok I know this ant your first time are you handling it ok post back and let us know how your doing.........Gnarly

bkka28 · Answer

I need some advice on how to get through opana withdrawls cause soon i will be out and i want to quit this time.  How long is the hell for I hear different days like 4to 7 days complete hell i know.  I have went through methadone withdrawls and that is helllll to.

gnarly_1 · Answer

well I never been big on using sub this way but your going to do what your going to do anyway are you able to eat yet??? more importantly are you forcing the fluids that is critical imodium will help the runs and some of the withdrawal symptoms keep posting to let us know how your doing things should start looking up tomorrow or the next day good luck and God bless......Gnarly

Gr8fullone · Answer

I'm feeling pretty rough but not as bad as yesterday.  I'm actually at work now, I have 1 8mg suboxone to split up into 8 parts just when I cannot take it anymore I will drop 1mg at a time until its bareable. Its coming and going shouldnt be a day or 2 more before it backs off though. Thanks a lot for checking up on me. Thats really cool in my book. Have a good one....

gnarly_1 · Answer

Hey dude how you feeling things should be starting to kick in by now you still hanging???

Gr8fullone · Answer

Thank you very much for taking time from your life to help with mine.  I have really taken your post to heart and well I have decided to tell my family tomorrow on my off day what has been going on.  I know they will still love me and back me up but I'm unsure about inpatient treatment.  I have a fiancee' (also an addict), a beautiful 10 yr old son, a fantastic job, and a business in which my fiancee' and myself run.  The problem is with impatient I cannot miss work for 30days. Even on FMLA I have so many bills I cannot get deeper in debt that this addiction has already financially drained me.  I have some Suboxone to take only when the WD's are unbareable and its a work day.  I'm really nervous though I took my last Op today so in about 5 hrs the fun will start.  I hate opiates and hate myself for letting myself get this away.  But I'm determined to get myself clean and back on track then help my beautiful soon to be wifey do the same.  Thank you very much again for your time. I will keep posting and hopefully will be a success story to help others in the future.  All things are possible and at the end of it all I will follow Jerry Garcia's words and SMILE SMILE SMILE because I will know what it is like to be opiode free. Thanks again and god bless...

ricart70 · Answer

I have taken some opana.I was really on oxy but I really think it is the same as oxy.It all turns to morphine in our systems.The opana was actually to me a shorter high as far as length.This can only work to our advantage in the long run but withdrawal may be more intense to start although I can't imagine anything being much more intense than oxy.I am talking about the initial withdrawal period.You can do it.Keep posting and let us know how you are.I couldn't even post for 14 days when I got off the oxy.

Gr8fullone · Answer

Yes this definitely is not my first go around. Thank you both for replying.  I have to do this completely incogneto (sp) so that just makes it so much harder. THank you both, god bless....

gnarly_1 · Answer

WE have seveal members who have beeten opana it about the same as oxy to come off of it is a short acting opiate so you looking at 4 days of withdrawals just stick with us here read the thomas recipe on the lower right of this page and pick up the stuff it will help read the other posts this dosent sound like your first time so you know what your in for although most peole say it gets worst each time we need to get you clean and then work on aftercare to keep you clean it can be done good luck and God bless ....Gnarly

all_alone1 · Answer

I am sorry I don't have experience with Opana only hydrocodone.....but I am sure someone will be along shortly.....don't worry they have very good advice....very informative and helpful.  I just am sorry I am not of any help to you....just up can't sleep first day if no pills.

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