Aa
Opiates
Hello to you all my name is Dr. Michael and I am really pleased to see such a well established forum. You should all be very proud of yourselves for giving such a wonderful support outlet. This disease can be at times very lonely and dark. I'm sure by now you have seen that your not in this alone. I believe in my research that opiates have become one of the fastest growing addictions we've seen in many years. I just wanted to give any support that I could and possibly share with you my experiences. Just to give you some background on myself, I have been an addictionologist now for 4yrs and currently run a treatment center for physical and/or psychological dependence. Again, just wanted to say Hello and keep up all the great work.
Dr. MIke....
Dr. MIke....
Just saw your post from a while back. Still clean? I'm almost 5 days off Suboxone. On it for 18 months. I hope I'm far enough removed from removed from opiates that I can function daily without them on my mind. The withdrawl is not good but I'm functioning.
And i would strongly recommened the vitamins, and DEEP SLEEP 5HTP Plus, it does work i take 3 tabs at night the recommended doss, and sleep right through the nite. Deb
Hi its another beautiful day here. My mate the dog has gone to work with my partner today, so im stuck with the cat, he can be rather nasty when he wants to. He runs after ya and tackles ya, and if you boot him off he'll get you worse next time. I love him though, but i wouldnt call him a cuddly cat, not at all. Well im doing better today thank goodness for the nice weather otherwise id feel misrible. Anyway i have things to do, which helps me stay out of trouble. So take care everyone, and even though we are so far apart i still feel close to you guys. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Love you all. Peace. Deb.
Just so you know, that "just cough syrup" is just like taking lorcet. It has 10mg of hydrocodone per tsp. So, don't feel like you're different or anything. Your habit was or is no less than others.
hello everyone.I am bmac in birmingham,alabama.I have been a
prescription pain killer user for 12 years and a year ago I
was put on methadone not knowing all there was to know about this drug.Aug.18th I took my last pill,just 10 mgs.This has to
be the worst I have ever felt.I am under a dr's care using
phenobarbital and clonidine.Still have the shakes and feel like
I am going nuts,BUT I will get thru this.I just need support of others who know this feeling.My wife is totally anti drug use.
She has no sympathy for me and just calls me a druggie and
says that I got myself into it and will have to get myself out of it.So I guess I am looking for others to talk with.
I did start to decrease my doses from 60 mgs a day to 10 mgs
a day over 6 months.The last one I took I knew something bad was going to come but I need to do this for my marriage and my 6 year old daughter.
Please someone talk to me!!
bmac
prescription pain killer user for 12 years and a year ago I
was put on methadone not knowing all there was to know about this drug.Aug.18th I took my last pill,just 10 mgs.This has to
be the worst I have ever felt.I am under a dr's care using
phenobarbital and clonidine.Still have the shakes and feel like
I am going nuts,BUT I will get thru this.I just need support of others who know this feeling.My wife is totally anti drug use.
She has no sympathy for me and just calls me a druggie and
says that I got myself into it and will have to get myself out of it.So I guess I am looking for others to talk with.
I did start to decrease my doses from 60 mgs a day to 10 mgs
a day over 6 months.The last one I took I knew something bad was going to come but I need to do this for my marriage and my 6 year old daughter.
Please someone talk to me!!
bmac
Yes, what did Lou Reed write in the song heroin, "It's my life and it's my wife." It is true that Burroughs, Reed and of course, let's not forget one of my all time heroes--Patti Smith did pave the road to a greater understanding of addiction (that yes, even creative, intelligent and talented people can lose themselves to drugs. It worries me when I see my nephew fall into the kind of adulation that I once had (and still do have) for these incredibly bright and creative people. He looks at their drug use as his justification for doing drugs. I wish that people like Lou Reed (who I believe is clean now--or was for quite awhile) would be more outspoken about the dangers of using drugs. He's one of the lucky ones and so am I and so are you! WE'RE ALIVE; I know a lot of people who aren't. I am upfront with my nephew--he knows about my historyl, as I told him when he got busted for "crank" a year ago. If I can stop him from getting anywhere near the path that I went down, then I would have done pretty well with that. I agree that these people really helped in our understanding of drugs and addiction, but I do wish that there were more of the old-time junkies that don't glorify "the day" and put it into perspective as I try to do. I have no euphoric recall Skip--I remember being on a hard, cold concrete jail cell with my head in the toilet, puking my guts out because I was dope sick. I don't even mind the faded needle mark scars on my arms, because they are a constant reminder of where I don't want to be.
I loved Naked Lunch--and I love Lenny Bruce. He did our battles for first ammendment rights. What a waste, though--he could have done so much more.
Cheers--
Alex
I loved Naked Lunch--and I love Lenny Bruce. He did our battles for first ammendment rights. What a waste, though--he could have done so much more.
Cheers--
Alex
alexandra:
thanks for asking, the eye is coming along fine. it feels sticky
and is really itchy. my pain doc told me the itching is a sign
that it is healing.
i would be too hard on Burroughs, Lou Reed, or Jim morrison. i
don't think they gave glory to opiate addiction, so much as they
made a statement of validation...this is my life... it was Bur-
roughs who said "junk was a way of life." don't forget patti
smith either. too really appreciate "Naked Lunch," you have to
remember the time it came out. it was first published in france
in the early 50's. It's publication was banned in the US until
the supream court ruled it was not porographic. you know it took
me a long, long time to accept that being a junky, even at the
peak of my useage was only part of what i was about. when i die
i hope it is only a side note in my life. people like WS Bur-
roughs, Lenny Bruce, etc brought addiction (among other things)
out into the light of day. see this is what i am, i'm not a mon-ster. they sort of paved the way for the rest of us. they had to
have been very brave...now people like you and i have a much
easier time of things because of this. i have been exposed to o-
piate addiction ever since i was a little kid of the '50's living
in the small towns of the upper midwest. back then being a junky
was something shoved way back in the closet or locked up in the
basement! it's not like that today, and we have people like WS
burroughs to thank for this. Dr. mike is right...JUNK is a growth
industry. gee back in 1951 (the year i was born) Burroughs said
"junk was the numkber one health problem in the world."
i hope that glass of wine doesn't come at the price of you having
a good labor day weekend!
keep an angel on your shoulder
kip
thanks for asking, the eye is coming along fine. it feels sticky
and is really itchy. my pain doc told me the itching is a sign
that it is healing.
i would be too hard on Burroughs, Lou Reed, or Jim morrison. i
don't think they gave glory to opiate addiction, so much as they
made a statement of validation...this is my life... it was Bur-
roughs who said "junk was a way of life." don't forget patti
smith either. too really appreciate "Naked Lunch," you have to
remember the time it came out. it was first published in france
in the early 50's. It's publication was banned in the US until
the supream court ruled it was not porographic. you know it took
me a long, long time to accept that being a junky, even at the
peak of my useage was only part of what i was about. when i die
i hope it is only a side note in my life. people like WS Bur-
roughs, Lenny Bruce, etc brought addiction (among other things)
out into the light of day. see this is what i am, i'm not a mon-ster. they sort of paved the way for the rest of us. they had to
have been very brave...now people like you and i have a much
easier time of things because of this. i have been exposed to o-
piate addiction ever since i was a little kid of the '50's living
in the small towns of the upper midwest. back then being a junky
was something shoved way back in the closet or locked up in the
basement! it's not like that today, and we have people like WS
burroughs to thank for this. Dr. mike is right...JUNK is a growth
industry. gee back in 1951 (the year i was born) Burroughs said
"junk was the numkber one health problem in the world."
i hope that glass of wine doesn't come at the price of you having
a good labor day weekend!
keep an angel on your shoulder
kip
Ha ha--you are GREAT! You lifted my mood right out of the toilet with your last post. I've been having a little pity party for myself tonight (too cumbersome to explain). I love Burroughs and once had a great opportunity to go to a party at his San Francisco home. It was a great party and yes, there were lots of good drugs there. However, I blame Mr. Burroughs in part for my addiction to heroin (not really). People like him, Lou Reed, Jim Morrison gave me some kind of warped reason for thinking junkiness was COOL MAN!
I'm feeling a little giddy tonight because I'm having a (rare) glass of wine.
Keep an angel on your shoulder youself, kip--how's your eye, anyway? Can you get a good lawsuit out of all this torment? (not really kidding)
Cheers!
Alex
I'm feeling a little giddy tonight because I'm having a (rare) glass of wine.
Keep an angel on your shoulder youself, kip--how's your eye, anyway? Can you get a good lawsuit out of all this torment? (not really kidding)
Cheers!
Alex
hey:
well i know i'm in good company, dope fiends and animal lovers. i
also have a cat or rather she has me. my dog is slightly overweight
keeshound (57#). his name is "dutch." i know that isn't real imaganitive (the breed originated in holland). his nick-name is
"meaty boy."
enough about dogs (for now). i just want to send up good thoughts
to everyone who is still sufferng....it doesn't seem like much when
your shitting your pants, but having your life back in control is
just short of wonderful. also being among other addicts who want
something more than to drool on their shoes....
for a long time i had quite a few issues about being on oxy for pain control. i went through a shaky period where i would get real disgusted with myself and flush a whole month of oxy down the crapper. what a rush $5000 (street value) down the crapper!!
i used to detox myself every 4-6 weeks and stay clean for 7-10 days to check where my neck pain levels were at. i don't want to be on oxy the rest of my life if i don't have to. so far no go.
witchy woman (another poster kind of convinced me i did not have
to do this quite so often. it's been about 2 months since the last detox, so maybe i'll check it out next month. i'm lucky, the
w/d from oxy are a breeze compared to morphine or dilaudid. i've
noticed i get a tremendious rush of creative energy when i w/d.
i'm also addicted to words and write poetry. gad it just boils
out of me when i w/d. so in away w/g isn't all bad...just uncom-
fortable! if memory serves me correctly WS Burroughs wrote "Naked
Lunch" during numerious opiate w/ds.
well i'm really the old blow-fart tonight!!
keep an angel on your shoulder
kip
well i know i'm in good company, dope fiends and animal lovers. i
also have a cat or rather she has me. my dog is slightly overweight
keeshound (57#). his name is "dutch." i know that isn't real imaganitive (the breed originated in holland). his nick-name is
"meaty boy."
enough about dogs (for now). i just want to send up good thoughts
to everyone who is still sufferng....it doesn't seem like much when
your shitting your pants, but having your life back in control is
just short of wonderful. also being among other addicts who want
something more than to drool on their shoes....
for a long time i had quite a few issues about being on oxy for pain control. i went through a shaky period where i would get real disgusted with myself and flush a whole month of oxy down the crapper. what a rush $5000 (street value) down the crapper!!
i used to detox myself every 4-6 weeks and stay clean for 7-10 days to check where my neck pain levels were at. i don't want to be on oxy the rest of my life if i don't have to. so far no go.
witchy woman (another poster kind of convinced me i did not have
to do this quite so often. it's been about 2 months since the last detox, so maybe i'll check it out next month. i'm lucky, the
w/d from oxy are a breeze compared to morphine or dilaudid. i've
noticed i get a tremendious rush of creative energy when i w/d.
i'm also addicted to words and write poetry. gad it just boils
out of me when i w/d. so in away w/g isn't all bad...just uncom-
fortable! if memory serves me correctly WS Burroughs wrote "Naked
Lunch" during numerious opiate w/ds.
well i'm really the old blow-fart tonight!!
keep an angel on your shoulder
kip
Being a zoo keeper the loving eys of a dog are a window to the soul. They love you no matter what and almost seem like they know you better than you know yourself. I used to have cats. You know what they say about cats? Dogs are part of the family and cats think you are the help. Dont get me wrong. I LOVE CATS TOO.
I have 3 pit bulls. Dwezil (Zappa) is my husbands dog. I have the girls. Oldest one I saved from a fighting for sport house, Natasha (my nick name- named after a friend of mine that had a lust for life and just made the world happy no matter were she was), and Ayla (Clan of the Cave Bear) is a rescue dog too, but she was beat up, ears cut wrong with a lot of scars and very needy. She tunes into my feelings. She knows that I am upset before I do. I dont want her to go through the W/D's. She keeps me honest in a way. She is always by my side. Natasha on the other hand, undertands and knows when I am upset, but she stays out of the way and looks at me from a far. She was born in a hole dug by her mother and was fed beer and hamburger at 5 weeks. She is a hard ass and wont back down.
Keep looking into your pets eyes and keep talking to this amazing group of people. They will keep you honest before you can admit it yourself.
I have 3 pit bulls. Dwezil (Zappa) is my husbands dog. I have the girls. Oldest one I saved from a fighting for sport house, Natasha (my nick name- named after a friend of mine that had a lust for life and just made the world happy no matter were she was), and Ayla (Clan of the Cave Bear) is a rescue dog too, but she was beat up, ears cut wrong with a lot of scars and very needy. She tunes into my feelings. She knows that I am upset before I do. I dont want her to go through the W/D's. She keeps me honest in a way. She is always by my side. Natasha on the other hand, undertands and knows when I am upset, but she stays out of the way and looks at me from a far. She was born in a hole dug by her mother and was fed beer and hamburger at 5 weeks. She is a hard ass and wont back down.
Keep looking into your pets eyes and keep talking to this amazing group of people. They will keep you honest before you can admit it yourself.
Aren't pets just the greatest therapy? I have always felt that my animals intuitively knew my moods and would provide extra comfort. I wish I could have a cat now, but I can't because I live in Boston part of the time. Too bad--oh well, if you write about yours, I can vicariously enjoy them. I'm so glad that your dog gives you comfort when you need it most. Plus, the nice things about dogs is that they live in the moment (unlike humans--we should learn from them!), so he/she'll never remember a week from now that she missed on some play time!
That dog of yours is definately a keeper! I feel so bad for my dog right now. Im going thru withdrawals and havent been able to walk her much, only to take her out for potty time.. Not much play time.. Sometimes she looks at me and i could swear shes asking, whats wrong? Anyway, hang in there bud.. BTW, im w/dng from tussinex. Is harder than i thought a cough surup would be, dang!
Hi Dr mike, im glad your in here maybe you can help me with some home therapy. God knows i need it as i relapsed today. Read Mayjor Relapse comment to Lostlady by Devodownunder (thats me). and youll know what i mean. Hey skipper dont forget your beautiful dog safed your life too. Those loving eyes looking into his masters eyes saying i love you dad!. Aye how are you anyway? Peace. Deb.
doc mike:
welcome to the forum....always room for just one more junky, so
you might as well come in! i sure hope your more intrested in re-
lating than Dr. steve was...we just don't have much to offer him i
guess....he doesn't seem to understand the rebelious and cantanker-
ious nature of many of us!
a bit nabout me...i'm a 35year+ opiate abuser. somehow i got clean.
i was clean for 17 years when an old neck injury came back to haunt
me.i was screwed...but with the help of a good pain doc and a lov-
ing wife i somehow have put togather a life. in januaryt of 2001
the look in my dog's eye's just wouldn't let me pull the trigger on
the pawn-shop shotgun in my mouth. i had just been told by my neuro
surgeon that a double fussion he had done the summer before failed
and it had to be redone! this forum helped save my life and i have
been posting ever since.
so...welcome
and keep an angel on your shoulder
kip
welcome to the forum....always room for just one more junky, so
you might as well come in! i sure hope your more intrested in re-
lating than Dr. steve was...we just don't have much to offer him i
guess....he doesn't seem to understand the rebelious and cantanker-
ious nature of many of us!
a bit nabout me...i'm a 35year+ opiate abuser. somehow i got clean.
i was clean for 17 years when an old neck injury came back to haunt
me.i was screwed...but with the help of a good pain doc and a lov-
ing wife i somehow have put togather a life. in januaryt of 2001
the look in my dog's eye's just wouldn't let me pull the trigger on
the pawn-shop shotgun in my mouth. i had just been told by my neuro
surgeon that a double fussion he had done the summer before failed
and it had to be redone! this forum helped save my life and i have
been posting ever since.
so...welcome
and keep an angel on your shoulder
kip
Well, hi Dr. Michael--are you going to be moderating this board? There's been more than a few times when I think we could have used the help of an addictionologist. I have quite a bit of experience (and later education) with addiction myself. I was a junkie for 6 years and then quit over ten years ago. I got addicted to vicodin after taking it for a severe back injury. I'm free now, though--one month off pills and the world looks pretty good! However, my back is still painful at times and this is hard to deal with. Anyway, welcome--maybe you can give some advice on tapering--I've been giving my tapering advice, but perhaps you have something better to share with the people here.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
