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Oxycontin Withdrawal

Hello - I've been using oxycontin recreationally for about a year. Let me preface this by saying that i've never used over 80mg (in any one sitting, anyways).  usually, my routine would be to take half of it, and then over the course of the day i'd finsh it little by little. no surprise that the frequency of use has increased over the past year.  Most recently, i've been on i guess what you'd call a 'binge' taking one every day (it's been about a month of everyday, one a day, use) again, I've never gone over the 80mg and continue to take them in the same way, as I described earlier in this post.  

I've decided (obviously) that i need to stop and i guess i'm just worried and curious about the withdrawls that i'm going to be experiencing.  I am taking Klonopin (prescribed) and am wondering if that will help me through it.  I've gone through periods in the past when i've stopped and definitely experienced withdrawal symptoms, but, and maybe i'm naive for thinking this, b/c my mg use not astronomically high, will it be as bad?

thoughts or experiences are greatly appreciated.
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Avatar universal
  So, after all that,  I guess my point is this;  1) Whenever possible steer clear of the meds, or at very least try not to use for extended period of time. Trust me, the harm outweighs the benefits after a while.
2) never give up, you can do things you never thought or have been told are near impossible. Look at everything as a small obstacle & focus on overcoming it.
3) withdrawals are hard & extremely uncomfortable, but know you are strong enough to overcome if you REALLY want to. It gets easier with each hour that passes. It's all choice. It's up to you to push through and come our the other side
4)positive mindset can have astonishing impacts, in every aspect of your life.... Stay strong, think strong & you'll be unstoppable....
Good luck to you all, I believe in you....
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Avatar universal
smarten up & make some massive changes in my life. I needed to get clean.
   Never being one to seek or admit I needed help, especially given very few actually knew of my addiction & I was ashamed of the person I had become- I went it alone, cold turkey. This was before forums like this existed, the internet was just being born! I just decided to ride it out... Let me tell you, the withdrawals were absolute hell. Agonizing muscle & what seemed like every part of my body in pain. The sweats turning to frozen chills in an instant , vomiting, total body weakness, unable to sleep & of course the constant internal wail of my body crying out craving a fix. These words in no way accurately describe what I was going through, I guess the simplest way to explain it is; imagine the worst case of the flu you've ever had & multiply that by at least 10 & you're getting close. I felt like I was going die & actually thought that would be so much easier at the time.
   The first 3 days were the worst, obviously, I came close to giving up & getting a fix to make it all go away. But I dug as deep as I could & continued my detox. So after around a week, I started feeling a little better each day, began eating better as I found my appetite slowly returning which slowly gave my body more strength to continue recovering. I eventually felt well enough after nearly 3 weeks to get back to a semi "normal" life. So on I marched..
   I found myself a job & for the first time in a long time I felt good about myself. I was proud & happy in where I was, seeing each day get better through positive thinking & actions. I never touched heroin again, though the craving for it was always there hiding in the recesses if my mind. 10 years went by, totally free of that horrible drug & never looked back. Not living this remarkable world changing life some foresaw for me, yet I was happy & everything seemed to be looking up for me.
   As life often does, I was thrown a freak curve ball one day. My life turned on it's head in a fraction of a second. I won't bore you with the details(have probably done enough of that already!), but I had a freak accident which shattered my knee & unfortunately developing a secondary injury left un diagnosed for approximately 7 hours. This secondary injury crushed all the nerves in my leg, basically rendering that leg useless & in constant extreme pain, due to the extent of the nerve damage. The docs said I'd never walk again normally. Awesome! Just what I want to hear... But, no, sorry doc- you're wrong, I'll be walking again mark my words!
  Now, all those astute folks out there can probably see where this story leads.... Yes, I was prescribed Oxcycontin to manage my pain. I didn't know much about it, so did some research. Upon discovering they are opioids, near enough to the thing I had eliminated from my life long ago, you can understand my reluctance to take these pills. However, upon trying countless other meds, nerve block injections many other methods- oxys seemed to be the only thing that gave me any kind relief. I was sure if I mentioned my history of addiction, I would not be prescribed the one pill that did anything & so chose not to reveal my past to the docs. I was confident in myself I had that demon under wraps. So I'm now taking the one thing I never thought I'd put in my body ever again, just to get through the day.
  I was off my feet, bed ridden for nearly 3 months. Using every ounce of mental strength & determination to get back on my feet without any crutches, sticks or whatever aids the specialists said I'd need from now on. Very slowly,  I began to be able to barely move just a single toe! I was so sure if I never gave up, though there were many dark times of self doubt, I would eventually prove the doctors wrong and walk back into their office one day. Long story short, I did. I somehow regained function in my leg & foot & taught myself  to walk again- pretty much normally! Medical marvel according to surgeons, they have no idea how it was possible since nerves, tendons .& all other important stuff was as they put it "damaged beyond repair, basically dead. Sorry". As fantastic as this was/is, I am still left with excruciating nerve pain throughout my leg & foot, 24/7. Fast forward 4 years, still on pain meds... Oxys, take away just enough for me to be able to get through the work day, where I'm on my feet for 8hrs, many of my daily duties probably the worst thing for me in all honesty, but I enjoy it. I take as few meds as I can get away with, but most days I'm still on 90-120mg to allow me to function. I sleep 3 hrs a night if lucky, kept awake often by pain. For the most part I can block out a lot of my pain for a while, but this gets mentally exhausting, is starting to take a toll on me to be honest. It's then when I take what prescribed, anywhere from 160-240mg per day(pain levels dependent, breakthrough & otherwise).
  Anyways, I'll wrap it up now, thanks for sticking around this long- it's been an epic ramble! After 4 years taking oxy, steadily increasing dosage as tolerance levels build, I'm starting to notice many adverse effects on my body as a whole. I feel very down often, lacking strength & motivation- I have force myself every day to go to work, staying as positive as I can about life in general. This is what keeps me going, allows me to manage pain without too many meds, most of the time anyway.
  I stopped taking the oxys, while I took time off work. Once again the only way I know, for me I think the best-  cold turkey. It was only then I realised how dependent my body had become on them, similar to addiction. It wasn't quite on the same level as the withdrawal I went through all those years ago, but it's not too far off... It was a rough, all too familiar time for me but successfully went without any at all for around 3 months. Managing & redirecting pain in other ways.... But back at work now, working more & harder than ever, it's just too hard to be able to function at an acceptable pace & level without any meds, so I'm back taking them again- much as I don't wan't to...
  I will one day be free from reliance on pills to get by, but for now I have to pop a few here & there when pain gets too intense.
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Avatar universal
  G'day anyone out there taking the time to read this, seeking answers/insights/help regarding withdrawals... If my experiences can help someone, then I have succeeded in my reasons for sharing my story. It may be long, so please bear with me, I assure you it does lead somewhere... I'll start with a little background info about me....
   At risk if sounding conceited, I was always an intelligent guy. Many close to me, including; peers, teachers/mentors & many encountered in early life through early adulthood, would always say something very similar to me, for reasons I never saw. "You are destined for something truly remarkable in this life, not many have what you have. There is nothing you are not capable of achieving, you could change the world if you want... Please don't let life slip by, hidden in the crowd...." Now, I never believed any of it, however, it did instill me somewhat with a sense of invulnerability. Doesn't matter what I do today, tomorrow I can be this great person if I want according to everyone else.
   So like many, curious, I began experimenting with various substances, often. One day & I honestly can't give a reason to this day, I tried heroin. Knowing all too well where this choice would inevitably lead me. Addiction. At the age of 19- 23, what should be some of the best years in life- I was an addict. Leading a miserable life, numb to the rest of the world. I saw friends overdose & pass away, lost countless others & was on a fast track to nowhere. But one day I saw myself in the mirror & a sudden sense of clarity flooded my thoughts. I hated the man staring back at me, I was destined for nothing if I didn't
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390416 tn?1275185087
Welcome to the forum...this is a great place for help and suppport!

This is an old thread and you may get overlooked.....if you want feedback, repost your question /comments on your own thread....go to top and hit "post  a question".

Good luck...see you out in the forum....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I have recently come off Oxycontin for severe spinal pain. I had a tripple fusion, screws, hardware etc. bone graft. I am not a recreatioonal person, never have been.
I want EVERYONE to know, there is a huge difference in abuse and dependance.

I do want to make a comment however as to the withdrawal. My doctor would not allow me to come down properly, if I went to another doctor for a lower dosage, then I would be accused of doctor shopping.
I decided after much search to come off the oxy. I have a friend who is an ex Heroin addict, who warned me, coming off 80mgs of Oxycontin is no picnic.
WELL I will say, I am on day 12, it has not been easy. I am still sweating, have diarhea and have lost 8lbs. I feel nautious some and am extremely tired. Leg jerks, cannot sleep etc.
I will say though, I think I had it easier than some. I have read some people had much worst WD than I!
It's not over yet, I realise but I think the worst is behind me, and I feel tons better without all that shite (excuse) poisoning me. My doctor will be surprised I am sure next visit when I tell him I quit. My pain is not as bad as I thought, the fusion is now healed. I am so glad to have done this.
I wish anyone on this strange journey the best of luck

Ember
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Avatar universal
Good response.  Medical students sure can be funny.   The book smarts are great, they are lacking the life experience.  I'm sure this person will change approach and opinion once Med School is over.

Sobriety, I'm going to give you one more lecture and then I will leave you alone.  If you want people take you seriously, you need to cut back on the arrogance.  There are those of us who work in the medical field and have for quite some time.  I've been in it for 14 years.  I know caregiver has been in it for a long period of time as well.  I've done research on many drugs.  Depends on whos doing the research and what they want to prove.  Statistics can be swayed in many many ways.  That's where the life experience comes in handy.  Take bits and pieces of what you read, examine your personal experience and combine them to make and informed decision.  Again, good luck with your studies.
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144586 tn?1284666164
Thanks sobriety. I hope you feel better. You have a point about histrionics. I am not about to call you an idiot or criticize your comment. Oxycontin is not a bad drug. As for respiratory depression, particuliarly in conjunction with alcohol, that is a fact of life. It is a particuliar risk with asthmatics. I stand by my post.  The hazard depends on many factors, from body weight to the past use of oxycontin. I personally feel ocycontin has gotten a bad rap. I worked for a time in a medical examiner office and can assure you that oxycontin has been implicated in numerous deaths. There are generally co-factors involved. Alcohol especially, but often other drugs, from valium to tramadol, blach, blah. I would not want to discourage use of oxycontin, because it has a place in medicine, however. There were reasons why it became such a tightly controlled substance. Pointing out the potential risks of oxycontin comes under the heading of the legal doctrine of "the reasonable and prudent man".
Helpful - 0
169037 tn?1212557647
I AM A MED STUDENT AND THE POST REGARDING RESPIRATORY ARREST IS A BIT HISTRIONIC... WHY WOULD YOU SAY SUCH A THING?? IT NEED BE NOTED THAT OXYCONTIN IS ACTUALLY LESS ADDICTIVE THAN THE NARCOTIC ANALGESICS IE: PERCOCET,LORTAB,NORCO,VICODIN...YES!!! A STUDY WE DID AT MEDICAL UNIV. SHOWS THAT THE SHORT TERM NARC'S HAVE A PEAK AND TROUGH WHERE AS OC'S HOMEOSTATICALLY RELEASE OVER 12 HRS NO PEAK NO TROUGH!!! KLONOPIN IS A GOOD MED BUT NOT FOR DETOX.GET CLONODINE CATAPRESS IT'S AWESOME, HAVE IMMODIUM HANDY, VITAMIN B, PHENERGAN PRN NAUSEA. HANG IN THERE PAY NO MIND TO THE RESPIRATORY COMMENT OR THOSE INVOVING THAT POST, FOR THAT IS SO OPIONATED, NOT FACTUAL!!!! BEST OF LUCK, AND CARE GIVER CHANGE SCREEN NAME, OR GO BACK TO RN SCHOOL!!!!
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144586 tn?1284666164
I've said this before and it needs saying again. If you are taking 80 mg of oxycontin and STOP taking it for a period of time (which varies with the individual) and start at 80 mg you will go into respiratory arrest and become a corpse. Do not pass go. Do not collect two hundred dollars. To reduce your doeage take it with grapefruit juice, which extends the half-life and enables the same effect with 1/2 the dose. Read some of the books by Dr. Thomas Szasz on "The Therapeutic State". Prosecuting oxycontin users is a high priority, unfortunately, and be careful always to use your own prescriptions kept in the original bottle and never take them on an airplane. It is not a good long-term pain killer. If you insist on the addiction you need to have the antidote handy, nalaxone hydrochloride, which, unfortunately, most physicians refuse to prescribe. It is a crummy habit from a life-experience standpoint because it makes your judgement crummy, destroys iniative and if your boss finds out you are taking it, you are in deep do-do. I was prescribed it years ago for level ten spinal pain, but found anti-inflammatories provided far better relief. I got annoyed because I could not think clearly while on that drug. Thinking clearly was more important to be than euphoria. Whatever you do, never recommend to anyone else who has not been on the drug to take 80 mg to start with or they will end up very dead.
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Avatar universal
The kalonopin will help you with some of the withdrawls, but there is a risk of dependency their too.  You should really do a google search on a doctor who can prescribe you suboxone or subutex.  They are wonderful drugs that help you withdrawl nicely from Narcotics.
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