how do we deal with the depression that comes with getting off the pills.

[hippy]

for me i struggled with this for 2 years, every time i tried to get off the
pills i would get a week clean but the severe depression would kick in and rock me to the point of not being able to move.
i would just sit and stair out the window. then i would
get more pills because i had work that had to get done.
not untill i found this fourm and started taking the L-tyrosine
and b-6 did i get through the depression.
i also took 5htp to help with it. these supplements help ed
more than i can ever say.
peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[curious1998]

All of you are such an inspiration, just one question, should you start these before going off of the pills?  So that they might have more time to get into your system?

Thanks so much,

curious

[taeme]

Things like the B6 wouldn't hurt, and for the most part its usually good to start a regime at least 2 weeks before. But I don't know if anything your taking may have an interact with one of your supplements better check that out carefully. HEART TAE

[hippy]

start the vit's asap.
the receipe.
unless you are taking meds for depression like paxil
or something like it.
peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[curious1998]

Thanks so much guys!!

curious

[1st24]

Have you ever tried St. John's Wort for depression?  If so, did it work, and how much did you take?  Also what is 5htp or ?  Is it another supplement?

[hippy]

your welcome.
how are you doing, are you new to the fourm, i have been here
since late feb. 02.

i hope you are feeling  ok.
peace  keep posting, let us know hoe it is going.

michael / hippy

[hippy]

yes i have tried st. jhons wart., i really did not have great result.
5htp is a supplemnet to help inhance your seratonin and kick in
your indorphins, it works well. sold at vitamin stores.
the L-tyrosine and b-6 taken in the morning helped me the most with depression, these are the main ingredent in the thomas's receipe.
peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! good luck and enjoy your weekend.
keep posting and asking questions, we all here wish the best

[hippy]

your question below . sore throat is not wd's you may have a cold.
try lots of hot baths  around day 3 , 4  ,5 , 6.
lots of bannas for restless leg.
if you do take any thing like xanax or valium for sleep.
this will cause some extra depression. if you are taking it.

are you taking the receipe, it works wonders with depression and energy.
imodium for the runs , the runs will deplete us of all our nutreints and this will cause much more pain then we have to go through.
drink lots of liquids , gatoraid is good for the lost electrolites due to the runs.
by day 5 you shoud beging to come out of the woods , that is when the depression
starts to really hit us.
keep posting

michael from philly

[1st24]

Thank you for all the advice.  I was taking ativan, but don't want to gwt more depressed, so am going to take valerian root.  I think my sore throat is from being dehydrated for various reasons, so am drinking more water.  How much B-6?  I have a b-complex with 100mg's of B-6.  Do I need more than that?  I have now reached day 3, going into day 4.  My rls is better, but I already feel very depressed and paralyzed.  Hard to be coherent or do tasks that used to be automatic.  I feel like an automaton.

[hippy]

L-tyrosine 500mg 8 a day week 1 , 4 a day weeks  after.
b-6 100 mg 2 a day
strong multi
calsium-magnisum
zinc
copper
vit  A, C ANS E.
MANGANESE
PHOSPHORUS

imodium

bannnas
gator aid
5htp for stubrun depression
xanax or valuim for sleep week 1.

[hippy]

lots of hot baths can not be stressed enough
in the 1st 10 days, also good movies to watch
or good books to take our minds off the whole situation.
and lots and lots of bannas for restless leg

[taeme]

I was wondering too if at all possible take time off, reduce stress that you have to be somewhere, be someone when your ready to go crazy.  How do you all handle the pressures of having to be at work, house work, studies etc.. with the included stress of withdrawls?

[puma]

(1st24),

Hello, I read you have a soar throat. Zinc is a good vitamin to eliminate that. Also some herbs can cause soar throats.

I get a soar throat every time I drink green tea. I must be somewhat ellergic to it. Just a thought.

I hope (everyone) is doing well and will post later. I gotta run for now. Everyone take care and good luck.

Chatahan......wildcat

[Sundown]

We all handle our withdrawl differently. For some, time off is needed to handle the pain of withdrawl. For me, I stopped on a monday morning, knowing I would HAVE to go to work. I felt that if I sat at home, I would concentrate on feeling bad, and end up restating. By knowing i had to function, I was able to distract myself from the withdrawl. The nights at home were much harder than during the day, so I tried to stay in my office as late as I could. Granted, I really didn't get much work done, but by not being alone at home, I got through those first 5 days. By the next weekend, i was still restless, but felt I was through the worst and knew I wouldn't start again, as I never wanted to go through that experience again.

My way worked for me, but I know it's not for everyone. But the point is, decide what will be most supportive for you to get through those first days, and stick with it. It WILL get better.

Sundown

[hippy]

best to get a week off if possible.
if not the receipe will hep with dealing with work.

[cheermom]

i've been reading the comments about depression and have a question.  i have been clean 6 months (percs, hydro, codeine, adderall).  i stopped cold turkey and actually lived to tell about it suprisingly enough.  my question is i still feel like a lack energy.  i dont feel depressed and i dont feel like i never have energy but it just seems to feel like i'm missing just a little piece of me.  its hard to explain.  i do what i have to do and i am definitely enjoying life now but i just seem to lag behind a little.  i've been reading your comments about 5htp, L-tyrosine, and b6 but since i'm not sure what they are or what they do i dont know if they would help.  i definitely dont want ANTHING prescription just maybe a vitamin supplement to get me back to "normal".  any feedback would be greatly appreciated.  i also wanted to thank everyone.  i've been a lurker here for some time and this board got me through some rough nights.  everyone here should be so proud that they are able to reach out to others the way that you all do.

[hippy]

L-tyrosine 500 mg. and b-6 100mg would help in the morning.
the L-tyrosine is an amino acid that get your natral
endorphins kicked  in and it is a vitamine and the b-6 is a b vitamine 2 of each a day would help, i have been clean 7 months
and still take them.
5htp is a vitamine supplement that acts like natraul seratonin
1 aday.

peace!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ps. along with a daily multi.

[taeme]

I know what you mean and thats the feeling that drives me back.  You know of everything I would recommend B vitamins, they not only help with mood, depression, they help with sleep, brain functioning, memory.  I think those B-vitamins are excellent.  I would definitely look into starting those. It may take a little while, you wont notice it.  Which is what addicts like, they like to feel like its working.  But these really should make you feel better, increase energy.  I can't say enough about them, I've done some pretty extensive research on B-vitamins.  Specifically when I was on adderral.  Do you mind my asking you how you ended up with adderral, they are very strict with that stuff.  My husband and all his brothers are prescribed the medicine so I took it for over about a year, I got to the point I could stay up between 3-5 days rarely 5 but I was taking about 100-200mg per day.  Talk about tolerance, I remember when 10-20mg would set me off like a rocket, running around.  I haven't done that for a long time now and that was hard but I did it.  Mind you it wasn't as hard as coke.  But try those B vits.  HEART TAEME

[gia]

I do not know why I can never post a question on this site. Anyhow  I went to see a counselor about my addiction and she asked me why I wanted to get clean. Was it for myself, the courts, my family or whatever. I responded that I needed a change in my life and that I know that I can not go on any longer like this, and she responded with,"why not?" She then asked why not just keep getting high and then proceeded to ask this hypothetical question."What if your drug of choice was over the counter and even after extended use there were no withdrawal symptoms,would you continue to use? Or let's say you knew for sure that the world was coming to an end in three weeks, would you use till the end? Basically she was trying to see how bad I wanted to get clean and whether or not it was for the right reasons. The problem is that I had to actually think about it for a moment, especially the answer to the second question. I can't honestly say that I am absulutely  sure I would not use in the latter situation. What does that say about me? I have only been clean for a week straight so maybe I need more time, however,I was curious as to what others might say. Please post back to me with your answers or feedback. I hope this does not offend anyone. Thanks and I hope everyone is doing well and  staying strong. I apreciate everyone's comments and I believe that this forum is a blessing. By the way is anyone from Atlanta or Jacksonville, FL? I am originally from Jax, but live in Atlanta now.

[Sundown]

Your considering about how you would honestly answer those questions is the result of your addiction. Being straight for one week in WONDERFUL, but you are just starting the process of recovery from this terrible illness of addiction. I've been clean 34 says now, and while I am commited to staying clean, I'm not sure how I would answer some of those questions. The one about "if it's over the counter with no withfrawl" I think (IMHO) is not that pertinant, as such a substance wouldn't meet the criteria of an addictive drug, although I can imagine the question could as to whether you have an "adictive" personality. It reminds me of how freely we use the word addiction these days, with shopping "addicts","exercise" addicts", etc. But a question like what you would do if the world were going to end, or perhaps even just you knew you were going to die, would you use is a tough one. Probably in my first week, my answer would ahve been Yes. Now, I guess it would be I'm not sure. I am commited to staying clean for the rest of my life, but changing and healing our minds takes ALOT of time and ALOT of effort.

She wasn't asking you "trick" questions . She wanted to raise those issues so YOU would really think about how you would answer and feel your own commitment, and see how the pitfalls that life can bring to your future, stress, disappointments, faliures (all a part of everyones existence) can effect you and cause relapse. Learning how to not rely on drugs in the face of adversity is the biggest problem for every addict. We all used these drugs as an escape from either physical or emtional pain in our lives. What happens the next time those events occur as the test of our sobriety. Keep in mind there are no "right answers", other than knowing that remaining committed to a clean life is going to be a struggle for us all. But the rewards of that stuggle are, I think, well worth it.

Anyway, congratulations on ONE WEEK. Thats a great start.

Sundown

[CATUF]

I may be posting this in the wrong thread, but . . .

Chatahan

[puma]

Catuf,

I never really thought of it that way but you are so correct. It isn't that I want so desperately to be clean and sober, but the simple lack of negatives which go along with the addiction/ withdrawals and chasing down the drug of choice.

I feel good on Codiene, but quit do to blackout seizures and lack of availability. I am quitting booze do to toxicity of daily usage on my health plus forever fighting withdrawal.

I have a chronic pain disorder and will maintain the Ultram for now, but who knows what next week will bring?

The Klonopin I take for seizures. It has solved six health related problems I have. I don't plan to give it up but the Doc here is wierd and wants me to detox. Detox to what, more seizures? I will sue him if that happens!

Thanks for the input, and congrats on being over 30 days. My cat is about to deliver and driving me nuts. I have to run to take care of her while she has her babies. Take care and God Bless.

Chatahan.......wildcat

[Bodymechanic]

Hippie

How in god's name do always manage to post topics.  I have tried at all hours of the day and night to post a topic. All I ever get is a message that reads "Due to lack funding and limited staff we have reached our daily limit of new questions".  Perhaps I am mistaken, but the only people I have ever seen  answering questions on this forum are the board members.  Maybe the message should more correctly read "You could post a question here for free.  However, we would much rather that you pay some bullshit physician's assistant right out of college to give you misinformation and incomplete answers".  

Everyone

Depression has been a hot topic here in recent weeks.  The simple answer is that if you are suffering from post withdrawal depression, it will soon pass with or without treatment.  Unfortunately, there are some of us (many) who are suffering from depression that predates our drug use. It also persists in spite of exhaustive treatment and psycotherapy.  And it persists even after many years of being totally drug and alchol free. This is what I have been calling addiction related to a biochemical disorder of the brain.  I can only pray that someday it will be recognised as a genuine diagnosis and not just something invented in the mind of a sruggling addict (myself)

The best service and possibly the only service that we can do for eachother is to seek help on our own.  I am tired of the  psychatrists usual ****. I have nothing to show for the countless dollars and years I have wasted on them. In my opinion they are nothing more than drug pushers for the rich drug companies.  Which I would not mind if their potients and snake oils worked.  Now my doctor is the collective minds of the internet. My pharmacy is the online pharmacy.

My latest trial which will last 8 weeks(or forever if it works) is as follows.

1) I am discontinuing the use of ultram because using it will intefere with the other medications I will be using.
2) Deprenly 10-20 mg per day to elevate dopamine levels.
3) Busbar 20 mg per day to help reduce anziety, elevate dopamine levels and SLIGHTLY elevate serotonin levels.
4) Clonidine .1-.2 mg at bedtime to reduce sympathetic hyperactivity.
5) Tyrosine in the AM to provide the raw material for dopamine production.
6) 5HTP in the morning to provide the raw material for serotonin production.
7) Udo's Choice perfect food as an overall natural balanced food supplement.
8) BioGreens as a complete nutritional supplimentation and to balance body PH.
9) Coral calcium...Ummm....I fell for the TV hype and wanted to try it.

There are no harmful ingredients here.  Deprenly is one of the safests medications on the market.  Busbar has been around for years with no reported significant side effects. Clonidine is also a very safe medication.  All of these medications are safe when taken in combination.  The only question is will they work. At lest I will be no worse off then before.  As time goes on I will report on it's effectiveness.  I wish others would do the same things and regardless of you use, post your results. Wouldnt it be best thing ever if a bunch of junkies solved a problem that so many could not or would not solve.

United we stand.  Divided we fall.


Peace

[users mom]

I have a son that does any drug available, pills and herion.
He started with crushing oxycontin and snorting it, then progressed to Heroin. He's been in three rehabs so far, but keeps relapsing. The longest stay was three weeks, I feel he needs a longer stay.

He's unreachable, and is tearing our family apart.

can any one shed light on this