my son needs help

i have a 19 year old son that just told me a week ago that he is additicted to oxys.he has admitted that he needs help but when i metioned rehab he said that he would only do outpatient and that he wanted to take something called seboxion (i probaly spelled that wrong).he told me that he snorts the pill.he lost weight.i dont know where to start or what to do.

[Calzy]

The fact that your son wants to do outpatient is a step in the right direction so just work off of that. Go to suboxone.com and it will tell you about the drug which is used to get off want you son is doing and will list suboxone doctors in your area. The more you can learn about the addiction the more you can help your son.

[Carrie76]

You can also refer him to this site and see if he wants to read some of the posts here. Theres alot of support here and some wonderful advice and help. It helps also for the addict to be a part of something where they feel there not alone, that people understand where he's coming from. Have you mentioned NA to him? Thats a wonderful support outlet also if you find the right one. Keep going to them until he finds one that he likes and feels comfortable. I'll keep you and him in my prayers.

[tbrooks]

thank you so much for responding.can you tell me what NA is please.

[tbrooks]

thank you so much for responding

[Beargizmo]

NA is narcotics anonymous..you can google them and find where there may be meetings near you.  I haven't gone to any myself (yet)..I'm close to 50 days clean off of vicodin..but, my 24 year old son has been going for nearly 4 months daily (just received his 90 day clean and sober pin!) and he says they changed his life..he won't tell me what drugs he was on (he lives 1100 miles away) but I suspect
either Oxy's or possibly heroin, but he is a changed young man.

Jim

[helpingmyson]

My situation is very similar to yours. My son is also 19.
My son went off oxy's on Oct. 4th. He had been snorting them for 1 month and last year for 3 months. I suspect he started on percocets. At this point I helped him through some very hard withdrawls (once in Feb 2007 & right now). I'm very against the use of suboxone. He did ask for it last Feb. 2007 but we would not allow it. I would never allow him to use methodone either.
I believe that because of his age (19), length of use and his immaturity and still youthful inexperience he could be easily led to believe that suboxone is to be used longterm. It's very much easier to get a prescription than to suffer. My son denies cravings although I don't believe him. I bought at home drug tests very reasonably online and will test him for the entire duration that he lives in my home.
I WILL make him leave home if this happens again, but I WILL support him to the end of the earth as long as tests negative.
He will not agree to any kind of therapy, meetings, etc. but I have encouraged these things and he knows outside help is available if necessary.
Just be sure to check all options before agreeing to any kind of prescription maintenance program. I think methodone and suboxone is a LAST resort for any 19 year old.
I think you're lucky that your son came to you for help rather than getting caught.

[tbrooks]

one of his friends gave him a suboxone last night that was his first time taking it and he felt alittle high off of it.do u know how long oxys stay in your system? he said he wants to quit but he hates what he has to go through with the withdrawls.

[tbrooks]

what did you do to become sober?

[helpingmyson]

I tested my son everyday from Oct 5 to Oct 10. On Oct 10 he finally tested negative. Actually 6 days. Withdrawl (withdrawal) is horrid, but why not at least try before taking another addicting drug?
The fact that your son wants to quit is very motivating. My son's last oxy was snorted on Oct 4th. He was sick for at least a week and it's been 23 days and he's still not really himself. After this experience, I don't know what he's really like anymore. I do know that I will put my own life on hold temporarily to get him through all of this. He still needs benedryl (50 mg) to sleep. I read that sleep might not come back for months. I also read that you won't die from oxy withdrawls. I also made him walk with me for an hour everyday and it helped alot. He is now working out on his own. Exercise is a key component to help the physical withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms and it seems to have helped him mentally too!

[hellinmyhart]

        Believe me I feel your pain. My son is 20. He just got home a few days ago from a drug rehab program far from home, because he was addicted to oxys and fentynal patches. How I finally knew for sure was when he started loosing weight,and he avoided the restt of his family. Also you need to pay attention to who they are hanging with. I must tell you when I found out that the was shooting it in his veins every ounce of life just drained out of me. I love my kids more than any
thing in this world and as a parent it was the worst thing iv ever went threw emotional. Thank god he got help. You must get your son help fast. Those oxys are nothing to play around with. Thats  why they call it hillbilly herion. The addiction is quick. My boy lost a good paying job because of his addiction, because it also  affects their behavior. I do not know what the future hold, but I do know I am gonna help him always, know matter what I have to do. Rehab was the best thing my son did for himself because they know what to do, but  i would not recomend him going to a rehab that recomends methadone or suboxone. I just am trying to understand  WHY THESE YOUNG KIDS THINK THAT THEY HAVE TO DO THESE DRUGS.   Alot of the addiction comes from having to take more of the pills or whatever to ease the  side effects of the drug they are taking. The more they take the more they need to ease the dicomforts of withdrawl (withdrawal). So please help your son even if it means doing something that he may not like or agree with.

[helpingmyson]

My husband and son decided, against my better judgement, not to put him in in-patient rehab.
We are monitoring everything he does for at least the next 3 months, (he's also grounded except for school & work); reading everything we can on this subject and talking about it constantly with him. We are trying ourselves to give him the tools he needs to live a clean, drug-free life. Right now, he's a college student and has a job interview this week. He seems to be doing well, he's bored staying home all the time, but hopefully he's on the right track. It's day 23 today.
Oxycontin is pharmaceutical herion.  I hope he never needs it, but if he ever tests positive again, he WILL go to rehab or he'll leave my house. The only thing is, that going to rehab is the end of the line for us. After that, there's only the door and it would kill me to do it, but I would. I would have to because this drug destroys the family too.
I will continue to watch him closely and drug test him often. I don't know what else to do. I never let him see me get weak or cry. I have to be strong and as tough as I can be, while still providing support and love.
I wish us all best wishes and sucess with our sons!

[Beargizmo]

my addiction was no where near as severe as a number of folks on here...at the most I was taking 8-9 vicodins/day.  I took the advice of FLaddict and began a taper and then finally one day when I ran out I walked into the local ER and asked for help as I was in withdrawal..the prescribed clonidine which has been much discussed here..a blood pressure med which has been known to help with withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms, and an anti nausea med.  I also had Klonipin (klonopin) (previously prescribed)..the combination of the 3 made it fairly easy for me..I was feeling fine in less than a week (though tired and run down) but no real bad withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms.

Jim

[need advise plz]

beargizmo can u tell me what the withdrawls are for someone that takes vics 15-30 per day for over a year... I cant seem to find anything ... is it like alcholic withdrawls ?? can u plz describe them to me

[Beargizmo]

well, I'm sure there's plenty of commentary on withdrawls from that amount.  I can't speak from experience because I didn't take that many.  But from what I've read, one will experience within 24 hours or so after the last pill, shakiness, a "skin crawling" effect, anxiety, irritability, diarreah (diarrhea) (increasingly worse over the first couple of days) as well as vomiting..it's like a 5-7 day real bad case of the flu.  The person may want to load up on immodium (not the store brand) and gatorade..they will need plenty of fluids.  I highly recommend that the person try to get clonidine and medication from their doctor for nausea and perhaps something for anxiety.

Search the forum here also for "Thomas Recipe" which has a number of items that are said to be of great help.  If at all possible, the person should try to call out of work for a few days as they will definitely not want to be working.

Look for "GA Guy's" profile (click on his name in some of his replies in here) and he has a number of things that should be of help.

and stay in touch here..we're glad to help all we can.

Jim

[notmenow!]

A person does not all of a sudden pick up oxycontin on day and decide I will try and crush one up snort it or even chew it. This is when the drug becomes like heroin, because they have found a way around the time release. They are releasing 12hrs of oxycodone and are snorting them or chewing them and in some cases using them interveniously, This is the rush which is much like heroin, But I would ask then what was the first drug they ever tried. If they are being honest with you they are going to say weed, about 3 years ago as well as alcohol. Marijuana is a gateway drug as far as I am concerned, After a while the user gets board with it. So they move onto the next recommended high by their peers. And you have both been oblivious to the whole thing until he has developed a taste for the euphoria drugs cause them, But in most cases there are underlying emotional issues from their past. That drugs make it easier to cope with. I'm not speaking for all addicts. But for at least 50% the statement is true. Hellinmyhart you should be proud of yourself for getting your son into treatments, I truly hope he succeeds, To helpingmyson there are so many ways to tamper with the urines, He could use a friend that is clean urine and make the switch on you, do you follow him into the bathroom and do you look to see if the urine is at the correct body temperature. There is no reason for detox at this point as his system should be clean, If you both want your sons to stay clean even if they should have a slip. Have your PCP put them on 50mg of naloxone which is nothing more than an opiate blocker, If they were to use they would go into instant withdrawal, It is not addicting and has no real side effects. if you choose this method. You will not have to resort to other alternatives that you do not approve of at this time.--------NOAH

[hellinmyhart]

      You were absoulty right when you said they usuallystart out with marijuana, and it leads to other drugs. Im sure I am one of many mothers who may be going threw this emotional hell. I dont know  if he is going to start using again, and I dont think I will ever trust him again. Of course I will never tell him this. My gut feeling is hewill get involved again. His girlfreind decided to leave him just the other day because she cant handle things ----supposedily---. I just found out yesterday she begged him to buy her loritabs. I confronted her about it, so it is true, she did not deny it. I hope she does leave now, because he does not need this kinda girl in his life, nor does she need a guy like him  in her life. I know I cannot choose his life for him, and I wont, but I will not back down if I find out he is using again. I will be his worst nightmare.Youm are also right about most people using because of  emotional issues. Im trying to find out from him if he has any issues with me or his father. He says no. I means he had a good home. he does not come from a broken home, as do alot of kids. he was not raised in a daycare center. I stayed home until both my kids were raised, and their father worked. So what is the emotional issue. Im trying to understand.Please help me to understand. I feel sometimes like im gonna have a nervouse breakdown over this whole thing. Im already have way there,even though he has gotten help, I just am not sure about anything.

[hellinmyhart]

      You were absoulty right when you said they usuallystart out with marijuana, and it leads to other drugs. Im sure I am one of many mothers who may be going threw this emotional hell. I dont know  if he is going to start using again, and I dont think I will ever trust him again. Of course I will never tell him this. My gut feeling is hewill get involved again. His girlfreind decided to leave him just the other day because she cant handle things ----supposedily---. I just found out yesterday she begged him to buy her loritabs. I confronted her about it, so it is true, she did not deny it. I hope she does leave now, because he does not need this kinda girl in his life, nor does she need a guy like him  in her life. I know I cannot choose his life for him, and I wont, but I will not back down if I find out he is using again. I will be his worst nightmare.Youm are also right about most people using because of  emotional issues. Im trying to find out from him if he has any issues with me or his father. He says no. I means he had a good home. he does not come from a broken home, as do alot of kids. he was not raised in a daycare center. I stayed home until both my kids were raised, and their father worked. So what is the emotional issue. Im trying to understand.Please help me to understand. I feel sometimes like im gonna have a nervouse breakdown over this whole thing. Im already have way there,even though he has gotten help, I just am not sure about anything.