she's worse then i thought!!!!!!! now what?

[howcouldshe]

ok...so she just left. here's the story..She told me that she's had a problem with pills for the last two years...wow...i had NOOOO idea!!!! on top of that she told me she's also been taking methadone from her boyfriend for the last year and made me swear not to tell!!! I'm in my first year of medical school and we JUST learned about methadone!! Oh my GOD!!! I feel like she is i hate to say it but she is screwed.  THat is the most potent drug, and has the longest half life of ANY drug. it actually stores itself in a persons bones.    THus her withdrawls could last 1 to 4 months!!! she won't go into rehab for work purposes. she won't tell her family because they are of strict moral etc and very stubborn and narrowminded.  She wants me to help her by locking her up in my apartment and staying with her while she withdraws....i feel like i'm getting caught up in a web of lies. I've seen videos of people withdrawing from methadone and compared them to those coming off of heroine and those on methadone are far worse.  I"m so scared for her. I"m scared to watch her go through it..i dont know what to do? I honestly doubt she can do this on her own.  THere are very few who have quit c/t from it.  If it was just the pain pills such as the dillauded i would do it for her. But the METHADONE Too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my god...this is far worse than i ever imagined.....PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ANd on top of that, I don't mean to sound selfish but i cannot afford to drop medical school to stay with her for the next month or so.....what should i do?

[gristler]

Don't do it! She could die from the withdrawal.What would you do then!She has painted herself in a corner. The best thing you could do for her is turn her in. If she's  working in medical field  she is putting  her patients at risk.Help her face reality.

[Curls]

How are you both doing?  Please let us know.  ...so we can worry for you : ).  Seriously I hope you are both doing okay.

[pratt]

I just wanted to give you my admiration for sticking this out with your friend, and let you know what helped me.  I just came off hydrocodone (I know methadone is much harder to wd from, but anyway)early this week and I finally gave in on day three of hell, woke up my wife, and she drove me to the ER.  (I'm danm lucky to have her btw)  The doc gave me Zofran for nausea (a GODSEND!), a handful of xanax and a handful of tramadol.  When I got home I took one of each and fell asleep for 2 1/2 hours.  Woke up and felt so much better.  Took them AS PRESCRIBED for the next two days and got through it.  Day six now and still having mild symptoms but feel human again.  And you've probably heard this a million times, but it bears repeating....hot baths (I took 5 in one night)....vitamins....(I drank orange juice, but could barely keep it down, and it gave me heartburn)....thermal underwear!!!  (all I had were the bottoms, but my legs never got cold while the rest of me froze).  
If what I have read on here is true, and this is going to last for 10 to 14 days (which I do not doubt) please find some more help, for you and her.  
One more thing I want to say.  Everyone keeps saying you can't die from wds, you just feel like you are, I say BS!, especially if you have any pre-existing condition.  My blood pressure went way too high during day 3 (I was monitoring it, 200/105) and that's when I went to the ER.  Check her's often if you can.  Good luck to the both of you and take care.    

[wantoffvic]

hydrocodone.....cant spell...sorry

[wantoffvic]

Hello and GOD bless you for the good heart you have.
I am on my 12th day of never taking hydrocodine again.....yeah me
first I want to say you made the right choice by commin here i was an addict for 2 years got to the point that i was taking 8-10 1000mg a day..i read these forums for about 2mo. before i made my choice. i was scared to death of the w/d....i called a friend that i knew was a believer just as i am
i ask her to pray with me and she did. we prayed that God would heal me and strengthen me.
He realy did.. i felt like **** for a while but nothing like i was hearing about..i read a post on here were someone said the pills are the devil's tool..this made sence to me..maybe it will help your friend
to..well my whole point of posting this to you. is as i was reading all of your story i, like everyone on here wants to help you and her in anyway we can..this is my way...Hold ur friends hand and pray
ask God to help her and to heal her..when going through w/d there is very little that seems solid enough to hold you down. GOD is solid..if she doesnt know him maybe you could introduce her to him.
ok I knew when i wrote this that some will not agree..but we do all agree that addiction is bad and we are all here to offer our own addvice in the hope that one more will be free from the power of addiction  this is mine

[jo929]

what will you tell the police just in case she quits breathing or go into convulsions then the wholle world would know it i admire you for wanting to help your friend but getting proffesionel help might be the way to go if anything should happen to your friend i do beleive the authritives would not look at this the way you do      lots of luck to both of you     jo

[hopsing94]

Jess how are things going. It's been awhile since i've seen any posts. Hope everything is ok.-John

[tooklastdose]

Just wondering how you gals are doing?

[Curls]

Glad to see you are still doing okay.  Every once in a while someone has the will power to just do it - so I'm hoping it's your friend!  It sounds like she was quite right about her parents.  Is there anyone else she's ever mentioned, an Aunt?  Hope you finally can get some sleep yourself.  All you have is a the anmoungous pain of a migrane - I'd say you are holding up well under the circumstances : ).  Contacting an NA group sounds like a great resource.  Maybe someone can even come in for a few hours and sit with her while you, take a nap, or (if it's possible) study at some point.

[lovebuckets10]

i had a friend that had a sim story, somehow it became our problem to take care of him. I know it sounds like Im being mean but he was our bes tfriend before this ( he was the reason my hubby and I met). I am so sad for your friend b/c I have been through treatment 2x this time did it at home. After days of this I located a treatment center that said yes we will help its was a 3 hour drive. I gave him a **** load of xanax (one of his many favs) and told him I had an ideal, they were waiting on us. We took him n and had already took his wallet, credit cards, ids, cell phone, ect.. he said no way im staying. So we told him how much we loved him (as he told us how much he hated us) Then we explained the nearest pay phone was about 6 miles, he would have to walk there call collect (he did not know any numbers we had the phone) and get someone to come get him, but keep in mind he did not even know what town he was in. OR we would pay for the treatment and he couldn come stay with us when he completed treatment. Well he stayed 6 days at least through the detox, then he left... He said hes not mad but he is just not ready for treatment or to stop. I could not handle it after a couple of days of him telling me he was about to die, I was affraid he might do something. I dont think this will help but other people have tried doing what you are doing. YOUR A GREAT FRIEND!!! please look in to getting her in treatment they meds and drs there to help with it. also maybe try calling a na or aa group they will help you so much!!

[Savas]

Y'know, unless she's taking something still she's actually doing pretty well it sounds. If she's got the energy and coordination to move around...unless she's still got the perc's. That would explain it.

[howcouldshe]

OOPS...sorry...slipped and hit tab then enter.  Anyhow, she is still a complete wreck and it seems as though it is getting worse and worse instead of better.  i talked to a few people who used to do methadone and they say it will continue to get worse until about day 10-14 and then it will stay that way for another week before getting better.  Wow. Sounds pretty much impossible.  Sigh..right now she's on the balcony smoking a cigarette.  She' comes up with the strangest outfits.  She's wearing my snowboarding pants and a tank top.  she says she can't get warm and then suddenly she's perspiring so badly that her hair is matted to her head.  I don't know.  I"m trying to get the house clean and keep active.  i know i'm helping her but i feel SOO unproductive just sitting around with her.  I managed to iron my sheets,(yes i know that's wierd but i like them crisp) and did some laundry.  Now i'm cooking dinner but i doubt she'll touch any of it.  My migrane still has not subsided so I'm thinking of taking some advil here in a minute. other than that nothing new. Her parents still haven't called. I've left 4 messages now and made sure to express them with URGENCY.  (no pun intended)  She on the other hand is still making laps around my coffee table.  She's all over the house. One minute she's in the sunroom tapping her fingers, the next she's picking at the christmas tree, and the next shes' smoking her 20th cigarette. ANd don't get me started on all the bathroom trips.  She's barely drinking and pees every 10 mins. Until we meet again....Love Jess

[howcouldshe]

hey all,
  The time is 6:32 and I am EXHAUSTED.

[jo929]

it is good that you care and she is lucky to have a good friend but what would you tell the police if her heart stopped or she goes into convulsions then the whole world would know  i feel for both of you                   lots luck           jo

[hopsing94]

Hey jess I am about to leave work for home and was just wondering how u two were doing. Have'nt seen any posts in awhile. - john

[Savas]

Sorry to hear it's not going to well. Perhaps her coming on would be best. This is actually a good way for a "newbie" to do this. It's not as intimidating as being at an in person Group for the first time which can be very difficult. Especially if you aren't feeling well.

Does she comprehend that it will take about two weeks and what she's asking you to give up? I suppose not. I'd bet she's feeling like an animal with it's leg in a trap right now who's trying to get up the courage to gnaw it off. Which doesn't leave much room for considering anything or anybody else.

[Givitup]

I don't mean to sound negative but if she needs "convincing" of getting better, she will probably go right back to what she was doing.  I am a recovering alcoholic and NOBODY could make me stop.  It was something I had to do for myself.  I just hope you do not get disappointed if this doesn't play out the way you are hoping it would.  I also hope you don't get sucked into the whole codependant thing which is so easy to do with addicts.  You have already said some times that kind of sounded like that i.e.  "Makes me think her family is not going to be the people who end up having to deal with this, but I will".  "I was going to head out and go down to lab to work on my cadavar but of course my friend flipped a lid and said I can't leave her cuz she'll go insane so i decided to stay and read instead"  "My fiance wanted to come over and catch and early movie, do some shopping, and get a romantic dinner for once.  Yeah..that's not going to happen either".    Finally,  If she's looking for drugs, she's probably not ready.    

[hopsing94]

Your one hell of a friend. She will be thankful one day. Make sure she's getting lots of water and probably vitamins as soon as she can keep them down. Here for ya if ya need to talk. I'm at work so i'm in and out but here. - john

[troubleinohio]

well i see you made it through the night, and made a screen name for her in case she wants to read here....... btw, better move the pills out of the car now, she will read that and know where you put them. lol

[evildrug]

FYI this is britney's name."evildrug". she decided to come on a bit later and i made it for her.  By the end of the night hopefully you'll be convincing HER and not ME what needs to be done...

[evildrug]

well i took a nap and woke up a while ago.  She was up and going through my kitchen cabinets. I"m assuming looking for drugs but i keep them in my car now that she's here.  She claims she's hungry...i don't buy it cuz she's vomitting. OTher than that I haven't heard from her parents. I'm wondering when and where they are. Her sister is not answering either.  I"m really bothered by the fact that her sister is not more concerened after i called her yesterday and told her what happened.  Makes me think her family is not going to be the people who end up having to deal with this, but I will.  Sigh...on top of that I have a splitting migrane and find it impossible to study.  I was going to head out and go down to lab to work on my cadavar but of course my friend flipped a lid and said I can't leave her cuz she'll go insane so i decided to stay and read instead.  My fiance wanted to come over and catch and early movie, do some shopping, and get a romantic dinner for once.  Yeah..that's not going to happen either.  I now realize i have to put my WHOLE life on hold just to sit here with her.  Oh well, what i'm going through can't be any worse than what she's going through.  At least I can sit still and breathe and think.  IT's supposed to snow today....wish i could enjoy it....thinkin of all of you..love jess

[hopsing94]

Hey how ya doin. Hope you've been getting some rest.

[tooklastdose]

You are a great friend.
YOu can't do it all, I'm glad you have a call into her parents to help.

[hopsing94]

Hang in there,glad to hear you called her parents. You should try to get some sleep yourself. Keep us posted and good luck. It's a bad deal all the way around.