Arthritis pain

[sharonver]

As I am trying to taper from methadone, I recently discovered that my lyme arthritis pain is coming back full form!  The meth has been masking it all of these years. My dilema now is should I continue the taper & detox and finish it and try to maintain on another med for the pain.

Sharon

[Thomas03]

I'd return to NA if I knew that girl with the serpent tatoo would be there. Mmmmmm, Boysenberry ...

"I'm ready for the 13th Step, Master Yoda!"

Thomas

[suzieneedshelp]

May the force be with you dear man!
Suzie

[Rex1]

Dare I say that there is still hope for you, Thomas?

you seem to be resigned to some sort of fate with the opiates, or maybe I am just reading that wrong.

Thanks for being here for us, and if the above is true we would love to return the favor...

BTW, have you heard or spoken with BodyMechanic?

Rex

[hellbent]

Personally, I don't give a **** what they say. I did OC's for 4 years, steadily, and took 10 OC 80's a day for the last year and a half, and also took 2-15 mgs klonopin, for the last 8 or so months. I had been hooked on Vikes and Percs before that for years.

If I'd read that little, incomplete passage you posted when I was in the throes of withdrawal, I might have given up, as you apparently have.

The truth for me was that my brain didn't work for awhile, several months. It might still not be all the way back, but it's getting better all the time. Every day I am getting better, stronger, sharper, growing, finding out who I am. I did nothing special. Recovery is WORK. Gaining new habits, changing the way you think and react, giving up selfishness and old ideas. It takes faith. I had to believe that if I just didn't use one day at a time, and threw myself, 100%, into changing for the better, things would get better. They have, and they continue to. I'm actually getting to the point where I am happy I did what I did: the pain I put myself through was apparently what my sould needed in order to truly change.

I can always choose to convince myself that I have damaged myself physically beyond repair that I might as well use, as I am a hopeless drunk and addict and have been since an early age. I can also choose to believe that I can overcome my addiction and actually add something to the world. The second choice has to be made daily, and it's much, much harder than the first choice, and the rewards are exponentially better as well.

[Nod]

That is some good, powerful stuff you just wrote.  Something most,if not all of us, would benefit to read everyday when we get up. Thanks
Nod

[hyjack]

I don't know your full story, but the depression that you are relating here is normal.

Depression is one of the major "post" withdrawal symptoms and can last a long time.

I would certainly give Thomas' recipe a try (especially the L-tyrosine).  Your brain cannot produce natural endorphines yet because they have been blocked by opiates.  The body must be trained to start producing them again by heavy exercising, etc.  The endorphines are the chemical that gives us a sense of well being.  There are some people, of course, that do have chemical imbalances in their every day life.  But for addicts, it's very possible that this is what you are experiencing.  It's definitely not a fun time, and you feel like your world is crashing in on you.

It's important to seek some type of support.  No matter what it is, you definitely need it right now.  As long as you know what is causing it, hopefully you will be able to put things into perspective.

We will all be here for you, and many have been through this same thing.