Does the "Thomas recipe" work? If not what helps

[Desperatetoeclean]

I have been addicted to pain pills for the last ten years or so. I take A LOT of whatever I can get my hands on most commonly 80mg oxies 200mg morphine slow release Statex which is another form of morphine but a quick release as well as a quick release of oxies called Super doll. I'm not proud whatsoever very much ashamed actually. I NEED to detox but I don't have nearly enough self control taper myself and can't take time off to do it. I've been looking at the "thomas recipe" a lot the last few days and it has me very intrigued. If this doesn't work can you please point me in the right direction I've been hooked for far too long and am no longer the active happy person I should be. I work away from home and before I leave I'm so worried if I have enough pills to last the week even if I do I'm too damn week to make them last the week and come Thursday I'm freking out and can't tell anyone at work cause I can't lose my job. I just need some help and some advise on at least how to cut the cold sweats while I'm at work cause I cannot function without the pills.

[lulu747]

First off-good for you for asking for help.  Second of all-given the amount of pills you are taking and the duration the detox no matter what you get to help (and yes The Thomas Recipe has been a godsend for me)  You are looking at atleast 4-7 days of detox misery.  Have you seen a doctor?  Thought about a taper?  There are meds like clonidine that help significantly with the withdrawal symptoms.  I am on day 6 of detox and feeling a tiny bit better everyday.  It does take mental strength and a real desire to be well-the physical part is miserable but like a terrible flu it does pass.  Regardless-if you can't taper you are going to have to take the time off and it sounds like you need to do this.  This is your life afterall.  There are alot more knowledgeable people on here than me.  Hopefully someone will come along with more advice.  Take care of yourself and keep posting.

[micheleTX]

Hi.  Im not more knowledgeable than lulu, but I have been thru withdrawals several times.  First off, what are you taking all this medication for?  It seems like alot of stuff, you will definitely need a taper program with all these meds, and you will want some time alone when you get completely off.  Im just telling you what ive experienced, like i say, its just my opinion but I didnt take that much and I didnt want to be around anyone.  The thomas recipe helps tremendously but you will have some bad days, like lulu said at least 3-5 for sure.  keep posting, i genuinely care for people and want to know.  Good luck to you! :)

[mommy0729]

I have detoxed twice and used the Thomas recipe. It was a life saver as I am a mother to a 6 year old. I tried to taper as well however I never had the strength to do so. Do you have any vacation time at work you can take? Lulu is right in saying it will be about 4 to 7 days. I was at the low end of that time frame by gods grace but I felt like a big blob of nothing for 3 days. I know you can do this! You have already taken the first steps on the road to recovery, you admitted you have a problem, you have the will to quit and you have asked for help!! That's amazing right there. You have found an incredible place to come to with questions and even just to vent. Honestly my first 4 days I stayed on here as much as I could I didn't always post but I read a lot and it helped me knowing I was not alone. We are all here for you! I am now one month clean and I feel better everyday. I look forward to know how you are doing not only at your one month mark but beyond that. My heart and prayers are with you!

[CATUF]

i like your name . . . most of us don't make it into sustained recovery until we become willing to go to any length to find recovery, and become willing to give up on half-measures.

i think the Thomas Recipe is a good start, but i have grave reservations about its call for valium.  also, it's a one-size-fits-all approach that i think can be easily refined.  i'd suggest the approach outlined in either The Mood Cure, by julia ross, or End Your Addiction Now, by charles gant.  most of julia's book is available on Google Books.

CATUF
2377

[Desperatetoeclean]

I can't believe you guys already posted thank you so much. I would like to start this by saying that i messed up when i was staeting my account here and didnt see the gender part lol. I just needed to get what I said out. I am a male lol. I started taking them when I was young because I have broken numerous bones and most of my family is prescribed them and in very many ways it isn't much of a family. I was also in a car accident a few years ago and messed my back up really bad. In all honesty it turned recreational because I loved how I felt. I was a hell of a lot more productive at work I seemed to have much better stamina and I felt much better about myself in general and it being readily available made it that much more smooth to become the addict that I am now.  I also had some bad things happen to me when I was young and I use the drugs as a Way to take my mind off of it. I also use to do a lot of other drugs as a result of what happened and having to hold it all inside until just recently I started telling my girlfriend and talking to her about it as I said my family is not much of a family. I am very extremely ashamed of myself because I was clean for years when my beautiful baby girl was born and I was what I thought happily married and when I found out my wife was having an affair. It obviously crushed me in many ways. I thought we were happy and when I met her her family took me in and her father had much of the same childhood I did and for the first time in my life I knew what it felt like to actually have a family and feel loved and cared for.   I started using again because I broke my ankle really bad shortly after I found out and got prescribed medication for that and it made me stop crying and wanting to end it all. Looking back I now realize how incredibly stupid and week I am for doing so and feel that it's all just excuses. I also wanted to say how much better I felt when I first found this site and reading for hours about other peoples stories and struggles made me feel so much better and honestly took away the withdrawls just knowing that not only are these withdrawls not just in my head but that there were other people going through and beating the exact same demons. It makes me have hope for the future knowing that others have beat it. As far as the time off goes I have no vacation time yet I just started with this company about four months ago but Christmas is rapidly approaching and I get a week off then so I'm thinking that I'm going to get all of the ingredients in the recipe minus the valume.  It sounds like its just more to aid in rest and relaxation and I don't want to get addicted to another thing my body is messed up enough as it is so I'm going to substitute nyquill for and maybe sleeping pills once iin a while. My plan is to experiment with the recipe this week because I can handle everything so far except for the cold sweats and extreme loss of energy then I'm GOING to tackle it head on during the holidays. I also signed myself up for methadone treatment to start in mid January as a dead line for myself to do this by as I have no desire whatsoever to go on methadone. As far as I'm concerned no matter how well it works you're in reality just trading one addiction for the other. But none the less I signed myself up as a way to drill it into my thick skull that this is a real deal and I have a date to quit by. From the bottom of my heart again thank you all so very much for talking to me and helping me it truly means the world.

[littlebit667]

I kept telling myself...YOU HAVE the FLU!  It will be over and I will feel so much better.  My brain seemed to get that and settled down a little.  It is hard, but doable!  The Thomas Recipe (bottom of the page under Health Pages will help.  I did not to the tranquilizers and had to cut back on the Ltryosine, but the rest really helped.  Imodium, Imodium, Imodium (liquid or pills if the liquid can't be found or you can't swallow it) will help.  I took double the dosage for a few days (personal choice) and it helped so much..even with the withdrawals in general and the opiate trots which sucked.  

Hydrate and eat!  Even if it is just a little every hour or so.  You have to eat something to keep your energy up as much as possible.  

If you have Restless legs..it is hit or miss what works.  Walking seemed to help me some.  Hot bath with epsom salts..a little.  I finally had to get my doctor to refill my restless legs meds (non addictive) to get some sleep.  If nothing works,your doctor might help.  

One hour at a time is all anyone can ask.  After 2 weeks it gets a little better and I started to say, One day at a time!  Your brain will do all sorts of things to get you to take a pill.  I found if I was hungry..the cravings got worse.  I would try to eat a banana, a few grapes or a few crackers to get that under control.

Good for you.  I hope all goes well.  You have made a good start coming here....this site has helped me so much!!!  Keep posting!!!!!

[lulu747]

You have suffered a lot and I feel for you.  If I could give you one small piece of advice (it's something that I have to tell myself everyday and I don't always follow it but I'm getting better)  Don't be so hard on yourself.  Treat yourself with as much love and compassion as you can.  You wouldn't judge someone else as harshly as you are judging yourself.  You can address the addiction issues in aftercare.  For now be kind to yourself.  It is every human beings God given right to be happy and healthy.  You just have to want it bad enough.  Trust me-shame and regret are wasted emotions when you are feeling so fragile.  Take deep breaths and know that you can do this(:

[Desperatetoeclean]

Thank you all so much. I'm starting my battle tomorrow and I'm going to keep posting its amazing how well just talking to people helps. I've got the ingredients and I'm very confident. Again thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

[atthebeach]

Please seek out counseling it is very beneficial and will help get all your emotional wounds.pains and scars brought to the surface and dealt with.
You can live a drug free life and you can and deserve to be happy. We all do. Don't allow yourself to be a victum anymore.
Your recovery starts today.you already took the first step and admitted your addiction.the battle can be won. The road called recovery is a long and winding one. A marathon not a sprint. Day by day. Keep the faith.
Look into support groups. Na/aa. Celebrate recovery or overcomers outreach. Continue to post for support someone is always here.
Hugs and prayers
Debbie

[atthebeach]

Please seriously reconsider going on methadone. That will become another habit that is very long and hard to break.
Please rid your house of any pills before you start your detox. It is also important to loose all your connections to getting pills.

[Desperatetoeclean]

It really did start today I was just putting off the inevitable in wanting to start tomorrow. I know it's not much but it's been a whole thirteen hours and I'm still feeling pretty confident. I've been thinking about going to talk to someone professionally for a bit now I guess maybe its time for that to stop being put off too.

[gnarly_1]

HI yourChristmas break sounds like a good time to do this try and get a hold of your doctor and have him prescribe clonadine its a B/P mer that takes away a lot of the withdrawal symptoms between that and the thomas resipe you should be able to make it threw WHATER YOU DO DONT GO TO METHADONE!!! it will be like jumping from the frying pan into the fire
the withdrawals from methadone are the wost of all the narcotics because they last so long I did methadone for 6 1/2 yr and was sick for 90 days after I came off it and getting off it requirs a taper something you no good at so stick with the pills keep posting for support let us know when you start good luck and God bless......Gnarly

[Desperatetoeclean]

Signing up for the methadone was purely just a last result to put it into my head that I do have a problem. I have no desire at all to go on methadone I personally don't see the point in going on it for six years just as a way to avoid a week of hell. Im not going to do it because between the Thomas recipe and you guys and now with the clonidene I'm abnormally positive that I AM going to do this. I have things that I'm going to reward myself with afterwards as well. Things I've been putting off since I was young but have always wanted to do. I feel so very blessed that I've found this sight as well as all of you to aid me in this. It's weird but I've never had a family per say. I have the outer shell of a family but it's not a family at all. It's almost like I've found a family in you at very least people i can actually confide In and I just can't begin to explain how good that feels and how confident I am that I CAN AND AM GOING TO DO THIS. I want my body back my immunity back I want to be happy again and not dwell on being a loser. I want to be able to play with my baby girl without needing to stop just to go get some stupid pills. I just plain and simple want to be me again. I truly feel that this is going to work. From the bottom of my heart EVERYONE thank you so very much. Lots of people in our situation would be ready to die but not me no sir I'm dying to live.

[mommy0729]

You are amazing! I know you can do this!

[lulu747]

Good for you!  Honestly-a positive mental attitude is the only way to do this. We are always much stronger than we think we are.  Keep going and keep posting.

[Desperatetoeclean]

I'm for sure going to keep posting its amazing how much better I feel just talking to you guys and getting all of this support. I just simply absolutely cannot thank you enough

[atthebeach]

How are you feeling?? Has it been 34 hours since you last used??

[OxyAdict]

I've never used the Thomas Recipe so I can't comment on it, but valium is called for to help sleep.  Valium doesn't help me sleep while I'm going through withdrawels, it can make me sleepy and put me to sleep for about 5 hours, but then when I wake up the valium isn't worn off and I feel lathargic from it with a heachache.  This ontop of my other withdrawel symptoms isn't worth it.   Maybe valium will help me sleep better after 5 - 7 days have passed and my body starts to level out.  

I suggest marijuana if you already smoke it., but not if it would be your first time.  I've been a habitual marijuana user for over 15 years so I already know that it helps my body with different ailments at times.  It sooths most of my symptoms from withdrawels.

[Desperatetoeclean]

Well it's official I'm now three hours away from EVERYTHING. I do have to admit though I slipped this morning before leaving for work and am very ashamed of myself. On the other hand I believe all of the 200 mg morphine should be pretty well worked out of my system almost and only have the 10 mg fast acting oxies left in me so hopefully that will help with the harshness of the withdrawls being out of town and at work I'll take whatever help I can get.

[Desperatetoeclean]

I really hope I still have a Job when this is over. I've decided that my health is far more important than a job so I'm taking the rest of the week off sick. Hopefully the worst is over soon. I'm to week to taper. If I have drugs I take them and when they don't even get me high anymore I take lots. It shameful I know. That's what I said screw it and get it done no matter the repercussions.

[atthebeach]

Yes your health and sobriety are much more important. Please get rid of all the  pills you have. If they are in the house you will take them.flush all of them. . Go through the detox all at once from everything.
Make sure you keep hydrated.lots of gatorade.juices.water. it is important to move around as much as possible. Take small walks to start. Immodium. Keep yourself busy. Delete all numbers of your dealers.  You can do this. Were you able to see a doctor to get clonidine?? Can you go to the doctors and get a note that says you are sick??
I am praying for you
Debbie

[Desperatetoeclean]

Thats exactly what I'm trying to do but I got back to town to late today so I'm gonna go tomorrow and see about the note and clonidine. Already got rid of everything I had connections all know what's going on and not to talk to me and they're close enough to me they won't.  Only thing I'm counting on is the doctor hooking me up with a note saying I'm sick. Gonna be one rough week but more then worth it.

[gnarly_1]

the thomas resipe wont get you around withdrawals but it will make them a little more bearable you have quite a habit going there and its not going to be ez to break I dont think there is going to be a way to hide this mabe pawn it off as the flu but its going to show your on a boat load of narcotics on the bright side if you just jump it willl be over in about a week and many people work threw there withdrawals I wish you luck on this one God bless......Gnarly

[Desperatetoeclean]

Wholly crap this is by far the longest I've ever gone without taking anything. A whole 36 hours and only really had a couple episodes other then soar as hell. I couldn't get clonidine cause the doctor is lazy I'm assuming cause he said there's just too much monitoring cause if he gives me the wrong dose my blood pressure is going to do something and he'd have to change it. Oh well I got this.