Feeling euphoria vs. feeling sleepy on hydros

[kimmieb]

I've read SO much on this forum about the "euphoria" some people feel/have felt from taking hydros (or other opiates).  Sounds like they get lots of energy, etc. from taking them and that's why they like or liked them so much.  I've had a different kind of experience and was wondering if anyone else has experienced this.  I always felt "sleepy" after taking hydros.  I could just take them and relax and doze off for an hour or a few.  I don't think I've EVER experienced euphoria from taking my lortabs....yet I somehow became addicted (or dependent, still not sure at this point).  What's up with that??  Am I the only one who's like that?  Has anyone else felt that sleepy/relaxed feeling?  Has anyone NOT felt euphoria after taking hydros?  Do opiates GIVE some people energy (as opposed to taking away energy, like they do to me)?  Thanks....   ~~~K.  

[fishmeal]

You are blessed!

[kimmieb]

You seem to be in the majority.  I don't feel "euphoric" -- never had on painkillers (hydros or oxys) -- just sleepy/relaxed, like I want to just lie down a take a little nap.  My loss, huh?! lol  

[fishmeal]

boy what a concept... I can't read everything right now but would like to vote for the absolute best speed that I have ever had was when I was on vics/norcs... (best is used loosly here) but I took three and stayed up all night trying to get to sleep....

[kimmieb]

Cindy, if these pain mgmt docs are supposed to be so much more caring and compassionate and understanding of chronic pain issues, then why the rude and hateful attitude towards you when you ran out of your Rx a little early??  Geez.  I mean, I'm SURE they see that all the time and have much experience dealing with those situations.  Can't understand why even THOSE docs would specialize in rude and hateful behavior (when we can get that from our own regular docs who know very little about pain and are ready to say "bye bye" at the first mention of "chronic pain" and "addiction" in the same conversation.)  I don't know.  I thought I was making the right choice.  Now I don't know.  I've cancelled on him once already though, so I really feel I need to go through with this upcoming appt., for my sake.  I'm a little scared though.  Just scared of the unknown, I guess.  I want to be able to be truthful without the fear of having my meds taken away from me c/t or receiving a lecture about the dangers of addiction, etc.  I guess I want the best of both worlds.  I want a doc who isn't going to get me addicted to something even worse.....but I want someone who's going to provide me with what I need right now for pain.  Fine line sometimes, I know.  Well, wish me luck anyway.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Hopefully, it won't be a mistake! :-(  And thanks so much for responding and sharing your experiences.  I really appreciate it!   Blessings, ~~~K.

[grievingwidow]

When I went for my first appt. at pain management for my tension headaches, I truly never thought about the doctor giving me "triplicate" prescription drugs, or Class II (I think that is what they are anyway).  But they seem to hand them out pretty easily, nothing like a family doctor, etc.  This same doctor though, after me running out of my RX early a couple times, was very rude and hateful to me and basically told me to find another doctor.  Each time that I ran out, I just had to suffer through withdrawal until time for my RX, it is not like he had to write me one early or anything.  I had never experienced withdrawal from just taking the hydrocodone, only psychological maybe.  But once I started Oxycontin which is what this pain doctor started me on, it was a whole new ballgame.  I was totally addicted within two weeks of starting it.  My daughter goes to a pain management doctor for her back and he gives her morphine now.  She is very good and never takes more than one pill a day because she has seen me in withdrawal and I am sure that scared her shitless.  People with chronic pain though really should see pain management doctors, as they do truly sympathize with your predicament, you just have to watch what you get into.  Good Luck.  Let me know what happens after your appointment.

Love, Cindy

[kimmieb]

Hi,Linda.  Wow, you have a great memory!  Yes, the pattern of increasing the hydros by one a day over the past week or so concerns me, too.  I wasn't getting relief from one, so I tried 1 1/2, well, that worked better, so I tried 2 at a time, that worked even BETTER.....  I guess that's how we become addicts.  A few weeks ago I was feeling pretty good about having a handle on how many hyrdros I take in a day/month --the amount hadn't really increased in a few years.  Now, I'm not feeling that way anymore.  Forget the eupohoric feeling.  I'm not concerned about that, just was very curious, that's all.  Mine is a curious mind.  I'm gong to see my GYNE on Thursday of this week for my 6-week check-up after the surgery.  I don't even know what to tell her.  God knows I don't dare bring up the subject of the hydros.  She's not the one who prescribes them anyway.  She's stingy and super conservative when it comes to any painkillers anyway, even after major surgery.  I was sent home with 4 or 5 days worth of percocet 5's after the surgery, and that was it.  Of all doctors, I don't think she's the one to talk about all of this with.  I do have an appt. on Wed. of this week with a Pain Management dr.  Never been to one before.  I don't even know what to expect.  I feel like I'm just stumbling around here, not really finding the direction I need (or maybe it's not wanting to face what I should be facing!)  Either way, I'm still dealing with ativan and lortab and the thought of a future with more and more of them scares me.....but so does the prospect of never again being able to sleep through the night (not a complete impossibility, really) and never having the luxury of living without pain.  Anyway, thanks again for your thoughts.  Any insights are always greatly appreciated :-)  Blessings, ~~~K.

[Yoda99]

I would just suggest you forget all about the euphoric feeling you wish you could experience.  It's not all that.  You're not missing anything honey.  I hate to see you increasing the lortabs.  Your surgery probably does have a lot to do with how you're feeling.  When are you seeing your GYN next?
Take care and good luck,
Yoda (Linda)

[kimmieb]

Hi!!  It's been awhile since we've posted/corresponded with each other.  Thanks for your post.  So good to hear your thoughts.  I was thinking along the same lines, that perhaps the euphoria comes from taking like 10 pills a day instead of 2.  Unfortunately, I'm up from 2 to about 3 or 4.....which has only happened in the last week.....so now I'm getting a little more concerned than I was a month or so ago.  I'm still not "euphoric" on them though.  Just seems the more I take (for pain), the more sleepy/drowsy/relaxed I feel.  Go figure.  The one scary theme for me here is that instead of being able to either just stay at the same level of meds I've been taking for years (or better yet, decreasing them), I've somehow managed to INCREASE the number of pills per day.  I cannot deal with these sick headaches or any type of pain these days, it seems.  I have some idea that maybe the surgery (they took away ALL my hormones, remember) and maybe even the ERT has something to do with my current situation, or maybe I'm even now getting rebound headaches from taking TOO much hydro, but it's hard for me not to turn to the pills after all this time.  All I know is that I'm not feeling very euphoric!  (too bad for me, huh?)  Anyway, thanks so much -- it's always good to hear from you and get your take on things.  I hope I continue to hear from others, too....  I feel like a sponge these days, just sponging up everything I can get from this forum.  Thanks, K.

[grievingwidow]

Agree with all of the above - don't even think about wanting to experience that euphoric feeling - I am sure you have enough trouble in your life just as it is.  Even though it has literally been years since I had that feeling, I do remember that is how it all started and I thought how cool it was and that I had nothing to worry about - I was not the kind of person that could ever be a drug addict.  Now, I just hope to have days where I have enough medicine to keep from getting "sick".  If only I could go back to those days when I was even stupider then than I am now.  I also remember when I was at the stage of taking 3-4 hydrocodone a day and never thought my addiction could get worse - then I went to a pain management doc and got hooked on the really bad stuff.

Love, Cindy

[kimmieb]

Thanks for your concern and your thoughts.  Don't worry -- I'm not waiting around to experience the euphoria, or worse yet, trying to see how many it would take to finally experience that feeling!!  Nope.  I was just curious, especially since EVERYONE seemed to mention it in one of their posts.  I felt as if I was really cut from a different cloth or something :-)  Now, I'm more concerned with the 3-4 lortabs every day.  How quickly I went from 1 or 2 right to 3-4 every day.  Yikes.  Not good.  I AM going to a Pain Management doc this week.  I don't even know why.  Just sounded like a good idea, since my neurologist (the one who had been prescribing the ativan and lortabs) has disappointed me in many ways lately.  I just don't think he's the right doc for me.  Since it's more of a pain issue, I just figured a pain mgmt. specialist would be the right way to go.  But wow, I didn't realize that he might really get me hooked on MORE than I'm taking right now.  Could that happen?  I mean, really?  Is that a possibility?  Here I had a different impression of those docs.  I thought they were really stingy and trying hard to get people OFF of certain medications, especially those that are so addictive.  Boy, was I off target or what?

[kimmieb]

Wow, amazing.  It really is.  I'm a stay-at-home mom with 2 young kids and a husband who travels a lot -- I WISH they hydros would have given me energy!!! lol.  Anyway, thanks so much for your insights and experience.  I, too, took percocet for the very first time in my 46 years after major surgery about 6 weeks ago.  It did the same thing to me as the hydros though -- caused some nice drowsiness -- ALMOST like the same feeling you get from that "happy juice" (some kind of benzo???) they give you in your IV right before you're wheeled into surgery...?  Yep, those little percs made me drowsy like that, but obviously not to that extreme (i.e., I didn't fall into a deep sleep for hours and hours and wake up remembering nothing).  I took them for about a week after the surgery, and then my doctor said no more, that's it.  That was my only experience with any other prescription painkiller except for hydros (which I've taken for years and years now --ugh).  Thanks again for your thoughts on the euphoria vs. sleepiness issue.  I guess our brain chemistries are just different than those who experience the euphoria on hydros -- ya think?  Geez, I wish just once I would have experienced that euphoria -- just to know first-hand what some of these folks are talking about.  It's been a long time for me on the hydros (7-8 years or so), so if I haven't experienced it by now, I don't think I will!  I can understand though why the people experiencing that type of feeling on hydros would have an EXTREMELY hard time coming to terms psychologically with quitting them.  Who would want to give up that feeling?!?!  There obviously are many, many strong invididuals on this forum.....hats off to all of you who've done it or are struggling to do it or are even thinking about doing it.  Blessings, K.

[Yoda99]

Mom Lizzie, just be glad you're not an addict.  I don't want to promote anything or give anyone ideas but it's either the kind of drug you take or the amount.  If you take a lot of some drugs, they have a reverse effect and do give you energy.  Kimmie, I think when I last talked to you, you were taking 2 Lortabs a day and had been for years.  The people that get the so called "euphoria" or energy take much, much more than that.  But again, I'm not advising you to do so.  My dad could eat valium like candy and go all day.  My mom would be knocked out by half of one.  Unfortunately, I was the lucky one to take after my dad.
Love ya'll,
Yoda

[Lotus55]

Yes I do get energy from hyrdocodone.  I get very sleepy from oxycontin.
So go  figure.  I have not tried all pain meds but I had percocet in the ER and that knocked me for a loop.  Not a good loop either.  I think oxy IS time released percocet and that is probably why it makes me tired. Hydros help me get moving...take my pain and give me a boost so I could clean a closet! Hope this answers your question......guess everyone is different but I have also heard others say the energy thing.......

[kimmieb]

Well, thanks!  At least I know I'm not the only one not getting to experience the euphoria :-)  Unfortunately, they don't knock me for a loop anymore though (well, at least not just one tab -- I have to take at least 2 at a time now to get that "sleepy" feeling, but even then, I can still function quite well).  I guess that's why I'm thinking I'm addicted or dependent....because now one tab doesn't do as much.  It now takes more and more to take away the pain (and give me that sleepy feeling).  I swear though, painkillers take away anxiety better for me than any anti-anxiety med probably could, lol.  I've just been so curious though about that euphoric feeling that so many on here seem to describe.  Anyway, thanks again for your post....   ~~~K.    

[LIZZIE LOU]

funny...i always wondered just what the hell everyone saw so wonderful about pain pills.   i may not be an addict but i have definitely had to take pain meds in my 51 years...four c-sections for starters.   anyway...i have never taken a pain pill that hasn't knocked my a** out cold.  can't even begin to understand how ppl say they gave them energy.

makes no sense to me...

kim