Help -

[lady1981]

I am on day 3 of a Hydro/Ultram detox. Basically, i was addicted to hydro (10's up to sometimes 8 -10 a day)for almost 5 years and 2 weeks ago i got cut off completely. my dr. gave me ultram to use as a taper.
going from hydro to ultram was easy, no W/D symptoms, and i was feeling good. then, this past weekend i ran out of ultram. i called my dr. asking for more and they said no, so i started my detox sunday afternoon and then began the worst (and still experiencing) detox i have ever been through. im pretty sure that the only thing the ultram did for me was delay the hydro detox, so now i have the pleasure of detoxing off of 2 drugs instead of just one. the ultram SERIOUSLY messed with my seratonin levels and i almost called the suicide hotline sunday night. monday was just as bad. yesterday i talked to my reg. doctor and we decided to up my effexor due to my HUGE increase in panic attacks and serious depression and suicidal thoughts. so, i double up on the effexor last night and i wake up this morning feeling really good and pretty stable. up until an hour ago, i had made it since 5 pm last night without a panic attack.
i was pretty proud of myself.

so, like i said, this morning was good. i had been staying pretty positive, until this headache of mine kicked in. i took an imitrex for it and that gave me relief for about 2 hours. then i think it wore off, and right now i am in the worst possible pain i have ever been in. i got a ride home from work and i am just sitting at my house right now with this insane headache, crying, and praying that it goes away.
Im also feeling very ashamed of myself for dragging my boyfriend and a few of my friends into this as well...I am always the "pillar" in my group, so its really hard admitting that i need help and support.

Im on day 3, and I thought that it was supposed to be better from here on out?
How much longer is it going to take for these extremely painful headaches to go away? My finger tips and toes are kinda numb, and it feels like my head is going to explode.

I am so lost and so afraid right now. and this forum is pretty much the only place i feel comforatable going to for support.

[lady1981]

"seems to help" is an understatement! :)

Im on Day 4 now, and the headache is still pounding, but i have another day of sobriety under my belt, and the worst headache in the world couldn't take that away from me!

[narc-vet]

Yeah, that over in 3 days stuff is never really on target.  It takes serious time to make the adjustment in brain chemistry.  Your body is begging for a short-cut back to normal, but no short-cuts exist.  Can you deal with the fact it may take longer to feel better?  Can you take the white-knuckle ride ride back to sober-land?

We have all been where you are, and can lament with you.  We understand and want to help.  I was on this forum, constantly, for a month, just reading.  Seems to help, doesn't it?

[awakan]

It takes a lot of heart to do what you are doing, Withdrawals can last anywhere from a week or two depending on the type of medication. Usually after 5 days with most meds like percodan or hydrocodone things like that you start on the up swing, except for feeling tired from the battle and all and some chills out of no where sneezing light wheight things like that. If you were taking longer acting meds like oxycontin , MScontin,or God forbid Methadone which takes about the longest. So sounds like you should start feeling better soon the headaches are not something I experienced in withdrawals but I may have been just plain lucky. But if it is like the rest of the withdrawals it should be subsiding here in a few days . I hope you start feeling better soon at any rate you said it has been 3-days is that right? Well won't be long now you'll be feeling much better. You might want to consider N.A. for aftercare not everyone thinks they need it but I think it helps a heck of a lot. You will find good support there. Just take good care of yourself relax as much as you can try to stay as stress free as possible, sit in a nice hot tub of water and put a wet cloth over your eyes might help your headache..a-wakan

[GA Guy]

Plus...clonidine is dirt cheap.It's on the Walmart 4.00 drug list. 30 .1mg pills for 4.00.

[graceamongyou]

I suspect Clonidine will really help you.  For some people, it's a miracle for w/d and others feel it doesn't do much for them.  Your headache may be caused in part by high BP (w/d causes bp to skyrocket in some people; healthy people's bodies can handle this temporary surge with no serious effects) in which case the Clonidine will be extra good for you.  Your doctor should not have any problem prescribing it as it is widely studied/used, a nice old med, and completely non-habit forming.

Good luck to you.  I know when I was in your position, I rewatched all the movies of my teen years and found it oddly comforting; I now know every line of The Breakfast Club by heart again, 20 years after it was first released.

[lady1981]

I also just read (on wikipedia) that it helps with migraines as well, that of which i am having. i will call one of my dr.s tomorrow morning and see if i can get an rx for it.

[GA Guy]

Ativan is a benzo..like valium. Clonidine is a BP med that lowers your blood pressure and takes the edge off of the withdrawals.

[lady1981]

Thank you both for your kind words and support.

Grace - I think i will head over to the store here in a bit and look for some of that tea. I will probably rent a movie as well to keep my mind from going crazy. Both my neurologist and my regular Dr. know that i am going through this right now, but im not sure if they would perscribe me clonidine. what exactly is it? I have Ativan and i took one of thos an hour ago - is it comparable to that?

[graceamongyou]

Oh, you poor thing, I'm so sorry you are in such horrible pain, both physical and emotional.  All I can suggest is a hot bath, a cup of Sleepytime tea (the new one with a sleeping herb in it, called Sleepytime Plus, might be good), and to hang in there by your fingernails if you have to.  Don't feel guilty for involving people who care about you!  I've learned the hard way that one person can't ALWAYS be the strong one in a group, and oftentimes friends and family feel flattered and little relieved to be able to help the one who has always helped them.  Use every support at your disposal right now, and know that soon enough you will turn the corner...it's simply physically impossible for this misery to go on much longer.

Is there any way you can get your hands on some Clonidine?

[GA Guy]

Please hold in there. It will start getting better soon. Here's some information that may be of help..

This is a work in progress...something I've been working on off and on for the last couple of weeks. It's not considered complete, but has lots of info from lots of sources. If any of the "old timers" have anything to add, let me know and I'll add it to the document. I hope to use this to post a general "how to" every couple of days or so.

Listed below are suggestions for detoxing and quitting an opiate addiction. They are just suggestions compiled from the detox plans of people that have gone through cold turkey detox before. They are just that, suggestions, and any detox plan is best when done under a doctor's care. Consult your doctor before trying any of the suggestions below.
This is prewritten for anyone who is beginning, or planning on beginning, a cold turkey withdrawal to opiates. This includes drugs such as tramadol (Ultracet and Ultram) codeine (Tylenol #3, #4), Darvocet, Hydrocodone (Vicodin, Norco, Lortab and derivatives),  Oxycodone (Endocet, Percocet, Oxycontin), Morphine, Demerol. Fentanyl, and Dilaudud. There are many other opiates not listed, so if you don’t see it listed, you can still use these suggestions if it’s an opiate based addiction. None of these apply to benzodiazepine based addictions. These addictions should never be dealt with by going cold turkey. Always consult a doctor for a detox plan for benzos.

First of all, opiate withdrawals are uncomfortable, but rarely life threatening. You may think you’re going to die, but most of the withdrawal symptoms are just very uncomfortable. If possible, take some time off work or schedule a week or so in order to fully detox. You will honestly not feel like doing much anyway. Opiate withdrawal symptoms usually start 12-24 hours after your last dose. But, the timing of withdrawal symptoms depends upon the drug taken, length of time you’ve been taking it, and how you react to medications. The physical withdrawals usually last 3-7 days, with days 3 and 4 being the worst. Once again, this is all dependent on the person. You can expect these symptoms. Dilated pupils, diarrhea, runny nose, goose bumps, abdominal pain, stomach cramps, sweating, agitation, anxiety, nausea, vomiting, leg cramps, general aches and pains, and sleeplessness. This list is not absolute. You may experience all of these symptoms, only some of them, or other symptoms. Again, we are all different. Below is the famous Thomas Recipe. It gives some general information along with supplements that help with the withdrawal symptoms. The only thing I would add to this list is a blood pressure drug named clonidine. It effectively lowers the blood pressure and lessens many of the withdrawal symptoms. Most any doctor will prescribe it if you’re honest as to why you need it. Discuss dosages and frequency with your doctor.

Thomas Recipe:

1. Valium (or another benzodiazepine such as Klonopin, Librium, Ativan or Xanax). Of these, Valium and Klonopin are best suited for tapering since they come in tablet form. Librium is also an excellent detox benzo, but comes in capsules, making it hard to taper the dose. Ativan or Xanax should only be used if you can't get one of the others.
2. Imodium (over the counter, any drug or grocery store).
3. L-Tyrosine (500 mg caps) from the health food store.
4. Strong wide-spectrum mineral supplement with at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper and Magnesium.
5. Vitamin B6 caps.
6. Access to hot baths or a Jacuzzi (or hot showers if that's all that's available).

How to use the recipe:
Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you're aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn't need the Valium after day 4 or 5. During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.
Use the Imodium aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don't take it, however, if you don't need it. At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the "coffee jitters," consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help. With breakfast, take the mineral supplement. As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.