Aa
I need help with opiate withdrawal
ok heres my story. I have suffered from serious back pain caused by spinal stenosis for about 8 years. for the last 2 years, i have been taking percocet in the strength of 5/325. I usually take 4-5 over the course of a 20 hour day. my Dr. writes me a rx for 120 every month. I am at the point where i want to stop relying on painkillers, and the anxiety that comes with " what do i do if i run out early?".... does anyone know of any over the counter, or natural meds that will help with the withdrawal symptoms?? mainly its the physical aches and pains that im concerned with...stuff like aleve, and other otc pain meds never did anything for me really..and im going to be hurting enough when im off these just with the back pain alone...so any advice would be appreciate beyond comprehension...thank you.
My recommendation is a monitored methadone tapering. you go to a treatment facility and they formulate a methadone dose based on the opiate dose you`re on. they cut you off the opiate, and the methadone works as a synthetic opiate, preventing the first stage of acute withdrawal. every day they decrease the dosage of methadone, until the final day you walk out clean and sober from the opiate and the methadone. i went in on 300mg of oxycontin daily, and it took 8 days for the methadone tapering, and i walked out clean. it's a very comfortable withdrawal. the symptoms vary. some people still have problems with vomiting, pain, insomnia, muscle pain, anxiety, and all the normal withdrawal symptoms, but they`re not as bad. other people have very mild, and sometimes no symptoms at all. it all depends on the dose of opiates and the dose of methadone you`re on. i strongly suggest it though. it saved my life. it will be your best bet.
I think you said something that is very important here. At best you have had a reduction in pain with the meds. A lot of people who take the meds, at least in the end, are only taking them to reduce pain or to not be sick. Long term use of opiates just doesn't leave people pain-free like they would like or need to be. Tolerance is going to happen to anyone.
You are right about the tramadol. I have been off of it for 2 months, and it was NOT fun! Are you detoxing this time from codeine? That should be a little bit easier than some of the others. Is that the only med you are on?
I guess you know what to expect, but if you have bad RLS, you may want to try mag/cal supplement, 1000 mg I think. And hylands restful legs or leg cramps. It really does work. And stay away from the antihistimines if the RLS is bad. Those can make it worse.
Good luck. You should start a new question so you can get some support during your detox. People here are really helpful!
TH
You are right about the tramadol. I have been off of it for 2 months, and it was NOT fun! Are you detoxing this time from codeine? That should be a little bit easier than some of the others. Is that the only med you are on?
I guess you know what to expect, but if you have bad RLS, you may want to try mag/cal supplement, 1000 mg I think. And hylands restful legs or leg cramps. It really does work. And stay away from the antihistimines if the RLS is bad. Those can make it worse.
Good luck. You should start a new question so you can get some support during your detox. People here are really helpful!
TH
Even thought this is an old post, it's worth adding my experience to.
After a back injury that causes permanent nerve pain and having endured multiple surgeries I've been on pain meds for 6 years. In that time I've had several different doctors out of necessity. One of the most distressing aspects of being reliant on pain meds is that you aren't able to self determine when/if you can access them. Having a doctor sit there and tell you what you'll be taking and when is great if they happen to be a caring physician. Unfortunately I've found most doctors concerned about their own reputation and not wanting to be seen as a doctor who readily prescribes or is being taken advantage of. So walking into a monthly appointment wondering if you're dosage will be reduced is one of the most upsetting experiences and leaves you in a perpetual state of uncertainty and imminent illness.
For these reasons I stopped going to my doctor over 18 months ago. I then started using large doses of over the counter meds to try and make up for a low dose of pain meds that could get me by.
Now it comes to the point of detoxing off everything. Over the past 6 years I've detoxed from Tramadol (awful - took months), Oxy (not as bad), Codeine (not great), Valium (fine) and the worst of all - Buprenorphine. The latter took almost a year to taper down from. The doctors don't have a clue how bad it is. I was constantly ill and depressed and finally got through it at the end of last year. I would not take that again ever!
Now I have to go through the last withdrawal of Codeine once more. I'm on my first day, I know what's coming and can't wait to get through the week. I'm planning on using heat bags, hot baths and antihystamines to help with sleep. The restless legs is the hardest part to sleep with, so I'll be using a heat rub for that.
At the end of it all I have zero desire to stop using medication as I have a permanent injury, however the difficulty of constantly accessing medication and the people who make you feel ashamed for even requiring it (because they haven't a clue what this sort of pain is like) make it too problematic to bother working around. So sobriety, chronic pain and sleeplessness here I come :(
I really hope society's attitude to opiates changes as the horror of it all is that the patients who require it (and aren't terminally ill) are punished. I haven't had a day without pain for as long as I can remember, at best with the pain meds I've had a reduction in pain levels and I've been able to sleep. It would seem that doctors would class that as unreasonable, as too much to ask. I actually had one visit with my doctor, when I reported that a new level of pain relief had a positive outcome, he immediately told me not to get too comfortable as he'd be reducing it imminently. It seems that they were only happy if I was miserable.
After a back injury that causes permanent nerve pain and having endured multiple surgeries I've been on pain meds for 6 years. In that time I've had several different doctors out of necessity. One of the most distressing aspects of being reliant on pain meds is that you aren't able to self determine when/if you can access them. Having a doctor sit there and tell you what you'll be taking and when is great if they happen to be a caring physician. Unfortunately I've found most doctors concerned about their own reputation and not wanting to be seen as a doctor who readily prescribes or is being taken advantage of. So walking into a monthly appointment wondering if you're dosage will be reduced is one of the most upsetting experiences and leaves you in a perpetual state of uncertainty and imminent illness.
For these reasons I stopped going to my doctor over 18 months ago. I then started using large doses of over the counter meds to try and make up for a low dose of pain meds that could get me by.
Now it comes to the point of detoxing off everything. Over the past 6 years I've detoxed from Tramadol (awful - took months), Oxy (not as bad), Codeine (not great), Valium (fine) and the worst of all - Buprenorphine. The latter took almost a year to taper down from. The doctors don't have a clue how bad it is. I was constantly ill and depressed and finally got through it at the end of last year. I would not take that again ever!
Now I have to go through the last withdrawal of Codeine once more. I'm on my first day, I know what's coming and can't wait to get through the week. I'm planning on using heat bags, hot baths and antihystamines to help with sleep. The restless legs is the hardest part to sleep with, so I'll be using a heat rub for that.
At the end of it all I have zero desire to stop using medication as I have a permanent injury, however the difficulty of constantly accessing medication and the people who make you feel ashamed for even requiring it (because they haven't a clue what this sort of pain is like) make it too problematic to bother working around. So sobriety, chronic pain and sleeplessness here I come :(
I really hope society's attitude to opiates changes as the horror of it all is that the patients who require it (and aren't terminally ill) are punished. I haven't had a day without pain for as long as I can remember, at best with the pain meds I've had a reduction in pain levels and I've been able to sleep. It would seem that doctors would class that as unreasonable, as too much to ask. I actually had one visit with my doctor, when I reported that a new level of pain relief had a positive outcome, he immediately told me not to get too comfortable as he'd be reducing it imminently. It seems that they were only happy if I was miserable.
This is robee135 again. I just reread my post and forgot to say that when the dr puts me on 1 or 2 a day....it will be for 10 days and then that will probably be the last of it. I am school teacher and have a small baby, so I have to be feeling good to work and take care of my baby. Any help would be appreciated.
I am on my third day of WD from Lortabs. I went to the Dr. 7 days ago and told him I needed something to help me get off Lortab. He told me that cold turkey was too hard, unless I was tough. He suggested that he ween me off of them. I was taking about fifteen 5 mgs a day. I gave me 30 to last 10 days. He said to take one 3 times a day. Well....what did I do...I took them all up in about 4 days! I had a prescription of Tramadol, so I started taking those like crazy to try to aleviate the wd of Lortabs. I thought since Tramadol is not a narcotic, I could take them. Well, they can still be addictive! I'm now out of Tramadol as well. The Dr. is going to refill my Lortabs tomorrow. Then he is going to put me on 1 or 2 a day. I've been without Lortabs since Monday morning and Tramadols since yesterday morning. Right now, I'm at work and feeling like crap! Is there any other medication that is not narcotic and not addictive that will help me with this? I'm feeling the aches big time, but also have a bad sore throat and and chest cold (not related to the wd), so I really feel bad.
I want to get off of Lortab so badly. I've turned into someone I thought I never would. I have lied, hidden, and even looked through my relatives bathroom drawers and med cabinets to fine Lortab. I know that sounds horrible.....I have never done anything like that. I even went into my father in laws house when he wasn't there and got some out of his bottle he keeps in his nightstand! PLease tell me something that will help with the withdrawals.
I want to get off of Lortab so badly. I've turned into someone I thought I never would. I have lied, hidden, and even looked through my relatives bathroom drawers and med cabinets to fine Lortab. I know that sounds horrible.....I have never done anything like that. I even went into my father in laws house when he wasn't there and got some out of his bottle he keeps in his nightstand! PLease tell me something that will help with the withdrawals.
sorry i get so caught up in myself empathizing sometimes i leave out crucial stuff like say the drugs...obviously benzos do help substantially but not always a wise or viable option because unlike with opioids withdrawals from these sobs can kill you plus you get to experience a worse hell than opioid withdrawal before then. as far as other rxs that have helped me fiorinal does but the same caution goes with this thing as it is a barbiturate. lyrica is the only rx i can really think of that you can take at the dose you desire that will produce an extremely noticeable effect and is only a schedule 5 controlled substance. as far as otc, dextromethorphan is really the only thing i can think of that will produce a noticable effect but if you have heard of robotripping this is the ingredient that causes the effect. if going this route i suggest research on the dosages and each level that comprises them. there are 3 levels i believe. also make sure you get a product with dextromethorphan as the only active ingredient. as other compounds contain other ingredients that will make you puke. imo lyrica is the best bet and a dosage of around 600 mg helped swim out very very much. but please know i am not a health professional of any kind and lyrica can make you wall bang like you never have but from everything i have read about lyrica the risk of harm or overdosage is almost nil but please please please research.
You are reading content posted in the Addiction: Substance Abuse Community
Is treating glaucoma with marijuana all hype, or can hemp actually help?
If you think marijuana has no ill effects on your health, this article from Missouri Medicine may make you think again.
Julia Aharonov, DO, reveals the quickest way to beat drug withdrawal.
Tricks to help you quit for good.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
