Life after Oxycontin!

[gene10]

Thanks to everyone who sent me good wishes on my trip to detox from Oxycontin abuse. I spent 6 days in-patient at a nice detox facility up in the woods.  They used methadone to detox me & prevent the withdrawal from the Oxy.  It worked very well & I was tapered from the methadone over the 6 days & am now off of everything!

Being at a detox center with many other addicts was a true eye opening experience!  I was with herion addicts, coke abusers, & alcoholics.  I was amazed that every heroin addict I talked to had heard of Oxycontin & knew to snort it for the full effect.  But they all progressed to shooting heroin eventually.  I met people who spent many periods of time in jail, lost their jobs, families, homes, etc.  I went to lots of AA meetings & lectures & saw films about addiction. And I realized that I am no different than any other addict up there, just luckier to have not lost my job of family.  I met a guy who spent $100,000.00 in the past year on drugs.  But everyone there wanted to stay sober & we all worked together to do that.  They told me that only 1 in 40 patients there will stay sober & that's a depressing thought but I am that one person!  Most of the people there have been to numerous detoxes before but this was my first & last.  (I hope & pray)

So if you are addicted to painkillers, there is a way out.  Call your doctor or insurance company or look in the phone book for detox centers (they are everywhere) & ask for help.
I find that I get a lot of help just reading the posts on this website.  It is therapy for me & I also put my own posts here & have gotten tremendous support from others - doctors & addicts.

I will be checking this website regularly so please write to me.

[Gene to Joanne]

I have trouble sometimes remembering why I stopped taking Oxy.  I am sooo tired & achey every single day & am not very good at handling this while I am working. I have a very physical job & I am worried that I may not be able to continue this work after 28 years because of the pain.  But my sponsor says that's the addiction talking so I will persevere & keep going to meetings.  Does anyone know of pain medication that works & does not contain opiates?

[Bob K]

Its good to hear your feeling a little bit better Gene. Its been 25 days now for me. I have the same stairs you do. I cant stand those stairs. I dont even like going down them. One surprising fact for me is that I have not missed one day of work since I quit. I hope life gets easier for you without the opiates. I try to focus on the benefits of being off oxy. One big one that comes to mind is that I dont fear that I may nod off when Im with my kids. I still do feel tired thruout most of the day and my body always aches somewhere. I have been exercising a little bit at a time and that kind of gives me hope. Keep in touch Bob K

[Gene to Joanne]

Hi all!  I am still alive & still withdrawing from years of opiate abuse.  I think that last night was the first night I didn't have muscle spasms.  It's been 20 days since I started detox.  I also started to sleep better although I am still dead tired all the time & have a constant headache.  It is hard just to climb stairs.  That might be partly from having stopped working out & having gained a lot of weight the past year.  Opiates always made me hungry!  I am glad to hear that Bob K is getting much better & is staying away from Oxy.  Good luck to Kimberly with detoxing.
How are you doing Mary?

Life without opiates is sooo hard right now.  I feel so lousy & was told I will feel like this for a while.  Every time I have to deal with stress I just want to go back to my little helper drug.  But I don't want to be back in detox or be an active addict again.  I go to AA meetings as often as possible & that helps a lot.

Thanks to all who have posted & continue to do so!

[J.B. to Brian and Vicky]

You gave some very good advice and no I am not offended.  I just feel so badly for my niece that I want to do something.  She was in med school when this whole thing got started and now she is on permanent disability and cannot work or go to school.  Her brother is into crack cocaine and has flunked out of the university and is constantly in trouble with the law.  It just seems that our whole family is cursed by addictions going back at least two generations!  I will talk with her but will be careful about how I word things.  When I was in my own world of addiction to pain meds, I thought everything was just fantastic. No one could have made a difference when I was high. I just want her to know that I will always be here for her and my nephew, too, should her ever need me.

Thank you!

John B.

[Bob K]

Kimberly  it sounds like you are getting close to living without your pills. I hope your stomich feels better. I feel pretty good tomorrow is 24 days for me. I really have few complaints withdrawl wise any more. 24 days goes by slowly but it sure seems worth it tonight. Good luck again Kimberly. Bob K

[Sherriq]

John,

What is it you want to say to your niece?  What can you say that will be different than what everyone else has already said?  What makes you think she'll listen to you, much less care about what you tell her?

I'm not trying to be mean or rude - honestly - I'm just playing sort of "devil's advocate."  We've all been where she is now - what could anyone have said to YOU that would have made you stop?  Why DID you stop?  If losing her husband, having to move to another state to find a doctor, and having the Mayo Clinic say there's nothing wrong with you is not her bottom - then sadly, she's not there yet.  

I've been in the EXACT same position you're now in - it was/is my sister who is abusing narcotics - and I've tried talking to her more times than I can count.  I've told her what I went through, what I lost or almost lost, etc., etc., etc., but she's still in complete denial about herself.  She even says exactly what I used to say to people, "Yes, but you just don't understand!  I NEED this medicine!  It's not drugs, it's medicine from the doctor!  If I could just get rid of this awful pain, I wouldn't have to take all these pills. And just because YOU had a problem with them doesn't mean everyone who takes pain meds is an addict!"  (She also tells me to mind my own business, and we've gone for as long as a year not talking because I won't stop "bugging" her about it.)

Believe me, I understand completely about wanting to shake her till her teeth rattle.  It's really a hard thing to watch - especially when you know what's ahead for her if she doesn't stop.  And when you care about someone, you can't just stand by and not at least TRY to do something.  

One thing I DO remember that really got my attention - people who told me the brutal, honest truth - and who didn't sugarcoat it.  I clearly remember 2 people who told me quite plainly that I was a junkie and an addict.  They told me it didn't make any difference what I called it or where it came from - it was still the same thing.  They also had the audacity to tell me that while I may at one time have had genuine pain, that was now just the excuse I used to get what I wanted/needed.  Both of these people then stared me straight in the eye and told me I wasn't fooling anyone but myself.  They both also said they would be glad to help me if I REALLY wanted help, but they weren't putting up with anymore of my BS.  Naturally, I walked off in a huff, but deep inside I was crushed because I knew they were right.  

I don't know what approach you should take with your niece - but I think you've already decided that you MUST at least TRY to do something.  Just be sure no one can overhear you, that she knows exactly where you're coming from (what you've "been there, done that")and that you'll be there for her if she wants help.

AND - just a word of caution to you.  Don't take it personally if she rejects you and/or what you have to say.  I'm sure you understand.  

AND - forgive me, but I'm sure you'll understand this, too - stay out of her purse!  (I ashamed to admit that I have been there, done that.)

Good luck - you're a great uncle to care so much.  She's fortunate to have someone who sees things as they really are.  Hopefully, she can somehow benefit from your mistakes.  Please let us know what happens.
Take care,
Sherri
P.S.  I'm sorry this is so long, and I sincerely hope I haven't offended you.