Opiate detox fatigue - how long?

[taarna]

Hi everyone!  I detoxed off (mainly) opium and (sometimes) fentanyl pops recently (37 days clean) and I guess I am doing ok - no withdrawals anymore, can finally sleep.  Exercising at least 5 days a week...  Still I am not doing this because I want to, but because I know that's the fastest way to "reboot" my brain.  I drag my butt, I struggle to complete my workouts, struggle to do anything that takes some strength...  Does anyone know how long this awful fatigue lasts? And PLEEEEASE don't say "it depends on how much and how long"...  I will settle for an approximation...  more like 3 months or 3 years?:-)  I am desperate to have a timeline to at least look forward to.

[Onetonbrun]

Sorry for the typo with your name taarna earlier, just a little more info regarding my diet if you don't mind thanks,
I have only just recently in the past 3 days started eating and drinking and my foods consists of fish, chicken, pastas, potatoes, fruits and vegetables both whole and the occassional juice, gallons and gallons of water, no teas or coffees and no milks, no fizzy "coke type drinks" or soda waters.
This is why I am at my wits end regarding the lack of energy as I think I am eating the correct foods and not eating "crap" as we say in the UK!
Thanks for your time.

[Onetonbrun]

Hi ta arena
my name is Richard I am 36 years old from the UK and I am on my 10th day cold turkey detox from a massive Tramadol and Codeine Phosphate lasting 7 years.
A typical day involved me taking between 30-50x50mgs of Tramadol and between 10-24x30mgs Codeine Phosphate, I would take 10x50mgs Tramadol every 90 mins or so then finishing the day when they had gone with 10-12x30mgs codeine phosphate twice!!
I denied and denied til I was blue in the face to my family and friends about it as I was buying them off anyone I could as soon as my prescription was used (100x50mg Tramadol & 100x30mg codeine phosphate in 2days!!!)
Anyhow I have been to hell and back several times since last week during this detox, I was told to "taper down weekly" but I thought balls to that I would never of done it as the painkillers were just "levelling" me out, not giving me any kind of euphoria or anything like that.
I think I have now "broken its back" now as I am slowly returning back to some sort of normality, (eating regular and plentiful, drinking fluids, going to the toilet normally, sleeping ok etc) but my only concern is your initial problem of getting energetic again! I am eating and drinking great exercising very lightly but several times through the day I just seem to hit a wall and become very lethargic and groggy!
Can't understand as I am eating and drinking correctly but it's like the energy from my food isn't being released!
Please help me with ANY advice!
Thank you, Richard.

[taarna]

Thanks for your comments...  I do understand it always depends on many factors, but I wanted to hear other people's own experiences and their timelines. I know mine will most likely be different.  But yes, I am doing EVERYTHING possible: exercising, taking multivitamins, amino acids, working, going to meetings, eating ONLY healthy food and NO sugars, taking help from friends and family.... etc.  Also... never did heroin.  Smoked opium, but never shot up.  I know they are very similar, but at the same time there are differences.  Perhaps thats why my w/d did not include nausea or restless leg syndrome... Who knows...  As far as the pops go, those were not available to me on a regular basis.  Still... my receptors are probably still "suffering" due to the fentanyl.   So, thanks for the advice - I will give it all I have!  

[worried878]

sorry...see she said 6 mths!  most will say 3 mths/also see u r exercising and trying hard...good 4 u!...heroin and fentanyl are strong narcotics..with fentanyl being the strongest of the 2..specially pops cos u were getting that fast release producing endorphin mayhem in ur brain...shooting heroin or any drug is also an onslaught of endorphins....mucus membrames like the mouth are close to shooting release wise...but fentanyl is a stronger drug than heroin...so it is a toss up

u sound like u want this badly...u seem as if u know the drill...sorry for not reading ur whole post..and apologize for being a skim reader due to time restraint....in realituy we r all different..but i do beleive those who give it all they got...come out on top...and u will cos it is obvious u want this...good luck

[worried878]

3 months again....but it really does matter on how much and how long u used..and ur DOC..also ur mental attitude..and the steps u r willing to take to combat this fatigue

sorry u do not want anyone being generic and asking u these questions..but an heavy heroin user is just gonna have a harder mental wd than an rx drug abuser of 40 mgs...it is just a fact and u can not compare nor ask for a majic number of when it will be over,,,it can be years for some and weeks for others...it is just not always equal...but for most low quantity prescription drug users it is 90 days or less//then again  I have seen a 40 mg hydro user go thru he11 for 6 mths...but they had no aftercare in place nor any plan to combat mental cravings in place whatsoever//add a negative attitude and no exercise///u have a relapse waiting to happen
I have also seen heavy duty heroin users and methadone users at over 100 mgs taper down on here and go on to feel great in 2 months or so...but they had their ducks in a row as this was not their first go around with this disease called addisction

I am glad u r comfy with a "number"  but most of this is up to u and what u r willing to put into it..as a rule///no matter what ur use..u will feel "better" when u put ur nrg into the things that will help u feel "better"..cos it is up to u in reality,,take ur number and run withit...if u dont do the work...it is "merely a number"

keep moving forward

[taarna]

Sorry... almost forgot.  Stay away from sugar and caffeine for as long as you can - it WILL give you the jitters.  Oh, and any stimulant (coke) - not a good idea:-)  I know, I know - you're trying to do anything possible to feel a bit more human.  Not the answer.  Try to put only REALLY GOOD things in your body right now.  And drink camomille tea - as much as possible. It will calm you down a bit and make you go to the bathroom (#1).  Get all the bad stuff out of your system.  Eat good food.  Replace your electrolytes.  And try to get out of the house, even if its for only a 30 min walk.  Every day.  The better you feel, the more you should exercise.  It WILL get your brain to produce serotonin on its own.  Sorry...  Dont mean to preach.  I just dont want to see ANYONE going through this hell...  And if I could, I would wave a magic wand and make all addicts in this world, clean w/o any pain.  But perhaps we need this hell... as reminder.  Good luck!  Contact me any time!

[taarna]

Thanks for your straight forward answer! Very appreciated! Fortunately, depression has not been an issue at all.  Anxiety either, except for like a couple of days (day 2, 3 and 4).  I am sleeping again after like 25 days.  Just this annoying fatigue.  Am also taking melatonin and a multi vitamin.  Good to hear you've been off for 3 days.  You know I have read in many posts that you should take amino acids to help your brain reboot and feel better.  Like l-tyrosine.  I have found the following post very helpful.  Check it out:
http://www.drugs-forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=73599  
I really really hope you kick the pill habit.  I know the dark place you're in now, and I hope you find your way out.  My habit was 8 years long and towards the end i was spending like 150-200 a day.  So....  I can relate.  Please know that you are not alone...  I know that's little comfort right now, but.... it's true.  Be good!:-)  Oh, and almost forgot...  I dont know for sure if this is the reason my depression and anxiety were not so bad, but for a couple of weeks after day 1 I started taking this supplement in form of a shake called MoodFood.  It contains: l-theanine, stevia leaf powder, potassium, sodium, iron, calcium,etc...  I think it saved my butt, coz everyone I talked to said the depression and anxiety were killers.  But... my experience, thank God, was not bad at all when it came to those.  Also no restless leg.  Ate plenty of bananas to get my potassium levels higher.  So.... I hope it helps.  I got this MoodFood from a vitamin shop.  They claim it reduces nervous tension and gives a positive mood and alertness...  So maybe it worked better than I could have hoped for.  Don't have any clue how it could have been without it.  Again, keep it up!  Glad you had the courage to get clean again and go through this hell.  Good for you!!!

[Jackie1725]

well i was a heroin addict for 13 yrs with a terrible habit, when i say terrible i mean over 200 bucks a day, it took me over 6 months to start feeling like me again. and i had to go on an antideppresant for about 4 months. then like a dummy i recently got addicted to norcos now i been off 3 days. still painfull and ****** but taking valerian root for anxiety, melatonin for sleep and a multivitamin just well for all the damage i did to myself. I would say ur lookin at a few months, but if u feel down call ur dr. depression is a major side effect of quiting any opiate.