One drug for another

[beatingthis]

I have been reading a lot of post where you are replacing one drug for another.
This is not the way to be  "clean" I am taking this to help with w/d's from that. I understand
the w/d's are scarey but it really it is not the hard part. w/d's go away the fight really begins after the w/d's.
I wish all of you fighting the fight to stay strong. You can do this.!!

Terry

[Jebs317]

I know that this probably isn't the smartest thing to say but......I am on day 20 of CT at home....I looked for help.  I went to a new PCP, an emergency room detox, an ambulatory detox and was turned away by all of them.  The PCP said she coudln't help...sent me to the next and so on.  Within the 24+ hours that this all took, I came away from it with 1 clonipin and immodium.  I just don't know where people are getting suboxine....without being admitted to an inpatient treatment.
The one good thing that came out of it all was a nurse at the ambulatory detox, before turning me away because they didn't take my insurance and I didn't want to pay $1,000 a day!!!............before I left, I asked her to make phone calls for me to my doctors to tell them I was detoxing at home, and "no more".  I had to sign a release form for her to make these calls......but I am sooooo glad that she made the calls.  
I've learned more......reading posts here and the incredible success stories!  

[beatingthis]

Day 403 here and 1 pill away.....

sara does have a way with words!

[blahsville]

thank you for your response.  you gave me alot to think about...the statement I'm just one pill away from relapse has been running through my head all day.

That's heavy stuff there...good stuff sara and Im not going to forget it

Day 11 here, and just one pill away from relapse

[jstyoly]

prior to starting the Tamarol, started Norco 7 weeks ago every 4 hours / 6 a day then last week cut down to 3 Norcos a day adding 3 Tamarol as follows:
Tamarol 12am, 8am, 4pm
Norco     4am, 12pm, 8pm

I also take neurontin 3 x a day, thank you for your response I need help I have never been thru this and am very scared.

[dominosarah]

I am the one who made that statement that bugged you.  I was in no way judging you or anyone else.  I was actually referring to a person on this forum who came here and tried to get clean and continued to relapse almost losing his life in the process.  He got on a maintenance drug and started therapy and is doing really well the last time i talked with him.  Facing our demons is so important.  Learning healthy ways to live and learning to love ourselves is the key here.  This is what this man has been doing and that is what i was talking about.  I sobered up years ago but all i did was go thru the motions until i decided to put down ALL the other substances and really work on myself.  Recovery care is where i am finding who i am and dealing with the emotional train wreck i created.  As for the wd's being the easy part, it is.   I remember very very vividly how sick i was during that period but it doesnt last forever.....staying clean and living life on lifes terms is.  I hope this cleared up a few things.  I dont ever forget where i have come from cuz i am only 1 pill away from relapse.........sara

[blahsville]

I apologize for getting defensive, My guilt had me read that to mean what I wanted it to.  I do completely agree that replacing hydrocodone with tramadol is a very bad idea.  I know that kicking tramadol is not pleasant and not to be toyed with.

Im not even sure if taking that suboxone stuff or methadone is a good idea really, because I know they are both very hard to quit.  I used methadone to stop heroin over 10 yrs ago and it was best for me because it got me away from illegal drugs, quickly.  Before I lost my family, thats what mattered most, but that was my story and it's what worked for me, for about 7 yrs until i broke my ankle, pain pills...right back to the beginning.

However I dont think there is anything wrong with taking a benadryl to help you sleep, the recommended dosage only, nor is taking imodium to help with one of the other pleasant side effects of kicking pain pills, again the recommended dosage only. I even read that taking certain b vitamins helps, and taking vitamins sounds like a good thing.

I guess I got the feeling that taking anything at all to get through the physical stuff was being looked down on.  I say, you need something otc to help you sleep so you can get up and goto work the next morning then you need something otc to help you stay at your desk and not in the bathroom all day?  why not?

[LeaAnn807]

I have to put a thought of mine on here!  I always thought (In 15 plus years of active addiction) that "if I could JUST get through the physical withdrawal, I would have the problem solved!"  I am living proof that this is NOT the case. I have quit more times than I can count....literally....I have lost count, but I always went back.  So there is something to what people here are saying.  I have even been clean for 2 years during that time, but I was not in recovery.  I was just "clean" as in....I would pass a drug test and wasn't swallowing pills.  There IS a difference.  I have decided this time is going to be different and have started attending meetings.  I WANTED TO this time.  Nobody had to make me or talk me into going.  I wanted to do anything I had to do....PERIOD!  

Along the line of switching drugs....been there, done that!  Could write a book on almost any drug out there!  And sometimes the switching starts with detox.....trying to feel better!

Love to everyone!

TH

[avisg]

Wd is the easy part that does not mean its not difficult but whats coming up is far harder I will assure you I have been doing it for about 2 and a half years .People can read the negative in to almost anything .
Beating brought up a very good point in this post .I am sorry you feel judged however it dont see how anyone was judging anyone else.
She was pointing out the use of other drugs of an addictive nature to get off an addictive drugs is part of the addictive cycle and can puts you in the postion for cross addiction and it can .

[blahsville]

also...saying wd's is the easy part?  easy to say for someone who isnt in the middle of it.  Seems to me you could just as easily say...

while we recognize how horrible the wd period is...please dont fool yourself into thinking it will be easy once you have survived that period...after the wd's as hard as they are...your real battle begins

ok...so now I got all that off my chest...i feel better  :)

[blahsville]

Im gonna go ahead and say it...maybe it's my addictive personality, depression or being in the midst of withdrawals...but I feel so judged.  I took four tramadols the first two days of kicking a 20+ 10mg hydro addiction.  I have a very physical job and I had the 8 trams available so I took them.

bottom line....I havent bought nor taken any hydro's in 10 days.

The statement, you can tell the ones that are getting the help just bugged me.

so anyway...day 10 for me here...dont really care if I appear to be one of the ones who will make it or not

I know I am...that's all that really matters I guess and thank you sweet Jesus I have support from friends and family

[avisg]

i would just taper off the narco you have only been on the tram for a week if you go off it now you should be fine.just  how many narcos have you been taking a day?

[jstyoly]

so how do I do this weaning thing to get off the Norco and now Tramadol I have been taking the Norco almost 8 weeks and the Tramadol 1 week.....Help

[avisg]

jst tramadol is HIGHLY addicting and hell to come off of I would NOT be taking it in a month you  will most likely WD from it and it will be worse then the narco.Where it says "search this commuinty" put in tramadol and see how many people lives have been affected by this drug .

[jstyoly]

I was taking Norco 10-325 every 4 hours/6 per day started getting withdrawal pains, doctor added Ultram/Tramadol 50mg, to help with the withdrawal now I am alternating every 4 hours 1 Norco then next 4 hours Ultram/Tramadol a total of 6 pills a day, doctor told me to do this for 1 month then we would see where we go from there....is this a good idea? Help

[stilltrying1965]

Yep the physical w/ds are scarey , But you are spot on the real fight starts when the mental side kicks in. That is the hardest for me the mental side the guilt i felt was unbelievable, The depression also is real hard to deal with. So you are right terry the real fight starts after the physical w/ds are over ,,,,,,,,James

GREAT POST

[avisg]

Ohhh I agree yes they do its a very bad idea. I never took anything because i new if i did what would happen. I had done it in the past when in active addiction the idea is to get out of that mindset if you truly want to get clean

[dominosarah]

I had the mindset at one point that once i was done taking pills it was all done and over and everything would be fine.  I also feared the wd's and what i was taking would of killed an elephant but that didnt seem to bother me either until one day i had just had enough.  It was just a lights on moment for me.  I opened my mind and listened to the others who had gone before me.....sara

[beatingthis]

I understand what you are saying. I am talking about, taking a something to sleep or a benzo to help. Aftercare is the important part.
I guess what I am saying seems like people are so scared of w/d's that they are not seeing the bigger picture. What can I take to stop this or stop that, heck I did it myself.
I did what I did to myself and paid the price and will pay for the rest of my life.
There is no easy way to go through w/d's but the w/d's are the easy part.....

Terry

[gnarly_1]

great post...so many get caught up in the physical withdrawal ...I know I did and it was unpleasant to say the least...methadone recovery takes months to feel better and without aftercare I would have crashed and burned a long time ago..people need to know the real battle starts after the withdrawals the "mental mind screw" you go thew is more complicated then what can be explained here briefly but with aftercare it can be managed ...today im 183 days clean...I cant ever remember a time where I have learned so much in 6mo ....to everyone just starting out....there is no eazy way around withdrawals you just have to go thew them...it cant kill you and will only make you stronger in the end..but the end is only the beginning...it is a life long battle that requires effort on your part to seek out aftercare to get yourself well again this is something that we all need to embrace it is not optional for a successful recovery
recovery is a work in progress and it always will be....good luck to all those that go down this road may you find long lasting sobriety at its end.....Gnarly        

[dominosarah]

Good point avis....key word being IF they are getting the proper aftercare while using a maintenance drug.  You can tell the ones that are getting the help.  Makes all the difference in the world.........

[avisg]

beating ,
it happens, sometimes using a maintenance med for a period of time to give the person time to start healing the mental issues if they are getting the  proper aftercare  it can be effective .
however in alot of other cases yes people are continuing the addictive cycle by using one med to get off another over and over .Most of the time you will notice that are not getting recovery care .They don't realize that what they are doing is staying in the addictive cycle

[beatingthis]

Here is one back!!!!!

[beatingthis]

sara you do have a way with words girl!!!!

You have been such a friend and suppoert for me as well as others here. Not to mention staying clean yourself!

[dominosarah]

Here is a big hug from me to you~~~~~~