post acute withdraw syndrome

[watershed]

I started, like ALOT of people, due to an accident that took 3 years to dx and after surgery left behind alot of pain. I have been through detox 2x's. If you think the big problems is getting OFF the drugs, that is nothing compared to what the next few years (or your life) will be like. I, like most people, assumed I would be sick as a dog for a few weeks (oxycodone) and then "normal" again. I never HEARD of post acute withdraw syndrome. I was completly OFF this demon drug for 2 months, my body could not take it, shaking 24\7, not sleeping, being miserable & moody. The dr decided to put me BACK on the drug due to this, but NOW my body is still miserable. PLEASE, for your own piece of mind, research "post-acute withdraw syndrome" you will see you will suffer for at least 2 YEARS after coming off these drugs as your brain tryies to reset itself. If I knew going back on them I would still feel like crap I would have just continued to suffer. I do NOT want to stop people from trying to get off these demons, I just want you all to ne prepared, once the "acute" phase passes in a week or two, then the post acute stage starts, your brain needs to figure out how to make dopamean (sp) on it's own. TWO years later, you can wake up suddenly in full blown W/D's again! They won't last as long ot be as severe, but some people actually suffer their entire life with these "out of the blue" W/Ds FIVE years later! And the dr's that prescribe them have no IDEA about this! I learned this at a detox center. After putting myself through all this, just to go back on these horrible pills, and STIIL feel like crap is very depressing, so please research & make sure you are strong. I HAD to work & could not in the condition I was in after being detoxed, so I went back on them & am in worse shape than ever. Bless us all who got into this mess, one way or another.

[watershed]

I was told about this in detox & suffered for over 2 months, I DID go back on the pills but that has not helped me at all. Per this very expensive detox center 90% of people will suffer from PAWS. I think alot has to do with how long you have been on the pills, as once I was on vicoden for about 6 months & just had the horrbile W/D's for 4 days & was bak to normal, I have been on oxycodone for 4 years now. Please, I do not want to discourage ANY of you fighting this demon, I just wanted your for warned so you are prepared for it. I, like most people I think, thought I would be sick for a few weeks, then back to normal. I ALSO am addicted to benzo's, so I have 2 demons.

[Jade59]

Right...Original Poster

[hthrfthr]

Congrats on your 30+ days! I have 146 days today and my sponsor told me about P.A.W.S. It is rare and even if I had felt it I would have stayed off the pills and the dope because my life is second to none now and I am FEELING things again, That is the beauty of being clean! We as addicts have good days and bad, just like everyone else, its how we deal with the emotions and feelings that makes or breaks us. Keep on going you can do it! Watershed, you can make it too. Doctors suck, they just want to throw pills at us half the time to get rid of us thats how i ended up an addict. :-(

[ImDONENoMore]

I think it means "original poster" - vicki?

[Dane74]

Thanks for all the information guys!  The scary part, feeling life??  Never really looked at it like that.  My emotions are running wild again, i assume this is just part of the process. What's OP?  Thanks guys again for everything, like y'all said bad days are usually followed by a good day:)  Watershed- thanks for the information, i guess i really needed to hear it.

[vicki595]

Dane~ PAWS is classified as a psycho/social syndrome. To suffer to the extent that the OP has is very rare. Many of us have had a taste of PAWS over time and some may have just brushed the feelings off and they passed. Other times it brings some to the doctor's office. It's pretty much treatable and it passes. Sometimes it's brought on by emotional stress(DANE!) and sometimes on an anniversay date or milestone. Every bit of recovery takes work and if you're always keeping your guard up and your addiction in the forefront,
doing all the healthy and positive things you've been taught,it's less likely to rear it's head.

Believe it or not,sometimes this is a diagnosis given as a kind of last resot when the doctor doesn't know what else to call it!  Sometimes it's depression and anxiety,other times the symptoms stem from an organic condition.  I'm not convinced that a treatment should be going back on opiates as the OP has done through his doctor.

Please don't fret over this...

[ImDONENoMore]

watershed - I'm SORRY for the interruption!!  :)

[ImDONENoMore]

Life DESERVES to be felt dane - the good and the bad.  Period.

Just like it was BEFORE we started taking the pills.  Nothing's changed (only WE did because we were high AND "living" life in a fog when on those stupid pills).  YOUR REAL life is waiting for you.

You'll get there and you'll be happier than you've ever been before - even with those bad moments, you'll see.  Stay strong girlfriend you are WINNING the battle on second at a time (like the rest of us).  :)

[MissMalibu]

The truth is that You Have Controll.  Now that you know you have the power to stay sober. I learned early about PAWS and was just as shocked. Now I know to expect it at some point and have the knowldege to tackle it if and when it does show it's ugly head. Like everyone else says it is rare. That is not a reason to give up or give in.

[Dane74]

and Vicki, WOW, for starters i will not read it, as i dont want to read anything negative.  I am very aware that this is a never ending battle and this is lifelong, especially after reading your post Gnarly, it really does scare the crap at out me that this is so powerful and makes me crazy that i cannot be in control of this, and now i coming to realize that this is a never ending battle....WOW, here comes the emotions again, i feel like week one all over again.  I am some what of a control freak...LOL and now the most important thing in my life i have no control over.  The mental game is so powerful and i am in complete shock over this. I had my wake up call when Gnarly you had a bad spell a week or so ago after being clean for so long, i didn't realize this is going to be forever.  so now the tears are rolling down again as i thought i passed this stage in my recovery, i guess it's a good thing i go back to the counselor next week.

[GoingToMakeIt]

    I was hit by PAWS about 6+ months after I had quit. I had EXTREME depression and wanted to use. But I had read about it and knew I had to fight. I do believe that for me. Had I not been informed about PAWS, I may have succumbed.
   I do agree that it is rare. Very few people battle it.  

[gnarly_1]

P.A.W.S is rare and not exactly what is described here there is some good info in the health pages on it if you like read up on it but to tell you the truth it is so rare we have had only a few documented cases of it I personally wouldent worrie about it in most cases its not debilitating im a firm believer in aftercare and believe those that seak it out heal from this disease or at lest put it in remition those that do nothing as the saying goes if nothing changes nothing changes as addicts we need to change the very way we think and reason siting on the couch waiting to get better will get you nowhere you get out of recovery what you put in and a lot of that is ytour own attitude one of the MAJOR things that needs to change to get well I will not fully discredit P.A.W.S but after over 2 yrs here and hundreds of useres I can only recall a few that had genuine symptoms and going back on the pills is not the cure it just adds to the problem you will be fine Dane.....Gnarly    

[GoingToMakeIt]

Each person is different in their recovery. Read up on PAWS in the Health Pages, http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/list?cid=66
  Post Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) can be very real and it's called ACUTE for a reason.
   Dane74 don't get discouraged, but be aware of your enemy (addiction). It does not play fair. It does not want you to win. You will even feel pain that your body Creates in order to make you want to feed the addiction. One of your best weapons (Yes, This Is WAR) is knowledge. Never let your guard down, if you do, it waits to pounce on you.

[vicki595]

Dane~ Don't worry about this,please. It's very rare. Go look in the health pages and read the info about it.  The OP is saying this happens to everyone and that's just not true!

[Dane74]

So are you telling me this crap will not get better for another 2 plus years???  Im only 31 days  clean and cant imagine i have years ahead of me to be back to normal...UGGGG  Please tell this is not true, im passed the physical for the most part it's the mental part that's the problem. WOW, what a debbie downer post, no offense, but not what i wanted to hear.