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opiate recovery and panic attacks
I am starting to give sobriety an honest to god shot. Going at it full strength. I am only on day 3 and don't meet my counsler/addiction therapist for 2 more days. I am having bad panic attacks today. I knew what to expect to an extent as far as physical symtoms and I knew I would have depression and anxiety. So I guess my question is after the 7 days or so of physical withdrawal symtoms will the panic attacks ease up?
Thank both of you for your advice/words of incouragement. I got clonidine for rls and high bp. I just didn't want to get valium or something of the sorts due to my addictive nature. I will try the over the counter meds you mentioned the are supposed to help with anxiety.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I am so glad you have reached the point in your life when your realized the need to get clean and stay sober. I will gladly give you some suggestions, but you may have to go and see a doctor anyway and will shortly see why: there are just some medications that are incredibly helpful in withdrawals and only a physician can prescribe them for you.
There is really no easy way of detoxing from home. I have dealt with hundreds of addicts who have all told me horror stories of doing it by themselves. I would only guess that if are successful in doing it at home you don't end up in my clinic.
Panic attacks don't happen often during withdrawals, so I wonder if you had them before you started using and now they are resurfacing.
Just in case you are curious, it takes us three to four days to detox a patient and get him/her back home drug free and feeling well on Naltrexone therapy (no opiates).
At home, the basic technique is to space out the pills you take on a consistent manner until you take only one at night, then half at night, than every other night and then none. See if your doctor can write you a prescription for some Requip for restlessness, Neurontin for anxiety and malaise, some Flexeril or Soma for a few weeks for muscle spasms and maybe some Seroquel low dose, for sleep. and Clonidine for the creepy-crawly feeling and control of blood pressure variations. It will make your withdrawals easier. Valerian and Magnesium is sometimes helpful remedies over the counter. Valerian may take the edge off the panic attack for you and make sure to address them and their origin with your therapist.
The residual symptoms of insomnia and depression can last another few months. Thus, it is not easy, but it gets better and better over time and you can look forward to a drug free healthy energetic you in the future. When you take opiates for a long time like you have, your body's physiology has been altered. Your central nervous system has created a multitude of opioid receptors that all are screaming for endorphins (opiates) to fill them, but your body has now forgotten how to make them by itself. It will take time - two to four weeks at least, for your receptors to down-regulate (for the brain begin to heal) and to start making its own endorphins. Brain heals pretty slowly, so it may take you as long as a couple of months to get rid of feelings of sluggishness, restlessness and depression. The best thing you can do is take good care of yourself, eat healthy food, stay hydrated, keep active and busy. Stay away from sugar, soda, and simple carbs. Do not consume caffeine at least 6 hours prior to bedtime.
Take a look at my blogs about options for detox and recovery. You may also take a look at my clinic website where I also have my blogs and a lot of other info about drug addiction and recovery. Look especially into the blog and the info on Naltrexone therapy after getting clean. It really improves your chances of staying clean for good by cutting down your physical cravings. Look into my clinic website as well. All this can be done by clicking on my name in blue.
There is a injectable form available now that is covered by all major medical insurances called Vivitrol that you would need to get only once monthly to stay clean. Just keep it in mind for the future. As to whether opiates will kill you in the future once you get off of them, no, they will not. However, you will need to be very careful not to get addicted again, since you know that you have that predisposition, which is likely genetic. Good luck to you
There is really no easy way of detoxing from home. I have dealt with hundreds of addicts who have all told me horror stories of doing it by themselves. I would only guess that if are successful in doing it at home you don't end up in my clinic.
Panic attacks don't happen often during withdrawals, so I wonder if you had them before you started using and now they are resurfacing.
Just in case you are curious, it takes us three to four days to detox a patient and get him/her back home drug free and feeling well on Naltrexone therapy (no opiates).
At home, the basic technique is to space out the pills you take on a consistent manner until you take only one at night, then half at night, than every other night and then none. See if your doctor can write you a prescription for some Requip for restlessness, Neurontin for anxiety and malaise, some Flexeril or Soma for a few weeks for muscle spasms and maybe some Seroquel low dose, for sleep. and Clonidine for the creepy-crawly feeling and control of blood pressure variations. It will make your withdrawals easier. Valerian and Magnesium is sometimes helpful remedies over the counter. Valerian may take the edge off the panic attack for you and make sure to address them and their origin with your therapist.
The residual symptoms of insomnia and depression can last another few months. Thus, it is not easy, but it gets better and better over time and you can look forward to a drug free healthy energetic you in the future. When you take opiates for a long time like you have, your body's physiology has been altered. Your central nervous system has created a multitude of opioid receptors that all are screaming for endorphins (opiates) to fill them, but your body has now forgotten how to make them by itself. It will take time - two to four weeks at least, for your receptors to down-regulate (for the brain begin to heal) and to start making its own endorphins. Brain heals pretty slowly, so it may take you as long as a couple of months to get rid of feelings of sluggishness, restlessness and depression. The best thing you can do is take good care of yourself, eat healthy food, stay hydrated, keep active and busy. Stay away from sugar, soda, and simple carbs. Do not consume caffeine at least 6 hours prior to bedtime.
Take a look at my blogs about options for detox and recovery. You may also take a look at my clinic website where I also have my blogs and a lot of other info about drug addiction and recovery. Look especially into the blog and the info on Naltrexone therapy after getting clean. It really improves your chances of staying clean for good by cutting down your physical cravings. Look into my clinic website as well. All this can be done by clicking on my name in blue.
There is a injectable form available now that is covered by all major medical insurances called Vivitrol that you would need to get only once monthly to stay clean. Just keep it in mind for the future. As to whether opiates will kill you in the future once you get off of them, no, they will not. However, you will need to be very careful not to get addicted again, since you know that you have that predisposition, which is likely genetic. Good luck to you
It honestly takes a good month to actually feel normal (normal meaning pre-addiction waking up and not needing something to get moving). Anxiety comes and goes and it depends on you whether you will still have the attacks. Ive been dealin with all this for 10 years and ive been on methadone for almost 2 years now and bein on that i still have anxiety. Im 20 weeks pregnant now and have 3 kids already. Good luck.
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