Opioids does anyone else think opiates have other health benefits besides just pain relief

[jasperkent]

Just a little anecdote to share:

A gf of mine a few years back told me a story about her late grandparents. They lived in a rural area, had the same Dr for decades. They were in their 70s and both had several chronic pain/sleep issues that were kept under control by various meds.
My gf didn't know what all they were taking, but they each took a variety of pills throughout the day. These old folks got up early and were active, chatty, and happy all day long. She cooked and made crafts, he tended a large garden. Both had an active social life and were a joy to be around. In the evenings they got very relaxed and laughed a lot, retiring early for a good night's sleep.
Then their old Dr retired. The new doc took them off nearly all their meds, proclaiming they'd been "overprescribed."
My gf's grandparents were suddenly miserable, grouchy, and uninterested in any of their former activities. They never laughed or even smiled again, and both were dead in less than 2 years.

That's one of the saddest goddamn stories I've ever heard and it fucking haunts me.

 

[Hippy Flower Fairy]

That's one of the saddest goddamn stories I've ever heard

That's fucking horrible, addicts knows what's going to happen when they have to stop, but for a little old couple taking what the doctors gives them, then having it took away, and having to cope with that it's so fucking sad, bad enough when addicts go through it, but we know what we are doing and we know what we have to go through when we stop, they must of been so shocked, probably knew nothing about withdrawal etc

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

Fun fact : it used to be a common psychiatric practice to prescribe morphine for the alleviation of 'melancholia' (what we now call depression) and of agitated / panicked states.
I can personally attest to the effectiveness of opiates in this respect - I have found them to work far better than any anti - depressant medication I've ever taken.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Fun fact : it used to be a common psychiatric practice to prescribe morphine for the alleviation of 'melancholia' (what we now call depression) and of agitated / panicked states.
I can personally attest to the effectiveness of opiates in this respect - I have found them to work far better than any anti - depressant medication I've ever taken.

Exactly.

There's a reason why they're so stigmatized now & lied about.
Can't have people treating their mental health with cheap, effective substitutes like morphine, diacetylmorphine, various other cheap opioids/opiates.

No one would take the rest of the garbage they prescribe if people did that.

My blood boils knowing this & knowing that treating myself is a "criminal act". Ridiculous.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

I think opiates are like weed with multiple uses instead of just pain management. For me opiates feel really therapeutic and take a ton of stress off my shoulders and it just feels really tranquil and uplifting. I see how it helps for pain but I think there's a mental aspect to where it's just really clear headed and relaxed and I can enjoy things more. I don't like the whole concept of "opiates are only good for a broken leg". I have ptsd and if I use opiates with some weed I feel a ton of relief and I can just rest my head down at night whereas weed alone might just give me more anxiety and make me feel worse.

A lot of plant medicines have multiple uses but it seems like with opiates we just automatically demonize them and say its for cancer patients and broken bones only. I think part of the reason is we started synthesizing them to make way them more powerful which I think was the downfall. I mean not using them every single day obviously but just a once in awhile thing but I feel like everyone is going to have a horror story and tell me I'm wrong lol.

Of course. That's why we have endorphins.

Natural opiates provide a great buffer effect to the trials and tribulations of life.

But overpower their natural efficacy at your peril...

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

Exactly.

There's a reason why they're so stigmatized now & lied about.
Can't have people treating their mental health with cheap, effective substitutes like morphine, diacetylmorphine, various other cheap opioids/opiates.

No one would take the rest of the garbage they prescribe if people did that.

My blood boils knowing this & knowing that treating myself is a "criminal act". Ridiculous.

The one anti - depressant that ever worked for me individually was Amitryptiline. Thing was, it gave me the exact same unwanted side - effects as do opiates - ie killed my libido and made me constipated.
WITHOUT the pay - back of making me feel good. It just made me feel NOT BAD.

.. While with opiates I gotta deal with the same side - effects but in exchange I actually feel GOOD instead of simply 'not like I need to put an end to myself RIGHT NOW'.

 

[Ganjcat]

No and while you believe that bulshit you will never get off

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

On the first ever episode of A&E's "Intervention" the subject (Alyson) was addicted to morphine and crack and she lived with her parents and often stole her fathers morphine pills so as not to withdraw. He was prescribed them not for pain but to treat a heart condition he had. I don't believe they said what condition it was but it was stated he needed to take morphine to keep him alive and it was used (in conjunction with other, unnamed meds) to prevent him having a fifth heart attack. He was definitely not on it for pain.

I would argue that opioids could be successful in treating some psychiatric conditions.; clinical depression and anxiety come to mind. Possibly PTSD.

Opioids (usually codeine) are very effective at treating diarrhoea. They are also pretty good (again, usually codeine) at treating intractable cough.

 

[F.U.B.A.R.]

It's not bullshit though @Ganjcat

You will never get off until you realise that your body naturally produces morphine. It's there for a purpose.

We've evolved with an amazing pain killing response to trauma.

But all of us junkies who felt the need to overwhelm that natural response with concentrated or synthetic versions of those endorphins have overridden our bodily defences. We take concentrated versions of endorphins and then our bodies don't need to create them anymore. This is why we suffer withdarawal.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

No and while you believe that bulshit you will never get off

If you're talkin ' to me, I've been decidedly 'off', as in NOT physically OR mentally dependent, for the past 6 years.
Which fyi is one year longer than I've been addicted

 

[Jay123$]

I use hydromorphone everyday for pain , and have used every opiate and grow crops of opium poppies so well experienced with them for last 23 years . Yes opiate make everything seem great , literally my life is pretty fucked and I have a lot to worry about , but that just all disappears when using .
The downside is that they consume you , mentally and physically where I have been to a point I spend most of my time thinking about getting them , how long till I get more , when I have gear how long till I use more ect . You also need more and more and more . I find I lost track of everything else that mattered and just disappeared down the rabbit hole for a few days of bliss . I don’t think it’s really a good idea to use opiates for anything other than pain relief when absolutely necessary or it fuckes people up more than it helps them

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

I use hydromorphone everyday for pain , and have used every opiate and grow crops of opium poppies so well experienced with them for last 23 years . Yes opiate make everything seem great , literally my life is pretty fucked and I have a lot to worry about , but that just all disappears when using .
The downside is that they consume you , mentally and physically where I have been to a point I spend most of my time thinking about getting them , how long till I get more , when I have gear how long till I use more ect . You also need more and more and more . I find I lost track of everything else that mattered and just disappeared down the rabbit hole for a few days of bliss . I don’t think it’s really a good idea to use opiates for anything other than pain relief when absolutely necessary or it fuckes people up more than it helps them

Been there, done that, printed the damn T-shirt. XD

... I think over - reliance on ANYTHING shows you that you got a problem that runs deeper than your addiction ; and this goes equally for people who literally eat themselves to death, and people who compulsively gamble / have sex, same as for those who drink or use drugs to excess.

Basically anyone who has their shit together and is perfectly content with their life, DOESN'T drink or drug themselves into the gutter.
If you're so degenerate you'll happily wank off a stranger in a public toilet for the cash for your next fix (as I have done), then drugs aren't your main problem. Merely an indicator of the problems that REALLY need seeing to

 

[Ganjcat]

If you're talkin ' to me, I've been decidedly 'off', as in NOT physically OR mentally dependent, for the past 6 years.
Which fyi is one year longer than I've been addicted

I was talking to the op

 

[ChemicallyEnhanced]

Oh, I knew there was another one: strong opioids are the only thing that helps when you have a cold or flu.

 

[Ganjcat]

It's not bullshit though @Ganjcat

You will never get off until you realise that your body naturally produces morphine. It's there for a purpose.

We've evolved with an amazing pain killing response to trauma.

But all of us junkies who felt the need to overwhelm that natural response with concentrated or synthetic versions of those endorphins have overridden our bodily defences. We take concentrated versions of endorphins and then our bodies don't need to create them anymore. This is why we suffer withdarawal.

Well I think that nothing good comes from opiates they trick us into thinking they do by feeling good but it's a trick that's my opinion anyway I used to tell myself that codeine and then heroin was good for me and helped me cope but the truth is they are just masking the underlying condition which is what you need to deal with.

Maybe if your in a car crash and have no tolerance then yeah they are good under a doctor's direction but even under a doctor's direction even if your in pain if you take them you taste them and once you taste them you might like the taste and want to taste it again either way you won't forget that taste maybe for the rest of your life that's what I meant.

 

[Jay123$]

Been there, done that, printed the damn T-shirt. XD

... I think over - reliance on ANYTHING shows you that you got a problem that runs deeper than your addiction ; and this goes equally for people who literally eat themselves to death, and people who compulsively gamble / have sex, same as for those who drink or use drugs to excess.

Totally agree on that . It’s all addiction , reward based impulses but I think that your defiantly more likely to end up with a problem from opiates than other drugs like weed or x or even alcohol cause it’s just so much more physically and mentally addictive

 

[Jay123$]

On the first ever episode of A&E's "Intervention" the subject (Alyson) was addicted to morphine and crack and she lived with her parents and often stole her fathers morphine pills so as not to withdraw. He was prescribed them not for pain but to treat a heart condition he had. I don't believe they said what condition it was but it was stated he needed to take morphine to keep him alive and it was used (in conjunction with other, unnamed meds) to prevent him having a fifth heart attack. He was definitely not on it for pain.

I would argue that opioids could be successful in treating some psychiatric conditions.; clinical depression and anxiety come to mind. Possibly PTSD.

Opioids (usually codeine) are very effective at treating diarrhoea. They are also pretty good (again, usually codeine) at treating intractable cough.

Totally right about diarrhoea and coughing , which one not that many people know . I had whooping cough , and it was fucking terrible and opiates stop you coughing straight up . Couldn’t sleep with out them very useful .

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

Totally right about diarrhoea and coughing , which one not that many people know . I had whooping cough , and it was fucking terrible and opiates stop you coughing straight up . Couldn’t sleep with out them very useful .

Yep thanks for pointing this out.
Their original prescription was as an anti-tussive (suppressing the cough reflex), an anti - diarrhea, as well as an anti - depressive medication

 

[Jay123$]

Been there, done that, printed the damn T-shirt. XD

... I think over - reliance on ANYTHING shows you that you got a problem that runs deeper than your addiction ; and this goes equally for people who literally eat themselves to death, and people who compulsively gamble / have sex, same as for those who drink or use drugs to excess.

Basically anyone who has their shit together and is perfectly content with their life, DOESN'T drink or drug themselves into the gutter.
If you're so degenerate you'll happily wank off a stranger in a public toilet for the cash for your next fix (as I have done), then drugs aren't your main problem. Merely an indicator of the problems that REALLY need seeing to

Hey man , didn’t read all your post , fuck I would never call someone a degenerate unless they were a pedo or something so think your being very hard on yourself you just had a bad drug problem . Hope your doing well at moment , I do have to disagree on something which is that a content person who has it all going for them doesn’t drink or drug themselves into the gutter as I have seen it time and time again . They have the house , the good looking missus , kids good job them they started using smack or speed or meth and nek minit they are fucked with no house , no missus , no kids .
The more you have the more you will lose with drugs , sometimes it’s better to have nothing like when I started on smack at 18
and had nothing to lose . Then I eased up and got the house the missus the kids

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

Hey man , didn’t read all your post , fuck I would never call someone a degenerate unless they were a pedo or something so think your being very hard on yourself you just had a bad drug problem . Hope your doing well at moment , I do have to disagree on something which is that a content person who has it all going for them doesn’t drink or drug themselves into the gutter as I have seen it time and time again . They have the house , the good looking missus , kids good job them they started using smack or speed or meth and nek minit they are fucked with no house , no missus , no kids .
The more you have the more you will lose with drugs , sometimes it’s better to have nothing like when I started on smack at 18
and had nothing to lose . Then I eased up and got the house the missus the kids

Oh lemme specify here, because I actually agree.

.. I think MOST people who get into a bad habit do it to compensate for something; but not all.

Thing is however : if you've got everything material going for you, nice house, no financial worries, nice family etc etc

... And you STILL feel you need to drink 2 bottles of wine every night or rail 5 lines of coke to feel good within yourself, in other words you believe it provides you something absolutely essential that you cannot do without and that nothing else can give you .... then OBVIOUSLY while your life might be the envy of anyone else, it's clearly lacking something for YOU.