Desperate Determined to quit “H”

[Pigfist]

Hello everyone. I’m a 47yo male who has been snorting “h” for a few years consistently. The “h” is in quotations because I live in the U.S. and it’s well known that there is a fent problem, not only here. Anyway, I am determined like never before to finally be free of this addiction. I recently landed a wonderful job and as long as I have this habit I may as well have a shitty minimum wage job. I have been snorting for about 3 years and for the last year (approx) my habit has been between a half g and a gram per day. Typically wd sets in fast but the stuff I have been getting has super long legs. I wanted to quit about 3 weeks ago so I got 10 8mg subs(film) and waited 36 hours after my last use before I took any subs. I took one whole strip and it made my wd worse. About 2 hours later I took another whole strip. There was no relief except that there was almost a calmness that would come and go. But I could hardly get out of the bed and I could not eat or drink anything without throwing it right back up. So I caved and went and grabbed some h. I feel like I did something wrong with the subs, either waited too long to start them or took too much to start or both. But I was told to make sure you’re sick before taking them and typically it’s 6-12 hours after last dose. 24 hours after my last dose and I still wasn’t sick. But it finally hit me about 30 hours in. So, I have decided to try to taper by doing just 2 lines a day, my lines are usually around .1 each. I will do 2 a day for a few days then try to get by on just one (shouldn’t be hard because I don’t think I will be sick if I do one a day). It will be a psychological thing rather than physical. But I also have 8 of the subs left. How should I approach this? Is this “taper” that I have mentioned worth doing or should I kick it and get on the subs right away? Just trying to avoid as much WD as possible as it literally cripples me. Thanks in advance for any insight.

 

[hylite]

I am sure there is excellent knowledge here to help you out !
Are those really subs, did you have them tested ?
I thought they were supposed to help.
I would say keep tapering until you find out more information on the sub ? !

 

[hylite]

How is all going. I hope you made it through all. Stay Strong.
I learned allot about alcohol on this thread. Like stay away !
And there are different types. Very strong and Too strong.
I hope everything is going good and not all wrong. ♡

 

[Pigfist]

I am sure there is excellent knowledge here to help you out !
Are those really subs, did you have them tested ?
I thought they were supposed to help.
I would say keep tapering until you find out more information on the sub ? !

Yes, I love this forum. I have been reading tons of posts and learning a lot from them. I’m positive that the subs are legit, I don’t think that the subs are the problem. Instead I think fent is the issue. I have never heard that fent is stored in the body far beyond its half life. So I have been reading about micro dosing subs while tapering. I may have to try this method. But I will have to find more subs because I don’t think 8 with be enough from beginning to end.

 

[hylite]

I don’t think 8 with be enough from beginning to end.

Eight doesn't seem like too many. But maybe not enough ! Yes.

 

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

Just wanted to point out that a whole strip of 8mg subutex is a fuck of a lot. Too much in fact. When it comes to bupe, 0.5 - 2mg is usually more than enough for your level of habit.

No one can give you exact numbers I'm afraid, but buprenorphine is extremely powerful, so abusing it is only going to make things worse.

 

[Pickledlemons]

Agree, too much too soon. In fact, forget about hours. Just keep it around until the withdrawal is so bad you couldn't possibly wait another minute, then take 2 - 4mg. Subs work good but there's still going to be some transition time as your body gets used to the new drug. If its too hard, methadone might be better, though it is a more serious addiction than bupe, being that its a full agonist. With the new job coming up, its sounds like cold turkey is off the table so your choices are basically bupe, methadone or kratom.

 

[Pickledlemons]

Also, your post makes it seem like you scored some strips off the street. I highly recommend going to a clinic if you're serious about quitting long term. You can always taper down later but if you only have 8 strips... that isn't going to last very long.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

Hello everyone. I’m a 47yo male who has been snorting “h” for a few years consistently. The “h” is in quotations because I live in the U.S. and it’s well known that there is a fent problem, not only here. Anyway, I am determined like never before to finally be free of this addiction. I recently landed a wonderful job and as long as I have this habit I may as well have a shitty minimum wage job. I have been snorting for about 3 years and for the last year (approx) my habit has been between a half g and a gram per day. Typically wd sets in fast but the stuff I have been getting has super long legs. I wanted to quit about 3 weeks ago so I got 10 8mg subs(film) and waited 36 hours after my last use before I took any subs. I took one whole strip and it made my wd worse. About 2 hours later I took another whole strip. There was no relief except that there was almost a calmness that would come and go. But I could hardly get out of the bed and I could not eat or drink anything without throwing it right back up. So I caved and went and grabbed some h. I feel like I did something wrong with the subs, either waited too long to start them or took too much to start or both. But I was told to make sure you’re sick before taking them and typically it’s 6-12 hours after last dose. 24 hours after my last dose and I still wasn’t sick. But it finally hit me about 30 hours in. So, I have decided to try to taper by doing just 2 lines a day, my lines are usually around .1 each. I will do 2 a day for a few days then try to get by on just one (shouldn’t be hard because I don’t think I will be sick if I do one a day). It will be a psychological thing rather than physical. But I also have 8 of the subs left. How should I approach this? Is this “taper” that I have mentioned worth doing or should I kick it and get on the subs right away? Just trying to avoid as much WD as possible as it literally cripples me. Thanks in advance for any insight.

Unless you have a heart or neurological condition which might make you susceptible to a heart attack or seizure under the extreme physical stress of withdrawal, have you considered just taking yourself off cold? (Under medical supervision if as mentioned you have any health concerns.) I've personally done it several times.

That way is the most unpleasant but also the quickest, and once it's out of your system it's out of your system. Your body readjusts and you can get on with your life. Also by all means use subs to ease you through wd, which was what these drugs we're initially designed to do. But don't tie yourself in physical dependence to a substitute which you'll then in turn have to withdraw from. If you really wanna draw the line for good, draw the line.

 

[Pigfist]

Agree, too much too soon. In fact, forget about hours. Just keep it around until the withdrawal is so bad you couldn't possibly wait another minute, then take 2 - 4mg. Subs work good but there's still going to be some transition time as your body gets used to the new drug. If its too hard, methadone might be better, though it is a more serious addiction than bupe, being that its a full agonist. With the new job coming up, its sounds like cold turkey is off the table so your choices are basically bupe, methado

Also, your post makes it seem like you scored some strips off the street. I highly recommend going to a clinic if you're serious about quitting long term. You can always taper down later but if you only have 8 strips... that isn't going to last very long.

Yes cold turkey is off the table. I wd hard and there is absolutely zero chance that I would be able to get out of bed let alone work while I’m in wd. I intend to quit on a Thursday, I will be able to work the following day and then I will have the weekend to get stable on whatever it is I’m going to use to get through the hardest of the wd. I am not going to a clinic because my habit is a secret that’s hard enough to keep without trying to hide that I’m going to a clinic. Also I won’t have to taper coming off subs because I only need them long enough to get through the worst of the wd, typically for me it is day 2-4. So I will take subs or kratom for 3-4 days then stop those as well and ride it out the rest of the way.

 

[Pigfist]

That way is the most unpleasant but also the quickest, and once it's out of your system it's out of your system.

What do you mean by that method being the quickest? I was under the assumption that once I stop putting h into my body it starts leaving my system and that no matter if it’s cold turkey or by using subs, each day there is less in my system than the day before. I’m not intending to use the subs/kratom to quit, I’m using them to lessen the effects of wd until I am able to cope and work/function without their help.

 

[Pickledlemons]

Yes cold turkey is off the table. I wd hard and there is absolutely zero chance that I would be able to get out of bed let alone work while I’m in wd. I intend to quit on a Thursday, I will be able to work the following day and then I will have the weekend to get stable on whatever it is I’m going to use to get through the hardest of the wd. I am not going to a clinic because my habit is a secret that’s hard enough to keep without trying to hide that I’m going to a clinic. Also I won’t have to taper coming off subs because I only need them long enough to get through the worst of the wd, typically for me it is day 2-4. So I will take subs or kratom for 3-4 days then stop those as well and ride it out the rest of the way.

Bupe might cushion your fall a bit but switching to a different opioid for a couple days is not going to work to bypass withdrawal. If only it was that simple eh?

 

[Pigfist]

Bupe might cushion your fall a bit but switching to a different opioid for a couple days is not going to work to bypass withdrawal. If only it was that simple eh?

I didn’t expect to bypass the wd, yea I think we all wish that were possible! I just wanted to get through the hardest physical sickness. I am failing to understand why it wouldn’t work. If I could manage to feel decent on day 2,3,and 4 I don’t understand how on day 5 or 6 it would be like the beginning of wd.

 

[Pickledlemons]

I didn’t expect to bypass the wd, yea I think we all wish that were possible! I just wanted to get through the hardest physical sickness. I am failing to understand why it wouldn’t work. If I could manage to feel decent on day 2,3,and 4 I don’t understand how on day 5 or 6 it would be like the beginning of wd.

Because you aren't addicted to heroin, you are addicted to mu-opioid agonism and bupe is just different way of achieving the same effect. Thats why they call it maintenance, it maintains your addiction, it doesn't allow you to bypass the worst of your withdrawal. You can get on bupe and then slowly taper off over the course of weeks or months and that allows you to experience lesser pain for a longer period of time, but if you want to quit, you're going to have to face the music, there's no outsmarting it.

 

[Pigfist]

Because you aren't addicted to heroin, you are addicted to mu-opioid agonism and bupe is just different way of achieving the same effect. Thats why they call it maintenance, it maintains your addiction, it doesn't allow you to bypass the worst of your withdrawal. You can get on bupe and then slowly taper off over the course of weeks or months and that allows you to experience lesser pain for a longer period of time, but if you want to quit, you're going to have to face the music, there's no outsmarting it.

Then I am thoroughly confused. About a year and a half or 2 years ago I stopped h, I took subs for 2 days, and used meth to feel better than I did without anything, and day 6 without h I stopped the meth and I was fine, without any physical symptoms of wd. So I guess somehow I got lucky and that is unusual.

 

[OpiateKiller]

If you’re using large amounts of fentanyl on a daily basis…

DO NOT. And I repeat, DO NOT.

Take a Suboxone or subutex before 48 hours of last use:

You’ll thank me because the precipitated withdrawal could kill you. And no that’s not an exaggeration.

Anyone telling you your habit isn’t that bad doesn’t know what fentanyl can do to you.

It’s potency and length of stay in the body and brain cannot be understated.

Do not risk your life.

 

[Pickledlemons]

Then I am thoroughly confused. About a year and a half or 2 years ago I stopped h, I took subs for 2 days, and used meth to feel better than I did without anything, and day 6 without h I stopped the meth and I was fine, without any physical symptoms of wd. So I guess somehow I got lucky and that is unusual.

So you've been using for 3 years 'consistently' but a year and a half ago you quit? What? How long did you quit for?

Anyway it really seems like you underestimating the task at hand. If you've been doing a gram of fentadope everyday for the last year, I don't see you taking the weekend off then showing up for work monday bright eyed and bushy tailed without some kind of maintenance.

Withdrawal is your brain adapting to an environment without opioids. So taking a different opioid is going to keep W/D at bay, but its always going to be waiting for you just around the corner. If your biggest priority is getting clean off everything NOW then maybe you need to forget about the job or ask to start a week later because I just don't see these two ideas working in conjunction.

 

[Pigfist]

If you’re using large amounts of fentanyl on a daily basis…

DO NOT. And I repeat, DO NOT.

Take a Suboxone or subutex before 48 hours of last use:

You’ll thank me because the precipitated withdrawal could kill you. And no that’s not an exaggeration.

Anyone telling you your habit isn’t that bad doesn’t know what fentanyl can do to you.

It’s potency and length of stay in the body and brain cannot be understated.

Do not risk your life.

Yes, I believe I experienced this a couple weeks ago, cut cold turkey from about a half gram a day and took 8mg of sub at the 36 hour mark, from there it only got worse. I took another 8mg about an hour and a half or two hours after the first sub and somehow made it 24 hours after that before throwing in the towel and doing h.
So here I am, I’ve been tapering and I’m at about .2 a day. I think I’ll continue to taper for another 2 weeks and maybe two weeks from now I’ll be at .1 a day and maybe jump from there or continue to taper until I can skip a day between uses. I obviously have some rethinking to do because I have been misunderstanding subs and their purpose. Thanks to @Pickledlemons and yourself for taking time to share info with me. I don’t know yet how I am going to do this but somehow I must. I have subs, Imodium, and ambien at my disposal and may pick up some kratom.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

What do you mean by that method being the quickest? I was under the assumption that once I stop putting h into my body it starts leaving my system and that no matter if it’s cold turkey or by using subs, each day there is less in my system than the day before. I’m not intending to use the subs/kratom to quit, I’m using them to lessen the effects of wd until I am able to cope and work/function without their help.

Ah ok. I wasn't sure whether you were looking at long - term substitution.

By quickest I meant you can do a long taper over several weeks which 'll minimize the withdrawal symptoms. Going off by simply stopping lands you with full force wd but it's also over in a few days. That's what I was saying.

 

[Pigfist]

So you've been using for 3 years 'consistently' but a year and a half ago you quit? What? How long did you quit for?

Anyway it really seems like you underestimating the task at hand. If you've been doing a gram of of fentadope everyday for the last year, I don't see you taking the weekend off then showing up for work monday bright eyed and bushy tailed without some kind of maintenance.

Withdrawal is your brain adapting to an environment without opioids. So taking a different opioid is going to keep W/D at bay, but its always going to be waiting for you just around the corner. If your biggest priority is getting clean off everything NOW then maybe you need to forget about the job or ask to start a week later because I just don't see these two ideas working in conjunction.

I quit for less than a month, and when I began to use again it was purely mental because there weren’t any physical symptoms, I was just bored. And again I think you’re misunderstanding my intentions. I know I won’t be bright eyed and all that, I just want to be able to work without puking and shitting everywhere. I can deal with feeling like crap if I am physically capable of moving around.