Addiction Can anyone give me any helpful/useful advice for cold turkey opiate/opioid withdrawals?

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

My New Years resolution is to finally get clean so I can work on starting a family. I'm 33 and have been addicted for 15 years. I wasted my entire prime being an addict and I'm not getting any younger. I'm tired of being a broke, childless addict. January first is going to be day 1 without any painkillers (or at least that's the plan) and I must admit that I am terrified for what's in store. I can't afford ANR therapy or rapid detox while in an induced coma and I can't travel to Mexico for Ibogaine therapy, though any of those methods would've been preferable over cold turkey. My only option is cold turkey or methadone maintenance, but I'd rather not become dependent on that or suboxone. I hear Kratom can be helpful, but that poses its own mild risk for addiction. I know I'm gonna need to stock up on easily prepared food, water, electrolyte drinks, and OTC meds such as Imodium and non-narcotic pain meds. But what I mostly worry about is the insomnia and RLS. When I had withdrawals over a decade ago, the lack of sleep and RLS was the worst. I've managed to avoid withdrawals via strict rationing, but is there any advice that could make this ordeal not so hellish? Any info would be appreciated. Sorry for the novel.

 

[negrogesic]

My New Years resolution is to finally get clean so I can work on starting a family. I'm 33 and have been addicted for 15 years. I wasted my entire prime being an addict and I'm not getting any younger. I'm tired of being a broke, childless addict. January first is going to be day 1 without any painkillers (or at least that's the plan) and I must admit that I am terrified for what's in store. I can't afford ANR therapy or rapid detox while in an induced coma and I can't travel to Mexico for Ibogaine therapy, though any of those methods would've been preferable over cold turkey. My only option is cold turkey or methadone maintenance, but I'd rather not become dependent on that or suboxone. I hear Kratom can be helpful, but that poses its own mild risk for addiction. I know I'm gonna need to stock up on easily prepared food, water, electrolyte drinks, and OTC meds such as Imodium and non-narcotic pain meds. But what I mostly worry about is the insomnia and RLS. When I had withdrawals over a decade ago, the lack of sleep and RLS was the worst. I've managed to avoid withdrawals via strict rationing, but is there any advice that could make this ordeal not so hellish? Any info would be appreciated. Sorry for the novel.

What kind of opioids are you using and at what dose?

If the doses aren't too extreme immodium goes a long way. So does kratom. But it depends on what/how much you're taking.

However if you're hooked *on fentanyl/blue pressed M30 pills, things get a bit trickier.

 

[gigachud]

you just gotta fucking do it man. its gonna be a shit week for sure, but youll survive. the best advice you can have in preperation to kick, is just remember that 'things wont always be like this.' ive kicked so many times. last time was after ten years and i had a truly monumental tolerance. in my opinion, cold turkey is kinda the way to go. if you can get like 2-3 subutex itll help to take pieces the first few days but for real, theres something to be said for toughing it out. after physically and mentally fighting your addiction, fighting it as a real, tangible thing, you definitely think differently about going back to using. clear a fucking entire week off of your schedule, pull the blinds, put on clean sheets, get some gatorade, put a trash can by the bed, get comfortable and stay your ass in bed for a week. turn the phone off. youll make it. you got this.

 

[neversickanymore]

Awesome!!

So you have few things to prepare for.

-Acute withdrawal
-Post acute withdrawal
-Addiction (psychological dependence)

For the acute withdrawal.. I haven’t seen anyone figure out a successful treatment for this.. millions have tried tens of thousands have tried on blue light.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

So imho the best way to go at this is to develop a strong recovery plan that’s broken down into very simple steps that’s created before you start the process. The benefit being that then when you begin the healing process you have everything already in place in simple terms.

Our brains often don’t work very well in early recovery.. but they rebound great. So it’s good to have a strong recovery plan that’s broken down into easily obtainable simple goals.

The thing with doing it this way is it’s also easy to change a little portion of our recovery plan to make an adjustment if we end up using a substance we intended to give up.

First rule of recovery.. DON’T OD!! Relapse is a completely normal phase of addiction. It doesn’t have to happen, but it often does. So the first rule is don’t od. Once you have some clean time your tolerance drops to nothing and anything close to your normal dose will kill you for many substances.. opiates for sure. Most of the ODs of my friends happened during a relapse in use.

So if a relapse happens please promise yourself that you are going to take a novices dose. If you take your normal dose you will be at best sick as fuck and at worst dead. (It’s so common it’s tragic)

Consider looking at the three parts you will face and come up with a strong but simplified plan to tackle all of them.

Then jump.. adjust as needed.

You can do this.. your a year or so away from freedom.

 

[Señor Moreno]

My New Years resolution is to finally get clean so I can work on starting a family. I'm 33 and have been addicted for 15 years. I wasted my entire prime being an addict and I'm not getting any younger.

Well, you will quit, then you will be much more happy, much more healthy, much more beautiful, so yes, in many ways you will get so much younger.
We don't know what do you use, nor how much you dose, but if you can, get Lyrica (pregabalin).
Dosed at morning helps a lot with RLS and anxiety. Even with hot/cold fuckery and goose bumps. At night, it helps you sleep.

You will do it, Girl. Just don't punish yourself if you fall. You said it, you've been addictied for 15 years, now you want to quit. If it can't happen in January and it happens in April, it will be also great
Good look, amiga. Go for it.

 

[cdin]

would love to know more about the DOC/number of doses a day etc. but tapering/coming off can totally be done, i have done it with and without ibogaine. ultra low dose naltrexone and black seed oil were the two actual helpful things for me when titrating normally.

 

[sigmond]

Sorry if this advice is obvious..

I recommend having access to a hot shower or bath, preferably one where you can take multiple hot showers in a short period. I often fasted almost entirely through withdrawal, when I did eat it was things like oatmeal, soup, and yogurt. Benzos and antipsychotics can sometimes help sleep but be careful because they can also make you more agitated and restless.

I would try to stay awake as long as you can after your last dose so you can limit the time you’re awake in withdrawal. Drink lots of fluids. Chances are you will have a heightened sex-drive and extreme sensitivity in this regard; not sure how best to handle that.

Unless you’re withdrawing from methadone or Suboxone the worst should be over by day 3-5. I usually started to improve after 72-96 hours.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

Thank you all for the advice. To answer some questions, I have been taking 5mg of oxycodone once daily before bed and either 200mg of oxycontin or 300mg of morphine once a week (you know, to enjoy myself). I planned on taking my last big dose of 300mg morphine this Saturday as a "one last blast" before the shit hits the fan. Part of me thinks the last large dose might make withdrawals more difficult though. I've been told that I should instead keep tapering down from the 5mg oxy for another week or so. I've already been cutting those 10mg pills in half to make it 5mg, but I suppose I can quarter them into 2.5mg then take those daily for a while, then every other day, then nothing. Rationing hasn't been terribly difficult for me, but the thought of skipping a dose or quitting altogether scares the shit out of me. Another thing that worries me a bit is I'll probably be on the rag by January 1st and that in itself is uncomfortable (sorry if that's TMI, but in this case I feel mentioning that is important to the situation at hand). So maybe I should put it off for another week? I'm just tired of postponing recovery.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

And also, if I relapse, I definitely won't be taking my highest dose of oxy or morphine. I know my tolerance is going to plummet and I don't wanna die. I just hope I have enough strength to avoid running back to it, even if it is just for the smallest possible dose to get some relief.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

By the way, what are y'alls thoughts about baclofen? I had a coworker give me a couple of those months ago and I've been saving them for D-day. I heard it can be helpful for withdrawals.

 

[gigachud]

By the way, what are y'alls thoughts about baclofen? I had a coworker give me a couple of those months ago and I've been saving them for D-day. I heard it can be helpful for withdrawals.

eh. it aint gonna save the day, but yeah they help i guess. id take em for sure, i wouldnt expect much though.

 

[neversickanymore]

In acute withdrawal every time you take an opiate your reset the clock.. return to go.

Also as one 5mgpd holds you all week and you are also taking significant doses your likely to find that after you go through the struggle of the taper your still going to experience about the same struggle as if you jumped right off the bat.

What about the PAWS.. come up with a plan for this as everyone focuses on the acutes as they suck.. but in the long run it’s the easy part. Then people push through the acutes end up in a nice pink cloud and then PAWS and or addiction hits driving relapse.. then your back at square one and need to push through that wretched bullshit again.

Takes a few days to wander out of hell, but escaping is so worth the burn. Everyone pays the piper to get free.

 

[Señor Moreno]

You have an unheard regime for me, you only do 5 mgs at night, and then once a week 200. I mean, it's not like you use 15mg or 20 in a bad day. The fact that you only dose 5 mgs daily invites you to think that the wds won't be bad, but the fact that you can handle 200 points in another direction. I think that tapering for a week or so could be a good idea.
I also think that if you don't want to start on January 1th, then you can wait as you aren't risking your life with fentanyl. Don't wait forever, tho.
I don't know about baclofen but I think it is a gabaergic so it should help but I don't know to what degree. I can't stress enough how helpful Lyrica is, if you can get it, it really can make the difference between being able to quit or not.

What about the PAWS.. come up with a plan for this

This ^ is absolutely true. You can think about exercise, mindfullness, even antidepresant in some cases, but you totally need to foresee what comes after acute physical misery is gone.

 

[cdin]

i was in a similar place titrated to 5mg OC a day. outside of the issues w PTSD i could have jumped at any time -- the key was having ultra low dose naltrexone and black seed oil on hand. if you get to 5mg/24h for a week or so and jump, it won't be so bad, i promise -- outside of the return of existing symptoms you were taking opes for in the first place, which is where the iboga comes in, healing that underlying issue, though i understand it is hard to access.
naltrexone tho, almost any GP will rx for if you tell em you want to quit drinking. and even just a few pills will do what you want. 2 weeks of 50mcg a day with black seed oil before your 5mg doses will upregulate your mu receptors and make shit MUUUUCH easier.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

You have an unheard regime for me, you only do 5 mgs at night, and then once a week 200. I mean, it's not like you use 15mg or 20 in a bad day. The fact that you only dose 5 mgs daily invites you to think that the wds won't be bad, but the fact that you can handle 200 points in another direction. I think that tapering for a week or so could be a good idea.
I also think that if you don't want to start on January 1th, then you can wait as you aren't risking your life with fentanyl. Don't wait forever, tho.
I don't know about baclofen but I think it is a gabaergic so it should help but I don't know to what degree. I can't stress enough how helpful Lyrica is, if you can get it, it really can make the difference between being able to quit or not.

This ^ is absolutely true. You can think about exercise, mindfullness, even antidepresant in some cases, but you totally need to foresee what comes after acute physical misery is gone.

What is Lyrica used for and how does it help? I've heard of it, but can't remember what it's prescribed for. But yeah, glad I didn't hop on the fentanyl train. I never cared for fentanyl outside of the slow-release patches, which are practically impossible to acquire now anyways.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

i was in a similar place titrated to 5mg OC a day. outside of the issues w PTSD i could have jumped at any time -- the key was having ultra low dose naltrexone and black seed oil on hand. if you get to 5mg/24h for a week or so and jump, it won't be so bad, i promise -- outside of the return of existing symptoms you were taking opes for in the first place, which is where the iboga comes in, healing that underlying issue, though i understand it is hard to access.
naltrexone tho, almost any GP will rx for if you tell em you want to quit drinking. and even just a few pills will do what you want. 2 weeks of 50mcg a day with black seed oil before your 5mg doses will upregulate your mu receptors and make shit MUUUUCH easier.

Unfortunately, Ibogaine is illegal in the US. I'd have to make a trip to Mexico for that. What about black seed oil? Where is it sold and how does it help? I'm not sure if I could get naltrexone, but I'll try if need be.

 

[Señor Moreno]

What is Lyrica used for and how does it help? I've heard of it, but can't remember what it's prescribed for. But yeah, glad I didn't hop on the fentanyl train. I never cared for fentanyl outside of the slow-release patches, which are practically impossible to acquire now anyways.

Lyrica is used for nerve pain mainly but also for anxiety. It is incredible good for opiate wds, it makes it all so much easier, take my word.
But it is also tricky because it is addictive and create a tolerance so fast. It is not as dangerous as benzos, tho, but it has a bad wd so you don't want to take them for long, but it has no problem if you take it like for two weeks
I honestly think you would be very very surprised how well it goes for your goal.
I know people who had been advised to try it to no avail and then one day they tried it. They were in disbelief and kind of couldn't forgive themselves for ignoring it when they realized the amount of pain they would have saved to themselves.

 

[gigachud]

Lyrica is used for nerve pain mainly but also for anxiety. It is incredible good for opiate wds, it makes it all so much easier, take my word.
But it is also tricky because it is addictive and create a tolerance so fast. It is not as dangerous as benzos, tho, but it has a bad wd so you don't want to take them for long, but it has no problem if you take it like for two weeks
I honestly think you would be very very surprised how well it goes for your goal.
I know people who had been advised to try it to no avail and then one day they tried it. They were in disbelief and kind of couldn't forgive themselves for ignoring it when they realized the amount of pain they would have saved to themselves.

i would also say the same of gabapentin.

 

[fastandbulbous]

Suggested this to an acquaintance, to help get off opiates and he said it worked amazingly well.

Sort out enough of the opiate you want to be free of, for 4days. Dissolve it in boiling water, to make a sterile soln., which is kept in a resealable bottle, that keeps contents sterile (I'm assuming use by injection). To start, draw up enough solution to match your usual dose and administer as usual. Replace the volume you took out, with sterile (boiled). After that, take our the same volume of solution, again replacing with just water.
Keep to your usual regeime of dosing, following the above.
This slowly decreases the dose you are receiving; a quick reduction at first, but with repeated use, the amount the dosage drops becomes incrementally lower. Two weeks of such and by then, the stuff in the bottle is virtually just water and you can stop without withdrawal symptoms.
It is beautifully simple, but if you deviate from the above dosing schedule, you will fuck things up (ie. You have to be fucking serious about getting clean).

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

Suggested this to an acquaintance, to help get off opiates and he said it worked amazingly well.

Sort out enough of the opiate you want to be free of, for 4days. Dissolve it in boiling water, to make a sterile soln., which is kept in a resealable bottle, that keeps contents sterile (I'm assuming use by injection). To start, draw up enough solution to match your usual dose and administer as usual. Replace the volume you took out, with sterile (boiled). After that, take our the same volume of solution, again replacing with just water.
Keep to your usual regeime of dosing, following the above.
This slowly decreases the dose you are receiving; a quick reduction at first, but with repeated use, the amount the dosage drops becomes incrementally lower. Two weeks of such and by then, the stuff in the bottle is virtually just water and you can stop without withdrawal symptoms.
It is beautifully simple, but if you deviate from the above dosing schedule, you will fuck things up (ie. You have to be fucking serious about getting clean).

Luckily for me I never used needles. I've plugged opiates here and there, but I mostly just swallow the pills.