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Can someone help me with combatting PAWS, Im clean but still going through hell

C

crisler

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 24, 2013
Messages
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Im clean from Tramadol the last crumb in my system was 11 days ago. I feel like absolute shit, I cant handle criticism. I can't handle anything without crying. A girl I stopped talking to ages ago because she cheated on me (but admitted it but I still didnt forgive her), I randomly saw her online on facebook just sitting there reading the main feed. I started crying actually broke down when I saw her profile picture and thought about something that happened months ago. I wanted to go home and cry one day at work because I thought someone was mad at me. I feel broken I cant explain breaking down so easily but not by choice at all. Im just mentally unstable right now. I can just watch a tv show, something sad will happen and I will feel overwhelming emotions. Im a guy that used to pride myself almost, on being "a man." I never was this way before the drug by the way.

My question is, how long will this Post acute snri withdrawal period last? Weeks? 2 months? 6 months? I used tramadol for 8 months illegally by the way at a dose of 250mg every 24 hours. So it wasnt for years per se, but still a good while. Any supplements I can take? I will not be taking any antidepressants, I dont want any ssri, snri, nri, maoi anything of the sort ever again because I dont want to go through the withdrawals again.
 
All those influx in emotions are perfectly normal during the paws stage. We can't really give you an exact time frame, it differs from person to person, however some say that paws can last anywhere from half the amount of time you were using, to the same amount of time you were using, although this isn't an exact science, its more of a general measurement of time.

I'm going to move this to "The Dark Side", they might be able to help you better than we in OD can.
 
Crisler -

Congratulations on making it 11+ days. That is a HUGE accomplishment!

7nos is absolute correct - it's common in early withdrawal to have wild mood swings. Overwhelming feelings of sadness/despair/anger/you name it will probably last a few weeks. 8 months is not a huge amount of time to be addicted to Tramadol. So I doubt you are in for a really long bout of PAWS. Just remember that, regardless of what you are feeling, it will pass in time. Try and just wait it out or do something to take your mind off of it.

In in terms of supplements, I've heard that both 5htp and fish oil are very good for the issues you are facing. Of course, overall nutrition is important as well - make sure you are eating your leafy greens and proteins. I'm sure others on here will have better advice on the supplement front.

Good luck!

- VE
 
Exercise. Lift weights. May have literally saved my life. It can be a healthy addiction, and it does wonders for RLS, anxiety, insomnia, restlessness, depression, etc. It will suck super hard the first few times, but once tour body adapts you'll never look back.

Not to mention exercise does wonders for healing your brain after something like this.

Eat healthy too, take vitamins, get as regular as humanly possible with sleep schedule.
 
Kratom in moderation may help as well. Just don't get addicted to that as it carries with it addiction potential both physical and mental and also causes withdrawal when stopped if you get dependent. I don't know how open minded you are to a mood stabilizer short term, but Gabapentin helps me a lot with the general shittiness feeling and boosts my mood. I would only do that short term to get through the PAWS though as some people report withdrawals from quitting heavy use of that.

Everything in moderation and as short term as you can is my suggestion if you go the comfort meds/supplement route.
 
Also remember that while feeling so vulnerable (and expressing it through crying) may be uncomfortable, it may also be beneficial to you in the long run. Crying is healthy. Coming to terms with your emotions is part of what sobriety is--and it doesn't happen automatically. You have a human heart and a human mind and that means that life is complicated and often full of suffering. Learning not to run from suffering, nor to stoically bear it like a cowboy in the old western movies, but to embrace feeling as simply being alive and engaged makes letting pain come and go easier. We tend to hang on to pain in our minds but not to joy when in fact both only exist in moments.
 
I would not go the kratom rought as your already addicted to opiates and it's an opiate.
 
PAWS LINKS
Why We Don’t Get Better Immediately: Post-acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)
Post-acute-withdrawal syndrome Wiki

Exercise and Brain Neurotransmission
Neurobiology of Exercise
Aerobic Exercise
Exercise 4 Health, Mental Health, and Addiction vs. The Endorphin Factory
Exercise 4 Health, Mental Health, and Addiction vs. I worked all that out
exercise and sleep

Chemicals and supplements to recover from opiate addiction
Diet & Neurogenesis


it is a powerful thing to keep our thoughts positive and here are some threads many of us use to help us do this.
Good things about being off drugs/getting sober
Share Something Positive from Your Day vs. It's All Around You
Today I Am Thankful For... Ver. 4 Infinite Chances in an Amazing World
Daily Personal Affirmations Log Vs IM THE SHIT & NOT a piece a.. not playing me. NOPE
Managing depressive thinking

Here is the mindfulness thread.
Anhedonia MEGA Thread
 
@neversickanymore I'm 99% sure kratom is not an opiate. It has opiate like effects, and some compounds in it activate opioid receptors, but its not an opiate. Source: psychedsubstances kratom guide, among others.
 
My approach in the case of alcoholism was to look at the things my body needed and wasn't getting and trying to stock up on those (thiamine, B12, etc). I feel like that helped a lot with longer lasting withdrawal effects.

I don't know how/if it directly applies to opiate PAWS, but it's something worth looking at, I reckon.
 
Jackplays said:
@neversickanymore I'm 99% sure kratom is not an opiate. It has opiate like effects, and some compounds in it activate opioid receptors, but its not an opiate. Source: psychedsubstances kratom guide, among others.
Click to expand...

how does it activate opioid receptors, but is not an opioid?
 
Yep bobby, my thoughts exactly.

Mitragyna speciosa (Rubiaceae), commonly known as kratom, is a tropical tree with a long history of traditional use in parts of Africa and Southeast Asia. In recent years, kratom has gained popularity for use as a recreational drug across the globe. Relatively new to the illicit market and used in a manner different from its traditional applications, preparations of kratom are touted by many as a safe and legal psychoactive product that improves mood, relieves pain, and may provide benefits in opiate addiction. Available literature was reviewed for M. speciosa via PubMed, Google Scholar, CINAHL, and EBSCO to summarize its traditional uses, phytochemical composition, pharmacology and toxicology of proposed active constituents, and potential for misuse and abuse. Research has demonstrated that both stimulant and sedative dose-dependent effects do exist, but a growing concern for the drug's effects and safety of use has resulted in national and international attention primarily due to an increase in hospital visits and deaths in several countries that are said to have been caused by extracts of the plant. The main active alkaloid substances in kratom, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, present with a range of CNS stimulant and depressant effects mediated primarily through monoaminergic and opioid receptors.
Click to expand...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26511390
 
Kratom may help with some of the PAWS symptoms as it seems to have SSRI properties, but it's also addictive so I would take neversickanymore's advice and not try it. While unpleasant, PAWS is temporary and will get better.

Did you quit tramadol cold turkey or was it a taper? I ask because I tapered Effexor (SNRI) after a year of taking it and had very little PAWS symptoms. A lot of what you feel sounds more like opiate PAWS, which will go away in time. If you're really in a bad way maybe speak with your doctor about getting on an antidepressant short term to help overcome the opiate piece.
 
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I know this may seem off the wall and may not work for you but Seroquel has helped me when taken at night. I also am prescribed Klonopin
 
I have a belief about PAWS that isn't orthodox. I'm throwing it out cause it might help, not to engage in controversy.

I believe a lot of reported PAWS isn't really post acute withdrawal syndrome. I think very often a person's compulsive substance use was masking or inadequately treating mood disorders or other psychiatric problems.

I also think sometimes, when people have used many substances for many years, the state of not using anything can be very uncomfortable for a while.

Another thing, if someone has been using continuously from their teens and now their in their late thirties, or later; you likely didn't feel your age when you were always on the hunt or high. Sober in the late thirties plus involves some realizations about aging you've been ignoring while using.

Anyways, not a complete critic of PAWS, but sometimes other situations are a better explanation, imo.
 
^ You are right about co-morbid mental health issues but PAWS is real still. It is possible in many cases that there have been depression, bipolar or other disorders behind the use and double diagnosis treatment is often needed but sadly not often offered. Here are still plenty of people who after quitting experience PAWS for a while but don't need any drugs afterwards.
 
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