Need Help Concerning side effects my bf encounters on heroin

[nyvar]

I've been with my boyfriend for a little over a year and have seen him cycle through various stages of desire to enter recovery. I've been through so much with him, and I know there is such a beautiful person in there. Of course we have a lot of standard issues that one might expect with someone struggling with addiction (picking fights with me, etc), but I know we have so much potential together and can't stand the thought of giving up on our relationship.
My primary concern is coming down to his health. He's been an IV heroin user for just under 10 years or so. Had a couple of overdoses in the past. After not sleeping for a couple of days, eventually he hits a blackout state displaying symptoms of dystonia. He extends his arms in all kinds of strange ways while twisting his neck, back, and torso for hours on end, sometimes acting out dreams through action or words. He doesn't typically remember this after he wakes up. He becomes very hostile and trust to argue with literally everything I say until he falls asleep, usually for at least an entire day straight.
Has anyone ever had experience with dystonia symptoms resulting from heroin use or known anyone who has seen or experienced something similar? I'm worried it may be an indication of some sort of brain damage. Please help

 

[Jabberwocky]

he should really see a doctor. 10 years of use of any illicit drug is not good for your health. they don't know the long term affects of heroin use in the way we know about therapeutic drugs because such experimentation would not get ethical approval but if he sees a doctor he can see if anything is up.

heroin overdose causes the brain to be starved of oxygen. i've heard of people come round and be vegetables for the rest of their life, or severely brain damaged, or fine, but not dystonia. however, from this report it looks like the brain damage caused by overdosing could be related to dystonia, that's a single sample though, it may be coincidental. it also mentions in that report that contaminants in heroin can cause different types of damage to the brain.

i will tell you now his knowing this is not going to help him quit. it could make him worse. in my addiction i quite often took an 'i'm already fucked so what's the point in trying' approach.

to borrow an idiom, don't throw good time after bad, you're only a year in. relationships with addicts rarely go well. you don't know what his intentions are. my honest advice to you is to quit now unless he makes a workable plan for recovery that isn't whatever he's done in the past that hasn't worked and sets it in motion now. that will involve detox, rehab, ongoing therapy, exercise, mutual support meetings, a very busy schedule of recovery oriented activities for the foreseeable future. there's another thread in this sub forum called 'i want to help my boyfriend, i don't know how' where i have detailed some of my experience of having addict boyfriends. i don't want to repeat myself here but i'd ask you to read it.

 

[cj]

Are you sure he isn't using stimulants? Not sleeping for days while using heroin is not normal ime

 

[nyvar]

he should really see a doctor. 10 years of use of any illicit drug is not good for your health. they don't know the long term affects of heroin use in the way we know about therapeutic drugs because such experimentation would not get ethical approval but if he sees a doctor he can see if anything is up.

heroin overdose causes the brain to be starved of oxygen. i've heard of people come round and be vegetables for the rest of their life, or severely brain damaged, or fine, but not dystonia. however, from this report it looks like the brain damage caused by overdosing could be related to dystonia, that's a single sample though, it may be coincidental. it also mentions in that report that contaminants in heroin can cause different types of damage to the brain.

i will tell you now his knowing this is not going to help him quit. it could make him worse. in my addiction i quite often took an 'i'm already fucked so what's the point in trying' approach.

to borrow an idiom, don't throw good time after bad, you're only a year in. relationships with addicts rarely go well. you don't know what his intentions are. my honest advice to you is to quit now unless he makes a workable plan for recovery that isn't whatever he's done in the past that hasn't worked and sets it in motion now. that will involve detox, rehab, ongoing therapy, exercise, mutual support meetings, a very busy schedule of recovery oriented activities for the foreseeable future. there's another thread in this sub forum called 'i want to help my boyfriend, i don't know how' where i have detailed some of my experience of having addict boyfriends. i don't want to repeat myself here but i'd ask you to read it.

Thank you so much for your input. It is a complicated situation, but I appreciate your input. I'll definitely check out that thread

 

[nyvar]

Are you sure he isn't using stimulants? Not sleeping for days while using heroin is not normal ime

He does stimulants also, that's what brought us together (I fell into a bit of a meth problem after my father died last year), but this behavior still comes about after the stimulants are out of the picture. He will have been up on stimulants and heroin, but eventually he will do a shot of just heroin and enter this state. I've seen it happen when he claims to have not had meth in days, but I know he is an addict and may lie from time to time

 

[cj]

That makes more sense. I would say it's just an effect of extreme sleep deprivation mixed with heroin.

 

[nyvar]

Update: As of Feb 1st of last year, he had his final Overdose. R.I.P. Asher

 

[Jabberwocky]

so sorry for your loss

 

[JessFR]

Update: As of Feb 1st of last year, he had his final Overdose. R.I.P. Asher

I am so sorry to hear that.

I don't know if you are aware, but we have an area of the site called the bluelight shrine, where we memorialize bluelighters as well as loved ones of bluelighters who we have lost.

If that's something you'd like to do, like if you'd like to make a thread about him, mention him, anything. You're very welcome to do so.

Again I'm terribly sorry. Nothing I could say would be enough, but if you ever want to ask for support here or anything, you'll always be welcome to do so.

EDIT: if it's something you think you'd like to do. The shrine can be found here.

Bluelight Shrine

A memorial to Bluelighters who have passed away (forum is open to new replies)

www.bluelight.org

 

[nyvar]

I am so sorry to hear that.

I don't know if you are aware, but we have an area of the site called the bluelight shrine, where we memorialize bluelighters as well as loved ones of bluelighters who we have lost.

If that's something you'd like to do, like if you'd like to make a thread about him, mention him, anything. You're very welcome to do so.

Again I'm terribly sorry. Nothing I could say would be enough, but if you ever want to ask for support here or anything, you'll always be welcome to do so.

EDIT: if it's something you think you'd like to do. The shrine can be found here.

Bluelight Shrine

A memorial to Bluelighters who have passed away (forum is open to new replies)

www.bluelight.org

Thank you so much, I've needed something like this for a long time. Hoping I'll be ready to post in the not so distant future.

 

[Fiori di Bella]

Oh @nyvar!
I’m so so sorry to hear that Asher’s addictions resulted in his death.

I think being a heroin addict alone, minus any meth addiction, is really tough on oneself for so many reasons. There’s the issue of not being able to hold down a job to get income to support one’s habit, to stealing and getting in trouble with the law, to homelessness due to the lack of a steady income and being turned away by family, plus the many health issues that often accompany heroin use. Then there’s the very real fentanyl risk, which is killing heroin addicts at ridiculous rates.

But it sounds like the last thing, forming and maintaining a loving and meaningful relationship, was not an issue, thanks to your patience and enduring love for Asher. He was blessed to have you in his life, however long your time together was, and please do not feel guilty if you feel a sense of freedom from those fears you felt daily for him. It’s your turn to find the kind of love that you deserve.

I wish you all the best.
Bella

 

[Fentiful]

I just want to say that I lost my twin flame, soulmate and love of my life due to a heroin overdose 2 years ago this month on 4/20, and Im still struggling with it, while also grieving the 10 yr anniversary of a daughter I had that passed at almost 3 mos to SIDS.

My girl was supposed to come with me to KY, getting away from central TX where we are from, 2 yrs ago and go to treatment with me. In the end she decided not to go because as much as love that she had for me- and there was a LOT of love between us, however in the end she "loved" the dope more.

I'm also struggling with my own inner demons, struggles, issues, like getting clean, long term and possible permanent, serious life long consequences of my 10 yr hardcore opiate habit and my several years of becoming an intravenous drug use of methamphetamine and other powerful stimulants.

Wish I could tell you what to do, however I'll say this- day by day it DOES get better! Time does heal if we allow it in. I'll keep you and your loved ones family in my thoughts and prayers.

Take care,
Fent