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Stimulants Crystal Meth Withdrawal Length

stoy420

Bluelighter
Joined
Oct 22, 2004
Messages
861
So it seems I'm quitting meth more or less cold turkey. My last use was early this morning (and then took a 50mg vyvanse around 10 or 11am). I have been using daily for five months with frequent use for a month or two prior. Not necessarily using A LOT a lot every day so quantifying amount used would be difficult. Nevertheless every morning... Mostly smoked, followed by snorted and swallowed. I'm crashing at least for next couple days at girlfriends apt. which she has for herself at moment. Its now almost 11pm, waiting on her return before go to sleep, feeling ok, just a little tired, but of I didn't sleep at all last night and I'm a tad bored sitting here so wouldn't qualify that as irregular. I've gone through meth withdrawals before, in my teens, I'm in mid-20s now, but under very different circumstances and after significantly shorter runs (maybe 6 weeks tops) Anyways I know I'll be tired as fuck/ 'bone-tired' and voraciously hungry (though I wonder if this aspect of detox is diminished by the fact that would generally easily eat right after smoking). I do recall some depression/ maybe anxiety but that might have been more situational.

So what am I in for: particularly how long it, especially the worst, completely nonfunctional part, will last? Severity and intentional other symptoms?
 
You'll be fine. You might sleep in for a day or two, eat a lot the next three days, before a week is up you'll feel a ton better.
 
^Yeah, it can take awhile to feel completely normal, but with a little food and sleep you'll bounce back.
 
Meth doesn't really have a withdrawal syndrome, that's just called pure exhaustion. Some people find wellbutrin to be helpful in easing off of meth, and there's research on some new drug that affects glial cells, fucked if I can remember what it's called, I think I posted an article on it a year or two ago. Google might be enlightening.

At any rate, good luck! Meth basically sucks, nasty habit.
 
Hi! Expect to feel like a brain dead zombie for weeks or months and by that I mean the inability to think clearly, unable to solve the simplest things in general, pretty much that mental fog/cloudiness.. Which I, imo and experience find way worse than the usual anhedonia. It gets better week by week though so yeah. Look up on threads for advice and help on paws if you need it. Goodluck and I hope you get off that methamphetaninezzzzzzz :)

May all the best be in your favour.

Oh and wellbutrin helps tonnes especially for the lethargy/fatigue and depression.
 
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If you can't let it be a blue moon thing, don't do it.

Most people aren't addicts to this drug. It's important to realize if you have depression prior to using; this leaves you at a higher likelihood of addiction.
 
Ok so we agree that meth doesnt have a dependancy/withdrawal factor technically and that any withdrawals felt are usually an extended hangover type situation, toxicity, exhaustion, bad health, reduced dopamine mood issue etc and not actual medically/technically defined physical dependacy, as drugs like opaites/benzos can cause. Is this correct?
 
I was on stimulants for about six months, and not at high doses. Let's call it 20mg dextroamphetamine a day. When I came off I couldn't do much of anything "right". It has been about four and a half months and I still struggle doing the things I love (which involves intellectual activity). Its possible though that you will experience very little of this.
 
Quit 10 weeks ago from occasional (once every 2 weeks) use. Been working out and eating well every day since. Still feeling withdrawal effects.

Would be shocked if it took less than a year for your recovery.
 
Yeah the withdrawal for the first few days would be literally body weakness and lowered dopamine levels due to the use, as in its a hangover effect. After a week any issues would have to be getting used to life and functioning without the performance enhancement or daily euphoria and attitude and benefits that go along with it.

There would be no physical reason for "withdrawal" that extends beyond 2-5 days max, purely psychological, if I understand the technicalities correctly.
 
The pathways changed in your brain are physical. It's a huge myth that it's not a physical withdrawal.
 
^By that logic, everything you experience...is in essence, physical. Technically, I believe what you're saying is true, but going by the universally accepted norms of what constitutes "physical" and "psychological" withdrawal, amphetamines don't produce physical withdrawal symptoms upon stopping like opiates, benzos or alcohol.

Although, people who use large amounts of meth daily can definitely experience negative physical symptoms...but I think a lot of that is due to the fact that it masks a lot of the symptoms of fatigue, lack of sleep, dehydration, malnourishment...but it's not the same as true "withdrawal"...
 
The pathways changed in your brain are physical. It's a huge myth that it's not a physical withdrawal.

No it's really not.

Physical dependence vs the rebound effect

Very different things. If you've ever kicked an opiate or a benzo and a stimulant like meth or coke, you would know the difference between the two.

I can shoot coke everyday for a year and stop flat out (I've done it many times), with no discernible physical effects. I do that with heroin, and I'm writhing around on the bed, puking and shitting myself.

So, I can see where people who have never actually experienced real physical withdrawal would consider stopping stims "withdrawal", but to people who've actually had real dependencies, the difference is obvious and it's clear stimulants don't actually cause withdrawal. Which is awesome because if I had to kick coke and dope after all the crazy speedball and straight IV cocaine binges I've went on, I would have been fucked. Ha
 
Indeed. I thought after meth binges how hard can opiates be to come off of /withdraw from after only 5 days usage. It turns out, very hard. Meth "withdrawals" has nothing on even a minor 1 week opiate habit withdrawal. And that was mostly only some minor mental symptoms, and some mild flu like physical ones. Anxiety i can handle but the opiate disphopria, depression, regret, guilt, malaise, negativity, demotivation and the general overall sensation that every bit of stimulis entering your senses is hateful and painful and depressing, is a different story.
 
No it's really not.

Physical dependence vs the rebound effect

Very different things. If you've ever kicked an opiate or a benzo and a stimulant like meth or coke, you would know the difference between the two.

I can shoot coke everyday for a year and stop flat out (I've done it many times), with no discernible physical effects. I do that with heroin, and I'm writhing around on the bed, puking and shitting myself.

So, I can see where people who have never actually experienced real physical withdrawal would consider stopping stims "withdrawal", but to people who've actually had real dependencies, the difference is obvious and it's clear stimulants don't actually cause withdrawal. Which is awesome because if I had to kick coke and dope after all the crazy speedball and straight IV cocaine binges I've went on, I would have been fucked. Ha

+1 just wanted to add agreement. I had an addiction to coke and the "withdrawals" are really just mental cravings.
 
So since stims dont cause withdrawals or any type of addiction that is not related to the individual themselves directly, does this mean that god, or whoever designed the human body, approves of stimulant usage and allowed for it in the overall design as no negative feedback component was built in like for other drugs such as opiates and benzos?
 
Does meth deplete dopamine or seratonin levels at all for awhile after meth cessation? I couldnt find any motivation to do anything at all without meth for at least a week to two weeks. I sometimes wondered if my brain had run low on them since they were no longer being jolted constantly with meth.

Great job making the decision to quit this shit, OP, best of luck.
 
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