I'ld like to hear from anyone who uses an opioid to fight depression.

[Jnowhere]

I took my first after knee surgery when I was 22. I started abusing a year later as a way to deal with depression & stress. It made me feel so good that I didn’t worry about anything & felt like I could take on the world. 20 years later I’m a recovering addict on a leash connected to the methadone clinic! Every single time I’ve managed to get clean cold turkey, I relapsed because that thought “one won’t hurt” always crept in. I’m a bit older & I can’t take the sickness anymore! I have an irrational fear of being dope sick so I’m tied to the clinic the rest of my life unless the good lord sees fit to heal my mind & body.

I certainly hope The Good Lord can help you get off Methadone, because I hear it is worse than just about any other opiod to get off of. That leash is apparently very hard to get off of due to it's long half life. I hear that the longer you are on it the harder it is to get off, of.
I have been on pure oxycodone for years due to pain related to pancreatitus. I also use to be on morphine 24/7( actually those morphine er tablets don't last 12 hours, more like 8) The pain lessened and with a bunch of comfort meds and cutting my dose down I got off it rather easily. Have you tried to gradually lower your dose over time? Then once you do that, can you get scripts for an assortment of comfort meds? Clonidine, gabapentin, Ativan or Valium, Zofran(ondansetron, for nausea) and depending where you live and how your body reacts, Marijuana edibles. Some might suggest Kratom but I am not sure and possibly black seed oil.
That is if you really want to get off methadone and don't want that leash for the rest of your life. But whatever you decide good luck

 

[DesertHarp]

I'm interested to know if cannabis edibles will really lessen opioid withdrawal misery.

 

[skipjames]

I have a jar of Kratom capsules. I tried them. I didn't feel much effect

Unfortunately it s very hit or miss, depending from the vendor ( Ive heard that in the US the kratom sold in Head Shops and the likes is kinda meh)-the strain( reds are more "calming" and generally recommended for opis w-d, green are more energetic maybe will be interesting as anti depressives for u) or even the batch.
To give u the idea I ve always bought the same strain ( Red Maeng Da) from the same vendor. It has always been a life saver ( even when I was w-d from a 300 mgs x day oxy habit) but last month, it did almost nothing for my w-d , after two days I was using again.

I'm currently using cannabis gummies for sleep. They work very, very well

That s great, I m in favor of any safer alternative to benzos. Another good one is Kava Kava, both sleep wise and mood wise

 

[skipjames]

v

I'm interested to know if cannabis edibles will really lessen opioid withdrawal misery.

It really depends . Many people here have used weed or edibles to cope with w-d, , while in my case cannabis in any shape or form is pure poison, it makes me anxious and paranoid even if I m high as a kite on oxys, imagine during w-d....

 

[DesertHarp]

Thanks for the feedback on cannabis effect on w/d.

 

[Jnowhere]

And alcohol is one of the deadliest drugs out there. When i was in high school i got caught smoking weed. My mom threw a fit but my brother could come home pissed drunk and that was ok. If i had a child i'd much rather them smoke a joint then drink booze

I am a former alky( I say former because I literally can not drink, I can't get it down and have stay down when I have tried, I itch uncontrollably and now hate it. I also have cirrhosis and pancreas problems) However I disagree with you, because most people( not me) can handle it. The same cannot be said for crack, heroin( casual users are very rare) fentanyl, and meth( there are some) but there are plenty of people that can drink casually and have a drink. Such as my aunt who occasionally will have a glass of wine with dinner. Their are people like my late father who would buy a six pack to watch football and drink 3 beers over the course of 5 or 6 hours. Yes there are people who were like I once was. However there are a lot of people who can use it in moderation and most can handle it. It is also used as a beverage.
The same can not be said for crack and daily users of heroin or fentanyl always become addicts. Where as the majority of people who enjoy a glass or two of wine or a couple of beers can handle it.
Even though I was not one of them, there is a difference. My aunt is in her early 70's and can enjoy a glass of wine and on rare occasions maybe 2. She is a very honest person and she flat out said she has never gotten drunk. She doesn't have the alcoholism gene that I do.
There are countless people who have some wine at dinner. In Europe many people have wine with dinner on a regular basis for decades and don't have a problem. I have never heard of a person that smokes just one rock of crack a day 5 to7 days a week for decades or has just on bag of heroin or now fentanyl a day for decades and doesn't become addicted. The majority of people who are regular light social drinkers can handle it. Then there are those like me who can't, we are a minority. Alcohol is different, if someone can handle then no it isn't in the same category as hard drugs. However if they were like the way I was then yes, and a lot of alcoholism comes down to genetics. To try to put beer and wine in the same category as crack, heroin, fentayl or meth is absurd. Even hard liquor can be mixed or enjoyed in moderation. Someone shooting fentayl, heroin or dilauded is not the same as some having an occasional drink. That is absurd.

 

[Jnowhere]

I'm interested to know if cannabis edibles will really lessen opioid withdrawal misery.

Can you get gabapentin that really helps, also watch out for kratom it will raise your tolerance quickly.

 

[skipjames]

Thanks for the feedback on cannabis effect on w/d.

you are welcome. But again if it s helping you to sleep, maybe it s worth a try during w-d as well and as a safer way of dealing with your depression, why not ? As I ve told you I m not a fan but I m sure that here on BL there are many cannabis connoisseurs ....

 

[skipjames]

To try to put beer and wine in the same category as crack, heroin, fentayl or meth is absurd

maybe beer and wine should not be in the same category ( but rather in the same category of, say, weed) but what about harder stuff like whisky, tequila and the likes ? Take Brazilian cachaça , to me is an hard drug, actually way more poisonous than , say, pharma grade opis.

 

[Jnowhere]

maybe beer and wine should not be in the same category ( but rather in the same category of, say, weed) but what about harder stuff like whisky, tequila and the likes ? Take Brazilian cachaça , to me is an hard drug, actually way more poisonous than , say, pharma grade opis.

If drank in moderation such as good single malt scotch. Also a lot of hard liquor is mixed to make cocktails but I see your point. To be honest it is how you use it. Weed smoked occasionally will probably not cause harm but drinking like I did will kill people, like it almost did to me. But most people can handle alcohol, not me. Actually I could drink about 2or 3 but once that button or whatever is pushed I was going to drink till, I ran out, passed out or blacked out( not good, that's when trouble can happen) I have chirosis and pancreas problems but they got better, so I gave up my morpine script, but I am still on oxycodone because of pain. I don't abuse and never run out. I have kept my tolerance low, I stay away from kratom and only on rare occasions take two. But otherwise I take pure oxycodone with no actemtiphane( mis?) I admit that although it is not the same as years ago, besides relieving pain it elevates my mood and helps with depression for a while. Yea pharmacy grade opiods, especially oxycodone can be great for pain but also depression and really elevate your mood. However there are some people that for whatever reason hate it. They usually like hydrocodone which is about 2/3 as strong and about the same as morphine which has a low and quite variable bioavilibility, depending on the person.

 

[skipjames]

To be honest it is how you use it. Weed smoked occasionally will probably not cause harm but drinking like I did will kill people, like it almost did to me. But most people can handle alcohol, not me

I agree, I m increasingly convinced that more than distinguishing between soft and hard drugs we should distinguish between soft and hard users. I´have used hard drugs on and off for the last 13 years but I ve always been more or less functional, which is a blessing and a curse cos I ve never had any strong motivation to quit. While there are people who only smoke weed but are totally dysfunctional!

Availability can be a bitch, for instance I think that I m doing way more coke than necessary or reasonable also because down here is everywhere, it s cheap and it s good.
But alcohol is way more available, still I basically don t drink anymore, I feel way better doing opis and blow than when I was drinking ( let alone when I was drinking AND doing blow, very common and nasty combo) .
And I was WAY better when I was doing oxys than now that I m doing morphine blow and clonazepam for the comedowns, at least when I was doing oxys I was ONLY doing oxys.

That s why it pissess me off that one can legally buy poisonous booze while I , along with many " functional " or at least not extremely problemati users, have to deal with a lot of BS and be ripped off to buy oxys ( at least I dont live in the US with all that fentamadness ).

we should go back to the British policies of the 50´s-60´s, when doctors could prescribe with way less restrictions opis and cocaine.

 

[Jnowhere]

It is bad here now, I am a pain patient and my doctor is limited by the state on how much oxycodone he can prescribe me and they lowered it, I have been on it for 7-8 years and I have been good with my scripts. Bullshit politicians, I was supposed to be dead like 7 years ago because of chirosis of the liver but here I am and my body hurts and my doctor is limited by the state on how much he can prescribe me. The shit barely helps anymore.

 

[DesertHarp]

Can you get gabapentin that really helps, also watch out for kratom it will raise your tolerance quickly.

I took gabapentin some years ago. It gave me a ravenous appetite and weight gain. But I've heard elsewhere that it can calm down w/d.

Tolerance is a bitch. I wish I had the will power to just stop Vicodin (hydrocodone w/ Tylenol) for a month or two . . . and get rid of some tolerance. Then it would be great to feel that nice boost again from my opioid. I miss how it used to be. When I first got on the stuff, I told someone that, "I can easily understand how users fall in love with this stuff." Alcohol can ease anxiety and also has anesthetic properties. But, for me, opioids do it better. I would trade a case of beer for an extra ten Vicodin tablets any day.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

man I hear you, my last attempt at taking a break from opis was an utter disaster. Cold turkey is not even an option anymore ( it was when I was in my 20´s, at 41 the very idea scares the shit out of me) but I usually had more success with kratom+loperamide+ the odd benzos. Last month I ve tried the same strategy and I ve lasted....two days! But anyway , I still think is doable. At least the physical part, when it comes to the mental w-d, PAWNS etc...actually I have no idea. probably the only chance is a completely change of scenario ( I ve been opioid free for almost two years when I first moved to Brazil as....heroin does not exist down here. Then I ve discovered that there was a niche but still very active market of pharma meds and here we are.....)

I wondered if that was normal for anyone else.In my 20s I could work while sick all day as long as I knew I was getting something to feel better that night. It’s so much worse in my 40s that I’d never consider it. That fear I have is almost irrational & I know it, but it’s the reason my wife doesn’t hassle me about quitting the clinic. She’s one of the few nurses who understand that sickness & it’s because of me.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

Someone I met who was on Methadone told me he wished he never started it. He said it was easier to withdraw from heroin than from Methadone.

Trying to manage depression can be awful tough. Some days, I don't even need hydrocodone for pain. But I take it every day to feel a little better mentally. If my prescription got taken away, I don't know how I'ld handle it.

The thing that trapped me was the way it melted depression, anxiety, & even anger away! I get it.

 

[Arthur Morgan]

I certainly hope The Good Lord can help you get off Methadone, because I hear it is worse than just about any other opiod to get off of. That leash is apparently very hard to get off of due to it's long half life. I hear that the longer you are on it the harder it is to get off, of.
I have been on pure oxycodone for years due to pain related to pancreatitus. I also use to be on morphine 24/7( actually those morphine er tablets don't last 12 hours, more like 8) The pain lessened and with a bunch of comfort meds and cutting my dose down I got off it rather easily. Have you tried to gradually lower your dose over time? Then once you do that, can you get scripts for an assortment of comfort meds? Clonidine, gabapentin, Ativan or Valium, Zofran(ondansetron, for nausea) and depending where you live and how your body reacts, Marijuana edibles. Some might suggest Kratom but I am not sure and possibly black seed oil.
That is if you really want to get off methadone and don't want that leash for the rest of your life. But whatever you decide good luck

Coincidentally, I just ordered some THC liquid that is supposed to be a more euphoric strain that will be here Monday. I’m going to see if it will help me gradually reduce my dose until I can get off methadone. I’m hoping it works, I’d rather take some kind of pot product than methadone forever.

 

[Jnowhere]

I sincerely wish you the best of luck, a lot of people have used Marijuana or THC, to get of hard drugs, including opiods, and even alcoholism. Your sentiments about being on methadone, seem too be shared by so many people. Unfortunately it is one of the hardest opiods to get off, of because of the long period of withdrawals, but I really hope and pray that the THC helps you.
There are a lot of people on Bluelight who are very knowledgeable about this and can help and support you as you try to not be stuck on Methadone for the rest of your life. Good luck and hopefully you can get off that leash.

 

[Jnowhere]

I took gabapentin some years ago. It gave me a ravenous appetite and weight gain. But I've heard elsewhere that it can calm down w/d.

Tolerance is a bitch. I wish I had the will power to just stop Vicodin (hydrocodone w/ Tylenol) for a month or two . . . and get rid of some tolerance. Then it would be great to feel that nice boost again from my opioid. I miss how it used to be. When I first got on the stuff, I told someone that, "I can easily understand how users fall in love with this stuff." Alcohol can ease anxiety and also has anesthetic properties. But, for me, opioids do it better. I would trade a case of beer for an extra ten Vicodin tablets any day.

I completely agree with you, I stopped using morphine with my Oxycodone, because the pain lessened and I too wish I could stop for a while to lower my tolerance, but unfortunately the pain is too much, and I could have withdrawals, but they might not be too bad( the withdrawals because I really am in pain, but the length of time I have used them could be a problem. Also I take an oxycodone 4 times a day). I sincerely wish you the best on dealing with your depression.

 

[Jnowhere]

Can you get gabapentin that really helps, also watch out for kratom it will raise your tolerance quickly.

From what I have read on your posts, you are interested in Marijuana edibles to deal with withdrawals. I have read that some people claim that they work very well for withdrawals, (skipjames, who is a good and solid dude,) says for him cannabis in any form is like poison, and some people don't react much at all. It seems the effects vary from person to person. You are right though about gabapentin and weight gain. When I got really sick( alcohol abuse nearly killed me, and I lost a lot of weight, and I have never been fat or the least bit chubby. I lost what little fat I had and a lot of muscle mass) Gabapentin worked great on withdrawals when I stopped using morphine and helped me gain weight back. I am finally back to just barely over 200lbs( Ideally I should be around 220lbs, but I am in pain, in my late 40's, and my meds have made me too lazy to get a gym membership and regain the muscle mass I lost.) Anyways, you are wise to avoid benzos. Avoid kratom it raise your tolerance a lot. If the THC gummies help you sleep, then they might help with withdrawals. Are you planning on taking a break from pills to lower your tolerance?

 

[skipjames]

It is bad here now, I am a pain patient and my doctor is limited by the state on how much oxycodone he can prescribe me and they lowered it, I have been on it for 7-8 years and I have been good with my scripts. Bullshit politicians, I was supposed to be dead like 7 years ago because of chirosis of the liver but here I am and my body hurts and my doctor is limited by the state on how much he can prescribe me. The shit barely helps anymore.

Man , this is not even an issue of anti prohibitionism and shit, this is like a violation of human rights ffs The right to the highest attainable level of physical and mental health is the Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.....
I really hope you ll manage to get the meds you NEED, but hey.... nothing works you can always come to Brazil and i ll hook u up .anyway thanks for the "good and solid dude " mate and the respect is mutual. If it s hard to stop using opioids (even in a country like this where there s basically no "opioid scene") and cocaine ( available everywhere but still very frowned upon ) I can only wonder how hard can it be quitting BOOZE, available accepted and used by almost the 90% of the adult population. My father in law , which I adore, had his fair share of issues with booze as well and I respect him a lot for quitting, very hard as the drinking culture is pretty strong down here....