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  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | Eligiu | deficiT | paranoid android

Opiate Withdrawal.

Starting day 8 today. Got a little drunk last night. What a major mistake that was. I took probably 10 mg of Lorazepam total through the night but still only got about four hours of sleep.
I feel like my ex-wife ran into me last night. And then she backed up and ran into me again. Then someone yelled ?hit him again, hes headed for the curb!?
 
Alcohol is terrible during opiate withdrawal, in my experience. It always made me feel worse, more emotional, and it exacerbated the restlessness which was the worst part of it. Sorry about your ex-related emotional turmoil. :(
 
Thats about exactly what happened. Made me more restless with more insomnia. Funny, I was hoping to just pass out drunk and sleep through the night.
Lesson learned
 
Completed day 8 of oxy withdrawl. Took a mountain of Ativan to sleep, but I got 8 hours last night in two pieces. I definitely feel better today. My legs are still aching but it is less and so far that is all. I imagine as the day goes on Ill find Im lethargic as well.
So far best day yet.
 
Awesome Squeaky! Congrats, 8 days is an accomplishment! I'm sure you know this but be careful with the ativan, stop using it as soon as you possibly can and if you keep finding you need it for sleep for a bit, don't do it more than every other day, even if you have to have sleepless nights. Cuz you do NOT want a benzo dependence.

Also Ativan/lorazepam isn't very sedating, maybe you don't have any other benzo options but there are much better ones for sleep. Etizolam is my favorite for sleep actually, not that it's prescribed (or controlled) in the USA. 2mg will put me to sleep in almost any situation, and 3mg is guaranteed. Even .5mg can help me sleep if I'm only having a little difficulty. Don't know if you have access to something like that but if so it might be a better option.
 
I'm really struggling to deal with a gradual but increasing back pain thats reared up. It has been about 2 months since I stopped taking bupe and I am actually feeling okay mentally- positive in weird ways even-, but I have problems with what is probably a herniated disk causing sciatica, and its really fucking painful :|. I can't sit down at all, the only position I can relax in is by lying on a bed one particular side. I can stand up pretty well though- but seriously, try going through modern life standing up all the time, its fucking impossible. I'm actually swapping betwwen sitting and kinda kneeling right now. Needless to say, it is frustrating but its forcing me to exercise and move around more- gardening, long walks, some kinda yoga stretches and strengthening routine- which I think is helping, but the pain is getting really intense. I am taking 450mg of pregabalin a day and its not doing anything for the pain though is really helping anxiety and depression, and I have recently had stomach ulcers so NSAID's are kind of a no go, and of course opiates are out too.

I just wonder if the pain is actually being exagerrated by the total absence of exogenous opiiates/opioids. I've had it before but never this badly, and I always was able to use opiates to mask the pain in the past. I'm getting so pissed off, just sittng /kneeling/standing awkwardylu to write this post is making my leg go numb but still burning painfully. Still, it always okay in the morning, just gets worse as the day progresses and I'm busying myself with physio and counselling and am getting a CT scan tomorrow to see what's wrong and I think there may be some improvement. I just know that a small dose of codeine or any opiate would really relieve the pain immensely and its a hard thought to combat. Codeine is of course no longer available in Australia (OTC at least) so that particular and almost certain relapse trigger has been severed rather cleanly (and I'm actually thankful for it). Does not stop my craving for them though.

Rant over I guess. In the past, PAWS had been more mental than this so I am confused somehwhat.
 
Damn that sucks man, I truly hope I never have to deal with chronic pain severe enough to need opiates because I really don't want to ever be on opiates again, as I know you don't. Can something be done about the herniated disc so that the pain can eventually be fixed? My guess would be that your opioid system is probably still normalizing so I would think that with more time it should get better.

I still think it's so awesome you moved past opiates, and even got past suboxone. :) I can relate to wishing trigger OTC drugs would be banned. For me it's propylhexedrine lately, I've found myself liking stimulants more than I used to and I've had cycles of having trouble staying away when I walk by it in the grocery store. It's been getting less hard but it would benefit me if they just banned it.
 
Swillow- look for a chiropractor who specializes in NUCCA. It?s a whole cult-like attitude that all of your pain stems from the atlas bone(top vertebrae in your neck) being crooked. It tried it before my first spine surgery and it really helped. I believe if I had seen him 10 years earlier I might have avoided surgery. It?s not cheap (about $500 for the first visit and $50 for every following visit), but i saw real results after the first two visits.
 
Middle of day 10 right now. Pain mgmt Dr appt tomorrow. Its really rough right now. My back and legs really hurt. Its not just withdrawls either. It really sucks, but my goal is still 30 days no oxy.
 
Got my pills, and Im not using them. Day 12 right now. Sucks pretty badly.
 
Starting day 13. My back and legs hurt more than they did when I walked out of the hospital 3 months ago. I miss my pills so badly right now.
I wish I could punch my surgeon in the face right now. Jack ass says Im supposed to be walking 2 miles a day, with no pain management . I can barely walk enough to feed my dogs and use the bathroom.
Two weeks ago I was superman. Today I feel useless.
 
I am back on the pills. That ?day 13? was hell. Ended up in so much pain that I decided to go back on them.
Im going to let myself heal a few more weeks and try again.
 
Sounds like a good idea. Bad pain is the reason we have opiates, after all. Or, well, the reason they're prescribed. Hopefully your tolerance will be way down now, and it'll be easier to get off them next time. Try to take as little as possible for the pain.
 
Squeaky said:
I am back on the pills. That ?day 13? was hell. Ended up in so much pain that I decided to go back on them.
Im going to let myself heal a few more weeks and try again.
Click to expand...

Sounds good. Take it easy on yourself. Do you think way more slow would be better or no?

I keep trying to keep stable (have been) and I have been trying to do as many other things for the pain as possible. Heat pads, hot salt bath soaks, exercise, diet, meditation etc. I cannot get off the meds at least right now. I'm not going to say never. There is always hope. For now, the pain for me is too severe and I could not hack it. I am just trying to get used to this disability life and I have to have some enjoyment and fun. Disabled or whatever, I have to try and just carry on. New way of life.
 
Hang in there EPL. It gets better.
My situation: a couple of surgeries ago I had a cage slip out of place and into my spinal cord. Everyone said I should be healed, so I quit the pills. I suffered for 6 more months until my surgeon ordered a ct and found the problem.
This time my attitude is different. If it hurts Im taking the pain relief and demanding more scans. Somehow I have a crazy tolerance for all of these drugs. The mixing dilemma has never been an issue.
The worst part about quitting for me is feeling the pain and knowing there?s a bottle full of relief a few steps away. The insomnia is unbearable also. Fresh air, good meals, sunshine, all make it easier.
 
Hi Swillow,

As someone with DDD, several herniated discs a cervical fusion and my herniated lumbar disc causing Sciatica now, let me say I commiserate with you. I also can't take NSAID'S and although I have chronic pain I hate taking opiates for the pain. I sincerely hope you find some real relief soon, and wish the same for myself. I hope your back pain calms down and rant anytime.

Take care,
Ash.
 
Squeaky, seems we are in the same boat. I have DDD and I had a cervical fusion a couple years ago (hardware and cage) as well as 2 other herniated discs that haven't been operated on, one cervical, one lumbar. With the lumbar came Sciatica.

Hated the feeling of watching the clock as well,waiting for the pain relief. So I just quit hydromorphone (dilaudid) cold turkey. Sat night was my last pill. I see why they call this hell week. I legitimately need these for pain too as I'm a chronic pain patient, but I'm sick of taking them. I want to see what life without them will be like, and see how much pain I'm still in.

So here I am, day 4. Haven't slept since Saturday night. Insomnia is really bad. Depressed as well, Other than that I'm great! Lol!

Take care and nice to meet you.
Ash.
 
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