Opioids oxycodone tolerance issue, need some advice

[Amaraline]

Hi all. I have an 18 year history of IV heroin addiction, but I haven't used it in over a year. I'm also prescribed oxycodone 20 mg IR, due to complications after 2 hip replacement/revisions, and several other surgeries, but I'm not physically addicted to it. I usually binge for about a week, and then abstain for the remaining 2 & 1/2 weeks of the month. What this means is that essentially, on the day my script comes in, I can swallow 200 mg and get a nice buzz, but that's it; I don't even nod out from it. I don't understand why my tolerance never drops any lower, considering that I always have 18-21 days out of the month when I use nothing at all. Has anyone else out there experienced anything like this, or heard about such a phenomenon from someone? I know that 200 mg probably seems like an insanely high dose, but less than that only gets me mildly high. Any input would be appreciated, thanks!

 

[Amaraline]

Well, that's certainly disappointing, but I can't say I'm entirely surprised. I guess over the past almost 20 years, there have been some long standing changes in brain chemistry. And although it wasn't recent, the last time being in '08, I have been on the methadone program twice, at 100 mg each time. I'm sure that contributed to my long standing high tolerance. I'll have to try taking a longer break than just 3 weeks, and seeing if I can lower my tolerance a bit more, that way I don't need such a ridiculous dose just to get high. Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it.

 

[Lorne???]

If your badly addicted, and go several days, when you fin badly score MOST ppl will get high or quite buzzed. Although 100mg of methadone is a lot, it's roughly equivelant 300-400mg oxy, except it lasts 12-24 hours. And supposedly almost a gram of oral morphine

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

I'll have to try taking a longer break than just 3 weeks, and seeing if I can lower my tolerance a bit more, that way I don't need such a ridiculous dose just to get high.

I am right there with you on that plan..

 

[Treefa]

I don't like Oxy myself........idk but it seems like other opiods have a more appreciable effect on my Dopamine levels or something like that.

Oxy is too sedate for my liking, and if my doc gave me that shit i'd probably just sell it.

In any case, if 200mg of it doesn't do shit, it pretty much sounds like a tolerance thing.

Funny how even people with serious operations & cancer or whatever can still end up abusing their medications, even though they SEEMINGLY need them, and are more likely to be Rx'd them.
On the other hand, healthier people who ACTUALLY need them (who don't have that degree of PROOF of serious physical pain), sometimes end up taking them right, more or less, to get through the day.

Life is funny....it's terrible....everything is terrible, and this earth is a horrid place to reside in 2016, but if nothing else, it's funny!

 

[gmlifer]

My pain management doc told me that it takes a minimum of 6 months off of oxy to reduce tolerance back to naive.

 

[LesFleursDuMal]

Jekyl Anhydride seems to know what he's talking about, btw great fucking name, I'd listen to what he is saying.

My experience in long-time habits/addictions is similar, OP, though just shorter than 10 years running. Replacing one potent opioid with a longer acting weaker one (hint: as in every type of opioid maintenance therapies too) does not give your body quite enough time and everything to do it's work in repairs.
You should be grateful you're out from under heroin and be thankful for any kind of euphoria. Sometimes you gotta just accept that you're not going to feel that nod again. Sorry to end on such a down note.

 

[LucidSDreamr]

how do you do that every month? don't you go through withdrawals.?

as an ex long term opioid addict....if i used for 1 week straight I get withdrawals

 

[gmlifer]

Withdrawals are very easy to manage if you don't have a crazy tolerance. Loperamide and kratom ftw.

 

[LesFleursDuMal]

Withdrawals are very easy to manage if you don't have a crazy tolerance. Loperamide and kratom ftw.

Very true. Plus, if you are able to get kratom it has the potential to make even the most severe acute withdrawals relatively pain free.

 

[daveslaine]

I don't understand why my tolerance never drops any lower, considering that I always have 18-21 days out of the month when I use nothing at all.

You don't understand why?

It's because you've been doing IV heroin for 18 years. In your mind, all you care about is a nod which usually means a high dosage instead of a medium dose where you can function and maybe have a mild nod.

It doesn't matter if you take 2 or 5 years off at this point.

The only way to completely reverse opiate tolerance is (and only if you have the balls to do it but you won't because your hopelessly dependent and addicted to opiates for life) is for you to start taking Naltrexone.

You go 2 weeks without opiates?? Cool. After your final dose of the month, wait 1 week, then take 12.5 to 15mg Naltrexone orally. You will feel sick and weird and not normal, but you will get used to it.

Next day, don't take naltrexone, but the day after, take another dose this time again 12.5mg.

Then take another day off, and increase the dose to 15, take a day off, then do 20mg, then take a day off, then do 25mg, and then keep doing 25mg daily for another 2 weeks.

After this, take 1 week off, then start again at 25mg, and each day, up the dosage till you hit the full 50mg, going up 5mg per day.

Once you hit 50mg, do that for another Naltrexone daily, and then taper off Naltrexone by 5mg a day until 10mg and then 2mg a day until 0.


Then wait a month, take 20mg oxy and you will be nodding hard.. And healthy like a virgin to opiates.

This is THE ONLY way my friend to completely eradicate opiate tolerance.

I know some users will attack me and claim there is no "evidence" or whatever that this works... All this is just actual fear because no opiate addict or user can bare taking Naltrexone at all. It's torture, but after the first week you'll get used to it and it won't bother you


The effects are incredible. It really is healthy for your recovery and tolerance will drop to almost 0.

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

(and only if you have the balls to do it but you won't because your hopelessly dependent and addicted to opiates for life)

While some might befall the fate of this prediction, it seems premature to make that statement about someone who has shared all of one paragraph with you.

 

[dopemaster]

What about Ibogaine? I hear that works wonders and you better fucking believe when I get a passport I am giving that shit a go.


Oxy tolerance can go sky high. It takes a long time abstaining from it to work at all.

I stopped oxy because it lowers testosterone and my feet grew a size and a half.

I do take oxy every now and again for pain but it seems like after a few days I might as well quadruple my dose.

You can devolop a tolerance to oxy that it will get to the point where for it to be effective the dose would be lethal. I know plenty of people myself included that could easily mainline several hundred mgs of oxy and barely knod. I don't iv anymore.

Oxy is most effective taken orally. I get why people iv it all too well. It hits so much stronger and for that fleeting moment there is little to no pain and serious rush and euphoria. It cuts the legs a bit but that never stopped me until recently.

I suppose a couple overdoses and shooting so much blow that you have a chunk of vein cut out will change the way you see iv drug use. My veins litterally got so clogged up with cocaine gunk it almost killed me. I almost lost my arm and that wasn't the first time and a year after no iv use I had a dormant encapsulated something burst and give me a nasty staph infection and I am lucky it didn't go to my heart, take a limb, and it didn't even go septic but whatever it was when it came out everywhere the puss came out and touched got infected and I ended up in the hospital.

So yeah that is what happens when you shoot so much drugs that your veins collapse. I never thought it would happen to me or it would be that bad but it crept on me and yeah it was my fault.

My oxy tolerance is rather low and 5mgs works if I haven't taken it in a while but after a week I am taking 90mgs at once. I don't shoot it and honestly I really try to find something else at this point because it only works if I use it sparingly.

 

[daveslaine]

ibogaine

Ibogaine is like a get rich fast scheme type of "cure" or a 2 week abs workout plan drug.

It doesn't actually work. It makes you think that you had a life changing experience and therefore should stop.

I've read it affects opioid receptors somewhat..

But Naltrexone is the ONLY way to REVERSE tolerance and the long term detrimental effect of opioid use, such as lower testosterone and dopaminedown regulation .

Naltrexone has even been shown to increase test, slow aging.

The only thing addicts can't stand is actually taking Naltrexone because it sucks, even though the sucky period only lasts a week or two.

I'm giving OP the way of reversing tolerance or getting off opiates but I'm 100% certain he won't

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Ibogaine is like a get rich fast scheme type of "cure" or a 2 week abs workout plan drug.

It doesn't actually work. It makes you think that you had a life changing experience and therefore should stop.

I've read it affects opioid receptors somewhat..

But Naltrexone is the ONLY way to REVERSE tolerance and the long term detrimental effect of opioid use, such as lower testosterone and dopaminedown regulation .

Naltrexone has even been shown to increase test, slow aging.

The only thing addicts can't stand is actually taking Naltrexone because it sucks, even though the sucky period only lasts a week or two.

I'm giving OP the way of reversing tolerance or getting off opiates but I'm 100% certain he won't

Sweeping generalizations, no sources and predicting OP's future again. That's great you have a hardon for naltrexone but FFS!

Any thoughts on how Ibogaine effects neuronal plasticity or memory and behavior consolidation similar to rem sleep states? Any science at all?

 

[daveslaine]

Sweeping generalizations, no sources and predicting OP's future again. That's great you have a hardon for naltrexone but FFS!

Any thoughts on how Ibogaine effects neuronal plasticity or memory and behavior consolidation similar to rem sleep states? Any science at all?

Well I already predicted a few posts ago that people would quote me saying I have no "proof" or "sources" and I was right.

Face it if I paid you $5000 a month to quit opiates and take naltrexone for a year you wouldn't do it

Your next quote will be an excuse or some bullshit call out that I don't know what I'm talking about or blah blah blah.

Ibogaine does NOT reverse tolerance. It's possible it can help you quit, just NOT reverse tolerance.

Get it? Only opioid antagonists will reverse tolerance

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

Ibogaine is like a get rich fast scheme type of "cure".

It doesn't actually work.

Ibogaine does NOT reverse tolerance. It's possible it can help you quit.

OK so Ibogaine doesn't actually work, but it's possible it can help you quit. And time + exercise & healthy living can't reduce tolerance... only Naltrexone can? I think we are going to have to agree to disagree.

 

[Lorne???]

OK so Ibogaine doesn't actually work, but it's possible it can help you quit. And time + exercise & healthy living can't reduce tolerance... ONLY NALTREXONE CAN. At least I got these pearls of wisdom for xmas.

Ibagaines BS. I am your source.

Two years too fully reverse tolerance? If your going two weeks w/out, you're not addicted(?), if you can't get a nod, your a freak of nature.

Most(*many*) OD's gapped because a user goes a few days w/out, and tolerance begins to drop so quickly that when they finally do a big shot of decent dope, they can't handle it,

Combined with not checking purity.

Naltrexone is the closest thing to a quick fix for tolerance, but if you are not even hooked, good luck dropping tolerance.

Two weeks w/out, most people would be floored or in pure bliss after a quarter gram of oxy(or equivelant)

 

[Jekyl Anhydride]

^ Your preaching to the choir here. My sarcasm might be a bit dry but my argument with DavesLaine was that Naltrexone is not the Only way one can reduce tolerance. If that's his preferred method then great but trying to push it on other people and sing it's praises is a bit overboard.

As far as Ibogaine I've heard mixed results and am not ready to write it off as useless yet. I never made any claims that It reduces tolerance either. I think it helps shift the perspective of people who are truly ready to quit opioids. It's certainly no miracle cure if that's what you think I'm inferring.

My original point was that after 15+ years of using it is difficult to completely kill one's tolerance in 2 weeks.

 

[elstongunn39]

ibogaine apparently doesn't just shift people's perspective, it has the strange effect of stripping opioid receptors/resetting tolerance. It can be dangerous (cause cardiac problems) and should be considered for someone who wants to get clean for good and has tried other things first and failed. You shouldn't use it as a reset button so you can continue to use opioids. For that I would consider NMDA antagonists like DXM or ketamine, at low doses daily for awhile. Its pretty well documented that they can somewhat reset opioid and stimulant tolerance so just do some googling and figure out the specifics