Opioids Poppy pods... Advise needed reduction leading to worrying side effects?

[Sk1500]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping for some advice or reassurance here as I've been having unusual physical issues, for a week now. Hopefully I've added this into the correct section of the site.

I've been taking 40mg Diazepam, 140ish mg Oramorph and between 90-150g Poppy Pod Tea daily (I know its a lot, which is why I needed to cut down). The Diazepam has been on and off but mainly on since 2010. The Oramorph was started in late June/July 2021 (starting dose was 560ml/1120mg weekly!!!!! Now dropped to 500ml/1000mg). The pods started roughly August/September.

I decided to cut right down on my pod use about 2-3 weeks ago. Took quite a dramatic drop from averaging about 120g Tea daily (through stovetop espresso makers), to having 25-35g tea 5 or 6 days a week and then about 100g the other day or 2. This was because partly the time it was taking to make it, plus I wasn't even feeling it properly.

Surprisingly I didn't find the reduction a problem and when I was having a strong one it was blitzing me.

I've had 2 issues since though which have both reared their ugly head this week (couldn't help add bit of a bit of humour there lol). I've been constipated since I began Morphine, even though I've been prescribed max dose Codeine phosphate since about 2010. My constipation has got much worse now. I haven't been since last Thursday (so a week almost to the hour).

Also as worryingly or possibly more last Saturday I woke up and noticed yellow marks on my fingers, these have stayed and not got better or worse.

Unfortunately being the weekend I couldn't see my local gp til Monday. Saw a doctor and he basically said, don't worry about it!!!!! I told him that that wasn't good enough. He booked me in for a blood test the next morning. The nurse couldn't find any veins (she'd been borrowed from the pathology lab at the hospital and the ideal person) she told me was probably because extremely constipated and gave me a list of foods, fluids and tips to get the veins up. I did as told. I was booked in the next day to try again, got the same result. Been given the blood works forms and have booked an appointment for the hospital to try tomorrow.

I've been taking 6x 100mg Dulcoease (docusate sodium) tablets for the last 6 days. The doc also put me on Fybogel (Ispaghula Husk) sachets. I took 2 when I was 1st prescribed about a week ago. I took a look at the leaflet and the first thing it says is don't take if on Opioids, take 2 a day. I stopped taking immediately.

I saw a doctor again yesterday and he told me to ignore the warning and take 6 sachets a day (3× the limit)!!!!! I've also been trying suppositories which normally work pretty much instantly but they aren't doing anything.

Bit worried with the dark yellow/light orange marks that appeared. Also forgot to mention that the next day I felt really ill, was really nauseas and moving felt like a struggle. I felt very acidy, took an antacid which helped stop the sick feeling almost instantly. Felt totally sapped of energy and ended up sleeping 8 hours that Sunday.

Still feel bloated with no energy, no signal of the constipation ending and the yellow marks still there. I don't think my eyes look yellow at all.

If anyone has any advise I'd be grateful as really anxious, can't get blood test results (as explained), plus neither doc I saw had anything to say regarding the yellow marks, except don't trust 'doctor Google'!!!!! Felt like saying at least Google says something back.

Getting paranoid something is wrong.

Thanks everyone

 

[Pickledlemons]

Well your best bet for the constipation is polyethylene glycol, which you can get at the pharmacy in this big plastic jug. You just mix it with water and drink. Don't be shy about taking a lot. take like 3 -5x more than what it tells you on the bottle if its really bad. I was taking the recommended dose when I was really badly constipated, and it did nothing so I ended up going to the ER and doc told me what I was taking was the best thing for it, and I just wasn't taking enough. So I took way more and sure enough it worked like a charm. There's really no harm it, except for possible dehydration from electrolytes, so drink some Gatorade if you're worried.

For your other symptoms, I don't know. Sounds like anxiety might be a factor. I can't imagine it being withdrawal if you are so badly constipated... Are all your poppy pods from the same place? Or did you just get a new batch? Could there maybe be some additive in it that your body doesn't like? I've definitely had weird nauseous headachy hangovers from pods before. But I never took them quite so regularly. I just chalked it up the varying alkaloid content, too much thebaine or something.

Sorry I don't have a better answer hopefully someone else knows.

 

[deficiT]

Yeah I've ran into stuff akin to this from various opioids. It can be really bad.

I'm not a doctor, but when I struggled with this they prescribed polyethylene glycol, as mentioned above, otherwise know as Miralax.

It's definitely a good option, you just might have to experiment with the dose and see how much works. Sounds like you might need a bit of it.

If it gets bad enough and you haven't gone for long enough, I would definitely suggest going to the ER, because that can cause a whole lot of very bad acute health problems.

 

[Sk1500]

Cheers folks,

Nothing is working. I looked up polyethylene glycol. I think it is sold OTC in UK. I read into it a bit and said really dangerous when mixed with fibre drink sachets and the doctor told me to take 3x what it says on the box (fybogel). Whilst glancing down a medical study about it, mixed with what I'm taking, the line 'she stopped breathing and died a few hours later' jumped off the page at me I wish I was joking .

I'm taking 6x Dulcoease (docusate sodium), plus 6 sachets of Fybogel (which is a thickener), 2x Magnesium Oxide 500mg, 2000mg Dandelion extract and just started a Digestive Enzyme Complex tablet today (lactase, cellulose and Betaine HCI)...... Plus tried about 6 suppositories!!!!!! Normally even just 1 suppository would work with about 20 seconds warning. These are just coming out hourish later with nothing else.

This is all whilst taking a ¼ of the pods (the pods have always been from same place ).

I need to give a blood sample to find out what the yellow marks are about as likely to be either liver, gallbladder or bile duct related. Unfortunately my guts taking all the fluid from my body to try and soften things up, so that's left me veinless. There's 4 different style laxatives and most take all water to help soften.

I'm really stuck (in both senses) of what to do . I think I'll have to go along for the blood test and when that doesn't work I'll need to go to ER (A&E).

Don't want to die of this . I am starting to panic a bit, especially as I've mixed so much together and don't want to make it worse!!!!!

Never thought I'd be singing with joy if I've shit the bed in the night.

 

[The Shadow Self]

Well, you may want to buy some enemas if you haven't gone that route yet, as unpleasant a subject as that is. The last thing you want to do is become impacted, which can happen to opiate/opioid users for sure.

 

[deficiT]

Cheers folks,

Nothing is working. I looked up polyethylene glycol. I think it is sold OTC in UK. I read into it a bit and said really dangerous when mixed with fibre drink sachets and the doctor told me to take 3x what it says on the box (fybogel). Whilst glancing down a medical study about it, mixed with what I'm taking, the line 'she stopped breathing and died a few hours later' jumped off the page at me I wish I was joking .

I'm taking 6x Dulcoease (docusate sodium), plus 6 sachets of Fybogel (which is a thickener), 2x Magnesium Oxide 500mg, 2000mg Dandelion extract and just started a Digestive Enzyme Complex tablet today (lactase, cellulose and Betaine HCI)...... Plus tried about 6 suppositories!!!!!! Normally even just 1 suppository would work with about 20 seconds warning. These are just coming out hourish later with nothing else.

This is all whilst taking a ¼ of the pods (the pods have always been from same place ).

I need to give a blood sample to find out what the yellow marks are about as likely to be either liver, gallbladder or bile duct related. Unfortunately my guts taking all the fluid from my body to try and soften things up, so that's left me veinless. There's 4 different style laxatives and most take all water to help soften.

I'm really stuck (in both senses) of what to do . I think I'll have to go along for the blood test and when that doesn't work I'll need to go to ER (A&E).

Don't want to die of this . I am starting to panic a bit, especially as I've mixed so much together and don't want to make it worse!!!!!

Never thought I'd be singing with joy if I've shit the bed in the night.

If you seriously haven't taken a dump in a week, you should seriously consider the ER. That sounds like a very long time to go without, in fact I've never gone that long, despite numerous opioid addictions. TMI INCOMING: I once had a period of months where I was so constipated that I literally bled every single time. It wasn't pretty. I also went into the emergency room because I thought I was having a hernia, turns out I was just extremely backed up, the nurse said she'd seen nothing like it. And this was just from kratom (albeit a ton). So yeah I had to get an enema at the ER and was in a huge amount of pain through the whole ordeal.

The yellow is definitely a warning sign that something isn't being processed right, whether it's your liver, kidneys, colon, whatever, it doesn't matter. If that goes on too long you could yeah get impacted or even a case of sepsis.

Not trying to scare you, just hoping you realize the seriousness of this and take action if needed.

 

[Sk1500]

I think I probably am already impacted, so when I go.to hospital for blood test which won't happen as the laxatives using all my water to try and soften, so none getting to veins etc. Even.took Aspirin last few days

The last time I went it was bad then was about the size of a pringles pot, all in one and was touching the water before It had finished. That was only 4 days. This gonna be more like Shaqs leg.

If enema works then perfect. Never had 1 before

 

[Sk1500]

Strange thing is that still constipated after cutting from 100g plus of pod tea every day to only 25-35 most days. I'd have expected diarrhoea more than this!!!!! Plus I've been constipated for basically a year.

So bloated. Ate n drank all the things that should help for last few days too

 

[negrogesic]

You need to head to the ER (the sooner the better).

 

[cosmic charlie]

One time when I was really strung out on Heroin I didn't shit for a whole week. Started getting severely bloated like you are right now and I went to the E.R. Said my bowels were becoming impacted and I might need to have surgery. The gave me a bottle of Magnesium Citrate as a last ditch effort and told me to stay by a toilet. Well I shit out blackness for hours it was truly foul never seen that color come outta me before, but I was so grateful for finally going I got really worried as the days went by like I'm sure you are right now. The stuff taste pretty bad sorta like tonic/seltzer water or something but it works for damn sure. Really hope you get this sorted it's very serious.

 

[Xorkoth]

My solution for opiate constipation is to take 10 dulcolax (ducosate sodium) pills twice a day (which can be reduced to a maintenance dose of 10 once per day after you get moving again), to prevent the turds from being rock hard, and also 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk powder once per day (it's amazing for pooping in general). That generally does it, though it can take a couple of days. You can also try taking Miralax (polyethylene glycol), which is an osmotic laxative, which basically sends moisture and water down into your guts. There are also stimulant laxatives like senna/sennosides, but those can cause a lot of pain and even damage if you're severely constipated as they basically force it through you, and if it's very large and hard, you don't want that.

Many years ago, I was chronically constipated for years, I only went every few days and I absolutely dreaded it because I would bleed and my asshole would hurt so bad it was all I could think about for a day afterwards, every single time. It was horrible. I developed hemorrhoids from it. I wish so much I'd known what I know now. More recently, I have been back on the same excessive dose of opiates, and this time, if I follow my regimen I described to you above, I literally just shit like normal, once or twice a day, normal consistency. I'm sure without the supplements, I would be shitting water.

You say you're taking 6 x 100mg ducosate sodium... that is simply not anywhere near enough. The dosage per pill around here is 200mg, and seriously, you should take up to 2 grams at a time (10 x 200mg pills). Back when I first started getting back into heavy opiate use more recently, I tried taking 3-4 of the pills (600-800mg of ducosate sodium), and it didn't do anything. But when I increased my dose to 10 x 200mg pills, it worked great. It's not going to hurt you, it isn't toxic and no research I can find suggests that it has any negative impact on your health.

But yeah, if you haven't shit in a week, that's bad news, and very dangerous.

 

[Sk1500]

My solution for opiate constipation is to take 10 dulcolax (ducosate sodium) pills twice a day (which can be reduced to a maintenance dose of 10 once per day after you get moving again), to prevent the turds from being rock hard, and also 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk powder once per day (it's amazing for pooping in general). That generally does it, though it can take a couple of days. You can also try taking Miralax (polyethylene glycol), which is an osmotic laxative, which basically sends moisture and water down into your guts. There are also stimulant laxatives like senna/sennosides, but those can cause a lot of pain and even damage if you're severely constipated as they basically force it through you, and if it's very large and hard, you don't want that.

Many years ago, I was chroically constipated for years, I only went every few days and I absolutely dreaded it because I would bleed and my asshole would hurt so bad it was all I could think about for a day afterwards, every single time. It was horrible. I developed hemorrhoids from it. I wish so much I'd known what I know now. More recently, I have been back on the same excessive dose of opiates, and this time, if I follow my regimen I described to you above, I literally just shit like normal, once or twice a day, normal consistency. I'm sure without the supplements, I would be shitting water.

You say you're taking 6 x 100mg ducosate sodium... that is simply not anywhere near enough. The dosage per pill around here is 200mg, and seriously, you should take up to 2 grams at a time (10 x 200mg pills). Back when I first started getting back into heavy opiate use more recently, I tried taking 3-4 of the pills (600-800mg of ducosate sodium), and it didn't do anything. But when I increased my dose to 10 x 200mg pills, it worked great. It's not going to hurt you, it isn't toxic and no research I can find suggests that it has any negative impact on your health.

But yah, if you haven't shit in a week, that's bad news, and very dangerous.

Thanks, I'll buy few boxes of dulcoease tomorrow after hospital. The supermarket only 2 minutes from hospital. Gotta go for them attempting to get blood anyway and afterwards go downstairs to Accident and Emergency and not go until I've been seen especially with the yellow fingers marks which appeared overnight on the Saturday and was Thursday when I last went. I only know the day cos I'd weighed myself few days before, so wanted to see how big Thursdays giant was, so wrote weight at top of that days drug diary page!!!!

 

[Sk1500]

Woke up, used laxative and little bit came out, definitely not 8 days worth though, vanished around the bend before I could look, it hurt obviously but still think only a small bit. I'll still go downstairs to er after the blood test, if they can get a vein I could wait for results but being Friday it wouldn't be til Monday I found anything out. I got sharp pains in my left shoulder since Wednesday, so whilst I'm in the same building it makes sense to try and be seen

 

[Sk1500]

They managed to get blood out at hospital. Had some results back within 30 minutes!!! Which I can view online. Some are pretty high and some are pretty low on the normal range. Gotta wait til Monday for most though. Issue is so technical, even trying to look up and understand is beyond my brain capacity . Others very confusing, random example I got 0 Nucleated Red blood cells, which is good I think.

I'll keep up the fybogel and dulcoease though. If I feel really bad over weekend I'll go to hospital. Got veins back visible in hands which good sign constipation wise.

If either blood test shows anything, still no.more toilet joy or if blood test is fine!! I'll still want answers from my doctor on the yellow marks on my fingers.

Thanks ppl.

 

[Sk1500]

Ordered some mini enemas with mirimax in,supposed to arrive Sunday ..... might have to change the colour of the hand emojis etc from yellow lol.

More yellow has appeared on both hands now. Been the1st change since it started last Saturday. Hard to see though, gotta have in the perfect light, camera with flash seems to show it up best

 

[cosmic charlie]

Seriously, you need to go-to a pharmacy and buy an enema and or some of that magnesium citrate and make yourself shit now. I'm very worried about you this has gone on too long. I know it costs more probably at the pharmacy in person most likely but you need to handle this. That situation with the yellow on your skin is very sketchy.

 

[Sk1500]

Seriously, you need to go-to a pharmacy and buy an enema and or some of that magnesium citrate and make yourself shit now. I'm very worried about you this has gone on too long. I know it costs more probably at the pharmacy in person most likely but you need to handle this. That situation with the yellow on your skin is very sketchy.

I'm taking Magnesium Oxide, I know that I saw Citrate was better. I'm just nervous about mixing too many things together.

The mini enemas got good reviews, plus I don't have to worry about what liquid I need to use. If that doesn't work then I'll just sit in A&E/ER, until I'm seen. I'm on quite a lot of different medications and wondering if that could be making things worse, either by bad combos or my Liver being overworked.

Luckily I gave blood today. My local surgery doctor is very lax (no pun intended) on things. The locum (fill in doc, not sure where you're from so don't know what terms are the same) is terrible. Seen the locum 3 or 4 times before about other things and he always says to me, 'I don't know, what do you think!!!!!', hes the doctor ffs. I said blood test obviously. When he filled in the blood test form, he didn't include Thyroid!!! I'm on Levothyroxine, luckily when I saw the nurse for 1st blood test attempt, I thought I'd check he'd added it and he hadn't, fortunately she added it on the blood works form.

Started itching tonight as well which is unusual for me, don't get itch on pods or morphine.

At least they've got blood sample now but won't find out until monday. If I get worse over weekend I'll just go to hospital.

I won't let it slide though.

Appreciate the concern. Thanks my friend

 

[Sk1500]

finally been........ 9 days, probably not empty but its a start lol

 

[Sk1500]

My blood test results have come back, I can see them online before the gp gets to see them. All the liver results are either very high in range or above range. My CRP is 15, should be under 5!!!!..... all my Cholesterol readings are above the range, I've had this for years and the doctor has told me that having hypothyroidism is the reason for this.

Waiting for a callback from him and I already know he's going to say that everything's fine or he's going to blame the Morphine. Already pissed off and not spoken to him yet!!!!

Interestingly I took 2 mini prefilled enemas I got yesterday which didn't work, added a suppository as well. Once I'd been I could dramatically feel the reduced amounts of meds I'm on including the pods. I haven't felt them for about 6 months and have had constipation since starting Morphine. My weight has continued increasing this whole time. Makes me think I've been pretty blocked the whole time and the medication hasn't been able to properly work.

Don't know what the doctors going to say to me but I'm sure he is going to be very relaxed and tell me nothing to worry about .

 

[Sk1500]

Feel like exploding, marks on both hands a stain!!!!!! He never even looked at my hands. Useless, I got accused of arguing with 2 doctors. No, the reason I wanted to see other doctor was the 1st one said nothing and I had to ask for a blood test myself.

Been referred to endocrinology and told to eat better. I give up