The worst opiate/opiod to withdraw from? [New poll options added 1-22-08]

[natalie71]

I took methadone for 4.5 yrs. never took it before until a dumb pm doc put me on it & roxicodone.
over the years i kicked heroin, old oxys, hydros...but just taking methadone was the worst-ive always been about 120lbs & on methadone I gained 35lbs ick!! and it made me so constipated!! And i got no high...ugh..over it!!

About 7/8 hrs after taking my 120mg of roxys, I'd start going into w/d's: my tolerance was high after 20 yrs of opiate drug use-im ashamed to write that, it messed up alot in my life...anyhow...
Of course I'd get my 120 30mg roxys filled & within 5-6 days, they'd be gone..so i had to supplement with the methadone..
I heard from everyone & everywhere that methadone w/d's are the worst by far...

I'm not a medical professional but for me i figured out a great plan to stop methadone w/ a short acting opiate w/d & then subutex to stop that
On a thursday morning, i took my last dose of 10mg of methadone, had 45 8mg dilaudid pills & 6 8mg subutex...so anyhow, i stretched the dilaudid pills for 5 days, then the worst was waiting 15 hrs to take the dose of subutex..
and after taking an induction dose of 4mg subutex, I'm feeling ok...i might need the other 4mg later, i'll see....
the crazy part was that during the 5 days w/o methadone but still popping 9 dilaudid a day, i was in mild w/d's!!! Wth?!!
i guess that was the methadone leaving...and even tho i was on dilaudid, i still felt crummy....i cannot imagine what full methadone w/d's are like!!!!!! As Fuzzin-Hard said That is just plain unGodly & shouldn't even happen!!!
And yes, most doctors are idiots...I'm lucky to have a decent GP, but my pm doc said he could taper my methadone over one week & i'd be fine w/some hot baths & fluids!!!
These idiot docs should HAVE to go thru methadone w/d's in medical school...then lets see what they all say!!!!
Thank God for my friends who came thru w/the subutex!!!
Much Love!!

 

[treading threader]

i've never tried methadone, but i'll take your guys' word for it - it sounds horrific; not so much the symptoms, but the length. i cannot imagine going thru full blown wd's for multiple weeks.

i think the worst thing for me is heroin; compared to percs, fentanyl, and oxy. there's just something about the H withdrawals that are a bit more brutal. might be the restlessness- can't go 30 seconds without needing to stretch out my arm to the point where it feels like it's going to break lol. i said this in another thread, but i'll repeat it here- i wouldn't wish wd's upon my worst enemy.

before i ever touched opiates i could never understand why addicts couldn't just stop- i assumed it was limited to a mental thing. now i get it. it's almost like you never truly understand until it happens to you - which is sad, because with that theory, doctors will nost likely never understand how to best help an addict as a patient.

 

[sm0kestack]

This thread is ancient, but still going somewhat, and I feel like saying something.

My first bout with opiate WD was when I first started heavily using them. The first time I noticed it, and realized it was in fact WD was when I had a 120mg or so OC habit. Late one night at around 4am I was finishing up a school project. I think I had only snorted 1 OC40 wayyy earlier that day in the morning. Out of nowhere, I just got over ridden with an uncomfortable feeling, like all the nerves in my body started to hurt. I kind of just dismissed it as just stress related, and if I got some sleep I would feel better when waking up. NOPE. Several hours later my legs and ankles started to ache, and I started getting chills and hot/cold flashes. A few more hours went by and now I am actually sick. The anxiety, drug cravings, goosebumps, sweating, GI upset, restlessness, body aches, the whole shabang. But still, I didn't know what it was, until my one using buddy called me... RIP JOHN... I told him how I was feeling and he was like awe Shit man, you're getting opiate withdrawal, you've been going too hard. He said the only way to get rid of it is use more, or just deal with it for a few days and it will pass. Of course, I opted to use more, so we went and scored.

After that, I had remembered taking methadone before my OC habit for a month or so, and woke up feeling terrible one day like that, but I just took another pill and it vanished, and seemingly did not return. So I had no idea what it was, but remembering it now, that was the absolute harshest WD I have felt. I just didn't endure it all the way.

Heroin withdrawal can be the most intense, but I usually notice myself getting better after the peak of it 42-96hours later. It is very intense but relatively quick. I have had my numerous cold turkeys in a jail cell coming off that Shit. I'd say it's kinda actually easier coming off in jail, because you know you ain't gonna get it. Unless of course you get lucky and someone smuggles some in and is willing to share with you, which has happened. But knowing you can't get it helps with craving and anxiety, you know you'll just have to deal with it. Now the sleep thing is the worst when coming off in jail, those long, long nights. Ugh...

But yeah, heroin and methadone are the harshest, one being quick, the other long. OC was relatively mild for me and easier to deal with.

 

[monkeebutler]

Worst for me was oxy mixed with all the other opiates the pusher Dr. was giving. Dude got arrested and holy hell. Those old 80s mixed with norcs and dilaudid pills took 4ever to come off of. I hallucinated for 3 days wasnt well for a month and a half. Nothing like coming off dope. Dope comes off quick those synthetics are killer and wont leave. Ive kicked more drugs and more times than i can remember and even the jailhouse kicks werent as bad as that one. Came off 130mg of methadone and still it wasnt as bad. I dunno I had a knack for finding those crooked docs and purdue would just ups that shit to your house through their program. I rember going through 90 of the 80s a week. Straight hell. Would just lay there sick for 3 weeks and just be getting over it and the ups truck would roll up again. it was a goft and a curse

 

[Kratomquella]

I have withdrawn from poppy tea, Oxys, norco, Vicodin and methadone. Methadone is by far the worst and longest ACUTE withdrawal EVER! a total hell. That's why they call it the "lifer" drug as people really stay on iit for the rest of their life.

 

[Kratomquella]

I read your post and almost died. I am on day 8 following a month of a very fast taper as the clinic that I went to are idiots. I have been phase 7 which is month take outs for 8 yes and I had a dirty UA for the first time ever due to the fact they switched to a high sensitve UA test and I it caught a super low alcohol reading. Now, my chart says I don't EVER drink. I don't like alcohol and the most I have ever drunk is a sip or two from my sisters wine glass enjoying prime rib. I knew I hadn't sipped wine with my sister that month so I was perplexed. I went thru all the things I do in my day and realized the herbal supplements I take in the morning have grain alcohol in them! SHIT! I brought in my herbal stuff and she said, " Ya, these tests can pick up on hand sanitizer if you used it before you peed.. A ton of people are pissed off but it's the rules and you will have to phase down to one and come in every day to blow for alcohol!!!! I looked her in the face and smiled and said, " no I wont.. I am NEVER COMING BACK AGAIN!" She tried to talk me out of it because I was holding my month take out.. But I said I would go off when my methadone ran out. So I did a fast taper down from 25 to zero in three weeks and I have had no methadone for 8 days and I have to say I HAD NO IDEA HOW BAD IT IS!
As the days come and go..I worsen.. New symptoms arise.. Burning veins of fire, hot poker in my forehead, shit myself sleeping, I can't breath, heart stops and restarts, ( my sister who is an ER doc said it was common to have that when in acute stage) RLS AND Restless everything syndrome, vomiting, bone pain, light sensitivity, smelling sensitivity,
Touch sensitive, sore swollen nodes in neck, stuffed nose, anxiety that I am dying and not withdrawing, or fear it will never be right again, trembling, weird weakness in legs and arms like getting a jug of milk out of fridge is hard, paranoia..( this one was in the beginning like day three thru five where I would see out of the corner of my eye a black shape jumping in front of my car or by my bedside) not being able to track conversations etc etc etc..
But although I will PRob have PTSD from this, it has been a rebirth for me and there have been beautiful moments where in my weakness and illness I realize how much strength I have.
But I agree.. Methadone is NOT HANDLED right. It should not be prescribed as a constant in high does. My starting does was 180! 180!!! WTF! It's how they hook u. I was a pill popper from a broken back and I was forced into that clinc from my nervous OB/ gyn.. Pisses me off ...

 

[johnlesliemackie]

Strong coffee
luckies flow filter cigs
two tiny bumps of this really smooth coke; it's relaxing, so relaxing that your mind sometimes feel blank, a zen state of mind: awake and aware, and even 1,5 grams in it still produces an inspiring and euphoric energy

 

[Anxious.Individual]

Strong coffee
luckies flow filter cigs
two tiny bumps of this really smooth coke; it's relaxing, so relaxing that your mind sometimes feel blank, a zen state of mind: awake and aware, and even 1,5 grams in it still produces an inspiring and euphoric energy

^Completely irrelevant post. I think you were trying to post in What was your morning fix thread.

For me Furanylfentanyl was the worst opiate WD and it lasted the longest. It felt like I was going through benzo and opiate WD at the same time, and after the acute WD, I felt crippled for weeks, I was twitching, stuttering and felt braindead, spending most of my time lying in bed. It made h wd seem like a walk in the park

 

[undertow13]

Surprised to see such an old thread still alive...I voted for Oxymorphone. That stuff gave me the craziest, most horrible withdrawals I've ever felt before. Makes me sick just thinking about it.

Dilaudid was nasty as hell too, followed by morphine. Oxycodone imo was just as bad as morphine, not quite as intense for me but lasted a lot longer.

Never really did enough of anything else to withdrawal from it, that is until I taper off subs, but from what I can tell most people seem to agree that sub is fairly easy to taper off of. Although, I've heard some pretty nasty things about high dose / cold turkey withdrawal.

 

[Jess121195]

I'm new to this site & can't find anywhere to post this. I know it's not related to the topic so if no one has the answer PLEASE refer me to where to get the answer.
Does anyone know if certo actually works on a drug screen for opiods? I've known lots of people that use it for THC & pass everytime. Has anyone actually used it to pass a drug screen for opiods & if so what was your result. Please be honest guys. I've gotta test for probation & I REALLY need to know. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Jess121195]

Wow, good for you. Not about the withdrawal but getting off the shit. I love your outlook! I wish you all the luck in the world!

 

[Stickman Roxy]

Heroin
Fentanyl
Oxycontin

 

[woamotive]

To person above asking about certa: drug testing questions allowed, prob why you're having a tough time finding info on that here.

To answer question: my original response still stands: methadone by a long shot.

 

[aplumgirl]

I personally had to cold turkey WD from hydrocone and klonipin at an in patient rehabd. I wished I had died. I literally felt like my limbs were being ripped apart!

 

[aplumgirl]

To person above asking about certa: drug testing questions allowed, prob why you're having a tough time finding info on that here.

To answer question: my original response still stands: methadone by a long shot.

Strange, I had an allergic reaction to methadone after 3 months of use. No WDs at all.

Our bodies are completely different. I've stopped Xanax after 1 year of daily use no WD. Klonipin however made me want to DIE!!

 

[esco82]

The synthetic opioids for sure... try going cold turkey off a 3 year 40mg a day fentanyl habit or even a 5 mg a day Bromadol habit. Suicide crosses your mind, but luckily you're too incapacitated to figure out how to off yourself. It's a a whole different level of pain and discomfort, specially when your chest burns and you're so weak and tired you can barely keep your eyes open, or your head up, but the restlessness from the akithisia/RLS is so intense you have to shake every 5 seconds to get it to go away temporarily...

With the recent increase in synthetic opioid production, I've been hearing of a few fellow chemists who've gotten addicted to their own synthetic product, and like myself, with an endless supply, you find yourself in serious trouble. The withdrawal is too much. I think it takes the cake...

The high dosage Fenty/fenty analouges withdrawal is just so traumatizing. Knowing that type of pain exist in the world changes you. It's like a deep soul crushing pain with torture sprinkled on top, for the total destruction of your mind and soul. Once I got through the acute withdrawal, I felt like I'd survived a concentration camp. Not a bite of food for 2 weeks, 4 nights without sleeping a single second, followed by an average of 2 hours of sleep for a couple weeks. My hands/body shook for a month afterwards. Wow, I'm physically getting sick thinking about it. I honestly think it's PTSD. I have tried almost endless amount of novel synthetic opioids. They're all heaven in some way, but their own version of hell in another. I wish I could take my own advice here, but just say no

 

[esco82]

I also went cold turkey from a 360mg per day IV hydromorphone habit. That sucked too, but it was more classic withdrawal. More like being physically sick as opposed to being internally tortured. HMorph at his level isn't that enjoyable, as 60mg iv doesn't even produce any type of rush, and the HMorph high is mediocre. Maybe that's why the withdrawal isn't too bad

 

[Soulgasm]

^Christ that sounds terrible. This thread makes me sofa king glad I was never properly dependent on any longer half-life opioid. Oxycodone, oxymorphone, and the big h were all pretty comparable at equivalent doses, the latter two seeming worse because of ease of availability. Kicking gabaergics simultaneously still sends a shiver down my spine.

 

[brownshirt]

1)methadone/LAAM [2 years] Insane kick, I couldnt hack it went back on heroin

2)heroin [10 years] Insane kick but managable with the right detox

3)oxy/hydro pretty similar kicks [1 year habit] tough but I never really kicked I just was substituting for H

4)buprenorphine [2 years] mild, easy

Those are opiates I have been on for long periods of time and than kicked, others such as Fent. and Dilaudid I never used for long stretches just as substitutions when abusing heroin.

Methadone wins hands down I dont think you could find a worse opiate to w/d from, yuck

Never been on methadone myself, but my late mother (rip) visited a methadone clinic for five years before she decided to go cold turkey.
In my ignorance I suggested to get that she would kick the covers 8-9 days then stand up and walk. Boy was I wrong!
After watching her trembling in the fetal position for 4 1/2 weeks it became apparent that the w/drawls weren't going to simply go anytime soon.
So I took her to her primary physician for advice and/or help. I just came out and told him the truth. He informed my mother an I that this would continue for MONTHS before any semblance of recovery would be noticed, then proceeded to chastise me for allowing her to stop cold turkey, ultimately putting her health in danger.
He wasn't licenced to prescribe suboxone or bupenorphine. He admitted her and immediately hooked in an IV drip. Then reached in his pocket and removed a vial of hydromorphone and proceeded to administer first 4 mg, then after my poor mother let out a comforting sigh, administered an additional 4mg.
She thanked him and went into a peaceful slumber with a tear rolling down her cheek.
With my sister watching over her he directed me to a dr./patient conference room where he proceeded to explain to me that although hydrmorphone (dillaudid) was itself highly addictive, it's actually one of the easiest opiates to wean off of. And after a further tongue lashing for putting my 63 year old mother in possible danger, he explained that since my mom had fairly recent hip replacement surgery, he could prescribe hdrmrphn without catching attention from the DA.
He then printed up a strict regimen for administering the dillie with weaning off as the primary goal.
Going by memory, I recall first he prescribed 2 eight mg pills per day. One in the morning and one after dinner. Get this.... to be taken sublingualy as to bypass the liver. For one month. Then the following month he wrote a script for 2 four mg per day taken in the same manner.
Then the third month he prescribed the same mg only this time to be taken orally. (By that time she sometimes skipped or forgot to take her second dose.. good sign.)
Then the fourth month naturally he took her down to 2mg twice a day. Again she often skipped her evening dose. Then eventually his instructions changed to one 2mg per day "as needed".
I am happy to report that she stopped taking them at all after not quite 2 weeks and preferred naproxen for minor aches and pain..
I was also tickled myself because I wound up with a decent surplus of dillies for myself..
Sorry I tend to go on with a story once I start. But point being methadone is hands down the most difficult opiate type drug to stop taking, and according to the good dr. Hydromorphone although a strong opiate, is among the easiest to stop using. Granted this is up to the users will and desire to stop.
Now I must add that a different doctor prescribed her Xanax for anxiety a few months later and she liked them...a bit too much.
She over did it one night in October of 2013 and fell asleep in her bedroom floor with her leg underneath her (she was sitting upright on her leg which incidentally had an artery stint behind her knee). She was in that position for at least 12 hours. As a result the stint was bent closed and lost circulation in her leg.. She got to the ER too late and unfortunately had to have her leg amputated.
A sad ending. Because where the leg was removed never healed properly and subsequent infections eventually proved to be fatal. She passed away in October of 2014..
I was also prescribed Xanax for anxiety and PTSD. Needless to say I've switched to colonzopam.
Sorry for the essay, tomorrow will mark two years since her passing and next month will mark two years we've been in court about the faulty stint.
BTW although not an opiate, Xanax proved to be rather difficult to stop using in spite of substituting with klonopin..
Admins may move this post to a more apropriate thread. .
Again, sorry for the essay.

RIP Carolyn. "Mama".

 

[brownshirt]

That was my DOC - alcohol and opium. Made the stuff weekly from pods and everclear.

Thing is, alcohol is a catalyst for all kinds of opiate properties, to where opiates alone and alcohol alone wouldn't cut it.

I needed both.

Funny you should say that.
That is precisely how my opiate dependence started.
I was a short haul trucker in the southeast US. My daily route toom me right past a certain truckstop.
Ok I'll tell exactly where it WAS as it's long gone today. .
One beautiful May, the fifth of May to be exact, I stopped at exit 128 from I65 north in Calera Alabama.
I purchased a hot dog and fries and pulled my truck next to a five acre lot full of beautiful red and white flowers.
As I enjoyed my junkyard dawg from sneaky Pete's I found myself admiring the beautiful blooms as the early spring sun shine through the translucent petals. As I gazed admiringly I noticed many of the petals had dropped off leaving a large, green pod with an odd crown on top donned with a brown ring round it.
The lot/field was completely dominated with these flowers and over half had dropped their petals.
Then it got me like a freight train.
My fellow bluelighters, I had found a field of papaver somniferum!
At this point of my day my route was finished so I was in no hurry.
Needless to say, I dug in my toolbox and found a sharp razor and some tape. I fashioned the tape into and around the blade so that it would score, but not so deep as to cut through.
I then commenced to walk around making three neat scores in as many pods as I possibly could.
Now I'm guessing here but I reckon I scored 100-150 pods smiling with glee and exitement as I noticed the milky alkaline Laden goop slowly run forth from my newly found treasure..
Whsts better was nobody was none the wiser as to what I was doing.
I went back inside and bought a magazine. Tattoo monthly if memory serves me correctly.
I read my magazine and looked at the photos for the next 1 1/2 hour.
Then with a piece of cardboard in one hand and an old credit card in the other I commenced to dutifully scrape the now pale brown nectar and carefully wiping it on my cardboard.
I had to eventually get another price of cardboard as the first one simply couldn't hold any more.
By the time I was ready to head home with my bounty I had two squares of cardboard and an empty toilet paper roll chocked full of my alkaloid laced goo. .
I was off work the next day after a restless night laying awake afraid some other above average intellect (in Alabama a normal IQ per capita is around 80 so I didnt worry too much
I left at first light, after I placed my bounty on top of my garage to dry.
To calera I went armed with three army issue duffy/napsacks and a pair of hand clippers.
Sure enough they were all still there as if they were expecting me.
I filled all three with ripe, brown ringed pods. Just right. The seed holes had not quite opened... perfect!
Leaving the younger flowers behind to grow a bit longer.
Needless to say I was indeed a happy chappy.
By the time I got home the hot Alabama sun had done it's work and I fashioned my goo balls into three golf ball sized spheres and another the size of a quarter.
Now youth and zeal is no match for wisdom. I ascertained quickly that one cannot simply toss a wad of opium upon a pot smoking pipe and start enjoying it, lest one watch his prize bubble right down the hole into oblivion with no reward. So determined not to waste another single "booger" with such a faux paux I made abee line to my office/man cave and fired up the MAC.
After a surprisingly quick couple searches I had instructions as well as a diagram for making a proper smoking apparatus as well as a recipe for laudnum. Lucky me... as providence would have it, I just happened to not only have plenty of dried bamboo, but also about a half gallon of bootleg moonshine stashed in my cabinet.. first run people... 190-200 proof!
I rinsed an empty glass pint bottle and placed my quarter size goo ball inside then topped her off with my insanely strong corn squeezins. . Popped in a cork and gave er a good shake.
My crystal clear shine was now a dark brown elixir.
Grabbed a shot glass and poured a snoot full and down the hatch..
Then one more..
I then set out to chose my bamboo.
But.... lol made it half way across tge yard and had to sit down.. for two hours with my head hanging down slobbering on myself..
I'm enjoying re telling this story but I have to go for now...
There's more to this story and I look forward to finishing tonight when I get home.
Thanks for reading!