Opioids Treatments for symptoms of opioid withdrawal?

[Hatter]

Hello.



I would like to ask if anyone can tell me if there really exists effective treatments for opioid withdrawal symptoms?

I have been addicted to fentanyl for 10 years, and have wanted to be rid of it from the moment I found out I was addicted. I have tried cold turkey a couple of times, but I can't do it. The longest I lasted was 5 days, and I didn't sleep for a single moment in all that time. Nothing I did eased the withdrawals in any way, and I finally ended up in the emergency ward with spasms, because I had taken so many anti-emetic pills (metoclopramide). Not because they helped me - I think it was just a small amount of momentary relief due to placebo, each time I took a pill, whether paracetamol, or tramadol or someething else, although nothing actually worked.

As I remember it, is was a terrible, terrible experience, but the worst, and the reason I knew I couldn't see it through, was that I couldn't get any sleep. I felt that if I had been able to sleep, maybe I could have had a chance - the chance to "reset" each day, and sort of "regenerate", but not being able to sleep, I had the sense of just getting weaker and weaker and weaker, and finally not being able to take it anymore, even had I not ended up in the emergency ward. I have always had difficulty falling asleep, but this time, it was completely impossible, not matter how much zopiclone I took, or anything else I had.

Since then, I haven't had the strength to try and go through it again. And the way my personality is presently constituted. I don't have the willpower to go through weeks of suffering. Maybe in a couple of decades, if I have changed as a person, or something, I could do it.

But the insidious thing about fentanyl (and maybe opioids in general, I don't know enough about them), is that it has ruined my mind. My ability to think and to imagine things, and to remember. I have gone through same thoughts thousands of times, and each time, I forget what I had learned the previous time. So I can't learn - I can't develope as a person, and I can't make progress in trying to work my way out of my addiction, or strengthening my will-power, or changing my personality.


The only remedy I knew of for the addiction, was Iboga. I would have taken it the moment I first heard of it, were it not because I have a mortal fear of experiencing a powerful psychedelic experience again.

When I was 20, I had a bad trip so horrible, that my life was completely ruined to a degree which is beyond my capacity to explain. For 10 years, I was in hell, and I was certain I could ever be happy again. Only from about 6 years ago did I begin to experience flashes which developed into glimpses of happiness, and - after having had the world and myself be strangers to me - I suddenly began recognize life and myself again, and finally, to my shock, I felt I might actually become happy in life someday.

But I am still utterly terrified of having it repeat itself all over again, if I take a trip, and the thoughts (which I couldn't resolve back then) return. I don't think I have it within me to come back from such an experience again. It has taken all the energy I had accumulated in my life until then. If it happens again, I don't dare think what would happen.

I so wish to be able to "work" on myself. To do "therapy" on myself. For so long, I couldn't do it. But there have been so many times in the last few years, when I could feel I was suddenly ready for it, in a way I haven't been for all the other years since my bad trip. But having the fentanyl in my system, means I can't do it. One can't work on oneself, when one has already forgotten the insights one had just one hour previously.


Just a few days ago, I wasn't aware that any treatments for withdrawal symptoms existed besides ibogaine. The first I heard of it, was when I began searching for any new analogues of ibogaine which might have been developed since I last looked many years ago.

Although my brain is usually not able to do much work, I somehow got the energy to searching some more for withdrawal treatments, and I stumbled across the mention of Nigella seeds in an indian medical journal. I also found a mention of some Chinese herbal medicine, and trying to get more information on that, I found the following thread from Bluelight, in which there was mention of several treatments: http://www.bluelight.org/vb/threads/...thdrawal-Pills

I had never heard of these before: Corydalis root containing tetrahydropalmatine, oxymetazoline, etc.


Finally, categorizing the information I have been able to find in the past week or so, I see that there are three major treatments:

Something called alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, such as clonidine, lofexidine, or oxymetazoline, which apparently work on some symptoms. I read one place that it acts against chills and hotflashes which is apparently caused by an influx of noradrenaline during withdrawal. Although, I don't understand why an agonist would work against something.

Then there is Chinese medicine, which usually seems to contains Corydalis root, which contains tetrahydropalmatine, which apparently is effective against PAWS, and, according to the Bluelight thread I found, restless-legs syndrome, which I suffer terribly from when I don't take enough fentanyl.

Lastly, there is Nigella seeds, which contains carvone and thymoquinone, which apparently is a kappa-agonist, which ostensibly is useful for combatting withdrawal symptoms, though how, I do not know.

I haven't found information about anything to help with nausea, and I don't think I could go for weeks with terrible nausea. Does anyone know if there is something effective against nausea, which is not based on the same principle as metoclopramide?


I am excited about the prospect that treatments potentially exist, but I am so scared to be hopeful. I have previously tried various things like harmala-alkaloids (Peganum harmala powder) and low-dose iboga, neither of which seemed to do help, and I became so disappointed and depressed.

I would like to ask, are there really treatments for opioid withdrawal symptoms, or am I just kidding myself and doing wishful thinking?


There are so many things I want to do with my life. Once, before my bad trip, I was kind of lost and confused already. And for those terrible years after my bad trip, I thought I would never get any pleasure out of life again, and I thought I could never find joy in anything again. That life is just a nightmare.

But, somehow, through some miracle, I can recognize life again, and I feel thankful and blessed. And I want to see if I can do something good for myself and for other people, and maybe for the world. And I am just kicking myself that I have put this extra obstacle in my way. As if I didn't already have enough.

I have always lived a lot inside my mind. I have Asperger's syndrome, and I have never been good at having friends. Ever since my bad trip, I haven't had a life. I was like a stranger in a strange land, and I was a stranger to myself. But I feel I have been given a second chance. And I really would like to use it for something.

I so hope I will some day get out of this catch-22, but if I have to go through weeks of withdrawal, I don't think I can make it.

Is there no way of escaping all that suffering?

I have been told by several people, that couldn't I just take less and less and less, and then I will be out of it? I think I have tried, but each time I felt something I thought was withdrawals, I began taking again, and then I would be so clouded in my mind, that it would be months before I would have the presence of mind to try again.

I haven't tried for years.

I recently asked a doctor who specialized in treating addiction, whether one can avoid withdrawal, but he said "no." He said one could take less and less, but eventually one would have to go through withdrawals, because of something called "kindling" or "sensitization".


I hope someone can help me.

Thank you.


Isak



NB: Sorry for the long letter.

 

[Hodor]

Have you considered buprenorphine (suboxone) maintenance?
Yes, it is still an opioid, but because it is a high-affinity partial agonist (i.e. there is a limit to how "high" it will get you, and as long as it is in your system, it will prevent other, more recreational opioids from binding to your receptors. While not everyone manages to completely discontinue it in the end, people generally do manage to taper down to a dosage level that is much less destructive than an addiction to a full agonist like fentanyl or oxycodone.

You might also benefit from trying out antidepressant therapy to help deal with underlying mental health issues that you might be self-medicating for with opioids.

As for drugs against withdrawal symptoms: clonidine is considered effective against symptoms of restless legs syndrome. Benzodiazepines can aid with sleep and anxiety, but they are of course highly addictive substances in their own right. Ditto for dissociative drugs like ketamine or DXM.
Pregabalin und gabapentin also work well for anxiety, and their abuse liability is much lower though.

Ondansetron is generally considered a godsend for patients with chronic nausea; whereas metoclopramide exerts its effects via a combination of D2 and 5HT3 receptor antagonism, ondansetron is selective for 5HT3. This lack of dopamine receptor antagonism means that there are barely any side effects with ondansetron when compared to metoclopramide.

 

[tacodude]

I would recommend looking into an in patient detox (I went to one that utalized a phenobarbital regimen for 5 days) and then transferring into a longer out patient program possibly utalizing ORT(opiod replacement therapy) to stablize and gently ween after reducing the fentanyl tolerance in detox. Doing this alone is like sabotaging oneself

 

[PW2244]

My heart goes out to you! I have been on Suboxone several times over the past 10 years and it worked very well. I have gone off Percocet, MsContin, Opana ER and a few others. You need to have your doctor supervise you while you're first going into withdrawal or you might want to look into a rehab facility. I never had the money for rehab and some do accept insurance. You will need to find a doctor in your area who prescribes Suboxone and you can find that info at www.suboxone.com ~ You will experience withdrawal for about 24 hours and once they give you Suboxone it acts within about 20 minutes to relieve all symptoms of withdrawal. Hope this helps you.

 

[Jabberwocky]

If you’re dependent on a full agonist:

800mg gabapentin 4x/day
0.2mg clonidine 2x/day
10mg diazepam 3x/day
2-8mg buprenorphine 2x/day
Loperamide as needed (staying under 40mg/day, ideally under 20mg; less is more, especially considering the buprenorphine which should take care of most of this)
IBU 600-800mg as needed
4mg ondansetron 2-3x/day or as needed
Non-narcotic sleep aid such as trazadone
Melatonin
Fiber supplements
Fruit and vegetables
Oral rehydration salts
Tiger balm and hot baths
Magnesium salt bath soaks
Ginger tea
Possible Robaxin or just more gabapentin

Depends on your habit and personal info though. That works out to be a pretty manageable kick.

If you’re dependent on a longer acting opioid like methadone then it would be preferable to transition to a short acting agonies like codeine for three to five days (depending on methadone dose transitioning from) before waiting 24hrs and inducting on buprenorphine.

Briefly, would you review the opioid, dose and how long you’ve been dependent on opioids? And your weight. That will allow us to give you more specialized info. Also any co-occurring mental health or general health conditions and other medication you are taking besides opioids.

Check out Sober Living (link below in my dig). Specifically the directory.

Generally speaking if you’re just trying to detox then a buprenorphine or methadone based detox is what you want. Of course, getting off is the easy part, staying off requires other longer term strategies. Any plans for that?

DXM, ketamine and other NMDA antagonists as well as iboga/ibogaine are also effective methods for detoxing, it’s jist that few people tolerate these substances compared to the more standard clinical detox meds mentioned above.

If you like DXM and aren’t in poor health, that may be worth considering, as it negates the needs for most other meds besides sleep aids and RLS stuff. Just treat carefully, as DXM has a lot of possible side effects, interactions, and leaves you less than capable of normal tasks while under the influence.

 

[sekio]

Dissociatives work pretty good, also GHB can help acute w/d symptoms as well.

 

[Keif' Richards]

Much thanks to toothpastedog for providing the list of medications for you OP! I'd be curious to know what you know of these available drugs. In my personal experience, a Gabapentinoid like Gabapentin (Neurontin) and/or Pregabalin (Lyrica) is most important, as it relieves to a large degree, Restless Legs and Akathisia, which is often the one thing preventing one from sleeping.

Next Cannabis is very important to me. While it can certainly exacerbate anxiety, it can really help stimulate your appetite and help you keep fluids down. I see that you're really embroiled in pharmaceutical anti-emetics. Cannabis in my experience, blows them all out of the water. Not only does it prevent vomiting, it actually can make you hungry for food.

Clonidine is sort of the cherry on top. It relieves some of the more pesky symptoms like hot/cold flashes, sweating and so on.

Get back to us with your experience and ability to acquire these drugs OP

 

[PW2244]

Keif.......I sent you another post a little bit ago. Still learning how to navigate here. I just saw the post from 12:14 today. OK.....I have been taking Gabapentin (300mg 4X day) for a few years. My doc has me on .01mg of Clonodine twice a day for my BP which goes through the roof when I have a lot of pain. I take 4 drugs for BP. I can increase the Gaba to 5 times per day because I have enough capsules. I wish I could get Cannabis!! I live in NC where everything is still illegal and always will be because it's the bible belt! What I really want to know is..........can withdrawal kill you? some of the things I have read make it sound like you should NOT be alone, etc. Well.......I am alone and even though I have friends I keep this stuff very private. So, everyone on this site has been so helpful. PS - I read somewhere that Benadryl helps with withdrawal too.

 

[PW2244]

toothpastedog.........thanks for so much info. I just saw your post now. You asked about my weight, I am 5'7", weigh 173lbs., my original dose on Sub was 8mg 3X day and I took it for 2 years. Two months ago my doc put me on MsContin 15mg 3Xday, it did not help my pain so he put me on Embeda 30mg once daily. I was also on 5mg. Oxycodone 3X day but I haven't taken any of that in over a week. Other meds I take: Gabapentin 300mg 4X day, Clonodine 0.1mg 2X day, Losartan for BP 100mg 1X, Hydrochlorathiazide 1X day (super low dose), Flexeril 10mg 2X day, Traxadone 50mg at bedtime and Mobic which I only take when in agony because my stomach can't handle it. My biggest concern right now is that I will be safe going through wd at home and alone. All of you on this site have been so helpful and it sounds like you've been down this road a few times. You also have taken more time to help me than the pain doctors I've seen over the years. PS- I do not have Valium or anything like it since the doc refuses to prescribe it when you're taking narcotics. I wish I had some because I never sleep. My pain wakes me up all night long. thanks again!

 

[Humanoid81]

Red Vein Kratum helped my friend come off of a TON of opiates. He went from 150/month perkys to zero in 2 weeks and he has never looked back. He was also given Neurontin, so the two together did it for him and he’s never looked back (5 years clean from perkys). But, I recommend you speak with your doctor because I know ZERO about aspergers or how it affects anything in your mind. Sorry for my ignorance on that matter, just want to be honest for your safety. Good luck friend.

 

[cdin]

I know you're scared of psychedelic experience - but iboga is NOT a traditional psych. It's a dissociative mostly, and as such is much easier to tolerate, less scary on the mental side of things. I saw a lot of crazy shit, at no point did I feel threatened. Just my .02

 

[Hatter]

Have you considered buprenorphine (suboxone) maintenance?
Yes, it is still an opioid, but because it is a high-affinity partial agonist (i.e. there is a limit to how "high" it will get you, and as long as it is in your system, it will prevent other, more recreational opioids from binding to your receptors. While not everyone manages to completely discontinue it in the end, people generally do manage to taper down to a dosage level that is much less destructive than an addiction to a full agonist like fentanyl or oxycodone.

I have been trying to get buprenorphine treatment for over a year, but it's taken forever. I have finally gotten word a few weeks ago, that they will treat me.

But they don't have any experience with fentanyl in my country, they say, so they want to put me on methadone first, and tnen later on buprenorphine. I think it's because they feel they know more about methadone.

I am just afraid, because I have heard horror stories about methadone withdrawals lasting for months. So when the time comes for them to stop the methadone, and put me on buprenorphine, I know one has to have had withdrawal symptoms for some time before they put one on buprenorphine, and I fear having to go through days and days of withdrawal before they put me on it.

Can you tell me about the withdrawal from buprenorphine? In the Bluelight-thread I quoted in my post, I think someone said they went through 2 weeks of throwing up and going through terror when stopping buprenorphine.

I am already taking citalopram for depression since many years ago.

Back when I tried to quit cold turkey, I couldn't go to sleep for even a second, no matter how much zopiclone or benzodiazepines I took.

I hope the odantseron will help, but I doubt it, since I don't remember the metoclopramide doing anything for the nausea, I was hoping there was something which worked through a different method.

But maybe if one could ameliorate many of the other symptoms of withdrawal, it would be somewhat easier to focus one's mind on dealing with the nausea, and maybe finding a bit of rest enough to sleep... I don't know.

 

[Hatter]

I would recommend looking into an in patient detox (I went to one that utalized a phenobarbital regimen for 5 days) and then transferring into a longer out patient program possibly utalizing ORT(opiod replacement therapy) to stablize and gently ween after reducing the fentanyl tolerance in detox. Doing this alone is like sabotaging oneself

What did you experience in terms of withdrawal symptoms when you went through the ORT? Was it horrible?

 

[Hatter]

My heart goes out to you! I have been on Suboxone several times over the past 10 years and it worked very well. I have gone off Percocet, MsContin, Opana ER and a few others. You need to have your doctor supervise you while you're first going into withdrawal or you might want to look into a rehab facility. I never had the money for rehab and some do accept insurance. You will need to find a doctor in your area who prescribes Suboxone and you can find that info at www.suboxone.com ~ You will experience withdrawal for about 24 hours and once they give you Suboxone it acts within about 20 minutes to relieve all symptoms of withdrawal. Hope this helps you.

Thank you, PW2244. I am sorry for you, too, that you can't get help.

I am not in the United States, I am in Denmark, and they don't seem to know a lot here. If I was 5 miles away, across the strait in Sweden, everything would have been a lot smoother. Someone I knew got into treatment a few weeks after he approached for help. I have spent over a year trying to get help, being shipped from one place to the next, and no one knowing anything about treating addiction, and having my treatment sabotaged by a psychiatrist who decided I wasn't addicted at all - that it was all "internal tensions" in my head - without even having spoken to me! Despite a urine test maxing out on the fentanyl.

Well, I was finally referred to a psychiatric hospital, and they say they are willing to refer me to be treated as soon as possible. I don't know what they will do - I am not sure they know anything, before they talk to the treatment facility. It will be in a psychiatric ward initially. I don't know why. They also want it to be on a closed ward. I don't know why. Just because I have Asperger's doesn't mean I am insane. I want to get out of this. I am just so scared I won't be able to stand going through the withdrawal symptoms - weeks of throwing up and not being able to sleep. I don't think I can do it.

I am trapped in this god damned vise I can't get out of. No matter which way I try to go, it closes tighter. I don't think I'll ever get out of this place.

Did you ever have to stop the buprenorphine? How did you experience the withdrawals?

 

[Hatter]

If you’re dependent on a full agonist:

800mg gabapentin 4x/day
0.2mg clonidine 2x/day
10mg diazepam 3x/day
2-8mg buprenorphine 2x/day
Loperamide as needed (staying under 40mg/day, ideally under 20mg; less is more, especially considering the buprenorphine which should take care of most of this)
IBU 600-800mg as needed
4mg ondansetron 2-3x/day or as needed
Non-narcotic sleep aid such as trazadone
Melatonin
Fiber supplements
Fruit and vegetables
Oral rehydration salts
Tiger balm and hot baths
Magnesium salt bath soaks
Ginger tea
Possible Robaxin or just more gabapentin

Depends on your habit and personal info though. That works out to be a pretty manageable kick.

If you’re dependent on a longer acting opioid like methadone then it would be preferable to transition to a short acting agonies like codeine for three to five days (depending on methadone dose transitioning from) before waiting 24hrs and inducting on buprenorphine.

Briefly, would you review the opioid, dose and how long you’ve been dependent on opioids? And your weight. That will allow us to give you more specialized info. Also any co-occurring mental health or general health conditions and other medication you are taking besides opioids.

Check out Sober Living (link below in my dig). Specifically the directory.

Generally speaking if you’re just trying to detox then a buprenorphine or methadone based detox is what you want. Of course, getting off is the easy part, staying off requires other longer term strategies. Any plans for that?

DXM, ketamine and other NMDA antagonists as well as iboga/ibogaine are also effective methods for detoxing, it’s jist that few people tolerate these substances compared to the more standard clinical detox meds mentioned above.

If you like DXM and aren’t in poor health, that may be worth considering, as it negates the needs for most other meds besides sleep aids and RLS stuff. Just treat carefully, as DXM has a lot of possible side effects, interactions, and leaves you less than capable of normal tasks while under the influence.

Thank you, Toothpastedog. I don't know if I can get all those things, but I can try to . But why do you list buprenorphin along with the other remedies? Won't this just postpone the withdrawal symptoms to a later date?

I am taking 100 milligram fentanyl per day. It's been worse the last two years, when I suddenly began taking twice as much. Otherwise, it's been going up and down for years.

This is the crude weight. I have no apparatus for determining the purity. It's just based on a weighing an amount on a scale, and dissolving it into water, and calculating how much I use over a given time. It's fairly constant.

The fentanyl has no analgesic or euphorogenic effect on me. That's why for years I didn't know if it was fentanyl or not. I still don't understand. But several people who should know what they are talking, about confirm that it is fentanyl. And there was my urine test last year, which was done in a state-authorized lab, which maxed out for fentanyl (">400 ug/L" it said).

It takes over two days before withdrawals set in, which I can't understand, if the half-life is only 6 hours or so. I can't make it fit, but maybe my metabolism is different from the norm, I don't know.

I don't know how it sounds to you guys. I have not been able to square things, but yet there are many indications that it IS fentanyl.

I take 40 mg citalopram each day, and around 4 mg zopiclone. I take tramadol and paracetamol every now and then for aches and pains - sometimes often, sometimes not at all.

You say that quitting is the easy bit? I think I understand about the importance of the psychology. But I think that if I could by some miracle get out of this, and come through the withdrawal symptoms, I would never risk taking a serious opioid again. I have too much I want to do.

I understand that I have built by life around it, and I am now used to using it for calming my nerves, and making my life feel less boring than it would if I didn't take it. But if my mind can just work a little bit better, and not be so hazy, I think I will be able to entertain myself enough, and have enough "over-view" of my life, and perspective on things, that I will be able to make a good life for myself.

I don't know about DXM. I took it about 22 years ago in the form of cough syrup, and I almost threw up from the awful taste of that concoction. I have never tried it since. I have tried ketamine once - an over dose - I think I ate 500 mg, and was paralyzed on the floor for I don't know how many hours, and I swore I would never take it again. I gave it to some friends many years later, and they said it was great, but then they did it nasally, which I hadn't heard about back when I got it - I only knew about oral and injection.

You say that these things are good for detoxing. Why is that? Do they remove withdrawal-symptoms? I mean, withdrawal lasts for weeks, doesn't it? Would you have to be on ketamine for those weeks for it to work?

I have heard that ibogaine works in some peculiar way - that it seems to "reset" the brain chemistry, so one doesn't go through any withdrawals. Is that a myth, or is it really true?

I have read some abstract which claimed that harmane 20 mg/kg was as good as ibogaine 40 mg/kg, but harmane is apparently a neurotoxin. So I thought harmaline also worked, but I am afraid of taking a MAOI, if it acts to dangerously potentiate some other medication. And I tried taking some Peganum harmala gelcaps once, and I couldn't feel any relief, so I stopped trying.


Sorry, I forgot to write. I have been addicted to fentanyl for 10 years. I am 42 years old. I am 6'4". I weigh 246 pounds.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Buprenorphine is the most effective of those meds for treating the acute withdrawal. Especially with fent, as kicking that is rather intense. You only will need to use buprenorphine for 4-12 days to treat the acute withdrawal though.

If you just use it for a week you won’t become dependent on it, and you won’t have to then kick the buprenorphine. All taking it will do is to treat the acute withdrawal from your primary opioid if choice. If you only take it for about a week, it won’t prolong withdrawal. It just treats the symptoms when used properly for a detox.

If you’re on 0.1g fent/day, you’ll like need 5-8mg buprenorphine twice a day. Possible more. Possibly less by the same token, but that’s a pretty serious habit. Especially if you inject your fent, you very well might need higher doses of the meds I mentioned.

Tramadol also works well to treat opioid withdrawal, although not so much if you have a formulation that included APAP.

Actually DXM might be more effective than buprenorphine in a certain more subjective or psychological sense, but most people don’t tolerate it well and when someone does it has some uncomfortable side effects. Buprenorphine is more practical.

If forgot it I mentioned it already, but I’d suggest you visit SL and check out our directory there. Lots of info about getting off opioids.

Post detox, do you have any plans for how you’ll move ahead? Going for abstinence from harmful opioid use or are you just trying to dry out for another reason?

Generally speaking you’ll need to do quite a bit to maintain momentum in early recovery (for me it took: methadone clinic for 2.5 years, individual therapist, peer support recovery groups and getting involved with the mindulness movement; it also requires my serious involvement with SL here).

What are your intentions with getting off opioids?

 

[motiv311]

phenibut and melotonin and loperamide and maybe a few kratom capsules not too much

 

[Hatter]

Much thanks to toothpastedog for providing the list of medications for you OP! I'd be curious to know what you know of these available drugs. In my personal experience, a Gabapentinoid like Gabapentin (Neurontin) and/or Pregabalin (Lyrica) is most important, as it relieves to a large degree, Restless Legs and Akathisia, which is often the one thing preventing one from sleeping.

Next Cannabis is very important to me. While it can certainly exacerbate anxiety, it can really help stimulate your appetite and help you keep fluids down. I see that you're really embroiled in pharmaceutical anti-emetics. Cannabis in my experience, blows them all out of the water. Not only does it prevent vomiting, it actually can make you hungry for food.

Clonidine is sort of the cherry on top. It relieves some of the more pesky symptoms like hot/cold flashes, sweating and so on.

Get back to us with your experience and ability to acquire these drugs OP

I just wrote a reply, but apparently it got lost. I'll try again..

I have heard of Gabapentin, but I thought maybe it was a GHB-like drug. I don't know where to get it, but I am thinking there must be some online pharmacy or something. If I can't get it, I will try to ask some acquantances I have if they know if anything.

I used to be very, very fond of Cannabis. I smoked it for about 8 years, every day, all the time. Throughout my life, I have had a lot of trouble falling asleep, but when I began smoking, I found I slept like a log. Until suddenly, one day, when I was 25 or something, I couldn't fall asleep. I just couldn't. I stayed awake for several days, until my doctor prescribed zopiclone to me, and I have used it ever since. For years, it hasn't really helped me sleep, but it helps my nerves - when I get anxious, I take a quarter of a zopiclone tablet, and my fears slowly creep away. I use melatonin to sleep now, and it works okay. I don't know if it would work during withdrawals, though.

I ultimately stopped using Cannabis, because I had developed a pathological relationship to it. Even though I got terribly afraid and felt psychotic every time I smoked it, I did it anyway - for years. I finally decided I had to stop. Now I am super-sensitive to it, and I can hardly smoke a tiny puff without feeling very intoxicated. I guess I am just sensitive to anything which alters my mind.

I don't know where to get the things toothpastedog mentioned. Diazepam, robaxin, gabapentin, clonidine.

I have only gotten some Nigella seeds, 10 g tetrahydropalmatine, and some xylometazoline. The latter I got because in the Bluelight-thread I quoted, it was mentioned that oxymetazoline had efficacy. They are both nasal decongestants, and Wikipedia says they are alpha-2 adrenergic agonists, like clonidine and lofexidine. But I am unsure whether they can really substitute for these.

I will try to search for all these things. I don't think I will be able to find diazepam, though. But maybe an analogue, somewhere? I don't think my doctor will subscribe me anything.

 

[Hatter]

Red Vein Kratum helped my friend come off of a TON of opiates. He went from 150/month perkys to zero in 2 weeks and he has never looked back. He was also given Neurontin, so the two together did it for him and he’s never looked back (5 years clean from perkys). But, I recommend you speak with your doctor because I know ZERO about aspergers or how it affects anything in your mind. Sorry for my ignorance on that matter, just want to be honest for your safety. Good luck friend.

Thank you, Humanoid81. Don't worry. I am just happy that anybody is interested in helping me.

 

[Hodor]

I just wrote a reply, but apparently it got lost. I'll try again..

I have heard of Gabapentin, but I thought maybe it was a GHB-like drug. I don't know where to get it, but I am thinking there must be some online pharmacy or something. If I can't get it, I will try to ask some acquantances I have if they know if anything.

Gabapentin is cheap and has little abuse potential. Pain management or psych docs will gladly prescribe it.

I don't think my doctor will subscribe me anything.

Why wouldn't he? Clonidine isn't considered recreational, and gabapentin usually isn't either.

Diazepam might be a problem. Diazepam is a so-called benzodiazepine ("benzo" for short), similar to other compounds of this family, like alprazolam ("xanax"), lorazepam ("ativan") or clonazepam ("klonopin"). The zopiclone you're taking is a so-called "non-benzodiazepine", i.e. a drug that isn't a benzodiazepine in a chemical sense, but produces the same effects as one. You could use the zopiclone to alleviate some of the anxiety produced by opioid withdrawal, but since its half-life is so short (whereas diazepam lasts a long time), you would probably need a lot of it, and you'd be experiencing very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms once you ran out.