Heroin Unexpected alcohol cessation while using heroin

[Burn it up]

Dear Bluelight,

I wanted to share with you my recent experience with heroin and how it unexpectedly affected my alcohol use. It is important that I first give some background regarding my relationship with both substances.

I am 29 years old and have been regularly using alcohol for the last 7 years. At the beginning I drank socially on the weekends, but it slowly developed throughout the years into heavier weekend binges combined with some light drinking during the week. It culminated in my current situation, where I drink heavily many times per week regardless of my company or my duties the following day. Alcohol has been incorporated into my daily life and a high tolerance prevents me from getting properly drunk or hangover anymore. I am not happy with this and wish I would moderate my drinking, but at the same time have never actively tried to do anything about it. I don't think that I am an alcoholic even if I am, because I convince myself to believe that this is "just a phase" and it will sort itself out as I slowly continue growing up... of course, it will not.

Regarding heroin, I sporadically have been using it for the last 10 years under the most strict control from my side. Every year I allow myself to smoke no more than a gram in total, usually spreading it into two yearly smoking sprees that last about 15 days each. So far this usage has always remained very reasonable use, with minimal risks, almost non-existent withdrawals and very moderate cravings that disappear after a couple of weeks after use.

I am currently in one of these heroin sprees. I have been smoking it twice daily for the last 10 days and could not be more surprised about the influence it has had on my drinking. From one day to the next I have become genuinely disinterested in alcohol. The daily luring temptation of drinking is totally gone. For the first time in years, I have been completely sober for more than a week. I don't feel like drinking and am truly amazed that it happened so unexpectedly and spontaneously.

Did this ever happen to anybody? It is clear that heroin seems to be "filling the addiction gap" in my brain, but this never happened to me before. The question is if my relationship with alcohol could have changed after this experience. Could I expect to feel less alcohol cravings even when I stop using heroin after a couple of days?

I will definitely use this opportunity to re-asses my relationship with alcohol and not fall into old habits. Maybe it is time to start making an effort in this direction.

 

[Ganjcat]

its just replacing it with another drug its hardly a miracle although using heroin like that is unheard of Ive been tempted with Heroin got any advice for me if I do decide to use it and welldone for using heroin so moderately ive seen many fall prey to that dragon

 

[Prescottdave]

Opioids have decreased the euphoric effects I get from alcohol. Ever since I became dependent on opioids I can no longer drink without becoming slightly sick and overly sedated.

The link below discusses the interaction between those maintained on methadone. It states the interaction with alcohol caused the individual to go into methadone WD quicker while perceiving the effects from alcohol as "less".

There is something to the relationship between curbing your drinking and opioid intake on a pharmacological level. This is partially documented below. This is compared to the idea that it is just because you are switching one addiction for another.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5146864/?report=classic

 

[Prescottdave]

Upon further reading there is a strong relationship between opiate use and a reduction in alcohol consumption. In the link above please view Effect of OAT initiation on alcohol consumption.

 

[Prescottdave]

[h=1]Opioid maintenance therapy suppresses alcohol intake in heroin addicts with alcohol dependence: preliminary results of an open randomized study.[/h]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18801404/

 

[sekio]

It's probably because alcohol does have effects on opioid receptors, alongside NMDA receptors and GABA receptors, probably more.

 

[Literally_nethng]

Ive been doing heroin for 3 months and been a heavy drinker on and off (most recently on) for a long time. 17 years on and off. I couldn't stop drinking.
I quit drinking. Ive lost weight (it's been a goal) and my physical therapist has commented how much happier I've been.
But yeah, it's too bad it's horribly expensive and can be easily deadly. God it is so good to have a reprieve from drinking.

 

[iLoveYouWithaKnife]

I used to drink ALOT. And always have. I always partied underage. From 20-28 I drank just about everyday. 6-12 beers depending on what I was drinking- also stated to love vodka way too much. My father died from cirrhosis; so I am lucky to have never got through WD from drinking. Ever. It didn’t matter what time of day it was, and I often drank first thing when I woke up. Many times, I often had that talk with myself about quitting because I just didn’t like who I was at certain points. But I never made the effort because “drinking was my thing”. I often partied with many drugs during that time as well. But then one day the opiates took hold.
And I pretty much stopped drinking. Just like that. I still love to drink, but if I drink 2 times a month , that’s a lot. And now even when I do drink, I’m good with 2-3 drinks. I get a nice buzz. ...really stopped smoking weed around that time too, having gone from an everyday smoker.
I always made the excuse they say is every alcoholics excuse; that I didn’t NEED to drink, and I could quit whenever I wanted to- I just didn’t want to but dope came along and changed everything in that regard.

I’m not saying that it’s a better situation. Obviously it’s not. But, you asked. So yes, once I jumped on the day train- no other substances mattered anymore.

I know this is going to sound oxymoronic as hell but I’m just going to throw this out there too- I’ve always been on the smaller size, and obviously dope keeps my weight down- but I’m overall fairly healthy and fit for a junkie. When I was drinking, I’d do what every drunk slob does when they came home from the bar after drinking 12 hours and I’d maul the most disgusting food. So that, coupled with drinking ALOT I was probably 15lbs heavier as well.

 

[rave23]

I am currently in one of these heroin sprees ...

... For the first time in years, I have been completely sober for more than a week.

You do realize you're not sober, and are in fact on heroin, right?

 

[Larimar]

Yeah I used to drink every night (bored stay at home mom ) then once I started oxy I just never felt like drinking anymore and felt that drinking ruined the oxy high . Opiates don’t hurt your body like alcohol and I felt healthier as well. Now that I just do Kratom I still don’t drink , it just doesn’t appeal to me . Have heard a lot of people say once they did opiates they stopped wanting to drink , so I guess it’s a common thing .

 

[Gaffy]

Opioids have decreased the euphoric effects I get from alcohol. Ever since I became dependent on opioids I can no longer drink without becoming slightly sick and overly sedated.

The link below discusses the interaction between those maintained on methadone. It states the interaction with alcohol caused the individual to go into methadone WD quicker while perceiving the effects from alcohol as "less".

There is something to the relationship between curbing your drinking and opioid intake on a pharmacological level. This is partially documented below. This is compared to the idea that it is just because you are switching one addiction for another.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5146864/?report=classic

I've noticed the same coïncidence with using bnzos while drinking, thé euphoria is greatly reduced while combining the two. Before binge drinking the euphoria if we Can call it so, is much higher from a single dose, while binge-drinking on valium resulted un lethargic body conditions

 

[Fire&Water]

Twas why laudenum was one of the most popular and sought after drug combos