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Opioids What causes opiate hangovers?

Sanpaku

Sanpaku

Greenlighter
Joined
Jan 6, 2009
Messages
17
This is a question for everyone, but I would love for some of the more science-minded among us to chime in. I'm asking this question out of general curiosity, but I will include my own experience as a reference. I have been using opiates for about six years, all kinds from pills to Heroin, and have been through years of heavy addiction and years of lighter chipping. During the times when my use is not so heavy, I often suffer from bad hangovers the next day. It seems that these hangovers are worse for me than for some of my friends.

What causes opiate hangovers? It doesn't seem to be dehydration a la Alcohol. I have heard people say that it is a consequence of doing too much, like a mini-overdose, but this doesn't make sense to me, as the consequence of a real overdose is a cessation of breathing, not headaches, nausea, etc. Nor are the amounts that cause them that high. I can get a hangover from what is, for my experience and tolerance anyway, a very small amount.

As I understand it, opiates are not toxic to the body, so what causes the sometimes toxic after effects?

Any ideas?
 
Id also like to know what this is about. People have tried telling me that its dope sickness, but theres no way that it can be, cuz it still happens only after one use. The hangover.
 
The headaches are likely caused by the fact that opioids can increase intracranial pressure. This is one reason why they are given only as a last resort for migraines, because the likelihood of a 'rebound headache' is pretty high w/ opioids.
 
I hate those rebound headaches, they are the type that even more opiates cant cure it seems to me.
 
it's caused by your body chemistry returning to normal after being changed by the opiate. i can't tell you the exact mechanisms, it's probably very complicated just like the alcohol hangover is quite complicated (it's more than just dehydration).
 
I usually don't get headaches and stuff, but sometimes I'll feel groggy and sedated, but not high.

I think its cause it hasn't fully left your body just yet, but the amount is too small to get you high in the strict sense of the word.

If you've ever done too little heroin when you're not withdrawling, it tends to piss you off and not make you feel so good.
 
I would of thought that it is just your mind/body being depleted slightly of the feel good chemicals it released more of when you were high. If not then just an unconscious comparison of sobriety to intoxication by your body.
Even if you drink heaps of water and get some electrolytes after a heavy night of drinking, eat some food, hydrated to the point you piss clear. There is still a foggy minded shit feeling, granted its significantly less than if you didn't take those steps to alleviate it. I believe dehydration contributes to a hangover but isn't the sole cause.
Feeling any sort of high then going back to 'baseline' you never feel as good as before you took the drug even if you don't feel completely shit, thats ime anyhow.
 
just an odd observation on ambien

i dont like those post hangovers with sleeping drugs sometimes
 
I don't think impurities are the cause - I never used to get a hangover from shooting oxy, except the first few times, and that's pretty filthy, whereas shooting liquid morphine (not filthy) gives me a BASTARD of a headache afterwards.

I find that eating a bit (not enough and I go shaky, too much and i puke..) helps, and I think the headache may be slightly caused by dehydration (not drinking much due to being passed out on the floor?!) as it has seemed to help when the headache's hit and I've started downing water.

It is a total fuck though - nausea can be cured by just lieing down, but that braincrushing headache is TERRIBLE! :!
 
Well, it's not impurities as it happens after a night of eating pills as well, (unless you're counting filler as impurities.) And its not dehydration because I always drink a ton of water when I'm high.

Another symptom I always get is a bad taste in my mouth the next morning, from pills, dope, poppy tea you name it. It's a gross, chalky taste. anybody else notice that?

I don't think the hangovers are caused by simply a loss of the high or the bodies return to normal. They are far too horrific for that.

It's interesting that not everyone seems to suffer from them. Well, I'm hungover right now and let me tell you, they are worse than 99% of the alcohol hangovers I've had in my life. :\
 
If I'm not addicted, I don't get a hangover at all; I get more of an "afterglow". I think what you're describing may be a "mini" dopesickness.
 
It's definitely not dope sickness. The timing is all wrong as are the symptoms. As I said, I get hangovers when I don't have a habit or much of a tolerance. Once I have a habit, the hangovers are less of a problem or go away completely.

They are obviously a reaction to more opiates than the body can handle. I was just wondering if anyone had some biological or chemical insight into the cause. Now I'm curious as to why people's experiences seem so different.
 
imo the hangover is just like addiction

when u get addicted and ur trying to detox, all of ur bodily chemicals got shut down while being high, and then they are trying to come to life after days upon days of continued use.

it might be the same.
 
I'm more likely to get a hangover after one day when I have a low tolerance, not after days and days. Again, during the times in my life when I've had a habit, hangovers weren't a problem.
 
Sanpaku said:
I'm more likely to get a hangover after one day when I have a low tolerance, not after days and days. Again, during the times in my life when I've had a habit, hangovers weren't a problem.
Click to expand...

This.

I had a phase of taking some sort of opiate every other night for a while and would get very mild withdrawal symptoms, but absolutely NO hangover. It's fucking stupid, doesn't exactly encourage the occasional use thing!
 
OP: What kind of 'hangover' symptoms are you getting other than headaches?

I do opiates daily, and I never really get any sort of hangover..
If I do too much, I get quite ill- vomiting for 3 or 4 hours but other than that, all I ever really feel is dehydration the next day.
 
Well, headaches, nausea (sometimes vomiting), bad taste in my mouth, and a general shitty feeling -- all very similar to an alcohol hangover only worse. You mention getting ill if you do too much. Do you mean during your high or after? What I am talking about is different from the nausea that can hit you while you are high.

Also, as I have said, the hangovers are less of a problem when I actually have a habit. So during the times in my life when I have used daily, I didn't have hangovers.

It really seems that not everyone has a problem the next day. Could it be some sort of personal sensitivity to opiates?
 
Hmm possibly everyone has a different reaction? I binge on opana 4-5 days at a time and take at least a weeks break inbetween. After the 4-5 days of being high 24/7 I get very slight chills and the hot/cold feeling, watery eyes/nose and feel groggy. After about 4 days after I stop I feel 100% again. I also don't get headaches/nausea.
 
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