Opioids Why do opiates start to totally suck after years?

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

Just wondering what the brain chemistry must be up to when that 12/10 feeling starts to become horrible lol. I remember taking 20 milligrams and being blown away by euphoria. It was everything back then.

Tolerance to it only isn't just "you have to take more of it to achieve the same effects as the beginning." You literally can take enough to overdose and still not achieve the same euphoria as before (please don't do this). The layers of euphoria are gone and depression between doses begin to hammer you with depression and some slight sickness.

It really is what everyone said. Heaven > hell. Maybe it has to do with prolonged testosterone diminishing? It is something that chronic pain patients have to put up with all the time I'm sure. I would hate being on opioids for some pain condition year 7 and onward etc. Doesn't seem like it can be used long-term as much as everyone would like it to. :/

I don't feel like other substances at all had such reduction in pleasure even with prolonged use over years. Stimulants still feel great after all this time.

 

[falsifiedhypothesi]

Yeah it's definitely a lot more soul crushing then I ever thought it could be.

 

[-FromonetOanotheR-]

It really is what everyone said. Heaven > hell. Maybe it has to do with prolonged testosterone diminishing? It is something that chronic pain patients have to put up with all the time I'm sure. I would hate being on opioids for some pain condition year 7 and onward etc. Doesn't seem like it can be used long-term as much as everyone would like it to. :/

You just made a very important point there.

Testosterone suppression.

I forgot how much opioids affect it and having low levels have been linked to depression and lack of well being, lower immune system among many other functions in the body. This is an important piece to the puzzle of why opioids are no longer provide same level of pleasure and satisfaction as it did at the start. Though there are many layers to it, this is crucial one. Expecting total satistifaction from one chemical reaction instead multiple Natural Ones is set up for disaster long term.

 

[TheUltimateFixx]

Just wondering what the brain chemistry must be up to when that 12/10 feeling starts to become horrible lol. I remember taking 20 milligrams and being blown away by euphoria. It was everything back then.

Tolerance to it only isn't just "you have to take more of it to achieve the same effects as the beginning." You literally can take enough to overdose and still not achieve the same euphoria as before (please don't do this). The layers of euphoria are gone and depression between doses begin to hammer you with depression and some slight sickness.

It really is what everyone said. Heaven > hell. Maybe it has to do with prolonged testosterone diminishing? It is something that chronic pain patients have to put up with all the time I'm sure. I would hate being on opioids for some pain condition year 7 and onward etc. Doesn't seem like it can be used long-term as much as everyone would like it to. :/

I don't feel like other substances at all had such reduction in pleasure even with prolonged use over years. Stimulants still feel great after all this time.

It is because your tolerance to the euphoric effects builds faster than your tolerance to the sedative effects.
And tolerance to the sedative effects can't be increased indefinitely.

At some point therefore you reach a stage where you experience no euphoria whilst reaching the limits of your body's ability to cope with the sedation.

Also, regular use will reduce the number of opiate receptors.

It's possible to re-set your tolerance though if you take yourself off competely for a while. These days my usual daily intake from back then would possibly kill me.

 

[The Shadow Self]

Opiates are a trap that always comes around to snare you after it all starts out seeming like so much "fun." If you let them get their hooks in you, it does not end well. Pretty much ever. The suffering you will endure will only be a matter of degree...and you will realize what a horrible idea getting dependent on them was. There is no easy way out of an opiate addiction. Even Suboxone and Methadone, as grateful for them as I know many people are, are a ball and chain of their own. The evidence of this is all around you, more than ever...

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

It is because your tolerance to the euphoric effects builds faster than your tolerance to the sedative effects.
And tolerance to the sedative effects can't be increased indefinitely.

At some point therefore you reach a stage where you experience no euphoria whilst reaching the limits of your body's ability to cope with the sedation.

Also, regular use will reduce the number of opiate receptors.

It's possible to re-set your tolerance though if you take yourself off competely for a while. These days my usual daily intake from back then would possibly kill me.

The sedation factor is a good point. It seems obvious but I've never located that change in use over time. I did feel myself becoming dysfunctional more than ever... in the beginning even on 120 milligrams daily at some points I could function very highly. Now it's like on 30 milligrams people would tell I'm on something when I'm around them.

As bad as oxycodone and the pharma friends are they do not seem to be as soul-sucking as heroin. I know that many make the point that oxy is "just as bad if not worse than heroin," but I've never found that statement to come close to being true. I'm not sure what heroin does to the opiate receptors or testosterone in comparison, but just based on the unspeakable things people have done to get heroin versus oxycodone it seems pretty obvious that heroin is the preference for users. I'm glad I didn't switch to heroin or "try" it decently because I would be doing that in my room right now and not typing on bluelight lol.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

I don't think it has much to do with testosterone.

Opioids started to suck for me after around the 12 year spot. Especially bupe. Depression came back amazingly. Had my testosterone tested and it was totally normal.

Euphoria from drugs is actually an "unwanted side effect" and tolerance to it grows faster than to most everything else, as one other user pointed out.

 

[Pickledlemons]

straight up. after years of sub im starting to think my endorphin levels are below average. It doesnt even make me constipated anymore and Im actually more sensitive sexually rather than less, like youd expect.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

straight up. after years of sub im starting to think my endorphin levels are below average. It doesnt even make me constipated anymore and Im actually more sensitive sexually rather than less, like youd expect.

You could be right pickledlemons,

Europe PMC

Europe PMC is an archive of life sciences journal literature.

europepmc.org

I think long term chronic intake of bupe. because of it's partial agonist/antagonist properties, does the opposite of euphoria after awhile. But for somebody with a normal opioid bodily chemistry, bupe might rock their world for a few moments. But I can contest to long term bupe sucking.

I feel like shit whether I take bupe or not at this point.

 

[nznity]

Because you keep escaping from. Your problems. And opiods make u asexual tbh

 

[FungusHead]

Oddly, I never noticed diminished euphoria. The honeymoon period obviously didn't last, and I while I was using H my tolerance would skyrocket, but with tolerance breaks it remained enjoyable. My use may not have lasted as long as some, but fuck I still think about H daily.

The so-called euphoria you get with fent has always been worthless to me. I've experimented for pain and euphoria, it's great for pain! Technically, I avoid chasing the euphoria it carries. Maybe others get their kicks with that, last time I touched it I nearly went blind-- so, no, thanks.

I managed to get real 30s shortly before moving in with my current partner, who thinks I'm going to promptly start turning tricks behind Motel 6 if I so much as take fucking codeine. I still think about those as I cannot see getting real ones again anytime soon, and I'd kill to IV even one, now-- back then I was drinking and took a few orally. IVing them provided the same euphoria as in the past, though.

For some reason, people mention diminished euphoria, and then there are a few people I know who have been shooting h for decades and have no desire to quit. The ones I vaguely know remain functional, and still love every shot. Few and far between, but they exist.

It's been years since my habit was prolonged and daily-- anyone can still draw me in just bringing up opioids. I love them, and hate that all the same.

 

[burn out]

Just wondering what the brain chemistry must be up to when that 12/10 feeling starts to become horrible lol. I remember taking 20 milligrams and being blown away by euphoria. It was everything back then.

Tolerance to it only isn't just "you have to take more of it to achieve the same effects as the beginning." You literally can take enough to overdose and still not achieve the same euphoria as before (please don't do this). The layers of euphoria are gone and depression between doses begin to hammer you with depression and some slight sickness.

It really is what everyone said. Heaven > hell. Maybe it has to do with prolonged testosterone diminishing? It is something that chronic pain patients have to put up with all the time I'm sure. I would hate being on opioids for some pain condition year 7 and onward etc. Doesn't seem like it can be used long-term as much as everyone would like it to. :/

I don't feel like other substances at all had such reduction in pleasure even with prolonged use over years. Stimulants still feel great after all this time.

While I share your experience with opiates beginning to suck over time, I disagree that it's not the case with other substances. I had the same experience with crack. When I first started smoking it, it was insanely euphoric, the rush from smoking crack was many times more pleasurable than IVing heroin and made me never want to snort cocaine again. However, after only six months or so of smoking crack that all changed. The high became a lot less satisfying and the come down much worse to where I eventually just stopped using it because it seemed like a waste of money. So, the pleasurable period of using opiates actually lasted longer for me than the pleasurable period for crack.

Other substances lost their pleasure over time as well. Daily benzos made me incredibly depressed and mentally ill and incredibly anxious. Smoking weed for a long time made me paranoid and depressed and weed was just never the same as in the beginning. Drinking alcohol over time got to where the buzz was less pleasurable and the hangovers were a lot worse to where now even one beer will make me feel off the whole next day and alcohol is just not at all worth it anymore.

So I think this is the case for most substances.

 

[burn out]

For some reason, people mention diminished euphoria, and then there are a few people I know who have been shooting h for decades and have no desire to quit. The ones I vaguely know remain functional, and still love every shot. Few and far between, but they exist.

Yeah, I've commented on this before on here. I am one of those people where after 4-5 years of using opiates they lost most of their pleasure. At the end of my use I would shoot some heroin, feel euphoria for 5 minutes and then sink into a deeply depressed state. I would feel very sedated and not feel like doing anything except shooting more heroin because it's the only thing that would make me feel better but only for 5 minutes before sinking back into depression. I would quickly fill up my receptors with heroin after a few shots and not be able to do anymore since I'd be on the verge of over dosing and you don't get a rush when your receptors are completely full. Then I'd start watching the clock trying to go 8 hours or so to where I could do another shot and feel better again but I'd usually do the shot prematurely, not really feel it and then the 8 hour time frame would reset and I'd be stuck in that vicious cycle.

On the other hand I had a friend who had been shooting heroin for 25 years and was still enjoying it, had no plans to quit. Unfortunately he overdosed when the fentadope started coming around but it does seem like there are people who are lifelong opiate addicts and other people who lose almost all interest in opiates after 5-10 years of using. I wouldn't go back on opiates now if you paid me and not because I care about being sober but rather because they no longer work and just lead to a depressed, sedated state.

 

[FungusHead]

I wouldn't go back on opiates now if you paid me and not because I care about being sober but rather because they no longer work and just lead to a depressed, sedated state.

I'm sorry about your friend.

Yeah, I never lost interest, but my circumstances were not ideal so I tried other shit for a while. I don't want to use most shit on the street lately, otherwise I'd likely be on it now. I never lost interest, people talk about how it turns to shit.
While I can grasp the adverse effects of uncontrolled use, the use itself was smooth sailing, for me. I never wanted to stop, and I genuinely question whether I should drop everything and go back every single day.

I wonder why it varies.

 

[GetMeOutOfThisCRAP]

While I share your experience with opiates beginning to suck over time, I disagree that it's not the case with other substances. I had the same experience with crack. When I first started smoking it, it was insanely euphoric, the rush from smoking crack was many times more pleasurable than IVing heroin and made me never want to snort cocaine again. However, after only six months or so of smoking crack that all changed. The high became a lot less satisfying and the come down much worse to where I eventually just stopped using it because it seemed like a waste of money. So, the pleasurable period of using opiates actually lasted longer for me than the pleasurable period for crack.

Other substances lost their pleasure over time as well. Daily benzos made me incredibly depressed and mentally ill and incredibly anxious. Smoking weed for a long time made me paranoid and depressed and weed was just never the same as in the beginning. Drinking alcohol over time got to where the buzz was less pleasurable and the hangovers were a lot worse to where now even one beer will make me feel off the whole next day and alcohol is just not at all worth it anymore.

So I think this

Interesting. We share a similar experience but your use was on stronger opiates and probably more frequently.

A bit before making this thread a pretty penny hit my account as I get the stimulus check way later than most. I had a stable supply of opioids.. probably an amount people might kill for lol. It strangely sucked though. Consistent sedation from the finest pharma pills, and the euphoria that was literally there even about 4 months ago was totally blunted. I mostly felt depression the entire 3 weeks of the drug run. Occasionally I'd catch a good whiff of a high, but it mostly was a negative experience.

I still think about pills and crave them, but I know its just my brain and not a mental craving for the feeling. I miss the days when I would pop a 30 milligram blue of purdue's finest and feel a rush of energy and everything was good in the world. It just stopped being an anti-depressant, and maybe I'm just getting older but the energy rush that came with it started to decay. I was tired all of the time unlike even 5-10 months ago where it was stronger than coffee weirdly.

Opiates used to be for me something that kept me up at night so I could get a lot done. Honestly it was stronger than adderall for that reason for some time. I knew what I was dealing with and that this point would occur because people had repeatedly said the same thing over the years. It still is a hard switch on and off.. but I've never achieved the point of doing it into oblivion where I just started to not benefit from even high doses of the best quality pharma fun.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

Interesting. We share a similar experience but your use was on stronger opiates and probably more frequently.

A bit before making this thread a pretty penny hit my account as I get the stimulus check way later than most. I had a stable supply of opioids.. probably an amount people might kill for lol. It strangely sucked though. Consistent sedation from the finest pharma pills, and the euphoria that was literally there even about 4 months ago was totally blunted. I mostly felt depression the entire 3 weeks of the drug run. Occasionally I'd catch a good whiff of a high, but it mostly was a negative experience.

I still think about pills and crave them, but I know its just my brain and not a mental craving for the feeling. I miss the days when I would pop a 30 milligram blue of purdue's finest and feel a rush of energy and everything was good in the world. It just stopped being an anti-depressant, and maybe I'm just getting older but the energy rush that came with it started to decay. I was tired all of the time unlike even 5-10 months ago where it was stronger than coffee weirdly.

Opiates used to be for me something that kept me up at night so I could get a lot done. Honestly it was stronger than adderall for that reason for some time. I knew what I was dealing with and that this point would occur because people had repeatedly said the same thing over the years. It still is a hard switch on and off.. but I've never achieved the point of doing it into oblivion where I just started to not benefit from even high doses of the best quality pharma fun.

This is how it was for me too. Although I started off with tramadol. Made me kick ass every day at my job. I'd have to throw up some times, but I'd be right back to physical labor in no time! Then came the heroin and it too gave me the same rush and energy lift and anti-depressant qualities, and then finally I got on buprenorphine, when I didn't have a tolerance to heroin anymore and the buprenorphine also gave me great energy and zest for life, except I didn't have to dose all day long. This lasted about 10-11 years for me.

Now when I take my buprenorphine, all I get is sedation, lethargy & bored. Some days worse than others. But I've never felt that all encompassing euphoria and power from opioids again. Granted I rarely get to use full agonists anymore, but I some times wonder if I'd be better on them or not.


I've also had experiences with psyche meds (like wellbutrin) helping me a bit in my 20's and then trying it again in my 30's and it didn't help or feel the same. I've had this with several kinds of drugs now. Makes me wonder what changes might be occurring as we get older that can literally change the effectiveness of and how drugs feel.

 

[morphineoxysbenzos]

They're not meant to be abused. Just used for pain and you can have fun with them once in awhile but daily use of anything heavily awful.

 

[DeathIndustrial88]

They're not meant to be abused. Just used for pain and you can have fun with them once in awhile but daily use of anything heavily awful.

That's technically your opinion & not a fact.

If you know your drug history well, you'd know that opioids have qualities that can benefit people other than just those that are in pain. |

And abuse can be subjective. Some one wanting to get better bioavailability out of their drug could be considered "abusing" it, but I disagree.

And of course there are those idiots that just wanna pop everything in sight until they're completely wasted or drop dead. I would consider that "abuse", but IME and for me personally, I mostly ever only used what I need til it got me where I wanted to be, then I'd be fine until the effects wore off, which depending on what it is could be several hours. To me, this is medicating, not "abusing".


Opioids cured my alcoholism (no, i'm not joking). And drinking til I black out every day I would consider more "abuse" than I would taking 1-2 doses of a long acting opioid a day. I would have probably had a much shorter life span if I were still drinking to this day, compared to taking opiates/oids.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

That's technically your opinion & not a fact.

If you know your drug history well, you'd know that opioids have qualities that can benefit people other than just those that are in pain. |

And abuse can be subjective. Some one wanting to get better bioavailability out of their drug could be considered "abusing" it, but I disagree.

And of course there are those idiots that just wanna pop everything in sight until they're completely wasted or drop dead. I would consider that "abuse", but IME and for me personally, I mostly ever only used what I need til it got me where I wanted to be, then I'd be fine until the effects wore off, which depending on what it is could be several hours. To me, this is medicating, not "abusing".


Opioids cured my alcoholism (no, i'm not joking). And drinking til I black out every day I would consider more "abuse" than I would taking 1-2 doses of a long acting opioid a day. I would have probably had a much shorter life span if I were still drinking to this day, compared to taking opiates/oids.

Yep. Well said.

 

[morphineoxysbenzos]

That's technically your opinion & not a fact.

If you know your drug history well, you'd know that opioids have qualities that can benefit people other than just those that are in pain. |

And abuse can be subjective. Some one wanting to get better bioavailability out of their drug could be considered "abusing" it, but I disagree.

And of course there are those idiots that just wanna pop everything in sight until they're completely wasted or drop dead. I would consider that "abuse", but IME and for me personally, I mostly ever only used what I need til it got me where I wanted to be, then I'd be fine until the effects wore off, which depending on what it is could be several hours. To me, this is medicating, not "abusing".


Opioids cured my alcoholism (no, i'm not joking). And drinking til I black out every day I would consider more "abuse" than I would taking 1-2 doses of a long acting opioid a day. I would have probably had a much shorter life span if I were still drinking to this day, compared to taking opiates/oids.

Oh no trust me I'm a big fan of opiates the thing is I'm the only person in the world apparently that can take them and not drive a needle in my arm and turn into a crackhead