Opiates - how long go wait after w/d?
I have been on Percocet (Oxycodone 5mg with 325mg of acetaminophen since August of 2005, by August of 2009, I had increased my daily dose from 1/2 tablet per day to one full tablet per day, and from taking a two day break per week, without any, to taking them every day. I switched to another synthetic opiate, technically,
known as Pentazocine Hydrochloride, again, for 3 more years, this time taking this drug, in 50mg doses, at first once a day, by year two twice a day, 7 days a week.
It is known in Europe and Asia, as Sosegon, in Italy Canada, and the USA as Talwin. I lost my supplier, in July of 2012, and returned, again to Oxycodone tablets. This
time, after 18 months on this drug, I have increased the dose to about 1.5 tablets per day. Here is my problem, I have lost my supplier again. It is very permanent.
I am saying I have obtained 100% of my pain meds from street sources or European IOP's. I am cutting down as I was on my very last 50 tablets, January 1st, and now, am down to just 27 tablets. I cut them with a pill cutter, in 1/4 pieces. I notice considerable mood swings, hot and cold flashes, mild body aches, and just a dope sick feeling, and no energy or no motivation to do anything, when I abstain. The longest I have gone without opiates in the past 7.5 years has been maybe 7 or 8 days.
I have always gone back to them, because, well, I had easy access, that is no longer true. I know I am addicted, because I feel just "normal" now with only 1/2 tablet, and the mood swings are directly related to these pain meds. To add fuel to the fire, I began a experiement summer of 2013, with 40 mg of Oxy Contin, the old formula, grinding the pill down to a powder, and snorting the powder one line at a time, with a straw. increasing the euphoria, as OxyContin has no APAP in the pill. I
see this as a turning point in my psychological craving, because, the last two years of three years use of Pentazocine, I did the same thing, resorted to snorting the ground up pills.
I just finished reading a book printed in 2010, PAIN PILL ADDICTION by Jane Burson M.D. As most of us know, the physical withdrawal is usually over in 5 to 7 days.
depending on how much, and/or how long one has been doing opiates. This book reminded me of the concept of Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms, stating, 90% + of
patients relapse within the first 30 days, without inpatient treatment. I understand this concept, because I went thru this 30 years ago, from poly substance abuse
treatment, staying inpatient 42 days, withdrawing off of alcohol, diazepam (Valium) and methaqualone. Back in 1982, it took me at least 6 months for the PAWS to begin to fade away. Back in 1995, after a 18month slip on alprazolam, (Xanax, Xanor, or Tafil) I had a steady habit of 3 x 2mg bars a day, and, I went to outpatient
counseling, and, again, the PAWS did not go away, for about 6 months, like the Valium cravings. The alprazolam was worse, as it took me 6 weeks to taper down from 6mg a day to zero use.
This book ISBN 98-160844-698-8 has a foreword, by a medical doctor I know, who lives in my city, thus, this book really caught my attention, and my fear.
quote: a week to 10 days at a detox clinic is not enough time for detox, now called "withdrawal management", but that not long enough to teach patients the skills
to be drug free. Relapse rates with impatient detox treatment alone, are as high as 96% in the first year. Most relapses occur within the first month". unquote page
20. Physicians who are addicted to pain meds, have the best relapse rates, as most have to spend from 90 days inpatient to 6 months inpatient, in order to get their medical license back, and they have a 90% recovery rate, not because they are more intelligent, that the normal population, but they have more time, in patient to
recover from the Post Acute Withdrawal Systems, in a safe environment. Unfortunately, the place I am aware in my area of the USA charges $90.000.00 for 6 months of in patient therapy, I cannot afford that.
I was sober in AA for 28 years, until the year 2010, and have attended over 2,500 meeting, and had over 300 sessions one on one of individual psychotherapy. Thus, I fell burned out of 12 step meetings, but they work, it is very, very difficult to start over, for males and females who have slips, after obtaining 10 + years of
sobriety from alcohol and all mood altering substances. The few I have seen return, the majority do not stay very long, and they are always in late middle age.
I have tried Subutex, Temgesic, and Methadone, just to test it out, from my extensive sources on the street. I don't like any of those meds, and, I am not willing
to switch my addictions to those meds, at this point. Perhaps my ego in my greatest enemy, as I have read over 100 books in self help and psychology to get self
actualized, and, have a 2nd degree in Substance Abuse counceling, that I never used, professionally, I do know of 1/2 dozen once brilliant poly substance abuse
counselors, who are burned out, and divorced, and have left the entire area where I live. They usually last on average about 10 years, prior to burnout. The 42 day treatment facility I attended 32 years ago, has closed down, and 3 more I checked in the USA charge $40,000.00 a month, or $60,000.00 for 6 weeks. My insurance will not pay for that, and the median age of patients is around age 34, and I am 64, not a good fit, IMHO. That is all I have to say. One day at a time. My conclusion from reading this book and my experience from my youth with
multiple former addictiions, is this, It will take from 6 months to one full year to feel normal again, if the transmittors in my brain are not permanently altered. That is the way I interpreted this data loaded book I am referring to. Addiction to hard narcotics, like Oxy Contin, Hydromorphone, or, long term use (5 years +) of continuous use of a narcotic substance, that is
normally intended for use for 5 days to maybe 3 months maximum. (Dilaudid, Morphine, Opana, Fentanyl (Duragesic) oir even Hydrocodone, mostly a USA highly abused drug, better known as Vicodin..