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A guide to opioid addiction treatments and other medications used for withdrawal

The best thing for withdrawals is......................:\
 
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I need that whether I'm kicking or not. Otherwise I gets hellsa :X :!
I went years without it, but my emotions drag me through hell and back every day.
Now opiates are getting that way, but end up causing so much other damage.
I dont know how to get out of this.
 
ATF said:
Sorry if this is already covered extensively somewhere else, but I was wondering about any successes in increasing the CNS activity of Loperamide with Cimetidine or even Ranitidine? Is it significant enough to pursue? Anyone have any luck?
bump
 
^ check out advanced drug discussion.

do a search in ADD, and if nothing pops up, then maybe start a thread there.

thats the only answer i could come up with.

:)
 
i've gone through short but doable hells over the years from various opiates but my pain doc has me on fentanyl patch (50) for 5 months now and i here it the hellish of all detoxes. i know i'm going to have to deal with this eventually but does anyone have anything that can help me through that's been there?
 
What does the Immodium and Pepto do other than for stomach issues?

And are there any foods that contain opiates or similar properties? Is that too optimistic?
 
Thanx

Thanx soo much for the advice I wish I had found this site before now I could have saved my self a lot of heartache. I have been through withdrawls before but could not handle them so I stayed addicted, but in Febuary I got really out of control and confessed all to my doctor. I will tell you a bit about myself,I am a 53yr old woman from Glasgow Scotland and was prescribed dihydrocodeine 30mg for a bowel complaint that was 4 years ago unknow to me I developed a tollerance and started taking more of them to get the same effect, little did I know the hell I was plunging myself into. This continude for years and I was never questioned why I needed more scripts sooner than normal. I have am being treated for depression I dont know what came first the addiction or the blues, any way to ccut a very long story short I confessed all and I have been detoxing since feb I was taking up to 20 of these pills a day and was abruptly cut to 8 aday, so I went through withdrawls then, now they want to cut me again to 7 a day and I am so scared the doctors here are not very helpful I have found more information here than from the profesionals, can anyone tell me will I get the same withdrawls cutting them down slow like that or would I be better just stopping. Please help me
 
could i suggest adding to the O.P.

muscle relaxers like Soma are great for restlessness, as are benzos

BP/heart rate are very important. beta blockers like clonidine, or alpha blockers like propranolol, these work great for HR/BP. so do benzos and alcohol

peeing and pooping#3 will happen a lot during withdrawal. immodium may help with the bladder. drinking gatorade or something with electrolytes will be very good for the body, as well as multivitamin

eating is real hard, but foods that are real easy to eat, eating a tiny bit every 20 minutes (eg i was eating a little cracker sandwich from Lunchables once per twenty minutes to get food in me)

---

motivation, that is something that i don't think anything can really touch. using a stimulant during withdrawal for motivation would really fuck with the body, and maybe lengthen the time it will take for the dopamine system to restabilize anyway
 
I find melatonin to be the best otc sleep aid in these situations. Safe, effective, and not particularly habit forming. Best of all, no or minimal hangover, lets see antihistamines or benzodiazapines do that.
 
^ melatonin is very subtle, but it seems to work wonders for some people

i used it at 6mg every night for almost a year, stopped, and had no rebound insomnia. same with pot, used it quite a bit every day for a year, stopped, no withdrawal symptoms or rebound effects. pretty safe drugs IMO
 
Ok, so here is my final Tramadol withdrawal diary:

I was asked to cease Tramadol pain management to reassess pain.

I had been using 300mg SR/day for 3 years. I did not miss a dose.

Here was my doctors instructions to stop using Slow Release Tramadol:

Week 0 150mg SR morning, 150mg SR evening;
Week 1 150mg SR morning, 100mg SR evening;
Week 2 100mg SR morning, 100mg SR evening;
Week 3 100mg SR morning, 50mg SR evening;
Week 4 50mg SR morning, 50mg SR evening;
Week 5 50mg SR morning, 0mg evening;
Week 6 0mg morning, 0mg evening.

Well, I agreed to this schedule and said that I would come back for a review visit every 2 weeks.

After starting my discontinuation schedule this is how it panned out:

Day 0 150mg SR morning, 150mg SR evening;
Day 1 150mg SR morning, 100mg SR evening;
Day 2 100mg SR morning, 100mg SR evening;
Day 3 100mg SR morning, 50mg SR evening;
Day 4 50mg SR morning, 50mg SR evening;
Day 5 50mg SR morning, 0mg evening;
Day 6 0mg morning, 0mg evening.

So, I roughly turned 1 month of pain into 1 week of pain.

And as it turns out, quitting was not that hard.

The worst side effect from Tramadol discontinuation was without doubt the "brain zaps". These continued till day 15. (Approx 2 weeks)

I have not had any problems with depression, but my pain has returned... the reason I started Tramadol in the first place.

The verdict:
For the pain relief provided this drug has very few withdrawal effects.

If you have ever discontinued an SSRI or an SNRI the discontinuation syndrome is almost identical. When you know what it is it does not bother you... well, not me at least.

I was able to go to work as normal, and this surprised me as I am a Project Manager. This indicates to me at least that Tramadol can safely be stopped and dealt with whilst still continuing with every day life.

The drugs that the doctor scripted for discontinuation symptoms were:
Alprazolam 0.5mg
Clonidine 150ug
Paracetamol (APAP) 500mg

If you would like my actual diary of symptoms feel free to PM me and I will email you a copy.

I just hope that this gives others some idea of how easy it is to quit Tramadol if you really want to.

Not every Tramadol withdrawal experience is negative.

Nab
 
MELATONIN is also great for insomnia and it's easier to obtain than seroquel (my actual favorite, but you have to get it through a doctor), you can find melatonin at any pharmacy or health food store.

Other OTC treatments...

Depression: St. John's Wort or L-tryptophan/5htp (restores serotonin) and DLPA (restores endorphins)
Anxiety: GABA (an amino acid that works similar to benzos, without the addictive factor)... combine this with valerian root or kava (mentioned before)

Also try INTENSIVE exercise in short duration, every day, after the first couple weeks. This will raise endorphins and serotonin and help depression/anxiety, as well as the restless legs syndrome or soreness.

Good luck!
 
This guide is great but I can add one more thing that helps with anxiety and depression that is not on the list. It is called mulungu. It is the bark from a tree that grow in South America. You can buy it in powdered form or in the natural form of shredded bark. The shredded bark is best. You take about 20g and bring water to a boil and then bring the heat down and let it steep for a half an hour. Strain, add lemon juice and honey and enjoy. You will feel like you are being wrapped in a warm blanket and you will just drift off to dream land. This shit is the bomb. I use it a couple times a week regularly for sleep. Better than ambien IMO.
 
1. Alcohol - At least for me, getting drunk doesn't exactly eliminate the withdrawal, but it makes it more bearable by allowing me to ignore it for the time being, and sometimes helps to warm the "deep freeze" feeling inside you. It also can help a lot with getting a few hours of sleep, but be warned, it has it's downsides. Besides the fact that it's an addictive substance, which means you could trade one addiction for another, when drinking during withdrawal you may feel even shittier the next morning. What I do is get drunk, but not overly drunk, and make sure to drink plenty of water before bed (I always do this when I drink, AT LEAST twice as much water as alcohol I drank) so you don't wake up with a hangover. It's a little tough getting the alcohol to go/stay down when your stomach is upset, but after 15 minutes or so it should be settled (I suggest hard alcohol, as I can't imagine getting drunk off beer, with all that carbonation, would be very friendly on your stomach, but then again I never drink beer).

I only drink beer but I do like to have a few during withdrawal. I used to get pretty drunk on like day 3 or 4.

Also I really think taking l-tyrosine in the morning and l-trytophan at night really helps
 
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started 5 yrs ago with a bad vicodin habit went on suboxone almost a yr ago started that at 16mgs and tapered down to 4mgs. Im going now on day 7 with zero suboxone and opiates. Just some pot and immoduim got me through the physicals and the mental wd's are rapidly getting better. Im going to the gym tonight and plan on never turning back to this horrible addiction. Wish me luck. The future looks better and better everyday sober
 
you can indeed withdrawal from loperamide. my boyfriend would use it to withdrawal from morphine. but now he can't stop taking the loperamide. he will take anywhere from 48-96 imodium ad a day... and without them, he is pretty fuckin ill.
 
PIC and Trip doctor
, this was on wikipedia

"However, loperamide has been shown to cause a mild physical dependence during preclinical studies, specifically in mice, rats, and rhesus monkeys. Symptoms of mild opiate withdrawal have been observed following abrupt discontinuation of long-term therapy with loperamide.[6][7]"
 
I want to add that supposively lots of tonic water (500ml) which has quinine is suppose to help a lot with RLS.
And I also read one of the reasons RLS is caused in nonopiate addicts is by low levels of magnesium/calcium/potassium. The concept is they are electrolytes that aid the transmission of nerve impulse across the body. If you don't have enough electolytes (ESPECIALLY if you are able to workout during wds) your body can amplify the akward RLS symptoms.

So even if M/C/P doesn't rid RLS completely, I still think it would be wiser to take it than not to take it during wds. I'm going to try the tonic water and MCP in another week or so when I jump back off the pods.

I also want to add people are recommending diphenhydramine for sleep and I've taken up to 150mg of it with absolutely NO ABILITY to sleep even a minute longer, and that was with even minor wds. To the people recommending diphen do you eat like a lb of that crap before it works? And since diphen is known to actually aggravate RLS in a lot of people, at this point I see it as a completely worthless drug for wds. Just from my experience obviously.

Also I should note because loperamide acts primarily in the body it may change the actual phase of wds along with delaying them.
What I mean is loperamide mainly addresses the body, where most of wds are anyway, but from my experience your mind can still be in wd (anxiety/depression) so if you take loperamide, I just imagine your body being a few weeks behind your head in terms of wd. And since it usually takes longer for my mind to get back to normal anyway, it may actually wind up equalizing the phases of mental and physical wds. Like pushing the physicals back closer to the end of the mental shit.
But thats just another theory of course from my experience.

I still wish there was better OTC things for sleep.
The strongest OTC for sleep I wound up using was phenibut, which imo rocks valerian/passion flower/diphenhydramine.. but it has far too many sides for my taste.

Valerian alone never did much for wd induced insomnia, nor did passion flower (although w/out wds they feel rather strong) so I'm hoping a mixture of about 10 different OTC sleep remedies will actually succeed at shutting off my brain when I'm back in wds.

The main reason I'm trying to get xanax or valium right now is because although a lot of the OTC herbs/sleep meds have effects, I just speculate at their true ability to shut off the mind and induce sleep. They've just always seemed more "miss than hit", I just wish there was something more effective OTC for sleep that worked closer to actual benzos.. besides phenibut. Who knows maybe I'll just take the phenibut and deal with the side affects.. at least I'll sleep. Thats only if I can't get my hands on actual benzos first.
 
i've gone through short but doable hells over the years from various opiates but my pain doc has me on fentanyl patch (50) for 5 months now and i here it the hellish of all detoxes. i know i'm going to have to deal with this eventually but does anyone have anything that can help me through that's been there?

Although fentanyl withdrawal is horrible, it is also probably the shortest withdrawal of any of the common opiates, so at least, what you have to look forward to going into this, is that you'll start to feel better very, very quickly (my impression is that the bulk of things are over in 72 hours, in most cases, but someone correct me if you have heard differently.) Also, you're lucky that you're not on 75 or 100 mcg patches, because fent withdrawals ramp up heavily with higher doses, given that it's a short half-life around-the-clock medication.

Fentanyl withdrawal seems to cause temperature fluctuation more than others, although I am relying only on anecdotal evidence and subjective reports for this, so be sure to be somewhere where you can keep yourself warm (lots of blankets, hot showers, hot tea, etc.)

Because fentanyl withdrawal is short, the sedative drugs that are typically recommended for easing withdrawals will likely help you a lot.

Benzos and muscle relaxants, taken for just the first day or two, will probably be of immense aid to you, if your doctor is willing to provide you with them. Soma (carisoprodol) and Flexeril (cyclobenzaprine) are good alternatives to benzos that mitigate withdrawal symptoms and allow you to feel more comfortable without being quite as horribly addictive.

Clonidine doesn't seem to be QUITE as effective as these other drugs in many people, but it's very good, and it doesn't have the same potential for addiction.

As with any opiate, loperamide should help you to reduce a lot of the symptoms, particularly those that are GI-related, and makes the restlessness more bearable for some people. Loperamide can slightly extend the duration of withdrawals, but for many people, it's an absolute godsend. Start with 4-6 mg and increase as needed; for some people that amount works, other may need quite a bit more. It all comes down to what works for you as an individual.

Good luck, I wish you the best in getting through this. Remember, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and although it's a shitty tunnel, it's very short.

Edit: Bojangles, I agree with you about diphenhydramine, and would strongly recommend that, unless it has worked for them before, anyone experiencing opiate withdrawals avoid it and other, similar antihistamines like the plague - other than perhaps one small dose during the day (NOT when you're planning on sleeping) to counteract watery eyes and a runny nose.
 
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I thought this would be helpful to all of you trying to get clean. I spent the last hour revising it, and editing it. Feel free to pass this along.

A Guide to Opiate Withdrawal by cashtothemoney
(w/ help from our over-the-counter friends)

DISCLAIMER: I'm not a doctor, but I have been reading about this sort of thing extensively for a very long time. This is not medical advice, but rather my own experience which you can take from what you want. In order to be in line with my own morals (and the LAW!), I have to say that it would be best to review this with a doctor before making any decisions. All drugs listed, with the exception of one, can be bought over-the-counter, but this does not mean that it is automatically "safe".

Introduction

Expect the worst in withdrawal. It might not be "crazy", but it sure as hell won't be comfortable. At the same time, for some of you, it will be the hardest experience of your life. Lack of energy, muscle/bone aches, diarrhea, insomnia, depression, anxiety. It can be hell, but you can ease all of these withdrawal symptoms with over-the-counter drugs. I've survived it a few times, and as long as you keep yourself busy it can be made a bit easier. The physical part is somewhat similar to having the flu, but magnified depending on the dose/frequency of use/duration of use; however, I think I can speak for most people when I say, the mental struggle that follows the physical withdrawal is MUCH worse. This is given as a possible alternative to therapies such as methadone, buprenorphine, etc. Good luck to all of those attempting to rid themselves of addiction.

The intensity and length of opiate withdrawal will depend on a few factors. The larger the dose, the more intense the withdrawal. The longer you have been using, the longer and more intense the withdrawal will be. If you did it once a day, it might take a few days for the withdrawal to kick in. If you took opiates shortly before bed, insomnia might be the biggest problem. If you took opiates when you woke up, you might not feel like getting out of bed without them. All of this could be wrong, or it could all be right on the money. The point is opiate withdrawal will differ for everyone; however, it will universally suck.

The Essentials
  • Positive mindset
  • A multivitamin
  • Courage
  • Determination
  • An understanding that this is not forever.

Diarrhea

  • Immodium A.D. - 4-6mg loperamide per 50-60mg of oxycodone/hydrocodone. (May vary!)
  • Try not to take this too often as it can make you REALLY constipated, but it can get rid of (in my experience as well as others) the majority of the physical withdrawal symptoms. Just remember that loperamide is an opiate, so it's better to only take if NEEDED. Laxatives can counter the constipation or try the natural route, fruit or olive oil.
  • Note: It is very important that you keep in mind that loperamide is an opiate, so you must also taper yourself off of loperamide, which can be done over the period of a few weeks to a month. This will let you start dealing with any mental dependency issues almost right away, which will be the hardest part of coming off opiates.

Insomnia

  • Benzodiazepines: Exercise EXTREME caution if you plan on using any sort of benzodiazepines to ease the insomnia. Examples of benzos include diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax), and clonazepam (Klonopin/Rivotril). For myself alprazolam and clonazepam work the best, although I will not recommend obtaining these illegally. ;) Working your way up from 0.5mg (assuming you have no tolerance) until you find your dose may be helpful. ONLY take these if you absolutely need them. I can't stress that enough. Benzodiazepines are, in my humble opinion, more addicting than opiates, and it is a fact that they are more dangerous. They are one of the few classes of drugs that can include DEATH in the withdrawal. Another positive aspect of using benzos would be the fact that it can really take the edge off if/when you are feeling stressed out and anxious. Research them extensively before you use them, as you do *NOT* want to trade addictions. If you are taking buprenorphine as an aid during withdrawal, do not take any benzodiazepines, as this combination has resulted in death.
  • Diphenhydramine: This is an antihistamine which includes drowsiness as one of the side effects which makes it a great candidate for a sleep aid. It works wonders for many opiate addicts and I think this would be better to use than any benzos.

Bone/Muscle Aches (with a little bit of advice for the mental part as well)
  • Ibuprofen, Naproxen (Recommended dose/as needed)
  • ABSOLUTELY NO OPIATES! The only way one can use opiates is if they are tapering. There are hardly any people with the willpower, and self-discipline to actually complete a successful taper. The road to becoming clean must be taken one day at a time, maybe even one hour or one minute at a time. Tell yourself to get through the next minute or hour. Reward yourself for getting through that period of time. If you start thinking about the next week, month, or year, you WILL overwhelm yourself.

Lack of Energy/Depression
  1. EXERCISE! This is, by far, the number one way of combating the physical and mental part of withdrawal, including depression. You may not want to do anything, which could even include getting out of bed, but if you can motivate yourself to exercise, you will notice a dramatic increase in your energy levels and your mindset. This is what has made a dramatic difference each time I've gone through withdrawals. It is THE wonder drug, not to mention you can obtain the infamous “runner's high” after running for a certain amount of time.
  2. L-Tyrosine: (Available at GNC) Studies show l-tyrosine will help with depression, energy levels, and other mood disorders. It is a precursor to dopamine (the Almighty), norepinephrine, epinephrine, and L-dopa. Epinephrine and norepinephrine are two of the body’s stress-related hormones, and l-tyrosine’s role in their creation can help ease the negative effects of stress. Starting at 2000mg per day, and adjusting is one way to begin. Vitamin B6 is essential in the creation of the neurotransmitters, so be sure to take the it along with the l-tyrosine.
  3. Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 helps in the creation of serotonin (the “happy” neurotransmitter), dopamine, norepinephrine, and GABA (the mechanism in which benzodiazepines work through; reduces stress levels; induces relaxation). So one can easily see why B6 is beneficial. It also provides energy, and as said before, is essential in the conversion of l-tyrosine to the various neurotransmitters.
  4. FIND SOMEONE YOU CAN TALK TO! We all need to vent. Find a friend, someone on this forum, a psychologist, etc. It is essential if you want to succeed.
  5. Think about all of the things that can be done now. Money in the bank, be around for family/friends, not worry about your next fix, not be sick all the time, etc.

Other supplements that could help: Kava (anxiety), valerian root (anxiety/insomnia).

Closing Notes

The worst of the physical withdrawal will most likely be over after the 4th day. It typically lasts 3-5 days and fades off after that, but can last as long as a week (longer with opiates with a long half-life, such as methadone). I've found the fourth day to be the worst, and once you are over that hump you start to feel physically better. Then, it is time to deal with the mental problems that result.

If you have friends that do drugs, you have to separate yourself from them. Unless you are superman, or have an abnormal sense of self-discipline, you will have to do this as the temptation is too great for most. Getting away for a week can really make all the difference in the world. Staying clean is a lifelong journey, and if that is what you are after, YOU CAN DO IT! Don’t give up if you have a bad day or are feeling a bit down. Keep yourself busy. It can make all the difference in the world. Start a new hobby, continue an old one, spend time with the family, go hiking, go for a walk, talk to a stranger, have a cup of coffee (avoid it in the beginning as this can worsen anxiety), etc.

As addicts, we might have started doing opiates for fun, or maybe to cover up problems. It might have only been a weekend romance, but that changed into a daily obsession. We might be broke, losing friends, and at rock bottom. Sometimes there are problems that we try to cover up, and a lot of emotions come out as the drug leaves our body. We have to get used to living a “normal” life, and dealing with “normal” problems. It is important to get to the root of the problems, and face them head on. There is no more hiding. After all, the REAL you is coming out from hiding as well. You mine as well make the most of it.

Best of luck to all of you in your endeavors. Godspeed.

Additional Reading:
L-tyrosine - http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Ency/Index.cfm/Id/2919008
Vitamin B6 - http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB6/

Hot bath/shower' food and water' effervecent vit c'
Porridge(long chain carbohydrates) is good with some salt and sugar' good for the liver and kidneys' help clear the opiates/toxins from the system'
"Nigella Sativa" Blessed seed 100% oil' calming and stimulating and alleviates lots of the physical and psychological stresses of withdrawal' "Calcium Channel Blocker" also potentiates opioids' so can be used to reduce opioid in-take'
Nigella knocks the top off a weed high' tends to put the buzz to the body/head' but no the psychi' makes blowing weed feel physicaly somewhat like Harmols'
250-500mg/day' 1-2 caps can reduce most of the withdrawal to minimal' tends to increase appetite and also has pain alleviating properties' "Nigella Sativa" is used extencively in eastern countries to help with opiate withdrawal and abstinence' you lose the erge to take opiates if you take "Nigella" each day' and use less opiate if you do use'

Nice thread' appreciate your sharing'

Bliss!
+NNM+
 
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