Opioids The Opioid Withdrawal Megathread and FAQ

[Darkdancer917]

I'm new to this site and wondering who may have an idea how much black tar you would have to use for Suboxone to not have an effect. Would a two gram a day habit be too much to get relief from Suboxone? And if so would it send you into precipitated withdrawals?

 

[SS373dOH]

^ No, you should be able to get relief using buprenorphine at your current dosages.. It will cause pwd if you take it too soon, make sure you are in wd before dosing suboxone.. For shorter acting opioids, 24 hours is usually a good wait time, but some have to wait longer than others. Also, induct yourself with only 1mg of sub to begin with, then tritate your dose after 2-3 hours.. This will lessen the chance of pwd from ocurring.

 

[lisahnyc1]

I have gone through opioid withdrawal cold turkey 5 times now ( including right now) and I definitely notice my sweat smells completely different. Probably the drugs coming out of our pores.

 

[Platinum Level]

Let me teach you an AMAZINGLY effective trick that has worked for me. I was an opiate addict for 23yrs & through my dozens & dozens of attempt to kick, i found a system that usually works incredibly well. But bare in mind that no two bodies work the same. Warning: This method is by no means medically safe & anyone who attempts itadoes so at their own risk. But seeing as how we're junkies or we wouldn't be having this conversation, what's the harm. This only works for those addicted to standard full agonist opiates ie morphine, heroin, oxy, opana, dilaudid, etc. Thjs will definitely not work for suboxone, methadone or subutex (buprenorphine) addicts. Ok? Here we go.

Wait until you are in moderate to full withdrawal fr your normal opiate & take enough suboxone to feel comfortable. Once you feel comfortable wait an hour aad take a dose of a benzo large enough to give you a slight buzz. What's important is that you feel relaxed & comfortable/comforted after that anxious withdrawal you just went through.Temazapam works best since it's designed for opiate withdrawal but klonopin works well to. If xanax or Valium is all you can get then do that. Once you feel like a normal human being begin your new life as if physical addiction is now officially behind you. Because if you do this right, it is behind you. Exercise that day and every day for the rest of your life. On days two & three repeat the suboxone/ benzo routine precisely as before, reducing the suboxone quantity if you can do it & still be comfortable. When you wake up on day 4 you will begin to feel the withdrawal coming on from the suboxone wearing off, DO NOT take anymore suboxone!!! Wait for the withdrawl to come on fairly strong then take whatever you consider to be a substantial dose of methadone, enough to get you pretty darn high, but not enough to hurt yourself. That much methadone should get you all the way through day four & at least halfway through day five. The real trick is on day five. After the methadone has lost all narcotic impact but before you begin to experience withdrawal, take another dose of your benzo. This time you'll probably want to take a slightly larger dose of it but of course, be careful. After this you should experience NO WITHDRAWAL WHATSOEVER. Between the days of suboxone blocking your receptors & the methadone (which tou are not physially addicted to) supressing your withdrawal symptoms, you should be near day 6 of no standard opiates & your physical withdrawal should be over. At this stage the benzo should be enough to keep you not just ok, but downright cozy. I am on day 7 of this process as i type this & i feel wonderful. I have had no opiates of ANY kind in 72 hours after 12 years of INCREDIBLY high level fentanyl/oxycodone addiction & i feel great. I should mention that i have been taking 20mg klonopin or temazapam twice daily, but besides exercise sunshine & socializing, that's all Im taking. This process has worked for me & several others i have taught it to ontoat least 12 separate occasions over the decades of addiction1ive experienced & i feel that having found it, it was moral duty to pass it on to others. Good luck, this is the greatest & most important fight of and for our lives.

 

[Phil.McKeer]

A methadone landing pad after a super-fast bupe taper actually does sound pretty genius to get through that last 48 hours of no subs.

But did I read right...20mgs of klonopin (clonazepam)??? For 20 of temazepam yeah that's like the equivalent of 0.5mg alprazolam but is that the right figure for how much clonazepam you took?

I think that needs an edit.

But pretty sound idea in my mind aside from that. Thanks for sharing that!

Good luck in the days to come, and be prepared to fight cravings! Be careful not to rely on the benzos too long (that snake bit me and the benzo kick was worse than the subutex after a year kick, seriously). If you MUST get high I recommend cannabis (eating it has a heavier effect thus more satisfying to me) and non-benzo, non-opioids like the muscle relaxants carisoprodol and cyclobenzaprine, or DXM.

They won't set you back but will solve that problem of "I dont know what to do with myself if I'm not high". I have that problem HARD, not sure if you do too but just sharing in case.

 

[P0kemama]

What are the best ways to relieve restless legs? This withdrawal symptom is horrible. I am c.t. from oxymorphone ER. I do NOT have access to suboxone, and would prefer an OTC solution; however, if something is Rx, I can call my General Practitioner and hope they will fill it.

 

[Phil.McKeer]

Gabapentin I believe holds the most common off-label prescription rates for RLS. It is bery helpful with opioid w/d otherwise, as is phenibut.

Also, easy to obtain from the doctor.

I've found no OTC solution with enoughfirepower to face down a hard opi w/d.

Benzos and some other sedative/hypnotics will help knock you out so deep that RLS and akasthisia will barely bubble to the surface (edit: depending on the degree of your w/d or tolerance - or you might stay up all night benzo-zombdafied and still leaking and twitching).

 

[thelung]

What are the best ways to relieve restless legs? This withdrawal symptom is horrible. I am c.t. from oxymorphone ER. I do NOT have access to suboxone, and would prefer an OTC solution; however, if something is Rx, I can call my General Practitioner and hope they will fill it.

if you have restless legs due to opiate withdrawal, stay AWAY from:
-Nicotine
-Caffeine
-Alcohol
-Excessive stress
-Excessive refined sugar intake
-Antihistamines

Natural supplements can be used to stop opiate w/d RLS.
-Valerian root works on the GABA receptors
-Passion flower is an herb that works well too.
-There's also Magnesium: a useful alternative therapy in patients with RLS.
-L-tyrosine can also be used; it has an ability to increase dopamine in the brain.

 

[P0kemama]

Thank you^ I do have Magnesium tablets available, I will begin to take them as directed immediately.

I drink Gatorade to keep from dehydrating too badly... is it bad? What should I drink... plain water/

 

[thelung]

Thank you^ I do have Magnesium tablets available, I will begin to take them as directed immediately.

I drink Gatorade to keep from dehydrating too badly... is it bad? What should I drink... plain water/

Gatorade is a good choice because it replaces electrolytes . Pedialyte does the same thing. Plain water is fine too.

 

[Tinker55]

Small (and I do mean small) doses of Benzos have helped RLS. Some people do have good results with antihistamines.

This may be only my body chemistry, but I was scripted Pentoxifylline, an anti-claudication drug, for an entirely different purpose. I have had NO RLS. It's off label use is for lymphedema. It also seems to have reduced some of acute discomfort from the change in body temperature.

Any comments on this drug would be welcome. It has very few side effects.

 

[P0kemama]

^Thank you all for the helpful feedback.

 

[BrentlyD]

Hi everyone,

I have 9 days off of work next month and I am going to try to detox off of Poppy seed tea. I have benzos (no addiction, not much tolerance, don't plan on becoming addicted, I will be careful, thx), Trazodone, a shit-load of Lope, Motrin, hemorrhoid stuff (hey, don't laugh), Ordered a withdrawal aid called Calm Support, Hydrocodone 10, 5, and Tylenol 3's. I wonder if anyone thinks that I can get by ok without Colonidine, I want to get it but I don't really want to to talk to a doctor about this.

Is it a lifesaver??? Will it make a significant difference? Is it worth the risk of going to my doc and having them "mark me" and treat me like a total scumbag? I am really terrified of heart palpitations, I know that's the one thing that will make the anxiety unbearable. Do they help a lot with those??

As a side note, I am African-American and I am worried that they wont listen to me or give me anything to help (some will think this doesn't make a difference but in my experience it almost always does). Thanks for the help anyone can provide. I've never been thru withdrawal, I'm studying as much as I can before I do this.

 

[P0kemama]

Hi again Brently: I just responded to your other post on the tapering thread here on BL. I found that clonidine extremely important when I went c.t. in 2012. I caved on day 4 of my c.t. withdrawal from oxycodone because of my rapid heartbeat and went to the ER, which had a huge copay, by the way. All they gave me was a 5 day clonidine patch, that they administered. OMG! It was amazing. my heart slowed down gradually, the anxiety melted away, and I was able to complete the withdrawals. I stayed clean for about 15 months, but once again, caved to pain, and now here I am again.

So, if rapid heartbeat is an issue, and you know when my adrenals kicked in my heart rate and blood pressure spiked. This time, I am prepared I called my GP and asked him to call in a script and he did. Again, I am older than you, and I do not have many problems getting what I need.

Being that you are Afro-American I will share that many of my friends that are African American have high blood pressure. That is what clonidine is primarily for. Have them check your blood pressure...you may really need the clonidine. We cannot give medical advice here, but getting your blood pressure checked is never a bad idea.

 

[BrentlyD]

Hi again Brently: I just responded to your other post on the tapering thread here on BL. I found that clonidine extremely important when I went c.t. in 2012. I caved on day 4 of my c.t. withdrawal from oxycodone because of my rapid heartbeat and went to the ER, which had a huge copay, by the way. All they gave me was a 5 day clonidine patch, that they administered. OMG! It was amazing. my heart slowed down gradually, the anxiety melted away, and I was able to complete the withdrawals. I stayed clean for about 15 months, but once again, caved to pain, and now here I am again.

So, if rapid heartbeat is an issue, and you know when my adrenals kicked in my heart rate and blood pressure spiked. This time, I am prepared I called my GP and asked him to call in a script and he did. Again, I am older than you, and I do not have many problems getting what I need.

Being that you are Afro-American I will share that many of my friends that are African American have high blood pressure. That is what clonidine is primarily for. Have them check your blood pressure...you may really need the clonidine. We cannot give medical advice here, but getting your blood pressure checked is never a bad idea.

Hi Pokemama! Thank you for your reply, here, and on my other post! Rapid heartbeat IS an issue, a huge one. Every time I've had a panic attack in the past has been due to my heartbeat in some way (then my mind spirals out of control..but, ya know...). Thanks for the information, I will definitely seek a doctor's help now.

As to the blood pressure, I (and my mother/hereditary) always have low blood pressure. Not enough to cause a problem but a doctor certainly would not see a need for a prescription. I suppose I should be up-front. I have read many say that their doctor gave them other nice meds to go along with the clonidine (however you spell it!), maybe I will luck out and get a doctor like that. I could use nausea meds and maybe a muscle relaxer, maybe some good will come out of my honesty...lol I don't have a regular doctor, so I'll be meeting someone for the first time, and asking a great mercy. Aw hell, wish me luck!!

I see you are online right now, I hope to not be a GreenLighter soon and I can IM people. Thank you so much for your help!

 

[riciphaust]

first time posting, so forgive if in wrong place....

I went from a 5 bag a day H habit years ago to being only of late a binge user occasionally but my latest binge has me worried...

Did 10 bags over 3 days and of course being a past user.... felt wd upon stopping. But, had some methadone and used perhaps 10 mg over the course of 3 days to keep the anxiety and hot flashes away..., then screwed up and did one bag this morning.
i cant be sick for work tmrw, so I was thinking a tiny dose of meth tonight knowing it will last me tomorrow as well as it seems so little works to help me get straight.

Anyone binge and then use a very modest meth amount to not have full wd? I know bupe is better, but meth or lope is what i have.
The binging is just not worth it and normally i would tough it out, but cant tmrw.

Is 5mg a reasonable dose? Feel like i basically went nearly CT using so little originally

 

[trunkofmycar]

A little late for an answer, but yes, meth helps a ton for me.

2 things that help me with CRAVINGS are meth and dosing dxm between 180-250 MG's. They both can help time pass and get you thinking of something else.

Cravings kill me more than the (admittedly horrible) physical sickness does. And mostly exacerbates the sick feeling I have, a lot is *in your head* so to speak.

No, really, it is...

 

[Beak77]

Kicking is never easy. A medical detox is safest and easiest. I used heroin for 50 years but have used everything and was hooked on opiate pills.For me a bad pill habit was harder then h. But I mean a bad habit a lot every day for 2 years. If cant do medical find a trusted friend who doesn't use and wean off. One less pill every 2 days or 1half less a day. Stay hydrated I drank that baby stuff pedolite or something its called. Your bowels are gonna explode on you if ya move to fast their gonna get loose no matter how slow so stay close to bathroom and accidents happen. When your clean and up to it exercise and eat well go slow don't stuff yourself.Keep using and prison is a promise loss of things and loved ones and eventually you will do thing that you thought u wound. Good luck and when your clean stay away from your I swing buddies and using a dif. Drug will just give u another problem. Staying clean is hard and you have to change your thinking friends and play places. Find Any program and work it. 12 step program works for me but do any recovery program cause if your an addict you can't do it alone. As an addict you'll find out drugs is not your real problem.What normal person hurts ourselves like we do and your hurting every one that loves. Probably think I'm full of it but you'll see . Don't take the word of a gutter hype who used for 50yrs ask a professional or addicts who have been there.. I spent yrs in institutions been stabbed shot at beaten and left for dead because of things I did to get drugs It was fun at first but that changes. Maybe your a lucky one and won't have to go through that stuff or maybeebe you'll need the words is an old gutter hype. I never thought my life would wind up like it did but I'm a dummy nd thought O was different. Any way your life uour choice. But ill promise you this if your an addict I swing prison poor health loss of material things and loved ones and your life often if not always happens with addiction. Yeat it was cool but all the cool ones I know are now dead in prison and real lonely. Keep I swing ill meet ya on the yard!

 

[FalcinValkun]

So I just did my last shot and I have some subs. I did the last of the h that I had in the morning so I could take a seroquel tonight and wake up. Do you guys think @ 24 hours I should 4 or 8 mgs of sub? And if at 24 hours my wd symptoms aren't that bad I can still take a sub and be good?

 

[Hollywood78]

It depends how long you have been doing it and your tolerance. For instance when I recently stopped a 9 month fent binder at the peak I was doing 1.0g of bf a day I had planned on a time I was going to stop so the last few months I lowered it to .5bf/.5ff/3.0manit. I made it last about 4 days or so. I had a few subs some Xanax,clonidine, high grade herb,amitriptyline to sleep and some adderall. So I did my last bit around 4 got home around 9 ate my sleep meds some herb,clonidine and slept for a while woke up sweaty feeling like sh=!. Coming from my last experience taking a sub too early and going into full blown prec w/d for about 7 hours I was a little hesitant but to myself I want to go as long as possible until I can't take it anymore and take the sub about 52hours and only about 3 or 4 mg so about an hour later I felt OK surprisingly ot too bad so I waited another 24 hours or so and took a few more mg of the sub about the same with the life of those I just waited for it to wear off and me feel horrible but after about 36 hours after the last sub I dint feel too bad so I didn't take any more and I was just waiting for wd and other then being a little sweaty and sneezing even after benadryl. I'm about 2 weeks from my last fent other then my stomach problems and food not tasting the same and being achey all over with no energy I'm experiencing very minimal symptoms appetite not great things are just now starting to taste normal recently . If you keep on the clonidine Xanax medical grade herb benadryl I used pepto instead of ammodium some shatter and sleeping pills are a must in my opinion .a stimulant for some energy maybe some test if available. I am still very surprised I don't have any ambition to do it again with how easy it was this time to transition off it with minimalI've been around it but not one thought or desire to do it. I'm preparing myself for the mental struggle and just wait until you feel normal again. Hope it helps