Opioids First 'Real' Withdrawl Experience

[lifterpuller]

Hey everybody,

I just wanted to share my first serious withdraw experience last night.. I have gone through withdrawls before (20mg Oxycodone for 2 months, 300-400mg tramadol for 2 months) both times the withdrawls were mild (sweats, hot and cold, some stomach issues) but nothing worse than a flu and only lasting about 24 hours each time.

This time I have been on opiods (oxy,morphine,tramadol) for about 5-6 months non stop currently with a current use of 30-35mg oxy per day. I was at my GF's house (3 hour drive away) for the weekend and was staying until this morning (monday) and then had to come back for work. On Saturday I had a really bad pain flare-up so I had to take 50mg of oxy that day so I only had 10mg IR left for Sunday which I took right when I got up around 8am. I considered going home early or going to the emerg to get more but I didn't want to waste my last night with my GF and I figured the withdrawls would be like last time.. I even took 10mg throughout the day/night of immodium to help ease the withdrawls. Around 2pm I could tell the oxy had worn off because the pain was really bad (chronic back pain). Around 5-6pm I started getting the temperature fluctuations and the sweats, my gf even noticed the sweating around this time. My girlfriend knows I take oxy and I told her I ran out and was going to not be very much fun, she is very understanding.

I took 20mg of cyclobenzeprine around 8pm to help me fall asleep since I needed to wake up at 3am to drive to work. I felt okay, not great, around 9pm and was able to fall asleep with help from the flexaril. My GF was in bed with me but was up reading since she didn't have to get up early like me. Around 11pm I wake up feeling just fucked, like nothing I have ever felt before, my stomach wasn't too bad, no puking or diharrea but my whole body just felt uncomfortable. I was having uncontrollable muscle spasms for about 2 hours and was in A LOT of pain I felt terrible physically and emotionally, my gf knew something was wrong and held me and tried to comfort me, this did help but I has still feeling terrible. I felt like all of my muscles were itching and switching from the inside and there was no way to scratch the itch or relieve the pain/discmfort. This was one of the worst experiences of my life, I had no idea withdrawl could be this bad from CT'ing 30mg/day of oxy habit.

I felt 'Normal'ish when I woke up at 3am but from 11pm-1am I couldn't sleep and had the horrible muscle spasms.
Please take this as a warning to anyone who uses these recreationally that even low doses can have terrible consequences after long-term use. My girlfriend told me this morning that at one point she was on the verge of calling an ambulance. My only comfort was that the severe part of the withdrawl only lasted a few hours but the effects were felt for at least 24 hours. I seriously considered not taking anymore oxy when I got home but the back pain was just too bad not to.

If this is how bad it feels to detox from 30mg of oxy for 6 months I can't even manage how bad the withdrawls from a hefty heroin habit or somone in the 200mg+ range of oxy or equivalent for years...

 

[cj]

Dont take this the wromg way but you got off easy. Withdrawals get worse every time they happen. Physical dependence is a progressive problem. The longer you are dependent the worse the withdrawals will be. If your going to keep using oxy I recommend you make damn sure to never run completely out. Might even be worth it to find a couple suboxone strips for emergency situations. Opiate withdrawal sucks.

Btw i like your screen name. I'm a big atmosphere fan.

 

[Rybee]

As you point out, although obviously not in the same league as heavy and prolonged IV dope users, even a modest Oxy habit over 6 months can really ruffle your feathers if you quit taking it suddenly. I do wonder how much the Tramadol contributed to the withdrawals though, as SSRI/SNRI withdrawals are horrific in my experience. Were you still taking the Tramadol as frequent as you were the Oxy, and if so, in what dose?

Also, from your post it sounds like you were prescribed them, but I may be reading into that wrongly? If so, are you still planning on taking them in the future?

I've had withdrawals from Opiates, Benzos, SNRIs (Venlafaxine) and Pregabalin. It may seem odd, but acutely speaking, Pregabalin was the worst by far. If I accidentally missed my morning dose and went to work, I'd literally be delirious by lunchtime. It'd progress into psychosis and I'd completely out of touch with what was going on around me, in a way that was so nasty and horrible to experience. Chronically speaking, Venlafaxine was the worst. Even with a taper in place and supplemented with frequent doses of Diazepam, the withdrawals lasted for just shy of 4 months and I wanted to blow my brains out each and every day.

I know everyone's different and Benzo's are usually touted as the worst offenders (and they certainly carry a significant danger), but in comparison, it was 'manageable' - though I think 'uncomfortable' would certainly be a massive understatement...

However, I do hope you recover swiftly! I'm sure the worst is over now, though I'd possibly prepare for torrential diarrhoea for the next week or so... always a pleasant tone to finish on.

 

[Rybee]

Don't mean to derail the thread... but I was just reading up on Cyclobenzaprine as I don't know much about it. What's it like for pain management for back pain in terms of musclular spasms?

I was just reading up on it (granted it's only Wikipedia, but the following seems well cited in terms of sources) and I found the bit in bold to be very odd.

It decreases pain in the first two weeks, peaking in the first few days, but has no proven benefit after two weeks. Since no benefit is proven beyond that, therapy should not be continued long-term.

On that basis, it seems an odd choice to prescribe over similar skeletal relaxant alternatives? I've only tried Methocarbamol and Carisoprodol as skeletal relaxants though, and admittedly, neither did much good. Do you know what the rationale was for being prescribed Cyclobenzaprine in the first place, or over other skeletal relaxants?

Quite a lot of alternatives for muscle-spasm/pain listed here: www.drugs.com/drug-class/skeletal-muscle-relaxants.html?condition_id=737

 

[downerhead]

As Crimsonjunk said,you had a very mild kick.Try a decades long heroin habit,then you'll see hell.Since you obviously need the oxy for pain I would talk to my doctor about upping your dose so you don't run out or getting on an extended release formula if you aren't already.No need to suffer.You may also look into Valium,they give that for back issues sometimes,depending on the issue.

 

[Stotched]

You are very lucky the tramadol withdrawals the first time around didn't hit you full force. Tramadol was worse than kickin dope for me. I didn't even feel that much of opioid withdrawal from tram, but the SNRI part of it was terrible. I didn't feel right for about 3 months. I had brain zaps that were not only in my brain, but my whole body. Muscle spasms, lethargy beyond believe. Waves of energy and rage. Feeling like I was in a movie or video game, and not in a good way, just everything seeming so unreal. It was the worse withdrawal I ever had. I'd go through a dope kick before a 600mg per day tram kick any day.

 

[lifterpuller]

Btw i like your screen name. I'm a big atmosphere fan.

Thanks, You’re the first person to notice

As you point out, although obviously not in the same league as heavy and prolonged IV dope users, even a modest Oxy habit over 6 months can really ruffle your feathers if you quit taking it suddenly. I do wonder how much the Tramadol contributed to the withdrawals though, as SSRI/SNRI withdrawals are horrific in my experience. Were you still taking the Tramadol as frequent as you were the Oxy, and if so, in what dose?

Also, from your post it sounds like you were prescribed them, but I may be reading into that wrongly? If so, are you still planning on taking them in the future?.

I stopped the tramadol about 3 weeks prior, didn’t really notice too much in terms of SSRI effects when stoping, but was only on 200mg for 3-4 weeks the most recent time.

Yes I am prescribed them for chronic back pain and will continue to use although I really wish I didn’t have to, but they are the only thing that makes life bearable right now.

Don't mean to derail the thread... but I was just reading up on Cyclobenzaprine as I don't know much about it. What's it like for pain management for back pain in terms of musclular spasms?

I was just reading up on it (granted it's only Wikipedia, but the following seems well cited in terms of sources) and I found the bit in bold to be very odd.


On that basis, it seems an odd choice to prescribe over similar skeletal relaxant alternatives? I've only tried Methocarbamol and Carisoprodol as skeletal relaxants though, and admittedly, neither did much good. Do you know what the rationale was for being prescribed Cyclobenzaprine in the first place, or over other skeletal relaxants?

Quite a lot of alternatives for muscle-spasm/pain listed here: www.drugs.com/drug-class/skeletal-muscle-relaxants.html?condition_id=737

I’m not sure why my doc only prescribes cyclobenzaprine, I tried to get others like Zanaflex and Soma but she wouldn’t for some reason. I find it helps me fall asleep and stay asleep so that is why I take them. I usually only take them for a month and then stop for a month or two before taking again because the lose effectiveness.

You are very lucky the tramadol withdrawals the first time around didn't hit you full force. Tramadol was worse than kickin dope for me. I didn't even feel that much of opioid withdrawal from tram, but the SNRI part of it was terrible. I didn't feel right for about 3 months. I had brain zaps that were not only in my brain, but my whole body. Muscle spasms, lethargy beyond believe. Waves of energy and rage. Feeling like I was in a movie or video game, and not in a good way, just everything seeming so unreal. It was the worse withdrawal I ever had. I'd go through a dope kick before a 600mg per day tram kick any day.

I really never noticed much from tramadol TBH, brain zaps yes but that’s about it, although pretty much everytime I dropped the tramadol I replaced it with oxy so I’m sure that helps.

 

[lifterpuller]

As Crimsonjunk said,you had a very mild kick.Try a decades long heroin habit,then you'll see hell.Since you obviously need the oxy for pain I would talk to my doctor about upping your dose so you don't run out or getting on an extended release formula if you aren't already.No need to suffer.You may also look into Valium,they give that for back issues sometimes,depending on the issue.

I have tried asking for a higher dose because I have been on the same dose for 10ish months (on and off) and my tolerance is at least triple what is was when I first started using them. I am seeing her again in a week so will try again but doubt she will increase my dose although I doubt it.

I honestly do not take this medication to get high, I get very little euphoria and I hate the nodding out feeling. I just want to be out of pain and be functional.