Positive The Tapering Supportive/Social Thread

[dopiejay]

Thank you Painful One and Dopiejay for the support and love! I'm on the max dose of Lyrica that dr will prescribe (450 mg) and Ambien CR 12.5 mg at night. The medical marijuana is only what I can get underground and I pay out the ass for it lol. It doesn't help much anymore because it hurts lungs too much to get the relief I need and I don't have access to edibles. All I can get at the moment is thc vape cartridges. I decreased my vodka intake by 4 oz yest. So far today, I'm holding steady and hopefully don't exceed 20 oz. If I can't taper off vodka I will check into diazepam or suboxone. I'm sure I would qualify as a chronic pain patient taking 90 mg oxy/day for 17 yrs. I'm also a hot blonde and don't want to ruin my liver or my looks. I love you too Painful One. xoxo -SweetLeaf7

I find lyrica to be trash tbh. They had me on gabapentin, and then lyrica, and both made me feel bad. I dunno it was almost a 'dirty' feeling. Plus they did fuck all for pain and made driving difficult lol.

I would def check into suboxone and diazepam if I were you, if this method doesn't work. I quit drinking on my own, from a bottle (26oz) a night to nothing with minimal withdrawals because I'm on Valium all the time anyway. If I didn't have Valium I wouldn't have been able to do it.

I actually just went into a liquor store, and my internal monologue said 'nah dude, ur better than that, get some lotto tickets and take out money for Oxys, u don't need liquor'.

It become easier to talk yourself out of it the longer you've been quit. And Every time you get drunk from then on will just remind you why you quit. Trust me I'm an expert lol

 

[Painful One]

Thank you Painful One and Dopiejay for the support and love! I'm on the max dose of Lyrica that dr will prescribe (450 mg) and Ambien CR 12.5 mg at night. The medical marijuana is only what I can get underground and I pay out the ass for it lol. It doesn't help much anymore because it hurts lungs too much to get the relief I need and I don't have access to edibles. All I can get at the moment is thc vape cartridges. I decreased my vodka intake by 4 oz yest. So far today, I'm holding steady and hopefully don't exceed 20 oz. If I can't taper off vodka I will check into diazepam or suboxone. I'm sure I would qualify as a chronic pain patient taking 90 mg oxy/day for 17 yrs. I'm also a hot blonde and don't want to ruin my liver or my looks. I love you too Painful One. xoxo -SweetLeaf7

Good to hear friend! Keep trying to kick off that alcohol. Great job for using less and trying to taper that down.
That is right- you are also a hot blonde and you don't want to ruin your liver or your looks. You are absolutely beautiful!

I am glad you are open to the suboxone treatment idea. I am sure you would qualify as a pain patient - or you should!
As we know, us pain patients are having a rough time getting any kind of treatment. I think the suboxone may be needed to hold down your chronic pain and looks to be the best solution.

Keep up the good work sweet leaf. We are all here for you and love you.

 

[Painful One]

I find lyrica to be trash tbh. They had me on gabapentin, and then lyrica, and both made me feel bad. I dunno it was almost a 'dirty' feeling. Plus they did fuck all for pain and made driving difficult lol.

I would def check into suboxone and diazepam if I were you, if this method doesn't work. I quit drinking on my own, from a bottle (26oz) a night to nothing with minimal withdrawals because I'm on Valium all the time anyway. If I didn't have Valium I wouldn't have been able to do it.

I actually just went into a liquor store, and my internal monologue said 'nah dude, ur better than that, get some lotto tickets and take out money for Oxys, u don't need liquor'.

It become easier to talk yourself out of it the longer you've been quit. And Every time you get drunk from then on will just remind you why you quit. Trust me I'm an expert lol

I'm so proud of you! It is such a good idea to refuse the alcohol and I know it must be very hard to do. I am really proud of you guys for talking about it and reaching out for support! You can do this!

I was tried out on the gabapentin one time and I felt nothing from it but when I stopped taking it, woah! I had a very bad reaction to that medication. I could tell that something was up too because I kept asking the doctor "am I going to be alright?" That was after just a few weeks of trying the gabapentin and the answer was, no I was not alright. It looks to me that I did not have a standard reaction to that medication but it was horrible for me! I landed in the hospital.

Glad you got some Lotto tickets and money to get some real pain relief without hurting yourself. That was a great choice!

I would be down at the dispensary looking into different pain relieving marijuana 's also.

 

[uncle_jocko]

Hey gang ... just a quick check-in. A rather rollercoaster of a week. As I've shared, I've tapered down to 15mgs a day (5mg late-morning, and 10mg in the evening). However, I had a few setbacks this week - one on Wed (20 mgs) and a bigger one yesterday (45 mgs). I could make excuses, but it was just temptation and the desire to feel that warm, fuzzy "oxy blanket" cover all the pain and make me "connected". Anyway, I'm back on the saddle of 15 mgs. today (it's Saturday evening), and I plan on remaining on it throughout the week. I'm considering a mathematical taper, in which I count the pills I need and FLUSH the rest. I'm not there yet, but I may have to go there if I keep backsliding. All in all, I guess I'm doing well ... still moving forward, just a few slips. I hope everyone is well - sending good thoughts/vibes out your way.

 

[Painful One]

Hey gang ... just a quick check-in. A rather rollercoaster of a week. As I've shared, I've tapered down to 15mgs a day (5mg late-morning, and 10mg in the evening). However, I had a few setbacks this week - one on Wed (20 mgs) and a bigger one yesterday (45 mgs). I could make excuses, but it was just temptation and the desire to feel that warm, fuzzy "oxy blanket" cover all the pain and make me "connected". Anyway, I'm back on the saddle of 15 mgs. today (it's Saturday evening), and I plan on remaining on it throughout the week. I'm considering a mathematical taper, in which I count the pills I need and FLUSH the rest. I'm not there yet, but I may have to go there if I keep backsliding. All in all, I guess I'm doing well ... still moving forward, just a few slips. I hope everyone is well - sending good thoughts/vibes out your way.

Hey Uncle Jocko,

You are doing great! That is the way to do it! If you have a day or two of using more than your target goal then just return back to the goal amount ASAP and carry on as if the few slips did not happen. It is best not to beat yourself up about about it or feel any kind of shame or guilt. It is just a small step backwards. You just start taking steps forward again and you are doing that! So well done my friend! No big deal. Keep up the great work. I'm very proud of you.

Hope the job promotion is going well and you are not having too much stress.

 

[Painful One]

I have been dealing with a lot of pain over here. I'm worried that I may be having an appendicitis. My lower right side hurts really bad. I have a bad hernia over on that lower right side too that is too big to be operated on.
So I am worried about what will happen if I need to get my appendix out.

Might be that the hernia is just extremely inflamed and hurt after going through 8 weeks of Loperamide withdrawal.
But I don't know. The pain is really spreading and I am scared. I have been sleeping so much too. I'm in so much pain I just fall asleep. I wake up often though because of the pressure in that right side/ lower back and have to sit up for awhile so I can get the pressure off that area. Then the pressure goes into my left leg more, then I have to lay down to relieve that etc.

What a vicious cycle. I may end up over at the hospital. If you don't hear from me for awhile that would be why but I will try and keep you guys updated.

Pray for me friends.
Love you all very much!

 

[uncle_jocko]

Painful One - thanks so much for the encouragement ... it's much appreciated. The last few days have been right back on track, and I plan on another small taper sometime within the week. I'm so sorry about your pain - it seems that you battle it constantly. What's even more amazing is how much you help others at the same time. Thinking of you, my friend.

 

[Xorkoth]

I have been dealing with a lot of pain over here. I'm worried that I may be having an appendicitis. My lower right side hurts really bad. I have a bad hernia over on that lower right side too that is too big to be operated on.
So I am worried about what will happen if I need to get my appendix out.

Might be that the hernia is just extremely inflamed and hurt after going through 8 weeks of Loperamide withdrawal.
But I don't know. The pain is really spreading and I am scared. I have been sleeping so much too. I'm in so much pain I just fall asleep. I wake up often though because of the pressure in that right side/ lower back and have to sit up for awhile so I can get the pressure off that area. Then the pressure goes into my left leg more, then I have to lay down to relieve that etc.

What a vicious cycle. I may end up over at the hospital. If you don't hear from me for awhile that would be why but I will try and keep you guys updated.

Pray for me friends.
Love you all very much!

If the pain keeps increasing please go to the hospital, as appendicitis is fatal if not operated on.

 

[dopiejay]

Hey Uncle Jocko,

You are doing great! That is the way to do it! If you have a day or two of using more than your target goal then just return back to the goal amount ASAP and carry on as if the few slips did not happen. It is best not to beat yourself up about about it or feel any kind of shame or guilt. It is just a small step backwards. You just start taking steps forward again and you are doing that! So well done my friend! No big deal. Keep up the great work. I'm very proud of you.

Hope the job promotion is going well and you are not having too much stress.

I honestly wouldn't even call it a step backwards. That's it man, it's the nature of the beast. Every now and again you are going to take a little extra. I wouldn't even call it a bad thing if it's not consistently happening like once a week or more. Keep on chugging dude u got this.

 

[dopiejay]

If the pain keeps increasing please go to the hospital, as appendicitis is fatal if not operated on.

This. If it doesn't feel right and isn't going away get to a hospital asap. Appendicitis is not to be fucked with.

 

[EPL1]

Thinking of you Painful One, and I hope you're ok?

Love you,
your friend,
Ash.

 

[Painful One]

Thanks guys!

I am okay. Just have some pain flare ups that are hard to tell what is going on exactly.
I will have my doctor check it out when I see him next. Unless it gets to the point of needing emergency care.

Hope everyone is doing well and have a good day!
Love you all!

 

[Squeaky]

I ran myself out of oxy again. Loperamide wds are a bitch. They totally took over even through heavy oxy use.
I guess I will be working through a long Loperamide taper now. Hopefully I can avoid oxy during this time and be done with these pills for a while.

 

[Painful One]

I ran myself out of oxy again. Loperamide wds are a bitch. They totally took over even through heavy oxy use.
I guess I will be working through a long Loperamide taper now. Hopefully I can avoid oxy during this time and be done with these pills for a while.

Loperamide withdrawals are a bitch! I'm so sorry you are going through that!
Yeah, they hit me also even through heavy morphine use!
That is why I just stuck with sticking to my prescribed dosage because no amount made the lope withdrawal stop and having some morphine through them was better than none.

Are you even able to stop them with using more loperamide? I wasn't. Once they were really rolling it was just a hold on for the ride deal.

I'm praying for you! Hoping you will be able to break through this cycle soon.
Let me know if I can help in anyway.

 

[dopiejay]

Loperamide withdrawals are a bitch! I'm so sorry you are going through that!
Yeah, they hit me also even through heavy morphine use!
That is why I just stuck with sticking to my prescribed dosage because no amount made the lope withdrawal stop and having some morphine through them was better than none.

Are you even able to stop them with using more loperamide? I wasn't. Once they were really rolling it was just a hold on for the ride deal.

I'm praying for you! Hoping you will be able to break through this cycle soon.
Let me know if I can help in anyway.

Worried about u. Did u have ur side looked at yet? Appendicitis is serious stuff painful one. Hopefully that isn't the problem but I've really been thinking about it lately and think you should get it looked at.

Be careful my dear.

 

[uncle_jocko]

Hey my friends - I have a question: If Loperamide withdrawals are so bad (I've never tried it), why do so many people take it as opposed to simply tapering from Oxy? No judgement ... I'm just confused.

 

[dopiejay]

Hey my friends - I have a question: If Loperamide withdrawals are so bad (I've never tried it), why do so many people take it as opposed to simply tapering from Oxy? No judgement ... I'm just confused.

I honestly have no idea either. Never tried it, never will. No judgement on those who do. I guess it's due to being in full on withdrawal, as in stopping cold turkey against your will, and wanting anything to take it away.

On a side note, I've been completely sober now for about a week, and I feel fucking amazing. Like better than I have in 10 years of heavy drug/alcohol use.

Still gonna take the occasional opioid when my pain gets too much to handle, but damn I always thought this was overrated. It's not, it's great.

 

[Painful One]

Worried about u. Did u have ur side looked at yet? Appendicitis is serious stuff painful one. Hopefully that isn't the problem but I've really been thinking about it lately and think you should get it looked at.

Be careful my dear.

Thank you Sweetheart.
I'm alright.
I have had my side looked at (not this week) but yeah, I have a hernia there from all the pressure in my lower back- it blew out my stomach lining to release some of the pressure inside. That is some pain.
It is putting pressure on my appendix but I don't want to have surgery unless I absolutely have to.

No worries. It is just the nature of "severe chronic pain". It flares up at times.

 

[dopiejay]

Thank you Sweetheart.
I'm alright.
I have had my side looked at (not this week) but yeah, I have a hernia there from all the pressure in my lower back- it blew out my stomach lining to release some of the pressure inside. That is some pain.
It is putting pressure on my appendix but I don't want to have surgery unless I absolutely have to.

No worries. It is just the nature of "severe chronic pain". It flares up at times.

Once yeah. I know exactly what you mean by 'flare ups'. I've gotta get a medical for my heavy equipment license tomorrow, it's with a doctor who's weary on prescribing opiates due to criticism from his peers but who knows me and has kept me as medicated as he could in the past without facing backlash from other doctors.

Even though it's not a checkup I'm gonna explain to him what's been going on with the other doctors treating me like shit and how I never get help with this. He'll probably take pity on me and give me some codeine for a couple weeks.

And god damn that sounds horrrific. U poor soul. I thought chronic nerve pain was bad (fibromyalgia, or so they say. Hard to believe in a young man like myself), but that must be torture I really hope you can feel better soon. I know you don't want to live this way. Nobody does.

But please don't avoid surgery if it can help you though. The world needs its painful one in good working condition.

No matter what happens you know you've always got us right here. Please do what you need to do to get better. If surgery is what it must be, then we got u 100%. We'll be here to help you every step of the way. Feel free to pm me if you need to talk about anything at all.

With love, the jay

 

[Painful One]

Hey my friends - I have a question: If Loperamide withdrawals are so bad (I've never tried it), why do so many people take it as opposed to simply tapering from Oxy? No judgement ... I'm just confused.

Well, squeaky and I were having problems with being a few days short on our prescription medication and we discovered (through listening to others) that Loperamide will hold off the horrific opiate withdrawal for a few days. So we were using it to bridge a few days in prescriptions here and there and we didn't have any problems with it. When used for only a day or two it didn't cause us any problems.

But...after using it for ten days I almost got stuck on it but just endured the loperamide withdrawal. I didn't have any idea it had such a withdrawal. Squeaky has been using it pretty regularly and is having a much harder time quitting it. The withdrawal from it is harsh and way long.

People just don't know that the Loperamide itself is so dangerous and has such a bad withdrawal. They use it to lessen or eliminate opiate withdrawal symptoms when out of opiates and with no better option available. Loperamide does work to keep the withdrawal away in a pinch.

We just underestimated how powerful of a medication it really is.
We also did not realize how long lasting it was and how much smaller of dosages would have worked a lot better.

I would suggest not trying it. I will never take that stuff again.

I am hoping Squeaky can also get off the Loperamide ASAP!