nucynta / oxy / tapendadol withdrawal

[indy500]

hey there everybody. so i wanted to post my situation as i have never said a thing about it to anyone. married with two amaizng kids and a mother that is 18 years sober from everything except using a needle.

i was abusing percs after a nose surgery, back when they actually gave you refills. cant believe it ha. anyway, found myself grabbing more and more and after a while, i went from 5mg percs to 30mg oxys i was getting from a guy that had a sick person in his family. i was taking anywhere from 90-120mg of oxy. i knew i needed to get off of them and man did that suck. spoke to my pain management doc (who was giving me 10mg oxy and didnt know about my extra usage) and scheduled a ween. well he also moved me to nucynta. tramadol on steroids. didnt get me high until i took a few of them. i will say that it helped quite a bit with coming off of oxy. huge help actually. but traded one for the other...just like it happens all the time. well, a daily max for nucynta is 600mg per day and i was in the 2000mg a day range. found a place on the dark web that would send them to me for cheap. nucynta is insanely expensive if your insurance doesnt cover it.

the dirty secret of nucynta is that it is an opiate but also an SSRI. coming off of it quickly is bad. very bad. just as bad as oxy, if not worse. your head is going in so may directions. and the jimmy legs just like oxy are off the charts. running a marathon in your bed at night, ha.


what i have found is that its easier to come off either of these if you have just a small amount of the other to curb the stomach issues. i also read that they gave xanax to cancer patients for stomach issues during chemo and they are right, it helps. just a tiny about. discipline is needed there.

well we all know the symptons of coming off of these. soreness, runny nose, teary eyes, and cravings, mood swings, etc etc. one thing i found to be a LIFESAVER for the restless legs was gabapentin. LIFESAVER!!! Takes a while to kick in so if you plan to go to bed at 9p, take it around 6p. warning, taking it too late in the evening will give you a terrible drowsy hangover the next morning. if youre serious about getting off the opiates, it really helps out. and if youre trying to do it with the help of a doctor, ask for it. or find a way to get some, but i an tell you, it will help so much. i am 190lbs and 6ft 1in, and i will take around 600-800mg for the dose.

im writing this because ive never told a soul about this. my wife, mother brothers, nobody knows. i havent hit a rock bottom of losing a job or anything but i dont want to either. i respect every single person out here sharing in our troubles and taking the time to support the community. i like the way i feel when im high but it has to stop. i dont smoke, i dont drink, just the pills have gotten a hold of me and it sucks. i dont like planning ahead and counting pills before i go somewhere, i just want to go.

much love brothers and sisters, if you have any questions about nucynta / tapendadol, i am happy to share my experience

 

[Mafioso]

What do you mean she is sober from everything except a needle? What is she using the needle for..? If she has had problems with addiction in the past, I would assume that she would be sympathetic towards your struggle, although the fact that it has been such a secret for so long might be a major point of contention. Either way, coming clean because you recognize the problem and need help correcting it should be recognized as a positive thing and if it isn't, then the relationship might not be the healthiest to begin with if it's keeping you down or not helping you get back up. It might take a while to get over the mistrust but if the relationship is worth it then it's worth working through it.

The honest truth is that often coming clean is a relief not only for the individual confessing, but for all those around him/her. Often others will notice something isn't right but either aren't sure what exactly or are afraid to say something. So when the person comes forward with their problem everyone can have a sort of closure or greater understanding and move forward.

Apart from all that, I'm not really sure how you can possibly explain why you are going through all the withdrawal symptoms without them being seriously concerned for your health. I mean normally when people start puking and shitting uncontrollably, have cold sweats, severe flu like symptoms and so on... it's a pretty big concern. People only do that when getting off pills or seriously ill. The fear of confessing kept me on drugs until I literally lost my mind and couldn't hide or deny the problem any longer. When I finally got clean, most everyone knew something was up just wasn't exactly sure what. it was actually a relief of people. Some finally understood what was happening, others were no longer afraid to talk to me about it. And I no longer carry that secret burden around with me.

 

[indy500]

thanks for the response. appreciate your time. my mom was into everything but using the needle. thats what i meant. mainly coke booze and pills. and she was a champ.

im having these symptoms due to a legit bug, and i think that its masking some of the issues i would be having with coming off the pills. ive done it before and i can remember the feelings well...they blow. big time. but youre right, im so worried about telling them about the problem. i just want to clean it up and do what i can to keep it that way. i know that is carrying a huge burden.

 

[Mafioso]

Oh ok, I read that first sentence wrong.. makes sense now thanks for clarifying.

It's hard to come clean about it all but really I think the truth will come out one way or another. And as shitty as it is being written off by other people as a "drug addict", it's better than being written of as just a bad person.. at least people can sort of understand where you are coming from.

 

[indy500]

true. again, i havent hit the spot where i am f-ing people over, missing things with kids, wife, family; i just know i need to clean this shit up. i know people have taken it way further than i did, and they got clean, and they are my inspiration. taking 2000mg of nucynta or 120mg oxy a day is alot, but nothing compared to some. im not better than anyone here, and quiite the opposite. they got clean taking 900mg oxy etc and they did it. i salute them and use them as motivation. i can take the pain, it sucks, but i need to feel it its part of it. nothing is free.

 

[Mafioso]

You could probably taper down a lot before stepping off completely. Something like 5-10mg of oxy every other week and 20-40mg of Nucynta every other opposite week. It might be a good idea to switch to an opioid with a longer half life like buprenorphine or methadone. This can help "stabilize" you so you aren't having to constantly take a pill, teetering on the edge of withdrawal.

Personally I'm not too fond of the whole "rock-bottom" concept. Things can pretty much always get worse until you aren't living anymore, and someone doesn't need to lose everything to be motivated to change. Consequences can serve as motivation to change, but like heat from a fire it will only keep you so far away. So long as you are cold you'll keep coming back to the fire for warmth no matter how many times you have been burned in the past. It's not until you have shelter from the cold that you no longer need to go back to the fire.

The same is true with drugs, except it is the soul we are trying to bring warmth to. Until you have higher aspirations, you're just going to be avoiding consequence. Rather than looking at how bad it can be, look at how good it can be.

 

[indy500]

Great words. Haven?t had anything in a week so it?s been going well. The tough thing is the boredom isn?t it???

 

[Mafioso]

Nice you haven't taken any opioids in a week? I wouldn't say the hardest part of opioid withdrawals is boredom.. maybe once you get past all the stomach and GI issues or RLS and insomnia.

 

[indy500]

That is a given. The jimmy legs? I am sure many of us could outrun prefontaine in our bedsheets. Sleep is a cure all, and I?m hoping that kicks in soon. I need it badly. I work in trauma so my life is pretty relaxing as well lol. That was my balance. So need to figure out the new balance. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. Every keystroke is appreciated.

 

[PseudoSubduedDude]

Thank you for sharing your story, Indy. I work with the developmentally disabled, have for almost 20 years. Extremely rewarding and gasoline for your soul, but the physicality of the job when working with heavy individuals who are profoundly disabled really takes a toll on your body. Rolling them back and forth as you shower them on a pvc-constructed shower trolley/stretcher is really difficult and exhausting. It is a labor of love, but wears on your body. That being said....in approximately 2009-2010, I was preparing such an individual for a shower. As I was walking quickly in front of his wheelchair, there was a loop of the sling used to transfer him in and out of his wheelchair stretched out in front of him on the floor. In a one-in-a-million, my right foot went fully through a loop(different colored loops all along the bottom length of the sling so that different individuals who used the sling could sit upright while being transferred). I didn't notice this and kept walking. The gentleman sitting in his wheelchair wasn't going anywhere..he was seatbelted in(for safety), his wheelchair was locked(also for safety, as I was preparing to transfer him via a Hoyer lift from his wheelchair onto his bed). I kept walking and, all of a sudden, it was exactly like that dog in the cartoon who is running fast and suddenly reaches the limits on his leash and is jerked violently backwards. I was jerked back, legs straight back in behind me. I went up in the air and came down with all of my weight on my right knee...crashing to the floor on it first, then my arm and right side. The floor I landed on had Berber carpet and concrete underneath. I lay crumpled in that position for approximately 10 minutes, crying and yelling. Other employees were in other rooms helping the individuals get ready for bed. I finally tried to get up...I can't describe the pain..it's like your mind is blown wide open and the universe is pouring into your head...STARS for sure. Long story(sorry..I'm good at long stories)short...I got up..finished my shift hopping lol-suddenly on my left leg. Worst part?? I didn't report it..that was a state job..working for the state of Massachusetts for DMR(the name has been changed, but back then it was the Department of Mental Retardation). We had free dental and vision coverage, a union, $20.00/ he wages, 4 different types of comp time, etc. I loved the individuals AND the benefits. I had seen co-workers start that job, then a month later, "fall," or " move a heavy individual wrong, " and whatcha know.. Workmans's Comp and a month and a half off. I refused to be like that. My nobility got me NOWHERE. I continued to work 7 days a week on it until it became a bone-on-bone situation. A partial meniscusectomy only prolonged the inevitable...at 45, I had a full right knee arthroscopy. This was in 2013...now, a recent X-Ray showed a part of the device has shifted to the side of my right knee. I knew all of this might have turned out differently had I simply reported it. Between the injury in '09 and the major surgery in '13, I started out on Tramadol (those 50 mgs require about 5-6 to make a difference). Graduated to MS Contin. Just didn't do it. I begged and pleased with my surgeon to help me...something wasn't right(no pun intended) with my right knee. Cut to today..4 mg Dilaudid five times a day. That's not it..to work the 100+ hours I work every pay period at my job, I take four 7.5 mg Percocet/325 mg acetaminophen with them. Swallow them like candy! So much is coursing through my system, I twitch as I fall asleep. So many opioid monkey situations happen because of an injury..most very serious to catastrophic. I know this is a terrible road I'm on...but those chemicals help SO much. I'm a clock watcher, pill counter, all of those rituals that come with addiction. My pain management doctor also prescribed gabapentin 100 mgs TID when I began with her. DiD NOT know how beneficial they are...I am down to taking two Dilaudid a day..with NO Percocet. It's Saturday now and I don't see her until Monday! This gabapentin is saving my life...I'm taking 800 mgs to start...then 300 mgs 30 minutes later. It's hard to describe the feeling. So calm...no restlessness...no clock watching(don't really watch the clock with only two to take). The craving is gone..like completely NOT THERE. So, basically, I 100% applaud you!! Good luck!!

 

[Mafioso]

That is a given. The jimmy legs? I am sure many of us could outrun prefontaine in our bedsheets. Sleep is a cure all, and I?m hoping that kicks in soon. I need it badly. I work in trauma so my life is pretty relaxing as well lol. That was my balance. So need to figure out the new balance. Thanks again for taking the time to respond. Every keystroke is appreciated.

What do you mean you work in trauma? That doesn't really sound very relaxing to me lol... maybe that means something different somewhere?

 

[Xorkoth]

I took that as being sarcastic/tongue in cheek. Like haha, yeah my life is so relaxing, not.

 

[Mafioso]

ahh, that'd make more sense... haha. Dealing with work while going through withdrawals is a nightmare. I managed it a few times

Any luck getting any sleep, indy? I've been taking a supplement that contains L-theanine, 5htp, melatonin, valerian root, passion flower extract, and a few other similar types of things. It's nothing compared to benzos or opiods, or even weed for sleep. But it does help a little and makes it easier to relax and fall asleep.

If you're going on more than 2 days without sleep, or less than 2 hrs of sleep and still can't sleep, it might not be a bad idea to take a very small taper dose so you can get some food, shower and hopefully pass out for at least half the night.

 

[ElleAZ]

Hey. I was given Nucynta 50mg 2 x day two months ago. I was told I could take it as needed after I expressed reservations about dependence. I decided to take it a few times a week only. This started six weeks of emotional chaos for me. The serotonin element of Nucynta kicked my ass. I won't take another. I don't believe this was explained to me correctly by the doctor.

I hope the worst is over for you. Insomnia almost finished me when coming off opiates.

 

[indy500]

Sorry for the delayed response and thanks for the comment. I?m doing well. That first week was a mother as it always is. I?m an impatient person so I always taper way more aggressively than I should because it?s like
Some scene in a movie where you?re in the shower or mirror and just look at yourself and say, take the pain, you enjoyed the ride for so long, now time to pay for it. But what ya gonna do?! The gab helps with the sleep and the legs big time. I?m taking less of that as I?ve heard an abrupt stop isn?t fun of that either but there?s no buzz from with either so that is good. I?ve had to grab like a small Vicodin or something just to help here and there but only at night. Or half of one.

 

[indy500]

Elle, I agree. I changed from my pain doc giving me oxy to nycunta. Not much help unless you take too many and abuse them like I was. I can tell you if you take a bit too much and eat sugary food or greasy something about 30-60 min later, get ready to try and not fall off the earth. It had me thinking I may have OD?d and though about going to hospital. But the SSRI part is the worst part. You are totally right. Awful. Not sure the drug reps let them know about that. Woof. Plus it?s not generic here yet so it?s crazy expensive if insurance doesn?t cover