Opioids When can I safely take opiates again after withdrawal?

[Toz]

Hello, I've been addicted to several drugs over the years but this year I finally decided that enough was enough and got of all drugs (gabapentin 3600mg, clonazepam 5mg, subutex 20mg and ritalin 120-140mg daily). I've been clean from opiates for 4 months but still suffer withdrawals from the gabapentin (which I quit 3 months ago). This is the longest time I've been clean in 6 or 7 years. In fact it is the only break I've had from opiates in the past 5 years.

I would like to know if I can safely take opiates again at this point? Maybe I still suffer from minor withdrawal effects from the subutex, I don't really know, it's hard to tell what is what because I went cold turkey from everything at basically the same time (waited for 1 withdrawal to get a bit better then just started the next after that over the course of 3 months). I do not want to trigger withdrawal symptoms from the opiates again, so if I can't safely use it now, I will wait. But the pain from the gabapentin withdrawal is really getting the better of me, it's been 3 months now and while there has been improvement, I'm still far away from feeling ok. Some days are decent, but some are really really bad. I'm really tired of this by now, I've felt like shit for half a year.

I tried to make a thread about this yesterday but it just didn't show up, or I couldn't find it, so if I double posted, sorry.

 

[BHPaperstacks]

You should be fine as far as physical withdrawl but the mental addiction might fuck you up. I quit for 3 mknths started using and now im on day 8 of using oc again.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

If it's been months since you last used opioids, using once should not put you into withdrawals, although sometimes people do get like placebo withdrawals, where their brain is so used to getting withdrawals when the drug wears off that they feel a bit like they're in mild WD. If you are going to use for a few days in a row that could cause some real withdrawals, since after being addicted before you can get dependent again much faster. HOWEVER, I would not advise even using "just once" because you have quit drugs and are in a fragile position - it is EXTREMELY easy to go back to using again and waste all your hard work. Do you really want to role the dice?

Stay strong

I really know how you feel, it's so hard to go for months feeling like crap, but using opioids again is really not the answer. Check out The Dark Side forum for support with staying clean and things to do to help how you're feeling.

 

[SaosinEngaged]

You'll never be safe again from the mental addiction. Just one use can trigger the entire process all over again, negating any progress made.

Be careful.

 

[Toz]

Thanks for your input guys, I decided that the negative aspects of using opioids again would probably outweigh the positive ones. Even if it would be nice to feel ok for a day and even if I would not get any withdrawal symptoms directly from the opioids, I would still probably percieve it as such when the effects started to wear off just because I've gotten pretty used to feeling like this now. If I got to feel ok for one day, going back to feeling like this would probably feel so much worse than it does now that it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[BeachBum4u]

Thanks for your input guys, I decided that the negative aspects of using opioids again would probably outweigh the positive ones. Even if it would be nice to feel ok for a day and even if I would not get any withdrawal symptoms directly from the opioids, I would still probably percieve it as such when the effects started to wear off just because I've gotten pretty used to feeling like this now. If I got to feel ok for one day, going back to feeling like this would probably feel so much worse than it does now that it wouldn't be worth it.

I second your choice!