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Opioids Using Opioids After Withdrawal

C

Clean...ish

Greenlighter
Joined
Jul 18, 2013
Messages
9
Location
Canada
OK, so I was on suboxone (buprenorphine) for 21 months after being addicted to fentanyl, H, and oxy for a few years. Throughout those 21 months I tapered all the way down to 1 mg of suboxone. 28 days ago I decided I no longer wanted to depend on a substance to feel 'normal' so I began the lengthy process of detoxing/withdrawing. Four days into my withdrawal I ended up using some fentanyl. Relatively not very much at all, and it was smoked; It did not 'restart' the process but it did set me back a bit. I am now 24 days 'clean' and I'm wondering if there is someone with experience or a medically backed time frame that states when swim can use and not go into any withdrawal at all (e.g.: after being opiate free for X amount of days the receptors have repaired themselves enough for the withdrawal to be negligible).

I know I've done something awesome with no longer being chemically dependent on a substance, but I never had any intentions of permanently abstaining from opioids , so if it can be avoided I'd rather not be told about how large the mistake I am making is. All I am looking for is personal experience and if it exists, medical data.

Thanks !
 
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Please do not use SWIM in your posts, it not only is against the rules here at BL but it does nothing to prevent any type of self incrimination and it makes your post very hard (annoying) to read.

I think that the time period you are asking about is going to vary widely from person to person and the circumstances..sorry cant be of more help with that.
 
You are playing with fire if you are trying to use opiates occasionally after kicking a habit. As far as how long one must wait after withdrawals in order to be able to use once without having to worry about restarting withdrawals, I would say that 2 weeks it the minimum one should wait. If you are trying to figure out how often you can use while avoiding withdrawals I would say once every 10 days (which is also a minimum time frame), or 3x a month.

Once you have had a habit it becomes easier to get one again, and the more times you catch habits the quicker they will start again. After kicking a decent amount of times it only takes me 2-3 days of consecutive use before withdrawals start again, and about 7 days before the withdrawals are just like they were for my first few habits that took months to get to.
 
Thanks Tommyboy, so if I understand correctly what your saying is that I should wait at least two weeks after feeling no withdrawal to use with minimal consequence
 
something with a longer half life like bupe i would wait at least 4 weeks to use again. make sure you feel 100% ok before you dabble. there is nothing worse than spending months tapering and weeks waiting for WDs to heal only to set yourself back by using too soon. it is something i have experienced many times.

if you are going to use try to use once (as in one shot, one sniff, once smoke) every 10 days. using multiple times even for one day from morning to night would be enough to make me feel very mild WDs for the next 3 days.

You have done something great. I would take some more time to yourself to let your receptors heal before I started to indulge in opiates again. I went into detox at the start of 2013 to get off methadone. Now a year later after multiple relapses, WDs, sleepless nights and pain I am addicted to H and benzos due to bad decisions that all stemmed from wanting to use after getting clean.

You need to have some serious self control. Good luck with your endeavors.
 
actually it depends on your body. tommyboy might be 2 weeks.. u might be 2 months. its all about if your body recognizes the drug and remembers that it does not have to secrete natural substances. everyone's body is different and acts different to certain things. its why medical is called a practice. what you have to do is. when u use. and i know its hard im a junkie my self but.. use and the next day just dont use again. you will feel sick/hungover a little but it will go away. don go back to the roots of u have to do something to get outta the hangover. because we all know 3 day binder = strung out once again. good luck bra
 
once you're out of wds and pawds you wont go into wd using once or twice but do you really think you can hold it to that and not end up using everyday again
 
Tryptamite said:
something with a longer half life like bupe i would wait at least 4 weeks to use again. make sure you feel 100% ok before you dabble. there is nothing worse than spending months tapering and weeks waiting for WDs to heal only to set yourself back by using too soon. it is something i have experienced many times.

if you are going to use try to use once (as in one shot, one sniff, once smoke) every 10 days. using multiple times even for one day from morning to night would be enough to make me feel very mild WDs for the next 3 days.

You have done something great. I would take some more time to yourself to let your receptors heal before I started to indulge in opiates again. I went into detox at the start of 2013 to get off methadone. Now a year later after multiple relapses, WDs, sleepless nights and pain I am addicted to H and benzos due to bad decisions that all stemmed from wanting to use after getting clean.

You need to have some serious self control. Good luck with your endeavors.
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Yea I meant to say that when you do use keep it to one dose, not an all day/night binge. That's why I don't agree with the '8-72 rule' at all. Not only is using once every 3 days way too often if you wish to avoid withdrawals, but using all you want in an 8 hour period every 3 days is also way too much to use if you want to avoid a habit. That rule may work for someone that has never been physically dependent on opiates before, but once you cross that line and have had a habit, it becomes way too easy to catch another habit.
 
If I were to use it would be smoking fentanyl, which has an extremely short half life when smoked... It has now been 26 days with no opioids and I'm feeling very normal, but I'm craving a hit worse than ever... I've been going to NA and talking about it, but I'm really fiending the euphoria! I want to wait until I will not be sick the next day but I feel like the longer I wait, the more likely I will binge harder and longer... Any suggestions..?
 
^^^

Don't do it. I mean, how many of us actually follow through on our idea to just "use one more time", after being clean?

The chances of that happening are slim to none and I think you know that. Sure, you might not get totally screwed up right away... you'll use once, be all good.. then another time here and there.. then before you know it, you'll be back to using everyday and pick up another habit.

That's just how it works, man. There is no going back and "chipping" or "using that one last time" after being clean.
 
I guess my logic is that I managed to use only once a month when I was on suboxone and that I can do it when I'm clean... I just don't feel like its possible to NEVER use again, I'm about to leave for NA and hopefully I'll feel more hopeful afterwards... Thank you all for your insight/support, the more the merrier!
 
Clean...ish said:
I guess my logic is that I managed to use only once a month when I was on suboxone and that I can do it when I'm clean... I just don't feel like its possible to NEVER use again, I'm about to leave for NA and hopefully I'll feel more hopeful afterwards... Thank you all for your insight/support, the more the merrier!
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It's much easier to use occasionally when you are on suboxone compared to after you get off of it.
 
Tommyboy said:
It's much easier to use occasionally when you are on suboxone compared to after you get off of it.
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Yeah you really cant compare the two. Maintenance drugs like suboxone and methadone already take away a large part of your cravings, whether you realize it or not.. plus the whole keeping you from feeling withdrawal.

Trying to stay controlled enough to only use occasionally like being on nothing at all is much different and a lot harder. As is, even people on subox/methadone who keep chipping usually end up fully back to using eventually anyway, let alone those who aren't on maint at all.
 
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