Opioids Can anyone give tips on how to sleep during opiate/opioid withdrawal?

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

Thats also kinda what subs are for.

It's your life. Personally I always found life much easier to deal with when I was on the dope, but I wasn't functional. Even when I was on roxis, that's pretty much what my whole life revolved around. I basically had 3 "modes," thinking about opioids; getting the opioids; being high. Even when I thought i was functional and not shooting up 15-20 times a day, the fact that it takes like 6 months to a year clean before the depression and anxiety start to go away makes its extremely difficult for people who don't go into a controlled treatment environment the most vulnerable to relapse even if they do a proper taper.

GETTING OFF DRUGS IS THE EASY PART; STAYING OFF EM, THATS THE BITCH.

Everybody has to deal with life and responsibilities. Its no excuse not to take care of yourself. We always have a reason not to get help, we don't need to make excuses. We're addicted. That's reason enough to relapse. It's 2023 and we're figuring out more amd more that opioids aren't just effective painkillers for physical pain, they're also phenomenal at regulating emotional pain. You may very well have started on them with good cause but even you know at this point what you're doing to yourself isn't helping. If anything, being actively addicted just adds to the stress we already deal with daily of you truly are a functional addict.

Still wishing you well. Hoping I can be in sublocade by next Friday.

I really appreciate your input. Being a functional addict is no cakewalk, but I have no choice but to be functional in order to pay for both bills and pills. I'd rather withdrawal in the comfort of my own home than out on the streets or under a bridge somewhere. The more functional I am, the better I can fly under the radar and pass as normal. I 2nd what you said about opiates being great for all types of pain including emotional/mental distress. It's so effective that it keeps me from wanting to quit. I never felt "whole" or at ease with myself when I'm sober (that also includes long before I ever touched any drugs). Opiates miraculously fixed all my problems while somehow still being the source of most of my problems. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense. I don't know how else to put it into words.

 

[SuxOxone]

I really appreciate your input. Being a functional addict is no cakewalk, but I have no choice but to be functional in order to pay for both bills and pills. I'd rather withdrawal in the comfort of my own home than out on the streets or under a bridge somewhere. The more functional I am, the better I can fly under the radar and pass as normal. I 2nd what you said about opiates being great for all types of pain including emotional/mental distress. It's so effective that it keeps me from wanting to quit. I never felt "whole" or at ease with myself when I'm sober (that also includes long before I ever touched any drugs). Opiates miraculously fixed all my problems while somehow still being the source of most of my problems. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense. I don't know how else to put it into words.

Bro it's like having a conversation with myself. I have been saying the same thing my entire adult life.

I promise you, bills will be paid much easier with insurance covering your sub script than they will paying 1$ per mg for oxy.

Then there's the matter of when, not if, but WHEN you get desperate enough to switch to "heroin" in order to maintain what you believe to be a functional lifestyle, simply because the bills are paid.

If you have to detox, don't do it on the street or at home if you dont have to. Go in and do it in a hospital setting where you can be truly comfortable.

If you ignore everything I've said up to this point, please understand this; YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND A REASON TO KEEP USING UNTIL THE USING TAKES EVERYTHING YOU HAVE. O wish I could convince you to avoid finding your bottom before you try sub maintenance but at the end of the day that choice is up to you.

In general, sub is much more "functional" than methadone btw. IMO hydrostatic are the most functional and recreational opioid. I like that it's not so sedating but has euphoria twice that of oxy I'm equipment doses. Problem is all that acetaminophen and the supply being practically non existent.

I'm rooting for you dude. PM any time. Always here to help, whatever the issue.

 

[SuxOxone]

going through some nasty venlafaxine PAWs now. I know its not as bad as a some opioid withdrawals but im with you in spirit.

SNRI withdrawals cold turkey (desvenalfaxine and velafaxine / effexor and pristiq are EXTREMELY dangerous and very uncomfortable.

When I just stopped taking high dose effector one day, bc I wasn't aware it caused withdrawals, I got like 3 days in without taking em and the brain zaps were so fucking bad I thought I was gonna have a seizure for sure.

You got this tho friend. You'll be lethargic for a while, mentally anyway, but it evens out. Exercise and outdoor activity is particularly helpful for your situation.

 

[SuxOxone]

Hopefully my last response didn't come across too harsh. I'm just being real qith you based on my own experiences..

I genuinely care and if you dont take any of my advice, at least you don't have to feel like you're the o ly person in the world Feeling like you do.

What you described, that hole in your heart thats always been there. A lot of us have that. Ots usually trauma related but some of us were just made different. Theres no shame in that so long as you're trying. And you are in fact, trying.

Trying is the only requirement to be in recovery. Otherwise you're just spiraling downward instead of crawling back out of the grave we dug for ourselves. The crawl is much harder and much slower than the fall. It sucks. But that light at the end is so worth it.

Sending good vibes.

I really appreciate your input. Being a functional addict is no cakewalk, but I have no choice but to be functional in order to pay for both bills and pills. I'd rather withdrawal in the comfort of my own home than out on the streets or under a bridge somewhere. The more functional I am, the better I can fly under the radar and pass as normal. I 2nd what you said about opiates being great for all types of pain including emotional/mental distress. It's so effective that it keeps me from wanting to quit. I never felt "whole" or at ease with myself when I'm sober (that also includes long before I ever touched any drugs). Opiates miraculously fixed all my problems while somehow still being the source of most of my problems. Sorry if that doesn't make much sense. I don't know how else to put it into words.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I would never reccomend diphenhydramine to anyone in opioid withdrawal. Sounds insane to me.

 

[SuxOxone]

I would never reccomend diphenhydramine to anyone in opioid withdrawal. Sounds insane to me.

It can be used but only if you also have a muscle relaxer to manage the restless leg syndrome. Any use during acute withdrawal cold turkey of diphenhydramine will make you plenty tired, but you'll never fall asleep. Welcome to 6 hrs of punching your legs to get the spiders on your bones to die for a few minutes.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

SNRI withdrawals cold turkey (desvenalfaxine and velafaxine / effexor and pristiq are EXTREMELY dangerous and very uncomfortable.

When I just stopped taking high dose effector one day, bc I wasn't aware it caused withdrawals, I got like 3 days in without taking em and the brain zaps were so fucking bad I thought I was gonna have a seizure for sure.

You got this tho friend. You'll be lethargic for a while, mentally anyway, but it evens out. Exercise and outdoor activity is particularly helpful for your situation.

I've heard that brain zaps are a common symptom of benzo withdrawal. What exactly is it though? Like what happens during a brain zap?

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

I would never reccomend diphenhydramine to anyone in opioid withdrawal. Sounds insane to me.

ZzzQuil (which contains diphenhydramine and alcohol) in small doses helped my withdrawals during my first attempt at sobriety, but I was also taking comfort meds like benzos or kratom along with it. I wouldn't recommend diphenhydramine alone or in large doses for withdrawal EVER. That would be very counterproductive. I know from experience that in larger doses diphenhydramine alone can actually cause RLS.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

Th

It can be used but only if you also have a muscle relaxer to manage the restless leg syndrome. Any use during acute withdrawal cold turkey of diphenhydramine will make you plenty tired, but you'll never fall asleep. Welcome to 6 hrs of punching your legs to get the spiders on your bones to die for a few minutes.

That's how I was taking the diphenhydramine. I'd knock back 1 shot of ZzzQuil with some kratom or whatever benzo or muscle relaxer I had on hand (plus smoking weed and cigs like a chimney). That combo helped me and I stayed clean for 2 weeks before I relapsed under stress, but not everyone gets the same results from certain meds.

 

[deficiT]

Black Seed Oil for sure helps take the edge off. So does ashwaganda. Maybe some valerian root or passionflower. Those would be the more milder options.

If you really can't sleep either a benzo or an atypical antipsychotic in low dose like Seroquel should at least get you closer.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

Black Seed Oil for sure helps take the edge off. So does ashwaganda. Maybe some valerian root or passionflower. Those would be the more milder options.

If you really can't sleep either a benzo or an atypical antipsychotic in low dose like Seroquel should at least get you closer.

I keep hearing good things about black seed oil. Maybe I should keep a bottle on hand. As for seroquel, I tried 1 pill once back in highschool and I nearly passed out. It basically felt like what I imagined the onset of being roofied feels like. When I eventually passed out in bed, it felt more like a black-out than legitimate, comfortable sleep. Never touching that stuff again. It didn't feel even remotely pleasant to me. The only other drugs I could compare it to would be ambien or trazadone, which I don't care for either one. Benzos and kratom helped me power through it the best, actually. At the time, I rationed my oxy down to almost nothing before the jump off, which probably had a lot to do with why the withdrawals were much easier to manage than my next attempt will probably be. I quit after lowering my daily dose of oxycodone to 1.25. This next time around I won't have a choice but to quit after taking 10mg daily for the past few months (my plug for 5mg oxy got cut off and the other plug only gets 40mg OP's). And for anyone curious as to how I got my dose that low, I cut the pills into 1/4ths. I'm already expecting it to be far more hellish next time. Too bad there's no way I can ration down as low as did for my first attempt. Unless I find a source for weaker oxy, this is the current state of things, sadly.

 

[deficiT]

I keep hearing good things about black seed oil. Maybe I should keep a bottle on hand. As for seroquel, I tried 1 pill once back in highschool and I nearly passed out. It basically felt like what I imagined the onset of being roofied feels like. When I eventually passed out in bed, it felt more like a black-out than legitimate, comfortable sleep. Never touching that stuff again. It didn't feel even remotely pleasant to me. The only other drugs I could compare it to would be ambien or trazadone, which I don't care for either one. Benzos and kratom helped me power through it the best, actually. At the time, I rationed my oxy down to almost nothing before the jump off, which probably had a lot to do with why the withdrawals were much easier to manage than my next attempt will probably be. I quit after lowering my daily dose of oxycodone to 1.25. This next time around I won't have a choice but to quit after taking 10mg daily for the past few months (my plug for 5mg oxy got cut off and the other plug only gets 40mg OP's). And for anyone curious as to how I got my dose that low, I cut the pills into 1/4ths. I'm already expecting it to be far more hellish next time. Too bad there's no way I can ration down as low as did for my first attempt. Unless I find a source for weaker oxy, this is just how it has to be, sadly.

Yeah, it really depends on the dose with the Seroquel especially with no tolerance. 25mg would put someone to sleep comfortably enough, but if you took like a much larger dose it can definitely be unpleasant.

 

[axe battler]

Seroquel is a great sleep med. It gets a lot of slagging off by people but I didn't personally find there to be any unpleasant side effects, even at 300mg. I wasn't taking it every day or prescribed it, only took it to sleep.
Of course I could be an anomaly, so perhaps err on the side of caution and try 25-50 first.

 

[Jabberwocky]

As little as 10mg of seroquel can induce sleep. Using less is much much better when using it simply to sleep.

I generally won't use it in acute opioid withdrawal because it makes my restless legs much worse, similar to benadryl due to both having anticholinergic action.

It's pretty decent for sleep during PAWS once the restless legs stop.

Some people seem to be much more sensitive to it's side effects.

 

[SuxOxone]

I've heard that brain zaps are a common symptom of benzo withdrawal. What exactly is it though? Like what happens during a brain zap?

Kinda feels like a mini seizure and often precludes them. You don't quite lose consciousness but for me it would be like an electrical pulse shot through my brain randomly and it'd make me twitch like tweek from south park, and that's how I'd know-it-all was time for a Klonopin or whatever benzoni had in hand at that time which was most likely Xanax.

It's kinda like an actual neurological, physical "heebie jeebie." Like your brain and body do a physical "buffer" type deal. It's pretty dissociative and uncomfortable. It's sorta also like standing up too fast ,(you know what I mean) x9999999

 

[SuxOxone]

I personally prefer 15-30mg mirtazipine/Remron if I'm gonna use an antipsychotic for sleep. Seroquel makes you fucking fat and a lot of people abuse it and take like 10 of em to see the walls melt at the places I've been and trazodone makes me insanely congested and shit...

Remron is non narcotic and works well combined with clonidine and flexeril, which i consider standard/essential comfort meds dduring detox.

As little as 10mg of seroquel can induce sleep. Using less is much much better when using it simply to sleep.

I generally won't use it in acute opioid withdrawal because it makes my restless legs much worse, similar to benadryl due to both having anticholinergic action.

It's pretty decent for sleep during PAWS once the restless legs stop.

Some people seem to be much more sensitive to it's side effects.

 

[SuxOxone]

Th

That's how I was taking the diphenhydramine. I'd knock back 1 shot of ZzzQuil with some kratom or whatever benzo or muscle relaxer I had on hand (plus smoking weed and cigs like a chimney). That combo helped me and I stayed clean for 2 weeks before I relapsed under stress, but not everyone gets the same results from certain meds.

Yeah if it's used within reason and in conjunction with other meds it works as intended byt you have ti have meds to managenthebother symptoms or it just exacerbates the worst of them instead of helping at all.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

I personally prefer 15-30mg mirtazipine/Remron if I'm gonna use an antipsychotic for sleep. Seroquel makes you fucking fat and a lot of people abuse it and take like 10 of em to see the walls melt at the places I've been and trazodone makes me insanely congested and shit...

Remron is non narcotic and works well combined with clonidine and flexeril, which i consider standard/essential comfort meds dduring detox.

Yeah, klonopin helped a bit too.

 

[FunctionalJnkieGrl]

Yeah if it's used within reason and in conjunction with other meds it works as intended byt you have ti have meds to managenthebother symptoms or it just exacerbates the worst of them instead of helping at all.

True.

 

[SuxOxone]

Yeah, klonopin helped a bit too.

Klonopin is the shit. It's actually twice as potent as Xanax by weight but because it is such a long half life drug, it isn't felt so intensely, not to mention obviously dofferent benzos have dofferent effects.

I find Klonopin to be a top tier benzo for detox but its also really helpful to have a short acting drug for breakthrough anxiety during the day. It's got good sedation for a long duration at the correct dose, however tolerance to its effects build quickly and once you're tolerant. We'll you know what you gotta do. Take more. This minimizes time spent actually ingesting klonopin and instead of just being in a "Koma" for a week while you detox you're at least moderately conscious ND don't build a tolerance to either med too quickly.

For the benzo naive I think about 1.5 mg klonopin is a good enough dose to at least ease withdrawal symptoms enough to be big relief for like 4-8 hrs before it's worn off. I believe .50-1 mg lorazepam/ativan, up to 3 times a day should in theory be enough to keep them relaxed during the day combined with klonopin in the afternoon if necesarry. Ambien ER/zolpidem tart ER 12.5 mg is sedating enough combined with .5 mg-1mg klonoin to make a hungry bear go back into hibernation.

If you are benzo tolerant these dosages will need ti be changed to accommodate your normal use of the drugs and they may not even be effective for detox relief in the case of klonopin if used as da daily medication already and in that case caliuk is a fucking perfect substitute, just watch the noodles swings and don't knock the TV over between getting uncountable, cereal and mtn dew.

Benzos give me the biggest munchies...