Opioids Hydrocodone & Depression

[DesertHarp]

I don't have much luck navigating this website. I don't even know how to enter my title for this thread. It would be "Hydrocodone and Depression."

I take hydrocodone/acetaminophen for neck and back pain. It's prescribed and legal. I also suffer from recurrent episodes of depression. Sometimes that comes with anxiety. I take amitriptyline for depression, and that is a very helpful drug. But it's no cure.

Right now I'm in a bad episode of depression. This is the worst episode in over 2 years. My mental state has gotten so distressed at times that I've been taking more hydrocodone to cope. Doing that does seem to bring some temporary relief from mental angst. Of course, this means my monthly quota of tablets is going to run out ahead of schedule. So I'll have to soon cut down on daily use, or anticipate going through some withdrawal. (After a few days of not taking hydrocodone, I get restless leg syndrome.)

I guess I'm here looking for sympathy. I've seen other threads started by posters who found opioids helpful in self-medicating their depression. So I figure there are others here who have a rough idea of what I'm going through. I don't need lectures on how it's bad to take an opioid for depression. I already know that whole argument. It's valid. I already know that.

I joined this website because it looked like a place where people could speak candidly about drugs. Obviously, I can't tell my presciber that I'm depressed and trying to get some relief of depression from hydrocodone.

I never speak candidly with my primary care provider about depression. That might jeopardize my prescription for hydrocodone. Protecting my access to that prescription is my paramount concern governing any interaction I have with my PCP.

I guess I'm hoping to hear something from others who have found that an opiod helped their depression. It's no cure. Neither are any of the psychotropics . . . and I've been put on just about every one of them, at one time or another.

I would imagine that persons prone to depression probably make up a large contingent of the opioid-using population.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

Opioids are great for depression as they relax our anxieties and give us euphoria. I self medicated mild depression and anxiety issues for many years with Vicodin or oxy or tramadol. Number one depression buster in my book. That's why they are working for you and that's why many people over use their script as it not only works for their pain but for their mood. That's the catch 22 in that. We over use then run out and then we only think we were depressed and anxious. When the bottle is empty and we have to wait a week or so for a refill that's when we are really and truly depressed and anxious.

I know you are trying your hardest and don't want to over use but you have to be thankful that you are getting the script and just really need to be mindful to make it last the 30 days. I never could either so I get it but if you run out ( and eventually you probably will ) the anxiety and depression you were using it for will be ten times worse than it normally is. Even if you have to skip a few doses throughout the month ( on good days ) it will be better than having none. Many people on here over use so you aren't alone. Just keep trying to be mindful of making it last.

 

[DesertHarp]

To - Nurse Ratched. There's nothing that I'm more mindful of. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Nurse Ratched]

To - Nurse Ratched. There's nothing that I'm more mindful of. Thanks for the advice.

You're welcome and Merry Christmas.

 

[DesertHarp]

I hear that opioids are CNS depressants, and, as such, are not a good remedy for mental depression. My experience is that they do help a bit.

At one time, I was on Ritalin for depression. It wasn't much help. Then I discovered that Ritalin 40 mg combined with hydrocodone 10 mg, taken together, gave me a powerful mood boost, when I was in an exceptionally low state.

Opioids were used to treat depression way back before all these psychotropics got invented. I fully understand why opioids are no longer a front-line remedy for that purpose. However, psych drugs can be pretty unimpressive as mood improvers. Depression can make a person desperate and open to trying anything to not feel so bad.

 

[DesertHarp]

Today I went to the clinic where I get my primary care. After 5 years as my primary, the physician's assistant who was my provider has left, and I got assigned to a new young MD. I'm pleased that my new primary provider is an actual doctor, and he seemed nice enough. But he was asking a lot of questions about me being on Vicodin (hydrocodone.) He said he was okay with keeping me on it for now. Then he started saying something about eventually weening me off it. That hit me like a dagger to the heart.

My Vicodin prescription greatly enhances my quality of life. The thought of me losing that prescription makes me shudder with dread. I hate having anxiety that this could be taken away from me.

I thought they were backing off that extreme anti-opioid stance of a few years ago. I have read that the pendulum had swung too far in the direction of providers being too stingy with opioids. That has been so unfair to many who use a modest amount of opioid pain killer to keep active. Now they're finding that some patients, who've been deprived of opioids, are using large amounts of Tylenol, or aspirin or Motrin (ibuprofen) and suffering toxic implications from those OTC meds. With my history of bleeding ulcers, I cannot take aspirin or Motrin. Neither do I trust Tylenol, which is toxic to the liver.

In some ways, opioids are safer than those OTC pain killers . . . as long as you don't escalate usage. If doctors used good judgement when prescribing, a lot of abuse would never have happened. Instead, they were prescribing hydrocodone like it was candy. I know because way, way back, a doctor prescribed me way more than I needed.

They're now trying to say that doctors didn't realize how addictive opioids were. That is complete nonsense. Opioids are not new. They've been around for centuries. Doctors have always known how addictive they are. One of the founders of John Hopkins Hospital was a doctor who was an opioid addict. He left a detailed diary documenting his usage. He kept himself on a maintenance daily dosage and was able to have an illustrious career - while using everyday. He directed his colleagues to autopsy his body when he died, so they could assess the damage opioids did to his organs. When he died and was autopsied, they found no damage! Compare that to the ravages that alcohol use visits upon those who drink heavily. The average cigarrette smoker is racking up more physical damage than I'll ever suffer from a Vicodin tablet twice a day. It would be so unfair for me to lose that.

 

[Dextro .45]

I hear that opioids are CNS depressants, and, as such, are not a good remedy for mental depression. My experience is that they do help a bit.

At one time, I was on Ritalin for depression. It wasn't much help. Then I discovered that Ritalin 40 mg combined with hydrocodone 10 mg, taken together, gave me a powerful mood boost, when I was in an exceptionally low state.

Opioids were used to treat depression way back before all these psychotropics got invented. I fully understand why opioids are no longer a front-line remedy for that purpose. However, psych drugs can be pretty unimpressive as mood improvers. Depression can make a person desperate and open to trying anything to not feel so bad.

Opioids + Stimulants (Speedballs) is the ultimate antidepressant combo with significant mood-boosting properties

no other drug on earth gave me the overwhelming euphoric bliss that was oral Oxycodone. The warmest blanket of pleasurable content, cozy, happy, pro-social, outgoing, energetic, inner happiness like my soul was shinning lol.

adding a dopaminergic stimulant to a stimulating euphoric opioid like Oxycodone, significantly increases the analgesic pain-killing properties of the opioid, allows for higher dose of opioids (like with morphines sedative effects) increases vigilance, and potentiates euphoric subjective effects

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) & Oxycodone IR is an amazingly effective & insanely euphoric oral combo

Opioids are obviously the most pleasurable out of any class because endorphins cause pain relief & euphoria, along with Nac dopamine release. Adding a dopaminergic stimulant like Methylphenidate (Ritalin) or Amphetamines (Dexedrine) target monoamine system, releasing dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, combined with Mu-Opioid receptor agonist and its just pure sex inside the pleasure centre of your CNS

a genuine pharmaceutical grade speedball of Diacetylmorphine (Heroin) & Cocaine 5/2 parts i.v. injected and in 3-5 seconds you’d melt in euphoric pleasure lol

d-Amphetamine (Dexedrine) & Morphine Sulphate studied in WWII on injured G.I.’s and the drug cocktail was significantly more effective at treating painful war injuries, than Morphine alone. (Today this is still used with the addition of Ketamine)

 

[DesertHarp]

Opioids + Stimulants (Speedballs) is the ultimate antidepressant combo with significant mood-boosting properties

no other drug on earth gave me the overwhelming euphoric bliss that was oral Oxycodone. The warmest blanket of pleasurable content, cozy, happy, pro-social, outgoing, energetic, inner happiness like my soul was shinning lol.

adding a dopaminergic stimulant to a stimulating euphoric opioid like Oxycodone, significantly increases the analgesic pain-killing properties of the opioid, allows for higher dose of opioids (like with morphines sedative effects) increases vigilance, and potentiates euphoric subjective effects

Methylphenidate (Ritalin) & Oxycodone IR is an amazingly effective & insanely euphoric oral combo

Opioids are obviously the most pleasurable out of any class because endorphins cause pain relief & euphoria, along with Nac dopamine release. Adding a dopaminergic stimulant like Methylphenidate (Ritalin) or Amphetamines (Dexedrine) target monoamine system, releasing dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, combined with Mu-Opioid receptor agonist and its just pure sex inside the pleasure centre of your CNS

a genuine pharmaceutical grade speedball of Diacetylmorphine (Heroin) & Cocaine 5/2 parts i.v. injected and in 3-5 seconds you’d melt in euphoric pleasure lol

d-Amphetamine (Dexedrine) & Morphine Sulphate studied in WWII on injured G.I.’s and the drug cocktail was significantly more effective at treating painful war injuries, than Morphine alone. (Today this is still used with the addition of Ketamine)

Thanks very much for this overview of opioid combined with stimulant. Very interesting. Reading your post has me thinking that maybe I should see about getting that Ritalin prescribed again. I been really struggling with depression.

You sound quite exerienced. If I traveled in circles where I had access to illicitly obtained drugs, I'ld probably have gotten into more serious drug use. I could see me ending up sleeping under a bridge. The oppressiveness of chronically recurring depression is beyond what I can convey to anyone who hasn't known it first hand. It's not even a desire to get high and dive into a euphoric state. It's desperation to get a break from the awful despondency and the listless loss of interest. I thought it was something I'ld outgrow. It only gets worse.

I used to think that alcohol produced some good mental effects. Once I got used to hydrocodone, I had a far lower opinion of alcohol.

Today I saw the new doctor assigned to me. He mentioned wanting to ween me off of Vicodin someday. My heart sank. He said I could stay on it for now. Always the threat of losing it hangs over my head.

I've come to feel so much more empathy for the homeless addicts who roam my city's streets. I wonder how many of them may have gotten lured into drug use because they were really depressed and found something that eased it for them.

 

[Burnt Offerings]

Have you experienced depression your whole life?

 

[Jabberwocky]

I've come to feel so much more empathy for the homeless addicts who roam my city's streets. I wonder how many of them may have gotten lured into drug use because they were really depressed and found something that eased it for them.

"Nobody chooses to become a drug addict"

I wish more people had pity upon the homeless. Some of them wish to live that way, but most ended up there under the most excruciating circumstances.

They are stereotyped into oblivion and criminality.

Some of the most interesting and honest humans I've ever met lived that lifestyle.

 

[DesertHarp]

Have you experienced depression your whole life?

Yes. Well, all my adult life. It was less a problem when I was a kid. In between depressive episodes, I tend to feel very good a lot of the time. But the episodes are grueling.