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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards | negrogesic

Opioids Short-acting opioids WD timeline

N

neu_nobody

Bluelighter
Joined
Mar 28, 2024
Messages
48
For how long do you suffer from short acting (morphine, heroin, oxy etc) opioids WDs? How long does the acute phase lasts for you? Post-acute?
From what day can you function more or less normally?
 
Depends on several factors: if you've been addicted before, which opiate you taking, dosage, frequency, route of administration, tolerance,etc
Now, for example if you're taking morphine or oxy. I'd say the worst part lasts 5 days to a week, but there are lingering effects for up to 3-4 weeks(like anhedonia,fatigue, heart palpitations, problems with sleep, premature ejaculation,etc.)
It's a fkn hassle and I'm on day 1 rn. THANK GOD for comfort meds
Yey
 
nznity said:
Depends on several factors: if you've been addicted before, which opiate you taking, dosage, frequency, route of administration, tolerance,etc
Now, for example if you're taking morphine or oxy. I'd say the worst part lasts 5 days to a week, but there are lingering effects for up to 3-4 weeks(like anhedonia,fatigue, heart palpitations, problems with sleep, premature ejaculation,etc.)
It's a fkn hassle and I'm on day 1 rn. THANK GOD for comfort meds
Yey
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What are your go to comfort meds? What doses?
 
nznity said:
Depends on several factors: if you've been addicted before, which opiate you taking, dosage, frequency, route of administration, tolerance,etc
Now, for example if you're taking morphine or oxy. I'd say the worst part lasts 5 days to a week, but there are lingering effects for up to 3-4 weeks(like anhedonia,fatigue, heart palpitations, problems with sleep, premature ejaculation,etc.)
It's a fkn hassle and I'm on day 1 rn. THANK GOD for comfort meds
Yey
Click to expand...

Same for me. Acute phase ~ 1 week. Peak on day 2. Days 2 and 3 are the worst. And from the day 4-5 it starts to subside.
 
nznity said:
Pregabalin, agmatine, diazepam or clonazepam, gabapentin, loperamide, clonidine.
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neu_nobody said:
Not him, but for me it's kratom (yep, know it's an opioid) and lyrica.
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Ok word. May I ask what doses? Currently on kratom prepping to kick in the new year.. also would Kratom be considered long or short acting? I can’t tell as the effects don’t last but the w/ds take almost a day to hit me
 
Kratom withdrawal is even shorter than typical opioid withdrawals. The acutes are 3-4 days compared to 5-7 days.

The PAWS are just as long, though, in my experience.
 
pnillyg said:
Ok word. May I ask what doses? Currently on kratom prepping to kick in the new year.. also would Kratom be considered long or short acting? I can’t tell as the effects don’t last but the w/ds take almost a day to hit me
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The first 5 days or so.
Day1 Loperamide 20mg, all at once.
2-3 gabapentins throughout the day
Benzo as needed.
Day 2
Loperamide 20mg. Again
150mg pregabalin AM
150mg pregabalin PM
1-3 gabas as needed
Day 3
Same as Day 2 but 1 more pregabalin
Day 4 same as Day 3
Day 5 start reducing the loperamide 5mg each Day
Same with the pregabalin only 2 a Day
Keep taking 3 gabas
Day 6 10mg lope just 1 pregabalin
Keep with gabapentin
Benzo as needed
Day 7 just gabapentin and Benzo as needed
Day 8 start withdrawing the gabas they cause dependance too
By Day 10 you should be off everything. That's how I quit last time from a 90mg/Day morphine habit.
Notes: clonidine is not available in my country so idk how to dose it but heard is good too.
G luck
 
Everybody here has summed it up pretty well. Your frequency and dosage are going to play a major role. However, I've met people who said Codeine withdrawal was the hardest thing they ever did and I've withdrawn from several-dozen times that dosage of Heroin in a jail cell with nothing but a steel slab, a toilet and running water (a lot of us have similar stories) and I survived. My point is that it's pretty much always a uniquely shitty experience and the objective amount of misery a person will face is only relative to a certain point.

A user with at least a year of constant intake is gonna be your archetypal case. They will be essentially non-functional for a period of 48-72 hours. You'll get up to vomit, diarrhea and to get water etc. but you're mostly laying in a fetal position on something soft. You will be extremely tired. Your body will not allow you a moment of rest though, as the Akathisia/Restless Legs Syndrome will have you tossing and turning constantly. Changing position will often bring a sensation of relief for 5-10 seconds before you're back to the start.

The next phase involves you doing more complex tasks for yourself like perhaps making food, changing your sheets and maybe doing some basic hygiene like showering/brushing teeth. You're still going to be useless for most things until day 5-7. Day 7 is gonna be the point where maybe you could stand working a shift as a cashier or something that doesn't require too much though. I was a teacher and there was no chance in hell I could get up there, motivate, teach and not vomit all over the front row. It depends what your job is.

For most people, the first ray of normalcy is going to be around 10-14 days. You might be able to say, enjoy watching a movie, maybe laugh at something funny or enjoy listening to music. Opioid withdrawal is like every sight and sound in the world morphing into shades of grey. As you get better, you will see things come into focus.

For most people, 30-45 days is when the worst is over. Following a few days of appreciation for feeling better is typically when the complacency starts. People start thinking it wouldn't be so bad to try Opioids again, with a different outlook or strategy than their previous runs.

If people continue on, it seems like most people are much better after 3 months and I think most people are going to say they feel "whole" again after about 6 months. I'm not trying to scare anyone. Things get better along the way. You feel better in steps and you use these positive feelings to motivate you to keep going. 6 months is not a long time in the scope of a life.
 
Only one thing to add to what everybody already said, the mental aspect matters. Don't panic over going through WDs. I can guarantee that if you obsess over the process and keep envisaging what an unbearable agonising hell it's going to be, it'll make it 10 x worse.

I've been through it several times, cold off a very heavy habit as well, and I found the best attitude to get you through it is just to brace yourself and put up. Yeah you'll feel like death warmed up but it has a time line. For me day 3 was usually the worst; but at any rate by the end of five days you'll absolutely be over the most egregiously unpleasant symptoms and after a week you're more or less fine again (physically speaking). It's not a fun ride but it won't kill ya, and it really does get way too over-dramatised in the movies. Get some meds, most importantly anti-diarrhea and anti-emetics to get you through the puking and shitting stage, plus a good sedative to help calm the general restlessness and agitation, and you're all set.

Oh and you're gonna want electrolytes because you will be sweating like a horse, and any electrolyte imbalances will exacerbate the nausea. Also have on hand some of those sports bars, it gives you easily digestible protein and sugar plus usually also some vitamins, and is good for supporting your body when you can't keep much down and can't face preparing or eating an actual meal.

You'll be just fine.
 
TheUltimateFixx said:
Only one thing to add to what everybody already said, the mental aspect matters. Don't panic over going through WDs. I can guarantee that if you obsess over the process and keep envisaging what an unbearable agonising hell it's going to be, it'll make it 10 x worse.
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I don't think this gets discussed enough in general. The first 1 or 2 days are always the worst for me, even though days 3 and 4 are literally worse symptom wise. It's the mental aspect which is the culprit. Benzos are the worst at this, but I would said opioids are the runner up.

It is very possible to psychosomatically precipitate or exacerbate withdrawal symptoms simply from overthinking it or obsessing about them. In fact, not only is this possible, I would say it's common.
 
Quasimoto said:
I don't think this gets discussed enough in general. The first 1 or 2 days are always the worst for me, even though days 3 and 4 are literally worse symptom wise. It's the mental aspect which is the culprit. Benzos are the worst at this, but I would said opioids are the runner up.

It is very possible to psychosomatically precipitate or exacerbate withdrawal symptoms simply from overthinking it or obsessing about them. In fact, not only is this possible, I would say it's common.
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600mg a day codeine addict here and yes absolutely. Day 1 and 2 are hell. I think it's what you said plus transitioning from fuzzy comfort to personal hell.

Tomorrow I'm on day 3, again, for the countless time, and it's worse than ever.

But I'm taking all my dose at once mid day-ish, when I started out on 150mg I would split in 3 doses and whenever I quit it took 2 ish solid days before it was really fucking bad.
 
thurston said:
I’d like to add this. Do not make the mistake of taking OTC sleep aids. Diphenhydramine can cause severe restless limbs while withdrawing.
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Word brother. Very good point. Sometimes I forget to look at things from the perspective of someone whose hobby isn't drugs. Most people when they think of a "sleep aid" are going to go for the stuff at the pharmacy. This is either going to be Melatonin (essentially useless for a person in withdrawal) or sedating antihistamines:

Doxylamine (Unisom)
Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)
Hydroxyzine (Vistaril) - Prescription drug, but same class

Also, a lot of folks will go for the Nyquil. Nyquil is essentially a mixture of Diphenhydramine (Benadryl), Dextromethorphan (DXM) and Acetaminophen (APAP/Paracetamol). If you want to take Dextromethorphan, get a stand-alone product containing it. I know people who say DXM is effective for them in a small way. At any rate, I don't ever talk to people who say it screwed them up.

The sedating antihistamines can take your Akathisia to heights you never wanted to go to nor dreamed could exist. It's really hellacious. Good point man.
 
I made the mistake of taking diphenhydramine the first time I was in withdrawal and I literally could not stop moving my arms and legs when I went to bed. I broke down and took half a norco and that was enough to chill it out so I could sleep. First of many withdrawals. I e got to the point I have to take opiates for pain, but tolerance is a bitch so I take a week off work once or twice a year and go cold turkey for a few weeks until I have an overwhelming pain episode.
 
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