A Different (Personal) Experience withOpiate Withdrawal

[kmatrixg]

MODS, is this belongs anywhere else, feel free to move, but I feel I need to share my experience as it isn't the typical withdrawal story.

I bought my last fix Thurday (60mg's of Opana, which I snort) - I was flying out of WNY Friday morning on my way to Boulder. I used on the plane before we landed, but then realized my flight was delayed I had an excruciatingly boring four hour layover in Boston and needless to say I went through about 35mg's in stalls and empty hallways in both Logan Int'l and Denver Int'l. I ended up using my 2nd to last dose right when I landed, leaving that final rush for later.

Anyway, with the time change, I ended up dosing my last hit around 4am right before bed and a bowl.

+6 Hours after 4am Hit: Wake up with the cruddy, hangover feeling. Stomach cramping, yawning. (Diarrhea throughout everything)

- Let me note that my previous withdraw from Opana (another light-ish habit) the physical symptoms only last 24-36 hours (Of course I relapsed due to anxiety)

+8 Hours: Start to feel the common dysphoria; cigarettes taste horrible, chatting with people is as exhausting as a gym session, involuntary hand tweaks

+9 Hours: Dosed with 0.5mg clonazepam

- This is when the periodic sleep started. The thing I hate most about sleeping is how terrifying, painful and anxiety-ridden waking up is.
In my opinion, sleep (when you find a supplement to induce sleep) is the absolute best remedy.

+12 Hours: House mate I was staying with went up to Denver I took an additional 1mg of clonazepam and soundly slept for 4 hours.

+16 Hours: Woken up again, laid, tossed, bathroom trips, but absolutely no RLS or body aches. After dosing with a full 2mg clonazepam after this wakeup, I slept for about 6 hours.

+22 Hours: I wake up with a headache, some confusion, dissociation from reality (or a re-introduction) and a general heady feeling. Took some Advil.

After forcing myself up, showering, getting dressed (attempting to be productive) I ate something, held a conversation and came clean about all which really helped the anxiety. Spent all day doing stuff, pain free aside from some lower back pain.

Since about 30+ after my last dose, I've felt amazing. That of course, could have something to do with the medicinal marijuana, the small amounts of alcohol tonight. Also, I stopped taking the k-pins today - last dose was 1.0 mg about 15 hours ago.

+48 Hours after last dose: I'm typing, stoned of some bud, opiate free for 48 hours, after feeling most of the worst the first 24 hours. Klonopin helped, but as I stated, I only used it for a day. Hopefully people out there won't be afraid to jump off after reading how short mine were, while considering we're not all made the same. Hoping someone else had a similar experience! Glad to share.

 

[tripnotyzm]

Glad you are feeling somewhat replenished.
I hope you have the strength to stay clean and smell the freshness of a healthy lifestyle..

 

[kmatrixg]

Has anyone else out there experienced a quick recovery like this one? I haven't been using for years on end, but I have been using regularly (3-4 times a week Opana, hydros in between) for about 6 months. This was my first serious relapse, and I always heard they get worse each time.

 

[bnlmusicfan2]

Being an alcoholic is the worst feeling in the world I cannot stop it has gotten alot better still relapsed in the airport. I was in treatment in Florida for this and opiate addiction...sigh

 

[Permanent Jones]

Hi kmatrixg,
No way, man. I wish my Oxymorphone withdrawals were that easy. I'd jump right now without a qualm if that were so. However, I'm a daily heavy user (90-120 mg day), and tapering takes me a couple of months, although I am capable of tapering, it's such a slow process for me. Probably because I've been using daily for about 2 1/2 years.
I'm currently in the process of acquiring the comfort meds necessary for my next and (has to be final) jump. In the past, I've always done a 3-4 day half baked taper and jumped CT. Two to three weeks of pure Hell easy. Last time was so physically punishing that I was literally worried that I'd have a stroke or heart attack. So, for the first time ever, I've stopped being a know-it-all and started paying attention to these forums on BL. Apparently, most people coming off heavy addictions use several different meds to help them, like Clonidine and Klonopin.
Questions : how much do you feel having the Klonopin helped you during this withdrawal? Do you think you could've slept without it? And do you think it kept you from getting RLS? Also, how much do you think having the marijuana helped you? And do you know which symptoms it helped to alleviate? I ask because obtaining Klonopin will be much easier than finding any MJ, but if MJ is what prevented RLS, then I'll definitely be making the effort to find some. Thanks in advance for any answers you can give me, and many thanks for sharing your encouraging withdrawal report. I'm glad it wasn't too hard on you.

 

[mareseatoats]

Kmat, congrats on recovering after a yucky 48 hours of withdrawal...any withdrawal is a hard one; but as you have heard before, the more times you start over and try to stop again, the withdrawals will get worse, and will hang on longer and longer. I don't mean to rain on your parade of opiate-freedom; I hope you can stay strong and stay clean-and you stay happy if sobriety is really what you want. I guess I'm just vouching for the truth-if you do use again. But again Cheerio and good luck and best wishes in your sobriety!

 

[ad lib]

Congratulations on your recovery

I hope you find the courage and strength to stay sober. We're here for your support.

 

[Twisted8138]

I have relapsed from opiate use a few times and suffered big time during opiate withdrawal. 160mg a day habit. But this time as soon as I started feeling ill I took 20mg of imodium and some ibuprophen and 90 percent of my symptoms were gone!. So decided to take that same dose before bed to see if i would be able to sleep. I slept all night! Woke up a little jittery but not totally sick as in the past. On day 3 and jumping off the imodium today. I have read about the imodium thingy in a few places, so thought "what have I got to lose?" What works for one may not work for all, but here to tell u it worked for me. Oh and it does not get u high as it does not cross the blood brain barrier, but totally gets rid of the cramping and runs of which make almost 80 percent of withdrawal hell. Hope this help some of u.

 

[kmatrixg]

Hey everyone, 10 days clean and sober. I want to mention first that my habit hasn't been consistent in the least bit, however it has been constant for the past 6 years. 2 years ago I decided to switch to replacement therapy. 8 months ago I ran out of a script over vacation, and had to force withdraw. I made it out alive (subtle) however relapsed 2 days after I returned home. I forgot to pack the good times I had back where I visited. In the past 8 months I've dabbled in a cycle of Lortab, street Suboxone, and oxymorphone. The cycle was normally a week of Sub, followed by 4-5 days of Lortab, 2-3 days of Opana and back to Suboxone (it was cost effective and lasted long for me). Over this time, I did a good job at keeping my tolerance low to where 10-20mg of Lortab would have me okay. It never works like that though. Over the months it got progressively worse.

The last Opana binge lasted about 2-3 weeks of daily insufflation, anywhere from 20-40mgs a day. Not much, I know. Before the binge I needed to take 120mg of lortab in a day, popping 5-8 pills a time. So, while the Opana binge isn't much for alarm in respect to others, I have this 6 year habit in a choke hold and for a rare moment, I'm in control.

Hi kmatrixg,
No way, man. I wish my Oxymorphone withdrawals were that easy. I'd jump right now without a qualm if that were so. However, I'm a daily heavy user (90-120 mg day), and tapering takes me a couple of months, although I am capable of tapering, it's such a slow process for me. Probably because I've been using daily for about 2 1/2 years.
I'm currently in the process of acquiring the comfort meds necessary for my next and (has to be final) jump. In the past, I've always done a 3-4 day half baked taper and jumped CT. Two to three weeks of pure Hell easy. Last time was so physically punishing that I was literally worried that I'd have a stroke or heart attack. So, for the first time ever, I've stopped being a know-it-all and started paying attention to these forums on BL. Apparently, most people coming off heavy addictions use several different meds to help them, like Clonidine and Klonopin.
Questions : how much do you feel having the Klonopin helped you during this withdrawal? Do you think you could've slept without it? And do you think it kept you from getting RLS? Also, how much do you think having the marijuana helped you? And do you know which symptoms it helped to alleviate? I ask because obtaining Klonopin will be much easier than finding any MJ, but if MJ is what prevented RLS, then I'll definitely be making the effort to find some. Thanks in advance for any answers you can give me, and many thanks for sharing your encouraging withdrawal report. I'm glad it wasn't too hard on you.

Hey PJ, sorry for the delay here. With a habit like yours (basically triple mine in every respect [dose, time] I would continue tapering down until you reach a dose like mine. As far as the Klonopin goes, it helped a shit ton. Like I said, I only used it for a day in high doses, but it made the RLS, insomnia, spasms disappear by making me sleep. I couldn't have slept without it, no. The MJ I have is medical grade - 20%+ THC concentrate. I've been smoking Indica to calm my body and make sleep easier. I've smoked a strong Sativa in the past 10 days and would much have rather not. The anxiety was off the charts. If you're interested in these two strains, Google the differences and know what to look for. Indicas are generally heavy body highs - the buds are thick, dark and dense. Sativas are light, cerebral highs - the buds are light, bright and thinner.

Overall, good luck my friend. If you can taper by yourself, I'm sure that once you get to a manageable amount per day you'll have no trouble getting off and staying clean.

I have relapsed from opiate use a few times and suffered big time during opiate withdrawal. 160mg a day habit. But this time as soon as I started feeling ill I took 20mg of imodium and some ibuprophen and 90 percent of my symptoms were gone!. So decided to take that same dose before bed to see if i would be able to sleep. I slept all night! Woke up a little jittery but not totally sick as in the past. On day 3 and jumping off the imodium today. I have read about the imodium thingy in a few places, so thought "what have I got to lose?" What works for one may not work for all, but here to tell u it worked for me. Oh and it does not get u high as it does not cross the blood brain barrier, but totally gets rid of the cramping and runs of which make almost 80 percent of withdrawal hell. Hope this help some of u.

Congratulations comrade, glad you were able to find relief in the Immodium treatment and I hope you stay clean - Immodium never worked for me, personally. Another OTC drug that helped me some is DXM in small doses, perhaps double or triple the recommended use (about 60-90 milligrams).