Opioids Alcohol and Opiate WD's

[suessmayr]

I hope the mods will forgive me if this has been given a run elsewhere.

I just wanted to know what people think about this. I've never really been much of a drinker, at least not since I discovered drugs. And I have not had a drop of alcohol in the 3 years I've been on bupe. Somehow alcohol lost all its appeal in the context of opiates.

Now I'm jumping out of my skin pretty much. Although it would be, at this stage, mild-moderate rather than severe: mainly intense anxiety, restlessness and depression/dysphoria. So I wanted to know if moderate drinking during WD (I'm 13 days off bupe), and in this context, would likely mitigate or exacerbate things.

S

 

[InterzoneAgent]

I think it helps some people to cope with the symptoms but for me it just makes them worse when the alcohol wears off. Drinking few beers shouldn't hurt though, just don't get too drunk if you still have intense wd's. Opiate WD's and horrible hangover is just unbearable.

 

[suessmayr]

Yeah, thanks. For what it's worth at this stage, I had a small drink - some gin. It tasted like absolute fucking piss and the smell nearly made me spew. But it did help with anxiety and RLS, and with dysphoria generally - made it easier to be apathetic.

It's probably significant that I never saw the appeal in alcohol and that I haven't touched the stuff in years.

Honestly, I don't know why people drink the stuff. Oh wait, yes I do - because it's the only thing that's legal!

 

[opi8]

Hangovers are the worst when you're going through withdrawals although I found that a few drinks does make the pain somewhat more bearable in the short term.

I'd keep the alcohol to a minimum like InterzoneAgent said, definitely don't over do it enough to get even the slightest of hangovers.

 

[Thorns Have Roses]

Yeah, thanks. For what it's worth at this stage, I had a small drink - some gin. It tasted like absolute fucking piss and the smell nearly made me spew.

A common side effect of drinking gin straight! Hahahaha.


My only experience with opiate w/d was done sober, but alcohol might help with some of the symptoms, I'd be weary of hangovers, or preferably consume a GABAergic with more mild side effects.

 

[suessmayr]

GABAergic? You mean like a benzo? Well I mean, yeah, but the only reason I even considered drinking was because I am trying to stay away from benzos. I've only been on them 10 days at miniscule doses but I had a previous habit and I've read conflicting stuff on how long it would actually take to generate a dependence.

Also I probably would not have had the drink if I was still in acute WD. As it is, at day 14 (nearly), the battle is predominantly mental.

Probably won't do it again as the dry-retching and nausea induced by the smell nearly overpowered the sedation.

 

[highhooked]

This is a good topic. Ive never really thought about it that much.

I agree that a hangover and withdrawal does not sound fun at all and that a few drinks would help. Pain, anxiety and depression are probably the biggest issues with withdrawal. Now i have never really been through intense withdrawal, but i know even after the first few drinks from a beer i begin to feel a moodlift and a decrease on anxiety. Also minor aches/pains seem to fade.

So if i were you with moderate withdrawal, I would def be having a few drinks.

 

[mrflowers00]

if you only used a little alcohol it would probably help but too much and your going to feel terrible

 

[suessmayr]

Yeah, so the consensus - for future people - seems to be roughly this: that drinking is acceptable 1) after the acute stage of WD's, 2) in small doses and 3) only in case of people who were never really enamoured of alcohol to begin with.

 

[knock]

How was 3 part of the consensus? I think it's all yours.

 

[Thorns Have Roses]

GABAergic? You mean like a benzo? Well I mean, yeah, but the only reason I even considered drinking was because I am trying to stay away from benzos. I've only been on them 10 days at miniscule doses but I had a previous habit and I've read conflicting stuff on how long it would actually take to generate a dependence.

Also I probably would not have had the drink if I was still in acute WD. As it is, at day 14 (nearly), the battle is predominantly mental.

Probably won't do it again as the dry-retching and nausea induced by the smell nearly overpowered the sedation.

Ah, avoiding the benzos is wise then. Can you get GHB? That's a good one that helps with this sort of thing, otherwise, get some booze that you actually like the taste/smell of and consume it in very modest amounts. Perhaps look into wine, beer, or a liqueur (green anise liqueurs such as pastis and ouzo have the flavor of black licorice, and there are plenty of artificially flavored drinks as well), or maybe mix some cocktails.

 

[suessmayr]

How was 3 part of the consensus? I think it's all yours.

That is correct, 3) is mine - but it seems pretty plain that a former alcoholic shouldn't drink to feel better? That's what I meant by enamoured.

 

[knock]

That is correct, 3) is mine - but it seems pretty plain that a former alcoholic shouldn't drink to feel better? That's what I meant by enamoured.

That makes more sense. Particularly in the context of you not being much of a drinker, "enamoured" didn't really imply "alcoholic" to me.

 

[comatoserct]

I would say taking a benzo, particularly diazepam, would be better than drinking, but if you don't have access to it,l I would drink a little bit. But only when the anxiety/rls is too bad or when you want to sleep. And I would drink beer, not liquor, unless you drink a ton of water with the liquor.

 

[suessmayr]

As it happens, I do have some benzos - some diazepam. And I agree that benzos are much better for this stuff than alcohol. But I used diazepam at night for about 10 days when I stopped the bupe. I had a benzo habit previously so I was worried about this and stopped the diazepam 5 nights ago. Now at day 16.

I drank some beers last night and it was alot better than the gin. But today I have been totally headfucked - so depressed, so low. I only had 3 beers too, but apart from the gin that was the first alcohol in years.