Another drug dependence to add to the list!

I saw my drug counsellor today and did a big assessment of my history of drug abuse and the drugs I'm currently taking. I told her I've been using codeine and misties (morphine sulfate) daily as a way to self-medicate my depression and meth withdrawals, and she started to ask lots of questions about that - how long I've been doing them, is my dose increasing, am I experiencing withdrawals, etc.

I told her I haven't experienced full-blown opiate withdrawals, and she just looked at me and said "That's because you're using every day, hun. If you stopped right now, you'd probably be as sick as a dog. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to make an opiate dependence diagnosis." I was shocked. I wasn't expecting that at all!

I didn't consider codeine and MST to be hard opiates, capable of causing a severe dependence. But she mentioned that codeine is seriously underestimated in terms of addictive potential, and the amount of MST's I'm using has been increasing over time. I guess she's right. The irony of the situation is that I only started using these drugs as a way to self-medicate my fucking meth withdrawals!

 

Opiates are opiates hun. That's how many people get started. Poppy tea is also notoriously addictive. They're insidious; the dependence really sneaks up on you.

 

That is how it starts, a lot of people start with pills then work up the ladder. How long have you been using them if you don't mind my asking?

 

^ Well I thought I was already up the ladder with my benzo and meth addictions, hence my surprise! I guess I've been doing the opiates for roughly a year... maybe even slightly less.

 

If you're using codeine and or morphine to help combat meth WD's, that's like using benadryl at night to help you sleep because you're coming off of heroin.

I would've laughed in her face and walked off.

You're not addicted to opiates. Trust me.

Well I mean maybe you are, but it isn't likely. I'm sure my heroin habit was much worse than taking codeine or morphine on a daily basis.

 

^ I dunno. Like Dave said, opiates are opiates, and opiates are addictive. I've been taking the codeine and/or morphine on a daily basis, so some level of dependence must have developed by now. Maybe not as strong as a heroin dependence, but a dependence nonetheless. Maybe I should suddenly stop taking them to see what happens... that would be a sure-fire way to know!

 

I take buprenorphine every day, not only am I IVing it, but I get little to no withdrawal symptoms from cessating my use.

The other day when I slept for 21 hours, I only used it once that day. I didn't feel bad at all when I woke up.

Just food for thought. If you find yourself developing a problem, please get yourself back on your feet and stop taking it if at all possible.

I wish you the best of luck with quitting if you need it, because some people find quitting easy, most others don't.

 

^ Thanks! I've stopped opiates for now. Had some withdrawals - sickness, diarrhoea, sweating, and body aches, but I'm over it now. Now it's just the benzos and meth that I've gotta battle with.