Opioids Can anyone give tips on how to sleep during opiate/opioid withdrawal?

[Señor Moreno]

I didn't read all the posts so don't know if this has been already ponted, but there is a antipsychotic med called levomepromazine, brands like Sinogan. It's terribly strong and in a nasty way, too. It makes you feel retarded and has a bunch of undesiderable effects, but it was the only thing that provided me some sleep during wd.
I have seen it in 25 and 100 mg pills and I think I used 25 or 50, can't remember.
As said, terribly nasty but the only thing capable of knocking me out

 

[Juice42]

You know, just in case the shit hits the fan and I gotta quit sooner than expected.

You know, just in case the shit hits the fan and I gotta quit sooner than expected.

i overdosed 2 times once in 2019 it was the second time i ever tried so called Heroi. I insuffilated it I stopped breathing . my girlfriend who has since passed away not from drug use but inherited high blood pressure she died of cardiac arrest . anyway both times she saved my life and God must have been involved both times 4 doses of narcan . the second time i was into it pretty heavy still only snorting it . but my regular plugs were not answering this was in 2022 i went unconcious behind the wheel drove about 2 miles with her in the passenger seat some how i ended up in a parking lot .When i came too after 4 doses of narcan i didnt know if i was still on the interstate and had caused a fatal accident or where i was . I saw Melanie Sobbing She said later the paramedics were walking away and said i think hes gone we couldnt find a pulse . She swore to it . anyway I said no more this is not right I called a methadone clinic I have been off of the heroin ever since . i started at 40 mg the highest dose i was prescribed was 110 . I am now after moving to northern kentucky where i started in november at this new clinic at 110 mg am down to 50 mg and i plan on tapering until im completely off of methadone . it has kept me from the terribly dangerous stuff and I realize this is an old posted question i hope you have found somthing to help you .

 

[Deleted member 554582]

I didn't read all the posts so don't know if this has been already ponted, but there is a antipsychotic med called levomepromazine, brands like Sinogan. It's terribly strong and in a nasty way, too. It makes you feel retarded and has a bunch of undesiderable effects, but it was the only thing that provided me some sleep during wd.
I have seen it in 25 and 100 mg pills and I think I used 25 or 50, can't remember.
As said, terribly nasty but the only thing capable of knocking me out

right brother...some nasty very strong antipsychotic possibly could do the trick.....but for me usually withdrawl means at least a week without a minute sleep.....fuck i can't sleep even with diazepam and opioid right now....can't sleep well from at least three years

 

[Them Witches]

Clonidine, Seroquel, Gabapentin, Valuim, Phenobarbital

 

[SotPoker1012]

exercise cannot be undervalued during WDs, helps you sleep, takes the edge off and helps with RLS too

100% this
In my experience with WDs in the past, the worst of it sets in when I'm resting or trying to sleep. If I can do something physically strenuous, I still feel off but it becomes manageable.

Then again I've been comparatively lucky with WDs.

 

[to_oblivion]

Clonidine and Gabapentin synergize pretty decently during opiate W/D. Pregabalin would be ideal but gabapentin is much easier to get a prescription for.

 

[The_Selecter]

I didn't read all the posts so don't know if this has been already ponted, but there is a antipsychotic med called levomepromazine, brands like Sinogan. It's terribly strong and in a nasty way, too. It makes you feel retarded and has a bunch of undesiderable effects, but it was the only thing that provided me some sleep during wd.
I have seen it in 25 and 100 mg pills and I think I used 25 or 50, can't remember.
As said, terribly nasty but the only thing capable of knocking me out

This might be good if you have the time and space to withdraw and do nothing else. It doesn't sound practical when you have to work and take care of others

 

[Arrows78]

Hello, first time back to BL since 2004. SWIM (do people still use SWIM lol?) was getting sleep by soaking in a very hot bath, heating pads, and a heavy comforter. Also, please try a TENS unit muscle simulation device. $15 to 20 on Amazon gets a good one, but get a device that includes 4 electrode pads, but be aware that you will need to buy extra pads because they must be removed for baths and showers. Also, lidocaine cream or patches on the back. If possible, sleeping in front of a fireplace or wood stove is great for the radiant heat to absorb into your bones. The tears that never quit flowing from the corner of your eyes, Band-Aids with a pinch of a cotton ball helped. Also, having someone to massage and rub is a luxury; I know it's one that not everyone can have.

This fight is ahead, unfortunately.
Talk soon...

 

[Joker65]

Hi. I have recently stopped methadone after 6 years OLD and wish I knew since I jumped off 7 days ago I have slightly gotten better but I still can't stop restless body and legs and have had less that 4 hours sleep in a week. Does anyone know how long to expect this or does it differ from person to person. Also I was on 140 and tapered down to ten before stopping. Thanks. Any suggestions appreciated. Stu

I came off 20 years of methadone, highest dose was 110mg, tapered all the way down to 2.5mg then jumped, and that was may of last year. The initial withdrawal lasts 2-3 weeks even after tapering down to 2.5mg, though not as bad as detoxing off 40mg, and I progressed to PAWS, post acute withdrawal syndrome of rls and 2 hours sleep if I was lucky. I didn't use any meds for the first 15 months, and my sleep improved by about 1/2 hour a month to a Max of 4 hours... I still have several nights a week of around 2 hours, the rest around 4 to 4 & 1/2 hours max, and occasionally I've had a 6+ hour sleep... 3 of them... the long term opiate over years really messes with your natural sleep mechanism and literature says it can take a year or two to re-regulate itself and sometimes never... I've been using a single zotlpidem 12.5CR tablet at night for the past 4 months or so, I have a ruined back with a failed spinal fusion up 8 vertebra so I have major pain and big mobility issues, but I try to be physically active, try and keep my step count at the least over 6000, where health benefits start to happen for folk over 60, I swim 1500m a few times a ok week, so tiring myself out certainly helps. I would strongly suggest you try to take nothing, tire yourself out as much as you can, and let your brain re- regulate itself ĺ

 

[andrey]

So in opioid withdrawal your noradrenaline blood levels are heavily elevated. Noradrenaline is a hormone similar to adrenaline which gets the body in a fight or flight mode. Thats why someone in wd is sweating, nervous and sleepless.
Hence, there is no natural way to get to sleep, you can only do it with meds.

A med that is known to help with wd and directly affects the adrenaline system is clonidine. Although it can have its own risks but it seems to be working fine.

Another drug which helped me a lot was mirtazapine(doxepine is also great). Allegedly mirtazapine has its own effect on the opioid receptors. Seroquel can also help short term, but its more like a heavy hammer. A lot of people seem to like pregabalin and gabapentin, but personally I hate the effect. It kind of helps, but makes me feel like im totally drunk and their addictive potential is very scary. Tbh just stick to some clonidine or an effective AD. You can buy them and stash them away for emergencies. Also cannabis seems to help a lot. But it didnt make me sleepy

 

[Them Witches]

stick to some clonidine or an effective AD. You can buy them and stash them away for emergencies.

Curious what do people pay for Clonidine 0.3mg IR tablets ?

I have an Rx for Clonidine HCl IR 0.9mg daily. I wouldn't sell them. I just want to hear the going rates.

 

[4DQSAR]

https://michaellinnell.org.uk/michael_linnell_archive/mc_dermotts_guides/pdf/M2%20DIY%20detox.pdf

 

[Deleted member 554582]

To sleep?Ha ha..and who will pay the bills,the lunch u/me have eaten?No man-these misery is essential...to see the real face of the demon.....and to know and remember forever.....but it is not work...,cause the face is lovely and disgusting in the same time....and stick u like a glue...fokin' fokin'shit!!!! N

 

[d4v0]

I used prescribed sublingual bupe starting at 12 mg, down to 8 mg after 6 months, 4 mg after another 6 and from that point dropping 0.2 mg per week. Honestly it made withdrawal non existent and I slept really well. If you are in a reduction regime and still can't sleep then short term z-class eg zopiclone will help. Not a Dr but I volunteered at a drug reduction clinic after getting clean and this was the general advice given.
Hope you get through it cos it's worth it and don't be embarrassed if you don't first time - only 6% do.

 

[teemart]

You know, just in case the shit hits the fan and I gotta quit sooner than expected.

You dont . Try to move as hard as it is. Otherwise it's a waiting game.

 

[jose ribas da silva]

I’ll give magnesium bisglycinate and taurine a try, and carefully try phosphatidylserine as well

 

[Keif' Richards]

If you cannot sleep, do not try to sleep. Your body is going to tell you to keep trying, but in my experience, you ultimately have a better time distracting yourself as much as possible. We are talking about serious withdrawal here; the kind where the Restless Legs are so bad that the idea of not moving is nightmarish. For this instance, you are typically just running down a clock right? How long until refill, money, relief. Often this just means a night or two at most.

I highly recommend listening to music while you pace around. Put on your most inspirational stuff and do some laps around your place unti your legs are tired. When you just can´t do that anymore, go put yourself in the shower with hot water. I would turn the shower on and just lay in my bathtub. The sensation of the hot water hitting your skin will give you some relief. You can spend however long you can in the shower until you no longer are experiencing relief from the water. Usually this is 30-45 minutes.

Get out of the shower, put on you headphones and go outside for a walk. The idea of being outside with many things to look at and occupy your mind while you walk will lessen the sensations. You don´t have to go fast, just keep a steady pace and keep looking forward. Lose yourself in your music. Listen to those songs you always listen to when you´re feeling bad.

Next, switch venues again and turn on some comedy. It´s best to keep it really light when you are withdrawing. You wanna know what I watched last time I was really sick? I turned on my old standby BasEketball. It was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I used to watch it on VHS with my brothers almost weekly. I get to laugh and also feel some of those good memories; the kind that sustain you when you´re feeling empty.

You will likely feel like continuing to pace. Get up and move around as you need to. Do not think about geting high. It is only going to derail your thought process. There is no value in imagining getting high right now. It only will create peaks and troughs of despair and deplete you of what little energy you have. Your methods might be different, you need to keep your mind occupied.

If you actually believe you will be able to get some sleep, you be the judge, go lie down and try but don´t drive yourself crazy. Time will go by much more slowly when it´s just you, the four walls and your sickness.

If we need to talk about medications we can do that to, I just felt this was more a psychological thing.