Hardcore running can actually be addicting much like opioids but less severe. Which left me thinking. A person who is in the process of abusing, their natural endorphin levels are seized. But can an ex-heroin addict get that runners high or even feel the body's natural reaction to pain?
Opioids Does abusing opioids effect runners high?
- Thread starter hdth
- Start date
Crashing
Bluelighter
Of course. Your body regains homeostasis after a long period of abstinence.
aussie101
Ex-Bluelighter
I used to get high and run at the same time. I was on suboxone for years and running the treadmill daily definitely gave me a buzz. It will be interesting to see now that I am opiate free how long it takes to re-obtain that buzz i used to get from sport when i was a kid.
Swimmingdancer
Bluelight Crew
Has that actually been proven? For some people it certainly takes it's sweet ass time. And many people who use opioids didn't have good homeostasis to begin with, most people who use opioids are self-medicating for depression, anxiety, pain, etc.
I feel no runner's high from exercise, I rarely feel endorphins from anything. I was on opioids for around 16 years though and have only been off for a few months. I certainly hope it gets better!
CharLeeIVXX
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2013
- Messages
- 3
I remember one time specifically I IV'd X amount of H and played an intense game of basketball shortly after, after the game I felt as if my high was enhanced. Anyone shed some light on this?
aussie101
Ex-Bluelighter
Yeah I'm not getting much out of exercise right now..in fact ive been sitting on my ass watching movies and listening to music all day!! Last time i got clean i was clean 2-3 months and i still felt like crap. I'm buying a whole bunch of smart drugs/nootropics off the internet to help.
I have experienced the same at the gym. I think its just your body using the dope thats in your body as it would endorphins...
majorigpa
Bluelighter
interesting point. my job requires a fair amount of heavy lifting across long hours and i've always noticed that a nice shot before my shift makes me feel super-human, to the point where i can lift/carry things with less effort than if i weren't high but not dopesick either. i always figured it was just the analgesic properties but never considered the brain may be recalling the endorphin influx as exercise as well.
brutus
Bluelight Crew
It gets better, I was on opiates for 7 years. I'm 11 months clean from opiates and it's only been in the past few months that I've felt somewhat "normal."
aussie101
Ex-Bluelighter
that is very reassuring. thanks! 9 or so months until i can feel normal again
THC_LSD_OC
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2013
- Messages
- 83
It takes a few months off the drug to begin to be able to have normal workouts again.
When i quit benzos after a couple years of addiction it took me a couple months before i could work out normally again.
It will come back though.
I can even exercise a few hours after doing a small dose maybe 15mg of oxy (i dont really have a tolerance) and still get a nice runners high. But i am fully addicted (to exercise) and train 5+ days a week so my fitness is pretty good.
EDIT: I should specify, it only took me 2-3 months to be able to regain my fitness because I have a background in running for the past 6 years of my life. everybody will recover differently depending on your degree of addiction/use
When i quit benzos after a couple years of addiction it took me a couple months before i could work out normally again.
It will come back though.
I can even exercise a few hours after doing a small dose maybe 15mg of oxy (i dont really have a tolerance) and still get a nice runners high. But i am fully addicted (to exercise) and train 5+ days a week so my fitness is pretty good.
EDIT: I should specify, it only took me 2-3 months to be able to regain my fitness because I have a background in running for the past 6 years of my life. everybody will recover differently depending on your degree of addiction/use
Last edited:
Crashing
Bluelighter
I've been off of the IV heroin for a little over a year, and in my experience i am totally normal at this point. Check this out, although it relates to meth: http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/addiction-science/relapse/it-takes-time-brain-can-recover
They have done studies on it. What you decide to do in the meanwhile can speed it up, or deaden the process. I mean if you quit but sit around in a dingy apartment eating cheez doodles and playing video games all year... yeah probably not. If you're out there regenerating your neurotransmitters, you'll probably go back to normal within the year. That's my speculation
Gaz_hmmmm
Bluelighter
The runners 'high' has nothing to do with endorphins. There was a study done (It was posted in Advanced Drugs Discussion) and it showed that endorphin BARELY increased after running/exercise and the increase was only in the blood. Endorphin is too big to pass through the Blood Brain Barrier so it can't have a central acting effect i.e. it won't make you feel high!
Something else is at work!
Something else is at work!
Crashing
Bluelighter
I think everything is at work when you get a runners high, dopamine, serotonin, endocannabinoids, noradrenaline, adrenaline. You probably begin to tap into fight or flight response with increasingly strenuous exercise and the body has to do something so you don't collapse.
^^^ ding ding ding. endocannabinoids are mostly responsible for runners high. check out the ADD thread on it errbody.
Swimmingdancer
Bluelight Crew
Actually the runner's high is really not understood. Different studies have very different conclusions. The study which has led people to assume it has "nothing to do with endorphins" is a study where they administered naloxone to people and they still experienced a "high" from exercise, leading to the conclusion that the "high" must at least be due to more than just the body's natural opioids. It's really not enough to say it is nothing to do with endogenous opioids and the evidence supporting the theory that it is due to endogenous cannabinoids is scant (unless there is something I haven't read about it, I'll look for the ADD thread).
Regardless of the as-of-yet still not understood mechanisms behind the "runners high", I think the OP still has a valid question as to whether long-term opioid dependence can affect the reward you get from exercising, which in my experience it definitely can. It may be more complicated than just a "tolerance" to endorphins, but I think there is definitely a correlation to not experiencing natural highs and joys after quitting opioids.
Regardless of the as-of-yet still not understood mechanisms behind the "runners high", I think the OP still has a valid question as to whether long-term opioid dependence can affect the reward you get from exercising, which in my experience it definitely can. It may be more complicated than just a "tolerance" to endorphins, but I think there is definitely a correlation to not experiencing natural highs and joys after quitting opioids.
Source?
runners high is largely due to 'Anandamide' Check out the link, pretty amazing stuff!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandamide
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandamide
Wanted to say this, it's due to a release of endo-cannabinoids, but it's not only anandamide, 2-AG also plays a role and is far more potent.
At any rate, very interesting stuff!
Daniel1309
Greenlighter
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2013
- Messages
- 4
I actually thought of this a lot myself . I always thought the high was too big and I always thout it was weird how much I hated it so much (running) until felt the hight