I read a lot of opiate withdrawal threads

[FirstTime123]

I just stopped using and I'm very scared. I have been using 4 to 5 (30mg) oxycodone per day for the last 8 months or so. I've made my decision to stop and I took my last 30mg today at 8am.. it's now 5pm and I'm on an emotional roller caster. I've already experienced panic attacks and depression. I feel ok right now but I'm very scared for what I'm going to go through over the next couple weeks. I don't know if I made the right decision to stop cold turkey and I need help. How long will it take for me to get over this, I wonder if I will ever feel normal again. Reading about PAWS makes me worry a lot on top of everything else :/

 

[T. Calderone]

I'm not sure what your motivation is to stop using, if they were prescribed or getting the oxy from other sources. It's a good decision to quit, no doubt. I had been abusing them upwards of seven years and ran out frequently. Withdrawal doesn't have to be horrible, certain medications can ease your symptoms. Like benzos, clonidine and loperamide. Do have any medications that could help you get through the next few days?

 

[FirstTime123]

No doctors, it was all recreational. It started off as an aid with my job, I'm in sales and it seemed to make my job a lot easier until I became dependent on it. . I'm so ashamed with myself and feel so stupid. Now I wonder if I did any permanent damage and it scares me... my doctor prescribes me ritalin which I haven't taken in 2 weeks and I don't know how it will affect me during opiate withdrawals so I'm not taking it

 

[Xorkoth]

The good news is that opiates are very non-toxic, unless you overdose and even that just kills you because of respiratory depression, not because it hurts your brain or body directly. So there is no permanent damage.

Now for withdrawal... yes, it sucks, but to be honest with you my experience this week has shown me that a lot of that is psychological. You are afraid of it being terrible so it's terrible. Granted, it won't be fun, at times it will be really bad, but try to stay positive and keep your mind on the future. Remember that in a week or so the acute withdrawal will be over, and after the whole process is over you'll be free and you'll be able to feel good without drugs again.

Don't feel too bad about yourself (I know it's hard), because many people get into this situation, it doesn't mean you're a bad person or anything. Are you able to take some time off work, like a week, or even a few days? I find the worst part about withdrawal is when I have to work, it's very difficult to be productive and talk to people. When I can just lay in bed watching TV and doing nothing, the process is much easier.

 

[FirstTime123]

Your post really helped make me feel a lot better, I'm starting to realize that the anxiety is what's hurting me most right now but it is only day one for me, I am taking the next 3 or 4 days off of work so I can relax.. I hope I'm over the worst of it in a couple days so I can just get it over with.. thanks again and I will reply tomorrow as well. I haven't done any since the last one in the morning at around 8am mst it is now 8:10 pm mst.

 

[Fatjosh]

hang in there im kickin as we speak and loperamide, and nyquil r your best friends. i know it kind of sounds silly but if you try to go into it with a warrior type attitude it helps because you really are fighting for your life. i wish you all the best, this is one of those things in life people will never understand unless they have been there and now that you have been here you will never look at things the same again. the next time you see that tweeker picking up cans asking you for money just know that they didnt plan for their life to be like that just like u didnt plan for yours to be the way it is right now. if there has been one positive thing that has come from my addiction is that it has made me a much more compassionate person and for that i am thankful.

 

[Oxy_Ghost]

I went CT, it was hard but it gets better. Physical w/d's lasted a little over a week but mentally still screwed up. PAWS is scary to think about but do things to keep your mind off what your going through. Playing Xbox has helped me through everything but I play competitively so I'm always playing haha. Hang there, take it day by day

 

[mostly-human]

A while back I went through opiate withdrawals, going on The Internet was just about the worst thing I did, to help me get through them. There's really not a lot of positive information out there - people are generally posting online because they're struggling and particular if they're still regularly active on forums like Bluelight, then they're quite possibly still quite ingrained in 'the culture'.

I would imagine that quite a lot of people who go through withdrawal and have a smooth experience probably don't bother to write up about it on the Internet. But I assure you, there's plenty of people who have smoothly come off maintenance programs, people who've used the time on the program to adjust their lifestyle into something more sustainable and that promotes healthier living. I think it makes a huge difference to your experience depending where you're 'at' in life.

My suggestion would be - if your life is still a struggle and not really 'on track' - then you're best off being on a maintenance program (if this is an option for you). If however, apart from the opiate use, your life is generally 'where you want it to be' - you should be able to maintain a positive enough attitude to make your withdrawals quite tolerable.

I would say coming out of the opiate 'dream' it must make a world of difference as to what you're waking into.

 

[mostly-human]

Sorry, I realise you're not on maintenance. People *do* sometimes come off regular opiate habits without maintenance, more often though it just becomes a roller-coaster of withdrawals and binges until you completely relapse.. if you don't adjust your lifestyle and remove triggers, there's really not a lot of reason to believe you'll do what nearly no one else has done; just simply stop taking opiates.

Maintenance programs help because they allow you to disconnect from drug dealers, users, etc.. You can basically live a functional life, maintain a job, etc. They allow you to create a 'safe' environment so when you're ready to stop using, you're not walking back into whatever it was that made you want to use in the first place.

Good luck - but after 8 months, I would seriously consider going on a suboxone program, or something similar.

 

[cpd0251]

I weaned off oxycodone about 5 days ago. I think I'm pretty much past the worst. My problem is a can't sit up without support and standing takes my breath away. It feels like my back is not strong enough to support me. Is that part of paws or something else?

 

[Chakakali]

yea it is. i was on about 250mg of oxy a day for a solid 3 years. when i went cold turkey i was shitting and vomiting at the same time for the first 2 days. then i felt like i couldnt breathe when i tried to sleep and got fits of rage and smashed up my whole apartment, i ended up at a lookout with a gun in my mouth on about day 3. if it has been 5 days then you are doing an amazing job. you will be past all the physical withdrawals in a few days at most. from then on its all in your head. have to be strong to stay off it. good luck.