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Kidney pain after opiate detox

coopie

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 9, 2010
Messages
105
Location
Australia
Hi,

This is my first complete detox - came off bupe a couple of days ago. During WD experiences I have always felt kidney pain (which was understandable because opiates always affected urination with me). During 4 days of cold turkey WD my kidneys were particularly painful - then I got on bupe for the rest of my detox (no K pain - but difficulty urinating). almost 5 days since last 2mg dose of bupe and every day I have significant kidney pain but no corresponding problem urinating - ever since the day after my last dose of bupe.

I want to know from other;s who've been in my boat - is this normal? If so, when does it usually clear up? is this opiate related or is it possible that my daily drug use has masked something wrong with my kidneys?

probably paranoid,

cheers,

Coopie
 
kidneys aren't involved in urination. damaged kidneys may result in over or underproduction of urine but would have no effect on the ability to urinate. The bladder is the organ involved in urination. It's probably just the way opiate withdrawal pain is manifesting in your body, everyone's different. try to stay well hydrated, I find my body very sensitive to dehydration in withdrawal, dehydration could be contributing to your kidney pain. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless the pain gets very bad or doesn't go away when you're out of withdrawals.
 
Cheers for that! souns like I've got my wires crossed!

the pain subsided - but and now I'm clean - but if I drink any alcohol it starts up bad again. but not enough to worry me at the mo - thanks again
 
I also detoxed recently and am now off of suboxone. Long term opiate abuse taught my body to ignore the pain signals that my digestive system was sending to me. I was experiencing a similar pain in my lower back, but found that with a long bowel movement it would disappear.


I believe our wires are crossed. It gets better after a few more days, but I guarantee that a relapse will bring back the underlying causes of the pain that opiates beforehand allowed you to comfortably ignore. Then you'll be back up to your old habits in a few days just to maintain.
 
I know this is a sorta old thread, but I just wanted to say that you're not the only one this happens to.

Every single time I have detoxed from opiates (first/worst time was poppy pod habit, 2nd time oxymorphone/hydromorphone/both depending on the day, 3rd was subutex to stop an h habit) I have had incredible kidney pain. I mean, I know EVERYONE gets lower back pain (often pain all over back) and pretty much all muscles and joints, but this was the only part of my INSIDES that I could pinpoint pain at, right there where my kidney is, confirmed by a doctor and tested to check for possible kidney damage via urine analysis during subutex withdrawals. The UA came back and my kidney was fine (supposedly) so I'm not sure what caused it, but it was a very precise pain in my kidney that hurt worse than anywhere else in my body.

This last time, the time I went to the doc for it, was after tapering down to about .5mg subutex per day and then not refilling it. I was given a small quantity of 50mg tramadol to take 3 a day for a week, 2 a day for a week, one a day for 4 days and half of one the last two days.

The tramadol made the muscle/joint aches almost disappear and the kidney pain just noticeable, plus improved my mood alittle too. Tramadol works in many different ways, as a mild μ-opiod receptor agonist, SNRI, NMDA receptor antagonist (as are ketamine, PCP, N20), and it releases serotonin. This is why, even if the naloxone is still in your system if you're just coming off of suboxone, Tramadol still helps with the pain and depression symptoms of withdrawal.

So for anyone experiencing similar problems, if you have a doctor that is sympothetic with your addicted condition and your choice to quit, ask them about tramadol for the last stage of tapering. It really does make withdrawl seem like it's not such a big deal, as long as you're tapering down with whatever you're using or tapering down with subutex, and then switch to 150mg tramadol a day once you get to a very low dose of subutex. It even takes care of that unexplained kidney pain that seems worse than the rest in some of us.
 
I am experiencing this at the moment as I am five days into a detox from a 3 year heroin habit. It seems to me that it could be tied into increased blood pressure as a result of your detox. Opiates make you relaxed, so when you're coming off them your nervous system kicks into high gear. This can be hard on your kidneys. I have "naturally" high blood pressure and before I was on dope I was on blood pressure meds because the Dr's said I was at immediate risk of renal failure, heart attack or stroke. When I was on dope, it wasn't a problem.

If you have insurance goto a hospital and explain what you're feeling, they will likely prescribe you Clonadine which is a blood pressure med they prescribe to people going through opiate withdrawls.

I do not recommend using other opiates or benzos to kick dope, because that's simply drug substitution. Instead try a more holistic approach - yoga, therapy, groups (NA) etc...

Be well.
 
As far as I'm aware, there isn't any component of opioid withdrawal that would cause actual kidney pain. What you're likely experiencing is muscle pain and hyperalgesia, both of which are very common during opioid withdrawal.
 
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