Long term effects (opiates)

[damik]

I have been taking around 1200mg of codeine and 400/600mg of SR tramadol a day for almost 9 years is there any long term health problems I may encounter if I keep taking this much?

Thanks.

 

[somnilicious]

Long lasting anhedonia upon cessation, possibly semi long term hpa axis and other endocrine problems and maybe some long lasting digestion and bowel dysfunction... but time heals all things.

 

[Rio Fantastic]

Like somnilicious said, once the acute WD has passed expect a lot of mental turmoil, especially since tramadol acts as an SSRI as well as an opioid. Once you're physically clean I'd recommend immediately starting an exercise program, clean up your diet and start meditating. Get a support system in place as well - I personally love SMART recovery, but if NA is more your bag then try that. The important thing it to just have some kind of system/program in place to help you, because it will get tough.

If you don't plan on quitting, then the main issues with long term opioid use, assuming your dose is steady and not escalating, is mainly chronic constipation and all the complications that can result from that, a higher susceptibility to depression/anxiety, emotional blunting, and if you're a man your testosterone levels will be chronically depressed leading to low energy levels/drive, fatigue, depression, low muscle tone, little to no sex drive etc.

 

[Ganjcat]

I find, when im high i have more sex drive sometimes i can be looking at a fit woman and just want to start tugging myself off other times someone could be all over me trying to excite and i wont feel a thing poor girl

 

[damik]

Thanks for all the replies.

Although I'm hurting people around me I'm selfishly not ready to quit just yet. But knowing the health problems that stand in my way I really need to think about stopping for good.
Thanks Rio I will definitely look into some sort of exercise programs and recovery solutions.

 

[KraziKat]

Thanks for all the replies.

Although I'm hurting people around me I'm selfishly not ready to quit just yet. But knowing the health problems that stand in my way I really need to think about stopping for good.
Thanks Rio I will definitely look into some sort of exercise programs and recovery solutions.

That's the fucking kicker, isn't it? We know we should quit, we are potentially ruining our relationships – for me it's my marriage! And yet I would kill for a blue 30 right now, my DOC, after promising this is my final quit. I got caught, AGAIN. So I really have to.

 

[cj]

Thanks for all the replies.

Although I'm hurting people around me I'm selfishly not ready to quit just yet. But knowing the health problems that stand in my way I really need to think about stopping for good.
Thanks Rio I will definitely look into some sort of exercise programs and recovery solutions.

Its ok to not be ready. Use bluelight to learn how to use as safely as possible. Just try to minimize the consequences as best you can and stay alive. One day you will be ready and when that day comes we will be here. Hell it took me 5 years to really quit after i started trying.,

 

[Rio Fantastic]

I find, when im high i have more sex drive sometimes i can be looking at a fit woman and just want to start tugging myself off other times someone could be all over me trying to excite and i wont feel a thing poor girl

If opiates ever increase your sex drive I can assure you that you are the exception and not the rule. Were the times where they enhanced your sex drive by any chance early on in your using?? The only time in my entire life I ever had a wet dream was during periods of heavy using where I'd go months & months without jacking off or having sex and then wake up one morning to find my body had gotten rid of it for me. It's almost surreal - when I'm heavy into using women lose all sexual associations in my mind, and I can look at a gorgeous naked woman with complete indifference same as looking at a dude, and then when I stop using H my sex drive comes back with a vengeance and I suddenly remember what it's like to be horny and find women attractive.

 

[Jabberwocky]

when i was first getting into gear i looked into the long term affects of opioids cos i had scientific journal access. fact is. they don't know exactly. you get clean or die. upon autopsy, people who died after using many years of use had brains that were a different texture. they can't do clinical studies cos they wouldn't get ethical approval.

i don't think this is the paper i read originally cos i was only interested in heroin at the time and this is heroin and cocaine, and 2 is a statistically insignificant sample size, but this has the quote 'extensive spongiform degeneration of the cerebral white matter.' i've known this for almost all of my career as a heroin addict, didn't stop me, but if it gives you some motivation, then ace. don't let it get you down though as that'll spiral into more wanting to use.

also- respiratory problems cos of continuous respiratory depression. this has nothing to do with whether you smoke- i was in rehab with a guy who'd never smoked, who'd found a way to double up his fentanyl prescriptions. he'd been on fentanyl 8 years and was hospitalised twice last winter with pneumonia.

------------

edit two other things: opioid induced osteoporosis. this actually scares the shit out of me cos i had osteopenia by the time i was 21, close to osteoporosis in my spine. my bones started healing when i started recovering from anorexia, then i got addicted to heroin and now i'm too old for them to get their full density back.

digestive system problems, i think the worst of these heal when you get clean, but i still have problems 9 months into recovery and they're showing little improvement.

 

[Missgreenewne]

I didn’t have a period for 6 years straight while on opiates. Apparently it can mess up your menstrual cycle.