Need Some Ongoing Help with Giving up the H...

amnesiaseizure

Bluelighter
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Mar 4, 2003
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@ the right place @ the wrong time
Hi to everyone here, this is the first time I've really used this forum for help and support from everyone and i think it'll really help to start an ongoing dialogue to help me deal with all the typical issues that arise when detoxing.

My girlfriend and I have made the decision to stop completely our opiate intake and we're down to a fairly low dose. Like everyone who's been here knows it's not the stopping that's tough, it's the staying stopped that's the killer. We're both down to taking around 120mg of DHC morning and then evening so about 240mg each day. Had a last blow out yesterday and thankfully it was a good and satisfying one so it's a perfect beginning to the process.

Neither of us wants to continue with this as our money is getting rinsed to buggery and we want our personalities back (and our very good sex life which has taken a hit).

The idea now is to just stick to the DF's and lower the dose steadily over the next few weeks. We've also got plenty of vallies to help with sleep and anxiety which my g/f suffers from particularly badly when withdrawing - she also works so needs to be able to keep this up.

My main issue when doing this is anxiety, boredom and chronic back pain from scoliosis - had this since birth and nothing the doc has prescribed has ever really helped apart from opiates. Yoga never touched it although Shiatsu makes a real difference.

We're both at the point of really being very committed but I know I need help from others and there are some really sound people on here with great advice and an empathic ear.

If anyone can spare some time to reply or even to chat over MSN that'd be fantastic. PM me if you can do the msn chatting and I'll give you my addy.

I'm not currently in work but actively looking (don't really want to discuss what I'm qualified as but I'll say that I'm running a major risk in mixing with the local users) and as I've spent a long time getting the qualification I don't want to piss it away by getting caught or being exposed. There;s a lot to lose for both of us if we get found by the police.

We were also getting into crack until recently when we saw what a shitty effect it was having on our usually very patient and laid back approach to life and it's not been too hard at all to do that. It's now just the brown which is an issue. I've been to residential rehab before for 9 months and stayed clean from gear for about 4 years. What took me back to using was going through some major cravings every 2 or 3 months that I felt were debilitating. We made th decision together to try it again and try to dispel the romanticism I was experiencing and bring it back to the reality of what it is actually like. For a while it went fine and we were only doing it every couple of weeks or so.

Inevitably it escalated and now we find ourselves over spending and finding keeping up daily committments more and more difficult. My sweetheart partner is really struggling to hold down her job and give it all she's got so we've basically got everything to gain and nothing to really lose by giving it up.

I know this is a long post so hope those who can help have got all the way to the end! Look forward to hearing back....
 
Hey, I'm new to bluelight. I don't have any advice for you except you might want to avoid diphenhydramine (benadryl). In my experience this intensifies RLS. You could try Kratom, but I'm assuming your trying to just taper and not do any opiate-like drugs. Anyway, I just wanted to say good luck and I really hope you and you're girlfriend can stay clean, I mean it. Please don't feel guilty for your addiction (I'm not saying you do, but I've noticed most people do), for some reason it's the general consensus that opiate addicts are weak minded but I just don't see this as being true. Hang in there!
 
Being from the States, I can assume our health care systems are not interchangeable. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Try finding Imodium, or a generic equivalent. Generally high doses help ease withdrawal due to opiate action. I personally have had success with this, but overdoses are not unheard of, so start low with it and find the appropriate dose - and remember, it's to ease, not vanquish.

2. As JasNod pointed out, Benadryl is a highly risky proposition for withdrawal. Personally, it has granted me some sleep at high doses, but the grogginess and dysphoria I experienced the following day led me to forgo it after two nights use. I never noticed an intensification of my RLS, but it seems to be a frequent issue with Benadryl.

3. DMX (dextromethorpan) is another cough medication with opiate action people find success w/. This, and the all of the above are OTC in the states, or at least Florida and California from my experience. It's worth a google search to find out if they are as readily-available in the UK.

4. Suboxone Treatment is also worth a google search and is very popular here in California. I have had the most success with subs the first time I used them. They are a partial-agonist and treatment programs range from short to long term.

Most of all, you and your lady need activities and outlets to keep your mind off the boredom, cravings, and ennui which usually avails itself at a certain point. IME it is post acute withdrawal. Hey, a good place to start will be getting that sex life up and running. But each of you will need personal physical and creative outlets. I struggle myself with these things right now, and currently am on day 2 clean, after relapsing on day 5 clean. I'd be glad to chat with you about any of this, or just for support, but I don't have msn, so lemme know and I'll work on that if needed. Good luck, and you can do this.
 
Hang in there

All the very best. I've never been strung out on H but hey, other things guy, other things. The really difficult bit is when you're sailing along, thinking you're doing well, when suddenly the need picks you up and shakes you like a rag doll, at moments like that you've just got to believe it will get better. I suppose there are advantages and disadvantages in sharing it with somebody close, on the one hand you always have someone you can trust to turn to when it's bad, on the other hand if they break, you are bound to follow. I'll follow you up, all the very best of luck.
 
Thanks for replies so far people, good advice in there. Getting our sex life up and running is a definite help as it's such a good way to boost our natural endorphins and we really do connect SO well in that department, even after nearly 6 years of being together. I'll try the immodium too, what's a good starting dose?
 
1. Try finding Imodium, or a generic equivalent. Generally high doses help ease withdrawal due to opiate action. I personally have had success with this, but overdoses are not unheard of, so start low with it and find the appropriate dose - and remember, it's to ease, not vanquish.

I can also attest that imodium can help ease withdrawal symptoms.

Also Suboxone would definitely be the preferred treatment imo. Not everyone can work a routine with a doctor and or wants to take the risk of having suboxone treatment on their record. It is also extremely expensive. Doing some research on suboxone to see if it is right for you is definitely worth your time.
 
I'll try the immodium too, what's a good starting dose?

You'll just have to start low and see how it eases the symptoms. Someone else on here may feel comfortable suggesting an exact mg dosage, but I'm not sure what to suggest for you given the range of variables.

Suboxone is a great help for many people,and as stardust.hero suggests it is worth the research in your case. However, I quit a year long dope habit, have tried it before, and know I don't want it now, so everyone is different. My advice: consider it carefully. Consider the Imodium as well, investigate and make your decision.
 
We're not doing bad thanks everyone, had a little slip but we're definitely feeling more in control of things and are on the same page when it comes to motivation. I'm posting a lot more in EADD due to my location and knowing a few people there better than over here but it's great to be able to get differing view from both forums. I think now that we've really sat down and worked out our finances and how we;re going to pay off loans and get the bills sorted we've both got a lot less on our shoulders. It looks like I'll be getting some decent work that I've spent 3 years training for too so that's keeping me positive.

Much love to all in similar positions, it ain't an easy life that's for sure. Hard but dotted with magnificently beautiful moments.
 
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