New to the world of heroin: helping my fiance through w/d

[Lostfiance]

Yesterday morning, my fiance came to me asking for help through w/d from heroin. He had gone through this in the past. Most recently was clean for 2.5 months, which was when we met. I was not aware he had been using again for the past 3 months. I don't know how much he was using daily. I have never used his doc, so I have no experience in this. I have researched and read and talked to many people... But I want to make sure I am helping him the best way.

We are now on day 2. He had been going through the sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle cramps, rls, tremors... He told me that he had been tapering down. He told me in the past, he had gone cold turkey and by day 3 he would be feeling better.

I have an array of medications that I believe could help him through this and have done a ton of research as to what might help what. I am hoping to hear what and/or how much would help him, if at all, and maybe kind of what to expect moving further into his withdrawals.

Here's what I have:
Immodium
Zofran 4mg tabs
Trazodone 50mg tabs
Robaxin 100mg tabs
Clonidine .1mg tabs

So far, I have given him, in the last 24 hours, Imodium (2 pills 2 times), Zofran(2 tabs yesterday afternoon & 1 tab this morning), Robaxin(1000mg last night & this morning) and Clonidine (.1mg this morning only.)

Like I said, I have no experience. Please help!

 

[Swerlz]

Hey Lostfiance,

Welcome to Bluelight. I'm sorry to hear about your fiance and the pain he's going through. I know that pain all too well. The meds you got on hand should help him out while he's going through it. I suggest to try and keep him hydrated as much as possible. Clonidine twice a day should help (morning and night). If he's on day 2, he should have another day or 2 left of the acute w/d symptoms. What really helped me relax when I was withdrawing would a hot bath. It'll relax the muscles a good bit and calm him down. The Zofran will help a little with the nausea. In my experience I would take it intramuscularly(I have access to the liquid form that they use in hospital settings) as I wasn't help to take it orally from all the vomiting. He needs to drinking something like Pedalyte or a light color Gatorade to replenish the electolytes he's losing from all the sweat. Magnesium and Potassium are good for the nerves in the muscles. He'll keep cramping up from the lose of water and those minerals. Have him take small sips of it at room-ish temperature and do his best to keep it down as much as possible.

If you have more questions, please don't hesitate to ask me or visit one of the many opiate withdrawal threads that have been made around here. Use the search function and search for "heroin withdrawal" you should be able to find some things there that could help.

Best of luck and I hope he comes out of this ok and doesn't go back to using when the pain stops

 

[CFC]

Hey lostfiance, welcome

As well as Swerlz helpful response above, I've decided to copy your post and stick it in Sober Living for more feedback. Those guys are also really helpful, and you may find that forum in general a great resource

Here's a direct link to your new thread.

All the best,
CFC

 

[Jabberwocky]

Lostfiance, I'll be checking in with SL tomorrow or Friday, so I'll check in on your post.

In the meantime, let me encourage you to not be too hard on yourself about what you're experiencing. There are lots of things people can do to help others not suffer horribly through withdrawal, even when the best medicine isn't available to them. But there is going to be some degree of discomfort (from mild to severe).

If you can find any, gabapentin and something like clonazepam or diazepam will really help with the other meds he's taking to detox (especially gabapentin). Tiger Balm, hot baths/showers, massages, manicures, walking outside, nutrition, comforting music and film, all these will help him get through the withdrawal.

Likewise, taking care of yourself (such as employing what I've suggest above for your partner) is a crucial component of taking care of a loved one.

More in the SL thread later.

Welcome!

 

[Trazodon't]

You might be able to tell by my handle but I'd advise against the trazodone. It has a major metabolite called mcpp so while the trazodone may or may not help him sleep if he wakes up under the influence of mcpp it will be bad news. Diazepam or any other benzo will help as will gabapentin or even better pregabalin. You could try the trazodone but it's really a hit or miss type of drug. Some people love it for sleep but others can't sleep at all on it and it can cause increased anxiety and agitation. Hope he pulls through and stays clean. X

 

[Swerlz]

mcpp has little to no effect as a metabolite in my experience.. A benzo or gabapentin will help relax him for sure.. But it'll be an issue if he's constantly throwing up