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  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Opiates for pot withdrawal? (specific)

H

hadini

Greenlighter
Joined
Jul 28, 2013
Messages
34
I've been a moderate marijuana smoker (say average an 8th of top shelf a week) for four years now. I have tried on a few occasions to stop, but the withdrawals always brought me back... or I'd start to enjoy pot again for some reason and think it'd be good to keep mary around.

That out of the way... I have used opiates on occasion as well. Getting a vic script from street sources here and there, but because I was going to school away from my hard drug guy in my hometown, it was hard to build up much of a habit; only ever had to endure mild withdrawals lasting a few days to a week. It wasn't until the beginning of summer that I returned home and met with my 'guy'. But being finished with school I stuck around a bit longer and over a month and a half probably went through 30-40 norcos, 15-20 perc 10s, and a big bottle of codeine. Tolerance at quitting time was about 60mg oxy. I saw where it was going and b/c of tolerance and general opiate induced depression I forced myself to withdrawal -- nothing too extreme: Runny nose, loose stools, aches, pounding heart, crying often, boredom. Unlike previous withdrawals it lasted much longer, though. 10-14 days to feel all right.

Now to my question: I've been opiate clean for three weeks and feel better. Withdrawal was annoying, but it was not hard at all to resist the cravings or get through it. I have a much harder time stopping weed -- everything feels like it's going wrong and coming apart in a way I can't explain that drives cravings in a way no other drug will. I stopped smoking yesterday because there are NO positives anymore (dont even feel high when I smoke, just stupid). I am dead set on sticking out the weed withdrawal that I just started yesterday, but I was wondering what you guys think about self-medicating the symptoms. I feel like with a crutch to lean on I'll be less likely to fall back in. I will likely be getting some SOMA from my guy back home tonight (for this reason and TMJ purposes) and wondered what you guys thought about getting a few norcs to keep me from being miserable during the 3-4 day peak mark. Will that throw me back into opiate withdrawals? Is there anything else I should try? Not trying to get blasted or go off the deep end here... just counteract the anxiety /boredom so I'm not the worst person to be around for my friends and family. I am not too worried about falling back into opiate addiction and feel it is under control, just worried about making myself sick all over again.
 
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You may or may not end up back in withdrawal. I think this is a TERRIBLE idea. It's like hunting for deer with a missle launcher. I've smoked herb for over two decades, pretty heavily at times. I've never experienced anything even remotely similar to a real "withdrawal" despite taking a six month break now and then. My advice is to just suck it up and stuck it out. It's not gonna be that bad, and if you've already had an opiate habit it is really easy to pick one up again.
 
I also agree that it is a horrible idea. WDs from opiates may not have been that bad so far but trust me, they can be much worse.

If your goal is to trade one drug habit for another (and IMO opiate WD is much worse than MJ once you have a good solid habit), then it might work...but other than that..
 
Well your opiate habit was nothing, some people can take what equates to that in a day and still feel unsatisfied. 150-200 mgs of oxycodone in 45 days? That was basically half of all you did in 45 days. That is not even 1 dose for some people. Those w/d you had were minor discomfort, how someone with a serious H habit feels after 6 hours of no use. After 8 hours they aren't even close to full w/d and probably much sicker than you felt the whole time. And if you think it lasted 10-14 days it was not all acute withdrawal, so most of what you felt was mental. Short acting opioid w/d last 3-5 days, that is it. It is a looooong 3-5 days and it is hell on earth.

So basically what they said stands to reason. You stopped using the opiates, so that is a good thing, so why go back. If you really want to stop smoking the MJ then just stop, it can't be that bad. I know some people get w/d to it, but IDK, I smoked weed for ~12 years, slowing down and eventually stopping over past 2-3 years. Much of it daily and steadily through the day. Never felt anything but cravings, no physical w/d whatsoever. I just would be bored, that is all. And if you can't stop smoking weed without using opaites I suggest not stopping smoking weed. Because you will be risking the trade off to a much more serious issue.
 
I think it's a bad idea to use opiates as a way of coming off weed. I've smoked weed for the better part of 15 yrs and when I quit the withdrawal symptoms were nothing compared to what I've experienced coming off of opiates. If worst comes to worst I'd just continue to smoke a small amount of weed, imo that would be much better than potentially developing an opiate habit. Just my 2cents.
 
No need to be condescending Rtrain. Don't assume that because I've been lucky enough to not dig myself in too deep I don't know anything. People develop higher tolerances? Withdrawal is hard? Fascinating! Tell me more! Just because I didnt spend a week doing a back and fourth with both my ends over the toilet doesn't mean I wasn't sick and didnt lose a week of my life because of it. You spent entirely too much text not answering my question.

Everyone else, thanks for the advice and concern. I think I will be sticking it out and staying clear, though the concern was not starting a worse habit b/c at most i have access to 5 hydros. Mostly just wonderig if the rebound from those would be worth the relief
 
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It almost certainly won't help with any physical effects, just with the boredom and the 'I wanna get high for lack of anything better to do' mindset. Find yourself a hobby or something to distract you with (I personally would start rinsing out computer games, but each to their own =D)
 
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I smoked weed regularly ( every day) for 4 years. I would have to quit once a year to pass a drug test to get DOT certified to drive a commercial vehicle. The pot withdrawals were so minute compared to opiate withdrawal. Taper down on the weed. Only smoke at night before bed. Maybe once when u wake up. Then, as your body adjusts to less weed, you can reduce the night smoke and morning toke. You want to quit, perhaps don't be afraid to use no more than twice a day. Get used to that. Reducing from there should be easier. My 2 cents. Good luck!
 
5 hydros wont have any rebound effect at all. Worst case scenerio you remember why opiates are better than por. I get shitty withdrawals from pot but i have been smoking everyday for 10 years.
 
The withdrawal from opioids may not be "bad" yet but, it certainly will be MUCH worse than quitting cannabis. Each time you withdraw from opioids it will get worse and worse. By what you said it seems your opioid withdrawal was very minor.
There shouldn't be any physical withdrawal from marijuana really. But, everyone is different. I medicated with homegrown cannabis upwards of 7+ grams of flowers daily for years. (still do) At times smoking more than an ounce a day due to my extensive use of super high thc concentrates and edibles. Everytime, I decide to take a break for what ever reason I don't suffer from many symptoms. Maybe sleep issues for a few days but, that fades fast for me. It use to be much worse mentally when I was younger. It's pretty much all mental and the boredom is the biggest factor for most. You NEED willpower and a strong mindset. Without that you will never be able to stop smoking let alone stop using a more physically addicting substance.

If you think boredom is a big factor preventing you to take a break, wait until you get accustom to the opiates. That will make quitting marijuana look like a joke. I really can't advise using opiates for marijuana withdrawal. Especially, because it's mental. Try staying occupied and you should forget about cannabis pretty easily.

It would be an alright idea if opiates didn't have such a high addiction risk. It will help with boredom but thats really it. Before you know it, you will be hooked on opiates. Especially, since your doing them to relieve boredom. Thats a sure way to get hooked. :\ Your just potentially trading one addiction for another. The new one is much harder to deal with.
 
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Just curious, what exactly do cannabis withdrawals feel like? If you only smoke an eighth a week, I would think you would be fine to just stop. I've been an everyday smoker for years (half oz a week was the most, now I smoke about an eighth a week) with periods of abstinence and I have never had any physical withdrawal, only cravings. Like people said above, don't use opiates to come off weed. You run the risk of getting addicted to opiates, and they are a thousand times harder to get off than weed. If you've only experienced mild opiate withdrawal from a couple months of use, consider yourself lucky. You don't want to know how much worse it can get.
 
I just want to say whats already been said, but it's not a good idea to use opiates to compensate for weed WD's. Personally I've never experienced WD's from weed and I smoke a lot more than an eighth a week but that's besides the point. I tried to take a break from weed and did exactly what you mentioned OP, I started using opiates (oxycodone specifically) and got addicted fast. The WD's weren't fun and I went back to weed. Just my 2 cents.

Wish you the best of luck OP.
 
>pot withdrawal

Always figured it was possible but never knew a single person who was that dependent on weed that they'd have it.

Here's what you should do: get some Kratom. It's not like it'll reduce withdrawal symptoms but it's a good pain reliever and it provides a nice opioid buzz without being as potentially addicting as opiates. They come in capsules you can order online or you can buy the leaf and smoke it like you do already with cannabis. I'd say take some of those while you're up and take melatonin/benadryl too and try to sleep through the times when it's the worst and you really want some. Cannabis withdrawal certainly can't last too long.


Another option if you have insurance: see an addiction specialist doctor. They'll give you the pill form of THC (dronabinol) and it's easy to dose and taper down and off from.


Good luck getting over your WD, I myself have experienced it with opiates, z-drugs and benzos before, so even though I've never had a weed WD (I don't even like weed) I get what you're going through and I feel for you man.
 
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The only drug I have serious issues with is pot, at least when it comes to quitting it or even taking a break. For me, the physical (and to some part mental) symptoms of cannabis withdrawal are basically a mild form of opiate withdrawal. One way to explain how I feel would be that, when my endocannabinoid system is thoroughly fucked up, the opioid system doesn't work how it's supposed to either. So for me, it has actually worked miracles in the past to take something like 1mg of bupe total over 5-7 days, meaning 0,4mg or so every few days. This allows the opioid system to actually do what it's supposed to do while the endocannabinoid system repairs itself without me getting addicted to opioids either. I can only speak of my personal experience, YMMV, but this has genuinely helped me a lot so I felt like sharing it.

If you don't have physical issues like me and you're only riddled with boredom/depression, then I'd definitely suggest to stay clear off opiates as there are better alternatives imho. It all boils down to personal chemistry.
 
Thanks for the tips! I have been steering clear of opiates and picked up a gram of trash weed to wean myself down. ALready feeling more clear and better all around. And to whoever suggested videogames... battlefield 3 has made this so much easier.

As for someone who asked what the withdrawals are like at their worst: It's almost an embarrassed feeling. Like getting pantsed as a fourth grader in front of your class. Waves of anxiety that make me feel blushed and sweat profusely. Negative trains of thought rebound and go on much longer than they should (ex-gfs have been known to receive calls when I am trying to stop). Im also ADD so it becomes impossible to focus... car accidents happen. I remember I would relapse solely because I had some paper or project due for school. I'd get a fine grade, but I just couldnt do it during w/d. My self-esteem essentially goes to zero... to the point where relapse had always been ineveitable because I go (fuck it I'm shit anyways)... luckily its been much better this time around. But then again Im weaning, not cold turkey. Oh, and intense irritability. Yelling at loved ones... I want to flip off every driver on the road and in many cases have.

Granted, most of the manefestations are psychological... but it feels very physically dependent in that I feel GREAT for up to 24 hours after quitting... and then the negative effects emerge and slowly build until the 4-5th day or so mark. EVERY TIME. I think I'm experienced enough with substance use to know the difference between a state of mind induced by want/craving or one induced by chemical imbalance. Weed 'withdrawal' has always felt like both... but moreso the latter. Unfortunately, at the time I found it it was the perfect medicine, even moreso than opiates the first time around, both in the lift it gave and how I performed when on it... I guess it follows that the withdrawal is the perfect poison.

Should also add:
Weaning in the past for me has always turned into me just continuing to smoke. This time I've been doing a smallish bowl of blah weed every other night (so went 0,1,2 days without, 3 with, 4, 5 without, 6 with. )... Uncomfortable but not unbearable. Feels like I've been sober this whole time, with those bowls just toning the withdrawal down = a day or so previous. Tolerance already much lower after 6 days. Gonna expand the wait to 3 days starting today.
 
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