Permanent Opiate Tolerance?

[Dr.kush]

Now, I am experienced with IV heroin enough that I know your tolerance drops if you are clean for some time. I, however, am wondering if a IV heroin addict such as myself will always have a base opiate tolerance? For I just had my wisdom teeth removed with all my stubbornness of not wanting to take ANY pain meds let alone opiates I took 7.5mg of hydrocodone, and it did absolutely nothing.

I am not looking for a high, but relief, which I did not get. I am not willing nor able, since my mom is holding the bottle, to experiment and see how much it would take to work. However, I am guess around 40mg of hydrocodone at least to get a 'buzz' and relief.

I have seen 5mg of Hydro put a older woman to sleep, and have heard stories of opiate virgins getting put sleep by a whopping 5 or 10mgs. Considering that over 100mgs of Oxycodone was needed for me to just get well back in the day 5mg of Hydro just seems silly. I should have just taken tyenol and left my opiate receptors alone.

But enough with my background: So will I always have a little bit a tolerance especially to weaker opiates? I have not had heroin in over a year, that goes for all opiates. Or is it that when I think of opiates 'working' I think of that rush that is produced from IV use?

I have zero opiate side effects, pupils are normal sized, no itching, nothing. I think I will take no more of those pills. It is not worth it. 5/ 325's do not work for addicts.

I would like to make it clear, however, this is my experience, and cannot therefore, be a guide for others. For safety, always see what small doses do to you. especially doing IV.

 

[Swimmingdancer]

It's common for a person's tolerance to never go back to where it was before ever using opioids. I'm sure there are other threads on this issue.

Also being in pain can raise your tolerance as well.

Tolerance is a very complex thing and involves a number of factors (such as receptor desensitization, metabolism, mental conditioning, other changes to the brain), and it is not entirely understood why it often doesn't completely reset after quitting opioids, but it is documented that many people do seem to retain a portion of their old tolerance for years after quitting and also if they start using opioids again their tolerance will go up much much faster than an opioid-naive person's.

Personally I find that weaker opioids do nothing for me now - if I take more I just get more unwanted side effects. I find N-SAIDs - especially the Rx ones - to help more after dental work than hydrocodone or codeine. But yeah, as you said, people shouldn't assume this will be the case for them and therefore take large doses - everyone's different and lots of people have OD'd by taking their old dose after a period without using. Always best to start with a low dose

 

[Dr.kush]

Yes that is pretty much it. I just wanted to get this out there. I am sure there are other threads. I, however, find new ones with new experiences with new inputs can help add to them as well.

I have a job interview today so I am going to stick with Excedrin for the pain, plus it contains my new addiction: caffeine! lol.

 

[T. Calderone]

I think I am one of the lucky people whose tolerance went back to zero. It took some time as I was prescribed 30's and did the whole pill mill thing while I could afford it. I decided it was too dodgy and found a conservative doctor who suggested I step down. Gradually from oxy 30 to 15's then percocet 10. Eventually the last year just hydro 10. I was able to wean myself off. After several months, my friend gave me a 30 and I cut it in half. It didn't seem to do anything for me and after I took the other piece, it hit me hard. I was sick for hours. I found it hard to believe that I used to be able to take 6-7-8 of them daily with no problem and once I quit, I couldn't handle even one.

 

[macd610]

Strange that I happened to see this thread. my mother was many very strong medications when she was in the hospital on and off for acouple of years due to cancer and then a ruptured bowel and a whole medley of other issues. anyway she has been pain and medicine free for quite a while now, nearly a year. today she needed pain medicine for horrible hip pain and was given hydrocodone 5 milligrams. I remember a time when this would have knocked her out. Not the case today though. Even 2 and 3 pills did nothing for her
now, obviously this is not proof that she is going to be tolerant to opiates permanently.... but it is definitely a concern.
good luck!

 

[teological]

Dude, I took four months off, and came back to see that my tolerance dropped only to the effects of nausea and the glow...the euphoria has never been the same as it was before when I first started and today, I took my old dose I used to take, only three doses later.

I think it is permanent. If four months did not do it, what does>>? A year? Ten years>? FFS

 

[Dr.kush]

I have found that 800mg of Ibprofin is a lot better than 7.5mg of hydro. I do not want to take the hydro's for pain relief for I would end up taking around 5 of them then if I get the opiate buzz I will be like "Hello, old friend..." then it would be off to the races.

I like dealing with the pain rather than covering it up. My jaw hurts bad, but just some Ibprofin does the trick. I will wait to use opiates until I NEED them like in some tragic accident or something.


On a similar note: I noticed after I was clean from H for 4 months, I started slamming it again, not starting slow by smoking, straight to IV. I used for a week then went back to rehab, with full withdrawals, from a week! It was not like my previous habit but it seems that my body was quickly getting back to where it was. I think your brain remembers the opiates and it may trigger it to think it will have them supplied and it will therefore stop producing its own thus creating withdrawals. I, however, have no idea why tolerances can stay and why habits are quicker to pick up once you already had one.

 

[adillonm15]

I try not to use opiates too often (even though theyre my favorite drugs) and thought because of that id have the benefit of resetting my tolerance frequently. At one point i needed no less than 60 mg oxycodone to feel good. 6 clean months later, i dosed 40 mg oxy, worried it might be too strong, and i felt nothing. Took 60 mg 2 days later and felt my normal oxy high.

I dont think my tolerance ever goes down ): it sure does go up though. Its closer to 75 mg oxy now. more money more money more money. i even tried black tar heroin a few times recently in hopes of saving some money but i dont like the heroin high nearly as much as oxy, which is probably a blessing.