Please Help!! Serious Nerve Damage - Passed Out on Heroin & Cut My Circulation Off

[lauren2580]

Please Help!! Serious Nerve Damage - Passed Out on Heroin & Cut My Circulation Off

I have a question that I am hoping someone out there can help me get the answer to. 8)

I was clean for 5 years after being a Heroin/Cocaine addict for 7 years. I began using again, and have been for a little less than a month. I am trying to kick now, tomorrow. The pain is undescribable, but I have to do it. I have a script for Subutex, so I think I can.

The night before last I sat in my bedroom and did a shot in the vein in my neck, as that is the only one I have left. I woke up several hours later with the syringe on the floor, half full of water. It was as if when I was rinsing it out I fell out. It was sticking out of the carpet. I think I may have overdosed.

The position I passed out in was one that had cut the circulation off to my right foot for hours. It just felt asleep when I woke up, but it never came back to life. It's been two days now and I have NO feeling in it at all and can't move it. I can move my toes downwards a little bit, but that's it. I'm constantly tripping over it because it just hangs there. It's awful. This is not exactly new to me. When I was a junkie for those 7 years it happened four times to me. No one ever believed me. I guess they thought I had shot up in a nerve or something...I don't know. It happened to my right arm, then my left arm, then my right foot, then my left foot over a period of 2 -3 years. Each time this happens it's right after I fall asleep on it for several hours. You know how people fall asleep on their arm or leg in the middle of the night and their body's natural response is to wake up before serious nerve damage occurs? I was in such a deep sleep that my body didn't wake up, and it caused nerve damage. Each time it took 3 months to regain any feeling or movement in my arms and legs.

I was wondering if anyone else out there has ever heard of this or has had this problem. Although I have been through it before, I am really scared and confused as to what exactly is going on. I worry that there may be a chance of it never coming back to life again or me having to have my foot amputated.

Please, if anyone out there knows anything about this condition, pass the information along to me. You would be helping out tremendously, as the Dr.'s at the Emergency Room always treat me like a junkie and never tell me what is happening to me. One Dr. refused to treat me at all after finding drugs in my U.A. I ripped the I.V. out of my arm another time because the Dr. was treating me so horribly due to my addiction. I am kicking this awful habit tomorrow and will go to the E.R. once all the dope is out of my system.

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read this. I know there are good people out there, willing to sacrifice a minute to write me back.

- Lauren - [/B]

 

[sushii]

Hey Lauren, welcome to Bluelight.

I've definitely heard stories like yours before, but I can't seem to find any links or websites that might help you out. It's not uncommon though for damage to be done from passing out....I know of one guy who fell asleep on his arm when he was drunk and lost the use of two of his fingers.

The upside is that these things can sometimes be corrected with physical therapy. The guy I know regained total use of his hand eventually, although it did take quite a few months. I've read an account in OD recently where someone did something very similar, and also had physical therapy - and was totally back to normal in a few weeks.

So....it's potentially quite serious, and even though you've had such bad experiences with doctors it would be a good idea to see one straight away. Depending on the level of damage (presuming there is damage) it's possible to get feeling and movement back, but the longer you leave it I would imagine the more difficult that would become. You've been fine before, but it's still not something worthwhile taking a risk on.

I'm sure people here will have had similar experiences and be able to give you some better advice than me. Let us know how it goes.

 

[drug_wench]

no similar experience but i want to back sushii up in saying get to the emergency department ASAP
i know wat its like to hav bad experiences with doctors - fuck wat they say to u about ur drug use.....u need them!
its cos their department gets full of junkies and drunks each night with similar casualties, ODs and battle scars, wen ppl who havnt done wat is wrong wiv them to themselves also need help
i know that doesnt help but since ive bn clean i hav bn able to see why they treated me the way they did
just remember they get to the point where ur not a person, ur a piece of meat, and if u happen to use drugs, ur worse
still not helpful i know.....but u need the help so u can get the damage (if there is damage) assessed
gd on u for taking charge and getting onto the subutex
i wish u well in ur recovery, and hope this is minor

 

[lauren2580]

Thank You...

Thank you both for taking the time to reply to my thread.

Yes, I know I need to get to the E.R. ASAP, but I guess I'm not as worried as I would be if this were my first rodeo.

Today is my first day back on my Subutex and clean from Heroin. It's 4:15 and I feel pretty damn good considering the circumstances. I can't belive I relapsed to begin with. I'm right on the line now, the edge of a cliff - If I keep using no bills will get paid, then the repos and forclosures will come. If I quit, the damage is reversable.

I will go to the E.R. the day after tomorrow when the H should be out of my system. Then, they won't have any stones to throw when I come up with a clean U.A. I'm just going to tell them that I passed out after a night of drinking with my friends. It's fucked up how alcohol is socially acceptable, while weed, etc. is not.

Sushii - Thank you for welcoming me to Bluelight. It is comforting to know that stories like mine are not that uncommon. I couldn't find any useful info. on the internet about it either. I did find a site that said there was a name for it, "Saturday Night Palsy." But, that term only applies when it happens to the arm. Google it...it's kinda interesting. It actually happened to my Uncle's arm and the Dr.'s told him that his nerve ran straight up his arm instead of sort of winding around it, which made him more seceptable to nerve damage. It's a story I heard second-hand, so... Maybe my nerves do the same thing... I don't know...

Anyway, again, thank you both for your replies. It is much appreciated!

-Lauren

 

[phactor]

Get to the emergency room asap. While I've never known anyone personally that this has happened to... I have heard about it occuring.

Anyway welcome to bluelight. Best of luck in your recovery... it will be so worth it! If you screw up then the most important thing is to get up as quickly as possible and brush the dirt of your shoulders. It appears you are doing that and that is awesome!

 

[austinslacker]

I had a similar thing happen to me and I too lost sensation of my toes. I regained sensation with physical therapy. google foot drop. Also, you need to see a neurologist for an MRI. After 3 months, everything is back to normal with me. Hope this gives you hope!!!

 

[CBRworm]

from someone who is left with permanant nerve damage five years later, go to a doctor.

I would do anything, give just about anything to be able to go back to March, 2003 and have gone to the doctor sooner.

That is the one regret I have in my life.

 

[eon_blue]

from someone who is left with permanant nerve damage five years later, go to a doctor.

I would do anything, give just about anything to be able to go back to March, 2003 and have gone to the doctor sooner.

That is the one regret I have in my life.

^^
Enough said.

 

[systemicTN]

I have definitely woken up in some strange positions after nodding out too hard, and the worst I ever had was 12 hours afterward, my right arm (elbow and down) was completely numb much like you described. After those 12 hours of worry I began to feel my fingers again and after about a day it was back to 'normal', but what you're describing is serious nerve damage. No reason to wait any longer, go get it checked out before it's too late. Keep us posted.

 

[phactor]

Now that I think about it, years ago I passed out on an arm during a car ride back from a huge 3 day NYE event in Atlanta... I was on alot of morphine at the time.

I woke up numb in the arm and freaked out (at that point in my life I was using everything under the sun and really sketched out after 4 days with little sleep), the feeling came back within a few hours though. The fact that yours hasn't is what is alarming me.

 

[drug_wench]

it alarms me too!
i know its happened before but after reading some of these stories im getting more and more convinced u need to stop worrying about ur UA (fuck, just b honest and say its heroin - wat have u got to lose? esp if u say ur on the sub now) and get to the ED straight away!
getting on that subutex and off the H so fast after u relapsed was a gutsy thing to do btw, and the fact uve carried thru with it....well i admire that - ur not all talk
dont b ashamed to b an ex-heroin user, cos thats wat u technically r, an ex-heroin user! if a doctor treats u any other way they shud b ashamed of themselves - plenty of addicts in the medical field too

 

[seiko420]

That has happened to me before when I passed out after doing a bunch of oxy. I compressed my radial nerve in my arm and wasn't able to lift my fingers at all. After a couple weeks I started to regain control. Its been a few months and it is still not 100% but it is getting better.

It was very scary, and the whole time I was worried I had permanently damaged my hand. This is a very scary side effect of opiates that hardly anyone knows about. You have to be real careful about how you place your body.

 

[browntar]

It happened often to me, when I fell immediately asleep kneeling down or if I dropped to the floor in an awquard position. My feeling always came back after a couple of hours but I had no idea how long I'd been in that position.

You should go to ER asap coz you've nothing to lose.

I hope you recover, and I'll say a prayer.

 

[lauren2580]

Get to the emergency room asap. While I've never known anyone personally that this has happened to... I have heard about it occuring.

Anyway welcome to bluelight. Best of luck in your recovery... it will be so worth it! If you screw up then the most important thing is to get up as quickly as possible and brush the dirt of your shoulders. It appears you are doing that and that is awesome!

Thank you for your reply! I know, I know...I need to get to the Dr. ASAP. I'm making an appt. right now with my PCP. I know that they will just tell me it's a matter of time, but maybe there is something new out there, a shot they can give me or something to help my nerves recover faster.

Still Clean! Today is my 2nd day and I'm not feeling that bad, just a little achy. I'm on 8 mg Subutex, but you see, the whole time I was doing H I was doing Subutex also. I've been on Subutex for over 2 yrs. I would eat my pill in the morning and then go fix. I guess my body got used to having the H along with the Subs, so it's a weird situation. Subutex doesn't do what it used to do for me anymore. But, it is helping tremendously!

Anyway, thanks again for your reply.

Lauren

 

[lauren2580]

I had a similar thing happen to me and I too lost sensation of my toes. I regained sensation with physical therapy. google foot drop. Also, you need to see a neurologist for an MRI. After 3 months, everything is back to normal with me. Hope this gives you hope!!!

Wow, it's nice to hear from someone that has actually been through this. Thank you so much for your reply.

The H will be out of my system tomorrow, and I would really rather wait until then so I will be treated like a normal person, not a piece of garbage. But, everybody and their Mother is trying to get me to go ASAP, so that I will do.
This is the fifth time this has happened, so an MRI would me a really good thing. Yeah, the past four times it took 3 mos. and everything was back to normal. We're the lucky ones though - I think that if the circulation was cut off for a more extended period of time gangrene is a possibility.

Thank you for the tip to google, "foot drop." I was googling all kinds of phrases, but foot drop never occured to me. The closest I got was, "Saturday Night Palsy."

Thanks for giving me more hope that it will come back to life. I really appreciate it!

Take Care!

Lauren

 

[lauren2580]

from someone who is left with permanant nerve damage five years later, go to a doctor.

I would do anything, give just about anything to be able to go back to March, 2003 and have gone to the doctor sooner.

That is the one regret I have in my life.

I'm sorry to hear about your permanant nerve damage. That's horrible.

Did the nerve damage occur after passing out and cutting your circulation off?

I appreciate the reply. I am going to my PCP ASAP.

Lauren

 

[lauren2580]

I have definitely woken up in some strange positions after nodding out too hard, and the worst I ever had was 12 hours afterward, my right arm (elbow and down) was completely numb much like you described. After those 12 hours of worry I began to feel my fingers again and after about a day it was back to 'normal', but what you're describing is serious nerve damage. No reason to wait any longer, go get it checked out before it's too late. Keep us posted.

Thank you. I am scheduling an appt. now. I will keep you posting. I appreciate your concerns.

You're lucky it only took 12 hrs. for you to regain feeling. The past four times this has happened to me it took three months...three months of a hanging, dead foot...not fun.

I want to find out why this is happening to me so often, when it seems like a fairly rare condition. Hopefully, the Dr. can fill me in. They have never been ANY help in the past - none whatsoever, but I'm giving it a try again.

Take Care,

Lauren

 

[lauren2580]

it alarms me too!
i know its happened before but after reading some of these stories im getting more and more convinced u need to stop worrying about ur UA (fuck, just b honest and say its heroin - wat have u got to lose? esp if u say ur on the sub now) and get to the ED straight away!
getting on that subutex and off the H so fast after u relapsed was a gutsy thing to do btw, and the fact uve carried thru with it....well i admire that - ur not all talk
dont b ashamed to b an ex-heroin user, cos thats wat u technically r, an ex-heroin user! if a doctor treats u any other way they shud b ashamed of themselves - plenty of addicts in the medical field too

You're completely right. I am an ex-junkie, and I'm not ashamed to say so. I was more concerned about not getting adequate medical care because of my Herion use. One time when I went to the E.R. with this same situation the Dr. immediately gave me a U.A. and when he found drugs in my system he kicked me out with NO treatment. I was so pissed that he would deny me medical care just because I was a user. I was yelling at him about a law suit, and I had to be escorted out by a police officer.

Thanks for the comment about it being gutsy that I've started kicking so fast after my relapse. I really appreciate that.
Today is my second day clean and I'm having no cravings at all. I've kicked so many times, the mild withdrawals are almost a normal feeling to me...It's strange, and sad. I don't see myself having any problems staying clean, hopefully. I'm just taking it one day at a time, like, "they," say.

Take Care, and Thanks Again for your encouraging words.

Lauren

 

[lauren2580]

That has happened to me before when I passed out after doing a bunch of oxy. I compressed my radial nerve in my arm and wasn't able to lift my fingers at all. After a couple weeks I started to regain control. Its been a few months and it is still not 100% but it is getting better.

It was very scary, and the whole time I was worried I had permanently damaged my hand. This is a very scary side effect of opiates that hardly anyone knows about. You have to be real careful about how you place your body.

Great, another person who has actually been through this! It's comforting to know I am not alone.

Yes, it is a very scary side effect of opiates that is not well known. It is hard to be careful how you place your body if you just fall out. I woke up on the carpet in my bedroom with a syringe about 3 1/2 ft. away filled half-way with water. I guess I was rinsing it out and just fell. I am so careful about how I sit and sleep after the past four times this has happened to me. But, why is it happening to me sooo much?? I don't get it.

Thanks alot for taking the time to reply! I very much appreciate it!

Lauren

P.S. Good luck on the full recovery of your fingers...it just takes time, I read up to a year, but that would be an extreme case.

 

[lauren2580]

It happened often to me, when I fell immediately asleep kneeling down or if I dropped to the floor in an awquard position. My feeling always came back after a couple of hours but I had no idea how long I'd been in that position.

You should go to ER asap coz you've nothing to lose.

I hope you recover, and I'll say a prayer.

Thank you so much - the prayers are very much appreciated!! I need them.

I bet if you had been in the awkward positions for a longer period of time it would have taken longer for you to recover, and serious nerve damage would have occured. Consider yourself lucky. You know, friends should really look after eachother when they see their buddy sleeping in a weird position. Is it that hard to walk over and pull someone's leg out from underneath them? I do it to my Husband all the time because I know about the consequences all too well.

Thanks again for your nice words. I'll keep ya posted after I go to the Dr.

Take Care,

Lauren