Possibility of "phantom" withdrawal symptoms?

[ErikTheRed]

Like many opiate users, I have fallen in and out of physical opiate addiction over the last 2.5 years. After abstaining for several months I began to develop a dependency to hyrdromorphone, during the summer, with I became became physically dependent on. I stopped cold-turkey from the hydromorphone (Opana ER) two months ago. Over this two month period I stayed clean for the first month, then drank some poppy pod tea three or four times in the later month, on more or less a weekly basis.

I find that I've become extremely perceptive of WD symptoms, and maintain a fear of them despite cutting down on opiates. Whereas, 2 years ago (the first time I went through WD's) they came totally unexpected, which made them easier to deal with. I'm finding that despite using opiates on a once a week basis, certain days I feel symptoms reminiscent of WD's, but on a seemingly random basis. For example, over the last two weeks I have felt mild/moderate WD symptoms for a day, then they will disappear for a few days and come back, even though I hadn't used in this interim period. Sorry if this is confusing, it's a pretty strange situation.

Do you think these WD feelings are a result of craving/mental dependencies or is it simple, physical WD?

 

[shady4091]

After being addicted to opiates for a period of time your brain sort of "learns" how to deal with it. So when you go back on them, after abstaining for any amount of time, your brain remembers and tolerance rises much much quicker. I believe it is possible to feel some withdraws with once a week use after being addicted for 2.5 years.

EDIT: Post 420! Woo-hoo >.>

 

[Smokey McPot]

Opana is oxymorphone not hydromorphone and did you ever consider that maybe you were just getting sick like a cold or a flu? Those feel extremely similar to super mild WD.