ZydekoSue
Greenlighter
I know there are many questions asked about this subject, but I also know that everyone is different in the way they react to different drugs and the treatments for them...I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematous 6 years ago and have been in constant pain since then, well before then since that's what prompted me to go to the Doc in the first place. It started with pain in my right hip that didn't stop for 6 weeks and it's gradually spread to almost all of my joints and muscles.
I have been on many, many medications from muscle relaxers, NSAIDS, steroids, other Immunosuppressant drugs, herbal remedies, antibiotics, physical therapy, massage and on and on and on. but none of my Docs would prescribe opiates. I finally succumbed to a depression so deep I lost my husband and children not being able to get out of bed unless I absolutely had to. I started getting Morphine, Demerol and Dilaudid illegally. I found that in in small IV or SQ doses throughout the day my pain was greatly relieved and my attitude and motivation increased due to the decrease in pain. I went on this way for 4 years with minimal problems.
If I was unable to obtain opioids I did feel a bit of anxiety, which I relieved with xanax prescribed by my psychiatrist, and an increase which I knew was only temporary until I was able to get opiates. I don't think I went more that a day or 2 without using though. In Dec 2012 I had a horrible Lupus flare and was unable to work at all, or to get drugs. I moved in with my sister and applied for disability (denied twice now) and unemployment. I lived drug-free but in pain (not to mention the other symptoms that accompany a lupus flare) for 6 months.
Nothing I would call severe withdrawal symptoms though, I just stopped using and went on. In May 2013 I met and started dating a man who had a history of heroin abuse, he asked me if I'd ever tried it and I said that I hadn't. About a week later he bought some and I tried it. I didn't find the effect much different from morphine though it seemed to last longer so I didn't need to take as many doses throughout the day. I was out of pain and motivated again. The horrible rashes from the lupus flare were starting to clear, my kidney and thyroid were getting back on track, I thought I might be able to start working soon.
We ran out of money and weren't able to get heroin for a few days, no big deal. wE got money, binged again and ran out of money. After 2 or 3 times of this rotation I noticed my boyfriends behavior change and made him check into the hospital for what I thought was depression. He came out of the hospital on some psych meds and we started using again. One night during a no money period I became very sick, cold sweats, severe fear and anxiety, nausea and vomiting and inexplicably goosebumps...I begged him to take me to the hospital but he told me it was withdrawal from heroin. I thought that was crazy after all the drugs I'd used before and never had symptoms like these. He told me that the goosebumps made it clear that it was the heroin. He talked a friend into fronting him some heroin and within seconds I was no longer sick.
It went on like this for a few more months, I accepted the fact that I was addicted and would just have to conserve rather than binge. I found I was getting sick almost exactly 12 hours after my last dose. This time period quickly decreased but I tried to stick to it's schedule. He got out of control trying to make sure I was kept well, it became too much and I talked him into moving closer to his parents where they agreed to pay for his rehab and medications. So in September we moved and he was able to get Suboxone in 1 day.
He told them he was taking twice as much as he was and that left a dose for me to take as well until I was able to find a low income clinic. I took 4mg/1mg in the mornings. We were clean nearly 30 days when he met someone in his rehab group who gave him some heroin and we used for 4 days straight when we ran out of money again. Since we had the Subs though I thought it would be okay. On day 2 he left for group with the Suboxone in his truck so I didn't get a dose until 1030 that night. I got sick around 2 that afternoon. He came home and saw that I was sick and got mad at me?! He didn't believe that I was sick that quickly because he wasn't. He said "Ask anyone in my group and they will say they've never heard of anyone getting so sick so soon" He gave me a Suboxone dose and I felt better in an hour.
I've started taking 2mg/0.5mg twice daily. I've been clean 4 days now. So I guess my general questions are: Can I have gotten that sick that soon? Why didn't I get sick on prescriptions like I did on heroin? Is there anything I can do about my pain that won't be so harmful? The Subs help the withdrawal pain but not the Lupus pain, which is different and constant. Sorry for such a long post but I wanted to give an accurate description of my history and reactions.
Thank you for any answers or advise you have to offer.
I have been on many, many medications from muscle relaxers, NSAIDS, steroids, other Immunosuppressant drugs, herbal remedies, antibiotics, physical therapy, massage and on and on and on. but none of my Docs would prescribe opiates. I finally succumbed to a depression so deep I lost my husband and children not being able to get out of bed unless I absolutely had to. I started getting Morphine, Demerol and Dilaudid illegally. I found that in in small IV or SQ doses throughout the day my pain was greatly relieved and my attitude and motivation increased due to the decrease in pain. I went on this way for 4 years with minimal problems.
If I was unable to obtain opioids I did feel a bit of anxiety, which I relieved with xanax prescribed by my psychiatrist, and an increase which I knew was only temporary until I was able to get opiates. I don't think I went more that a day or 2 without using though. In Dec 2012 I had a horrible Lupus flare and was unable to work at all, or to get drugs. I moved in with my sister and applied for disability (denied twice now) and unemployment. I lived drug-free but in pain (not to mention the other symptoms that accompany a lupus flare) for 6 months.
Nothing I would call severe withdrawal symptoms though, I just stopped using and went on. In May 2013 I met and started dating a man who had a history of heroin abuse, he asked me if I'd ever tried it and I said that I hadn't. About a week later he bought some and I tried it. I didn't find the effect much different from morphine though it seemed to last longer so I didn't need to take as many doses throughout the day. I was out of pain and motivated again. The horrible rashes from the lupus flare were starting to clear, my kidney and thyroid were getting back on track, I thought I might be able to start working soon.
We ran out of money and weren't able to get heroin for a few days, no big deal. wE got money, binged again and ran out of money. After 2 or 3 times of this rotation I noticed my boyfriends behavior change and made him check into the hospital for what I thought was depression. He came out of the hospital on some psych meds and we started using again. One night during a no money period I became very sick, cold sweats, severe fear and anxiety, nausea and vomiting and inexplicably goosebumps...I begged him to take me to the hospital but he told me it was withdrawal from heroin. I thought that was crazy after all the drugs I'd used before and never had symptoms like these. He told me that the goosebumps made it clear that it was the heroin. He talked a friend into fronting him some heroin and within seconds I was no longer sick.
It went on like this for a few more months, I accepted the fact that I was addicted and would just have to conserve rather than binge. I found I was getting sick almost exactly 12 hours after my last dose. This time period quickly decreased but I tried to stick to it's schedule. He got out of control trying to make sure I was kept well, it became too much and I talked him into moving closer to his parents where they agreed to pay for his rehab and medications. So in September we moved and he was able to get Suboxone in 1 day.
He told them he was taking twice as much as he was and that left a dose for me to take as well until I was able to find a low income clinic. I took 4mg/1mg in the mornings. We were clean nearly 30 days when he met someone in his rehab group who gave him some heroin and we used for 4 days straight when we ran out of money again. Since we had the Subs though I thought it would be okay. On day 2 he left for group with the Suboxone in his truck so I didn't get a dose until 1030 that night. I got sick around 2 that afternoon. He came home and saw that I was sick and got mad at me?! He didn't believe that I was sick that quickly because he wasn't. He said "Ask anyone in my group and they will say they've never heard of anyone getting so sick so soon" He gave me a Suboxone dose and I felt better in an hour.
I've started taking 2mg/0.5mg twice daily. I've been clean 4 days now. So I guess my general questions are: Can I have gotten that sick that soon? Why didn't I get sick on prescriptions like I did on heroin? Is there anything I can do about my pain that won't be so harmful? The Subs help the withdrawal pain but not the Lupus pain, which is different and constant. Sorry for such a long post but I wanted to give an accurate description of my history and reactions.
Thank you for any answers or advise you have to offer.
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The half life of a drug varies greatly between individuals. the half life of methadone will vary from 4 to 140 hours so the quickness at which a person gets sick is varied. this can happen with many drugs and I assume suboxone. Also drugs like suboxone and methadone need to be dosed every six to eight hours to receive the most pain regulation, so it could be that the real pain was returning and this is allot of what you felt. I'm sorry you are experiencing this and hope you find relief at some point. I had and recovered fuly from an autoimmune disease by using lamictal.. the disease I recovered from was sarcoidosis and fibromyalgia. Again I'm sorry for your struggles.