• BASIC DRUG
    DISCUSSION
    Welcome to Bluelight!
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Benzo Chart Opioids Chart
    Drug Terms Need Help??
    Drugs 101 Brain & Addiction
    Tired of your habit? Struggling to cope?
    Want to regain control or get sober?
    Visit our Recovery Support Forums
  • BDD Moderators: Keif’ Richards

Tapering off opiates with Hydromorphone

Supeudol

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 1, 2007
Messages
1,070
Location
Alberta, Canada.
So, I am having quite the struggle tapering off opiates again, probably for the 4th time detoxing now. I have a daily dispense prescription for Clonazepam 1mg BID, and Hydromorph-Contin 18mg BID. I have been using the Hydromorphone the intranasal route, as I don't IV. I have quite the huge tolerance to both Benzo's and Opiates. So its going to be getting off the opiates first, and then the benzo's second.

Anyway, I am thinking of just swallowing and taking the HydromorphContin as prescribed. But to get my body used to swallowing them and to stave off WD, I am thinking of swallowing 1 of the HydromorphContin 18mg, and then crushing and snorting the other one. I have to go back to my doc on Monday and get a new script as he only gave me a week supply.

I am also on Effexor XR 75mg, Lyrica 150mg BID (although I tend to take a lot more than prescribed) and 100mg Trazodone for sleep.

I was thinking of tapering by doing something like:

HydromorphContin 18mg - for 1 week. (getting into the habit of just swallowing them).
HydromorphContin 12mg - for 1 week.
HydromorphContin 6mg - for 1 week.
HydromorphContin 3mg - for 1 week.

My doc won't script Oxycodone to me anymore because of how strict our College of Physicians & Surgeons is.

Anyways, what do you guys think of this taper plan? (Been struggling for 7 years now with both substances) Although I had a legit reason to be on benzo's as I suffer from severe GAD, Panic attacks, etc.

Getting on Suboxone again would be nice, although its almost impossible where I live as there is like a 3 month waiting list with only 2-3 docs being able to prescribe Suboxone where I live. :(
 
I would extend the taper another week with an even lower dosage. Your withdrawals will be memorable (not in a good way...).

I would also separate the doses as much as possible. You said 18mg the first week. I would do that in 3 6mg doses or 2 9mg doses per day. Only take it when you are just about to start WDing. Don't pull a "fuck it I will just get super high". You will regret this if you are honestly trying to stop.

My 2 cents...
 
Do you have any short acting Meds? Lyrica helps.. But klonopin doesn't help me much as I am used to it... I find tapers are always easier on the short acting opiods.

I also find with my opana since I started snorting it the oral route doesnt help much at all. I believe with hydromorph contin the time release is easier to break cause it's just beads you have to crush. If thats the cause you can do it that way but it might be easier to score some oxy and taper off of that. Given my situation this month, next month I'll be keeping my bt Meds around for situations like this. Good luck.
 
Extending the taper will certainly make things easier.

I'm not sure of the literature on using hydromorphone as a tapering drug but I don't see why it wouldn't be possible..
 
honestly, i would look into using cannabis in attempt to substitute some of the taper for replacement. helped me greatly when i got a script of 60 8mg IR hydromorphs and attacked it nose-first. Cannabis is ALOT easier to put down and gentler on the body than any pill. or try plugging much lower doses. (nasal of 10 mg would be the equivalent of ~6mg rectal for me).

i've seen the semi-substitute method work first-hand. after my brother went from xanax to methadone, i convinced him to smoke with me at night instead of busting out the methadone (i have medical issues, but i've been fortunate enough to have a consistent and EXTREMELY good medical connect. just sucks that i'm stuck in upstate NY (but atleast it's the #7 city in the US to get high, lol)). worked for him just dandy, just sucks that he and i would smoke most of my weed in one sitting, lol.
 
This would be problematic and will end in failure. It's almost like asking if you can use temazepam or triazolam to taper off benzos.

If you truly want to taper and get off opioids, go find the nearest methadone clinic and they will help you.

It's not possible to taper with hydromorphone because it's too short acting and even if you are using the HydromorphContins, you'll run into problems. It's just not the correct way to go about tapering off of opioids.
 
Last edited:
Top