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Positive The Tapering Supportive/Social Thread

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Good to hear things are going well Uncle_jocko!

Yeah, I think the slow taper is the best plan for sure.
Definitely the least painful and I think you need to give your body some time to heal in between dosage drops.
A long, slow taper seems like it should help for any kind of post acute withdrawal also.
Since your body is slowly adjusting and regulating itself.

Nice to hear you are keeping busy with family and friends!

I'm looking forward to having some dinner with my family also. It is so nice to be well enough to do that now!

Take care guys.
 
It seems the problem is willpower. I dont have any so Im on a willpower substitute(Loperamide). Thats all they really are: suboxone, kratom, etc. If we all had the willpower to taper correctly, then there would be no need for these other drugs.
I am so sick of counting pills. How many I have to take today. How many I have to last me through the month. How many I have taken OVER my limit. I hope this last round if Loperamide gets me free from it all. At least I am in no danger of running out of them:)
 
ObieWan said:
I have experience only with tapering from Subs and heroin. Comparatively, subs are a nightmare and w/d lasts for months. H, the worst is for 4 days. The hardest part is setting aside your amount for your taper without doing more. In my opinion a fast taper is possible. If you are doing 100mg/day you can do it in 4 or 5 days. If you are doing a gram you will need longer. You can reduce 15 to 20 percent daily with relative little discomfort.

A little anecdotal advice that worked for me. On day 4 when you are starting to feel normal, but know it will still be days or weeks before that happens- take a dose. Not a monster dose but enough to give you a rush but not a nod. ALL terrible mental fogginess and achiness goes away and does not come back. I did this two days ago and I still feel 0 physical need for the drug. Psychological craving- that's a different story. I would love to use recreationally- instead of 3-4 times per day, like 3 times per week. I would love to know what the (I know there's no magic number) but how much can someone use for fun to avoid physical dependence. In a few weeks I may try using again.
Click to expand...

In my experience, every time I got free, and then decided to myself that I was going to try to use opiates again responsibly and avoid addiction, it wasn't long before I was smack dab in the middle of my addiction again, right where I left off, but hating myself even more.
 
Just out of curiosity, a few questions about Loperamide? Is this just over-the-counter stuff? Can you get it at CVS? Another question: Does Loperamide help with withdrawals; and if so, how much does one take?
 
Yeah you can get the loperamide just about anywhere. It is an anti-diarrhea medication. Also know as Immodium.

Yes it can take away withdrawal symptoms when used in higher doses than is recommended.

But it is an opioid itself and a powerful one. It gets rid of withdrawal symptoms because it is an opioid itself.
It is referred to as "over the counter methadone".

So, it doesn't really get rid of them, it just holds them off.
The withdrawal from the loperamide was severe. Worse than cold turkey from 75 mg morphine a day.
(Which is all I have to compare it to.) way worse and way long.

Also, it makes your tolerance go up ALOT so it seems to have a blocking effect when using other opiates again.
Loperamide is toxic and can cause very serious heart problems and/ or death.

How much does one take? I would never use over the recommendations on the box. Up to 16 mg a day for three days maximum.
It took about 48 mg to take most withdrawal symptoms from 75 mg morphine away. I used it for ten days, starting at 48 mg and rapidly tapered down to 10 mg over the ten days time and ended up with severe Loperamide withdrawal.

It has been two months of acute opiate withdrawal and my prescribed morphine has not been working until just recently also.
 
Thanks for the info, Painful One ... I think I'll stay away from Loperamide. It's funny - I can definitely feel my body react to my taper. At 30mgs, I really didn't feel it - but there's a difference at 20. When I was younger and used to take Norco, I'd be able to taper quickly; however, now in my 50's, the body definitely changes. One thing I really want to try and avoid is the depression that can come with getting off oxycodone. If anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears (I mean, I'm aware of exercising, eating right, etc. - but any other suggestions would be great).
 
Yeah, the depression is really bad.

I really don't know how to cope with the depression. The depression is so much worse when you are living with chronic pain / injury.
I have done everything- exercise, eat healthy, meditation, distraction etc.
the depression seems to be a constant companion of chronic pain as well as anxiety.
The only way I manage to live at all is with medications.

I just have to keep the medications stable as that is when I feel the "best" but it is super hard to do because I am always in some degree of pain and the depression from having my life disabled is crushing.

Don't be too hard on yourself Squeaky. It is so hard to live with back injury/ chronic pain/ disability.
I think we do amazing considering. It is amazing we are still here at all! Everyday is such a challenge!
 
Shroomy,

I'm sorry to hear this my friend!
You recently took an entire bottle of clonazepam? I hope not. If that is the case, you could be having all kinds of problems from that for awhile. I don't know if foot pain is a benzo withdrawal symptom or not. I will look at some stories from others who have had withdrawn from the etziolam and see what I can learn.

I'm sorry you are going through this! I wish you could just dump that stuff and get through the withdrawal and be done with it but I know that is not possible or smart with that kind of drug. Yeah the bastards that make it could at least keep it in stock seeing as how they have people whom are utterly dependent upon it!

I don't think you are as alone as you think you are. I was watching a Dr. Drew show yesterday about benzodiazepines- the hidden epidemic and he was saying that a lot of people have managed to get off the opiates but are now stuck on high dose benzodiazepines. He said, "you watch, this is going to be the new epidemic. I need to finish watching that show as I am trying to find out where and how to get you some help with this.

I get extremely bad foot pain during opiate withdrawal. Foot pain was one of my number one complaints during the loperamide withdrawal. Soak your feet in some warm/ hot water with some Epsom salts in the water. It eases the pain a lot and helps muscles relax.

Let us know how you are feeling and doing. Worried about you.
 
Hi Painful One,

Man I could have written all of what you just wrote myself.
Chronic pain is crushing, body and mind. We CPP'S are doing so well despite all that is thrown at us.
Officially joining this thread as it is where I need to be.

Things have been a bit better for me when I admitted that my chronic pain isn't going anywhere.

Hugs to all of us chronic pain patients suffering.

Much love and support to you all,
your friend,
Ash.

Painful One said:
Yeah, the depression is really bad.

I really don't know how to cope with the depression. The depression is so much worse when you are living with chronic pain / injury.
I have done everything- exercise, eat healthy, meditation, distraction etc.
the depression seems to be a constant companion of chronic pain as well as anxiety.
The only way I manage to live at all is with medications.

I just have to keep the medications stable as that is when I feel the "best" but it is super hard to do because I am always in some degree of pain and the depression from having my life disabled is crushing.

Don't be too hard on yourself Squeaky. It is so hard to live with back injury/ chronic pain/ disability.
I think we do amazing considering. It is amazing we are still here at all! Everyday is such a challenge!
Click to expand...
 
I get all sorts of strange bone,joint,and muscle pains in wd. And it doesnt matter what Im wding from. So yeah Shroomi it could be directly connected to benzo wd, or it could be secondary to a primary benzo wd symptom. Like when you have a blister on your big toe and by the end of the day your neck hurts just from walking funny.
 
Hi Ash!

I'm really glad you joined us here! It helps a lot to have others who understand what we go through.
Acceptance has been a long and hard road.

I'm working real hard on keeping things stable but the ups and downs of this chronic pain condition make that virtually impossible.

I wish I had something more happy and positive to say that would help everyone to feel a little better but I'm hurting, I haven't really been sleeping and anytime I do manage to doze off, I awaken having horrible nightmares. I am starting to feel afraid to sleep.
That sucks because all I want to do is sleep so I can get out of this pain for awhile.

I have been getting so exhausted lately.

I hope everyone is hanging in there and is alright today.

Group hug
 
Damn! Tapering sucks.

I have a low supply too and am on a forced taper since I absolutely cannot run myself completely out of medication.
The last time the morphine ran out completely, my left leg pain (femur bone) was so bad that I almost jumped out of the car on the way to get my medication. Forget the withdrawal symptoms, the pain underneath the medication is horrifying scary to me.

I am trying to use halves sublingual to see if it will keep me more comfortable.
I'm just trying that now as I am not comfortable at all and I have an entire 7 day week of this.

For the last year and a half now I have been continuously about the same amount of medication short every month. 5 pills.
I keep doing the very best I can but I have no breakthrough medication and I have been encountering major breakthrough pain. It feels like it is going to give me a heart attack when it gets that bad. I think my doctor really needs to up my dosage a bit or give me a few medications for breakthrough pain. I don't know how to ask though and he is resistant. I do try to tell him but he just ignores me and gives me the same medication.

My quality of life is really bad too. I have to be able to maintain some sort of front of being alright in front of my family. It scares the shit out of them and stresses them out to see me in this much pain all the time. So..I don't know what to do.
 
Hi Painful,

Man that sounds awful, I hear you about the worry of the underlying pain being worse than actual WD's. That fear has always kept me in check and never without my pain meds. I can't even imagine going through wd's and being in intractable pain waiting for a next refill. Scary!

I'm sorry your quality of life is suffering atm. These doctor's are so afraid to rx now and they certainly won't up the dosage. I hear you. Try to hang in there and ration your pills the best you can, I know it's easier said than done.

Much love to you from someone who is living a near mirror image of your life. Here for you if you need ANYTHING, anytime.

Hugs, love and support to you my dear friend,
Ash.
 
Thanks a lot Ash. That helped. It helps to know I am not alone.
I'm so sorry that you are living the near mirror image of my life.
Can we call if a life at this point? Geez!

I remember it was way worse before I got put in pain management so I am grateful I can sleep and eat and do a few other things at least.

I'm rationing my pills the best I can. I have to make due with what I have. I'm trying to just suffer it out a few hours a day.
Doing the best I can. I'm thinking about actually trying the rectal administration. Lol! Supposedly makes the bioavailability of morphine higher which would mean I could use less medication but I'm wondering for how long it would last?
Every hour counts when facing this type of pain.

Hugs, love, and support to you as well my friend,
P.O
 
No, there are lots of us CPP's Painful One, and at the very least we deserve a little respect and zero judgement. It's hard enough to know you have to live the rest of your life as a pain patient.


Good I'm glad you're rationing, it's the best way, if you can do it.

Here for you always PO.

Hugs honey,
your friend,
Ash.




Painful One said:
Thanks a lot Ash. That helped. It helps to know I am not alone.
I'm so sorry that you are living the near mirror image of my life.
Can we call if a life at this point? Geez!

I remember it was way worse before I got put in pain management so I am grateful I can sleep and eat and do a few other things at least.

I'm rationing my pills the best I can. I have to make due with what I have. I'm trying to just suffer it out a few hours a day.
Doing the best I can. I'm thinking about actually trying the rectal administration. Lol! Supposedly makes the bioavailability of morphine higher which would mean I could use less medication but I'm wondering for how long it would last?
Every hour counts when facing this type of pain.

Hugs, love, and support to you as well my friend,
P.O
Click to expand...
 
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ShroomySatori, I am very concerned for you my friend.
I just want you to know that you are loved and cared for.
Please check in when you can and let us know how things are going.
You can do this.

Well, I tried 15 mg morphine crushed and plugged and so far so good. I feel like I took more than 30 mg. it is really hitting the pain in my lower back and left leg a lot better also. I feel pretty damn good right now. I just need to see how long this lasts. I am hoping I can keep fairly comfortable until refill day by using this ROA. I'm not suffering any withdrawal symptoms from cutting down my dosage right now and I have only used a half of a pill instead of a full pill. Hoping for the best.

I hope everyone is hanging in there.
 
Don't focus on the opiates my friend. You never needed them. To be honest with you, I don't like them. I don't enjoy the way they make me feel. I honestly need them for severe left leg pain, right side (huge hernia) pain, back injury etc. I enjoy the fact that morphine makes it numb and that is all. I would be off them so fast if I could eat and sleep without them. They suck.

No one would choose MS Contin when given their choice between OxyContin, dilaudid, hydromorphone and other more "desirable" opiates. I did though. I chose the morphine because I really need the pain control. The numbing factor.

I'm sorry if I triggered you by bringing up what I did. I simply have had to find a way to never run myself completely out of morphine again because I went one day without last month and I almost jumped out of the car due to the pain in my leg being so out of control.

I need to find a new pain specialist. My doctor is about to retire. I need to get some additional help also. My family is such a fucked up mess from having my dad go through a very rare disease, multiple system atrophy. The specialists told us we ALL need therapy due to this. I have become the focus of all of their "problems". They have made me out to be a huge drug addict and the cause of all their problems. My sister is loosing it big time. I am having a very stressful time due to their abuse of me.

I can't sit, stand, or walk for very long so I am really disabled. It makes me extremely nervous that I am at their "mercy". I cannot work. I can't concentrate due to pain. I'm loosing this battle.
 
Shroomy, I want you to keep in mind that you got your degree in physics (genius level mathematics) DESPITE the handicap of using H NOT because of it!

You are young. Starting from scratch happens to us all. I myself have started from scratch many times over.
You are so intelligent, good looking, kind, you have a lot of heart. People love you! There is nothing to fear.
 
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