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Trying to figure out what to expect from here...

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Paul Straube

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Joined
Nov 25, 2019
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4
As background...

I am in my early retirement years but have been disabled for well over a decade due to severe chronic back pain after lower spinal fusion surgery, which was successful in terms of stopping nerve damage progression, caused horrendous pain 24/7. Oral meds screwed up my head and my stomach in a huge way. After trying much of the medical technology back at the time, I wound up with a Medtronic pain pump and have had Dilaudid slowly dripping into my lower spinal canal for 7+ years. Mercifully, it has worked reasonably well and I had lived a reasonably normal life.

I recently made on of the biggest mistakes of my life when I had a miscommunication with my pain clinic on when my pain pump next needed to be refilled with Dilaudid after the pump was replaced in August. The damn thing ran dry of Dilaudid while I was camping down in Texas (my pain doc is in Michigan). I assume that on this website, I don't have to describe the pure, tortured hell of opioid withdrawals. But I will say that I would not wish the 10 days of that living hell on my worst enemy.

You can't just get the pump refilled anywhere. You have to ha e your pain clinic do it. So, I flew home on Saturday and today, I made it to the pain clinic where they refilled the pump. It will take a couple days for levels to rise to normal. They also prescribed some Dilaudid pills, which just started to kick in 30 minutes ago. OMG! I am starting to feel normal again.

I am exceptionally weak and have lost 20+ pounds (but not just fat, damn it!). I have not been able to eat for 10 days nor drink the first 5 or 6 plus I've not be able to sleep more than a few minutes at a time because the Dilaudid was also controlling my RLS and without it, my legs were twitching and kicking so badly, sleeping was impossible...

On to my point....

When might I feel completely normal again and what can I do to facilitate that happening as soon as possible?

Could I be dealing with fatigue or other issues weeks or months from now? Or is everyone's experience so unique to them that my questions are silly?

Thank you for your insights!
 
Sounds like you should be right as rain in a day or two?

I'm not too familiar with your situation (long term prescribed use) but after years of oxy abuse I stopped cold turkey and that was absurdly rough.

Im not very familiar with the half life of dilaudid, but I always thought it was a shorter acting drug (I think 4 hours?). By day 10 you were probably right at the hump of getting through the worst of it.

How was the pain? I imagine flying in that headspace and physical discomfort was less than pleasant.

You're probably mostly feeling the effects from dehydration and malnutrition from the ordeal at this point. I'd think as soon as the drugs hit you should feel better in terms of withdrawal symptoms.

Get plenty of fluids / food in your body as often as you can for the next few days. If possible get outside, walk around, exert yourself a bit.

Good luck, hope you feel well soon
 
MonkeysOnEcstacy,

I think you are right about dehydration and malnutrition being my main issues at this point. I am.so weak that I can barely walk. I can chew food but just cannot force myself.to swallow very much. Everything tastes like it was made in the middle of a forest fire, meaning, a horrible smokey taste. But that isn't the main issue. I just can't force myself to eat. Drinking is getting better. And thankfully, when I now breath thru my noise, I no longer smell death. (yes, odd but that's the only way I can describe it).
I have had moderate fluid retention over the years and it is funny...and nice...to see my calves so skinny for the first time in years.

You asked about pain. There was no real physical pain...just mental. It was terrible.

Thanks for your response.
 
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