Opioids Very Minimal/Non Existant Withdrawal From Long Term Opioid Use

[hockey6]

Hey all I'm new to the forum, I came to the forum for a few reasons the most interesting, in my opinion is this question, How is that after long term fairly heavy opioid use (Averaging 75 Mg of Hydrocodone a day plus 15 grams of Kratom, since last year around this time) I get no or minimal withdrawals. By minimal i mean some tearing, some heavy yawning, a tad bit of difficulty sleeping, hyper sexuality/sensitivity to sexual stimulation, anxiety, and very mild depression . When I am in withdrawal I am still able to workout strenuously ( I play hockey in college and still manage to play at my normal level, I can run 6 miles at a sub 7 minute pace which is close to my usual pace, and I feel mostly normal without any meds. How is this possible? could it be that my habit simply isnt large enough? Could have something to do with the fact that I workout strenuously both on and off the ice? Would love to hear some feedback, glad to be apart of Bl by the way.

Edit: I quit last Friday because I felt I needed a tolerance reset and feel 100% normal. I slept for 9 hours last night and life feels the same, the only symptoms I have are mild nervousness and a bit of craving. For withdrawal aids the first few days I took 20mg's of loperamide to get to sleep, and tyrosine every morning.

 

[Non Nobis Solum]

I'd say your personal chemical make up grants you this ability, you are doing strenuous exercise regularly which provide endorphins, something which painkillers are used to induce/mimic... Keep up the exercise and you should be ok, also do not increase your dosage as this will have a negative impact on your life.

 

[RTrain]

I wouldn't call that heavy by any means, but its still enough that you should be feeling pretty miserable for a few days. It definitely helps to be young and in good shape. You mentioned most the symptoms of mild opiate withdrawal. Its definitely tolerable at those doses. Just watch yourself, because it might not seem so bad and you might feel things are under control right now, but that can slip away pretty quick and then you find yourself in a bad way with addiction.

 

[Tommyboy]

We still need more info such as when you have stopped how long did you go before starting to use again?

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

The level of withdrawals you are describing are actually pretty consistent with your opiate tolerance..

Have you read many of the withdrawal related threads on here where people talk about their opiate dosage? Trust me, 75mg's of hydrocodone and some kratom is not "heavy opiate use" by any means, nor is only 1 year "long term".

You should consider yourself lucky that you haven't started messing with stronger opiates and at higher dosages. You do not want to feel the kind of withdrawal you are wondering about.

 

[hockey6]

I wouldn't call that heavy by any means, but its still enough that you should be feeling pretty miserable for a few days. It definitely helps to be young and in good shape. You mentioned most the symptoms of mild opiate withdrawal. Its definitely tolerable at those doses. Just watch yourself, because it might not seem so bad and you might feel things are under control right now, but that can slip away pretty quick and then you find yourself in a bad way with addiction.

I definitely agree, fortunately I have no desire to take anymore than my average dose on a daily basis sometimes I'll take less hydrocodone and more kratom and vice versa, but I definitely try to keep my dose to a level where I dont have physical withdrawals. I honestly think that extremely hard workouts have some effect where they keep my cravings down moderate my dosage and limit withdrawals. I am just fortunate enough that I sincerely enjoy the pain of physical torture I guess Do you guys know if there is any scientific literature on the effects of exercise on tolerance, dose, and withdrawals?

 

[hockey6]

The level of withdrawals you are describing are actually pretty consistent with your opiate tolerance..

Have you read many of the withdrawal related threads on here where people talk about their opiate dosage? Trust me, 75mg's of hydrocodone and some kratom is not "heavy opiate use" by any means, nor is only 1 year "long term".

You should consider yourself lucky that you haven't started messing with stronger opiates and at higher dosages. You do not want to feel the kind of withdrawal you are wondering about.

Yes, I have read blue light for years and years and have seen the threads about the insane amounts people take and the withdrawal they experience. However, this was not really my question, I would not expect heroin level withdrawals from hydrocodone and Kratom. And perhaps a little bit of history about my use might help you see where I am coming from. I began use of opiates in April 2010 after shoulder surgery, I began taking Hydrocodone (30-50, Oxycodone (30-50), etc daily until April of 2011 when my use of opiates became unsustainable due to my junior hockey career, I moved to quite a few different cities and could not maintain use and traveling for road games and the constant hotels and everything that comes with that life. However, I then found Kratom and used it by itself at doses between 15-25 grams daily until early last year when I settled into college began using hydrocodone in combination with the kratom. Your comment about some Kratom seems to minimalize the relative punch kratom can pack for some people, I have always found the Kratom to be more energizing and intoxicating than hydrocodone. Another thing, with out the Kratom my hydrocodone doses shoot up in the 100-130mg range to feel pretty good. To my question, doesn't the above seem like a enough to at least produce moderate withdrawals?

 

[Mr.Scagnattie]

To my question, doesn't the above seem like a enough to at least produce moderate withdrawals?

Yes of course. I never said you shouldn't be feeling any withdrawals at all. You were just making your tolerance and length of use sound a lot worse from your OP, and I just wanted to clear it up that it could be way way worse for you, and that in the grand scheme of physical dependency, you're on the low side and that's a good thing. I wanted you to use that knowledge to gain an edge mentally, and maybe realize that you're not as brutally sick as you think you are. The mental aspect of withdrawal and the expectation of pain is incredibly intense, and sometimes a shift in perspective can go a long way.

That being said, I don't mean to minimize your symptoms. Withdrawal sucks at any level. But, see you said you are feeling fine now, which is another indication that your dependency was not that bad, otherwise you would have been suffering for a lot longer. So that's good.

Now that you're feeling back to your old self, you need to make sure you don't fall into the same trap again, because at whatever level you are using opiates, the withdrawals still get worse and worse every time you go back.

Good luck.