Opioids Withdrawal coping techniques (Mega Thread)

[nicksndimes]

I posted this somewhere else, but it seems like this is a much better home for it, so here goes.
In all actuality, getting through any kind of WDs is a lot easier when you have some supplies to combat it with. Going to subs to kick does make it a hell of a lot easier to get off the big boy dope, but you do have to be prepared mentally for a two step withdrawl (First coming off the dope or OCs or whatever, then coming off of the subs). The first three days off of the strong stuff you will have chills and sweats, but the subs do make it tolerable and three days in, you begin to feel better, especially if you can get some water and vitamins into your body. Then when you come off the subs its going to seem like its not getting any better, but you'll start noticing a huge difference around day 20. Just remember, methadone withdrawls are a fuckload worse and you are smart for not going that route.

Honestly, I would never take more than 2 mgs of bupe at a time ever in any situation, so that should be the max you start out with regardless of your previous habit (Its strange how doctors push these massive doses.)

Anyways though, the regimen shouldn't last more than two weeks and will be more comfortable if shorter, I have noticed. The way that is working for me is 2mg for 4 days, 1mg for 4 days, 0.5mg for 2 days, 0.25 for 2 days.

First of all, it makes things easier to put yourself in a place that is peaceful and will have little little risk of uncomfortable events (if you are lucky enough to be able to go to such a place). Music can really take your mind off of using as long as you avoid depressing and drug related songs (This is a good time to explore the happiest music you can stand, you will be surprised how much of a mood booster it can be). Also, porn for certain circumstances is entertaining as long as that is not a habit for you as well.

A few other things to have on hand would be a few benzos unless you are also addicted to them (which you may need to taper off as well),

one emergency vicodin (or other weak, short acting opioid if you think you may need it)

Catapres (clonodine) for anxiety and sleep (No more than 5 days)

loperamide (immodium) for diarrhea (this also can take the edge off a little bit, it is technically an opiate, isn't it?),

diphenhydramine (benadryl or other pm or sleep time otc) for sleep if it doesn't give you RLS (Tramadol works well too, but you have to take it and go right to bed or it can keep you up all night).,

Juices including OJ, Grape, apple and Grapefruit to replenish vitamins along with powerade or gatorade to rehydrate, Naproxen Sodium (Aleve) or acetaminophen (tylenol) for pain (Aspirin can make your stomach feel tore up),

Pepto, Tums or Rolaids for upset stomach,

If you enjoy it, Cannabis in any form can provide relaxation and combat anxiety (basically you get too distracted to still and romanticize about dope (Rarely, but anything is a step up, right?),

Chocolate seems fight off urges to use sometimes(works for me, dont know why),

Also, Alcohol in small amounts to relax or sleep if it is not a problem for you (Use sparingly since you don't want to pick up a new habit).

Also, I might sound like a perv, but masturbation, or I guess sex too for that matter, can ease a few situations including (I just heard on the Colbert Report that it is appropriate therapy for those diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome, since it provides a huge blast of dopamine, a chemical you are lacking with RLS, or when you are in withdrawl) the general depression, and pretty much make you feel a shitload better, especially the first few days.

I've been through this too many times to count, so I know it will work to get your head back to where you want to get it, regardless if youre trying to kick for good, or just get your tolerance back down. If you use at that point, its on you. It is what it is, you know. Just be prepared that it will take a good month to even get to a point where your thinking isn't colored by dope so bad. It will come, just be patient.

 

[adder]

In response to your surprise that doctors push buprenorphine doses up to 24mg or more...

As of now we know analgesia coming from MOR and euphoria can't be separated 100% and if it's done, there's always some cost to bear with. Why have we never switched to some mixed agonist-antagonist as a gold standard and why have we stuck to morphine so firmly? This is for a reason.

Now, concerning buprenorphine power of relieving from pain - yes, it's a very strong drug we've got in the arsenal of opioids widely marketed, ~40 times as potent as morphine. But when we come to maintenance therapy, the drug profile makes analgesic doses not enough (and these are even 0.2-0.4mg). I myself started with 8mg s.l. IRC, it's the average dose given and I went really deep into morphine and levorphanol. It wasn't to my surprise it was way too little, to be honest I expected neither bad or good effects from that dose. I had to double it eventually to feel almost alright. But I was astonished how I felt numbed. When I was tweaked, a dose of 16mg buprenorphine made me feel it much less than if it was morphine at a dose that wouldn't make me high but would relieve W/D symptoms.

You can observe similar situation with methadone, just opposite. The majority of addicts can go for 24h without feeling any W/D symptoms. The half-life of methadone is long. However, when it's used as an analgesic (second resort when drugs like morphine disappoints), it's dosed mostly 3 times a day. Why? Analgesic effects after methadone last ~8 hours. And somehow it's completely not related to dosing methadone in MMT. Even in people who need split-dosing (I need split-dosing or I have to take one massive dose, the former makes me use less methadone, so I'm one of those people) more than 2 doses aren't given.

But I agree with you in some way, doses in maintenance therapies are too high...

Nonetheless, this doesn't apply only to buprenorphine doses. This also applies to methadone, maybe even more because everyone in this "business" knows buprenorphine has a ceiling effect so a doctor will eventually stop at 32mg. With methadone you could see some interesting cases of patients being given almost 300mg a day - it's like giving someone more than he used to take. Sure, pharmacodynamics of methadone and 4,5-epoxymorphinans are different but keeping in mind ~10% average purity of "brown sugar" heroin in Poland, it would take like 6 grams of this heroin daily to match 300mg of methadone, really. And the highest tolerance I've ever seen in my life was 3g of this, I used to inject 2.5g of heroin at some point and I weighed 50kg / 110lb at that time. Yet I've never come to a doctor at the clinic and started like "I'm the most addicted person in this country". No, I always started like I was begging this guy because he's my last chance and I was always turned down always after I left the ward when I was once accepted. I was just about to turn 18, maybe I'm an addict but my life never looked like people think most addicts live, i.e. in dirty places, filthy and stinking, living in groups, in squats. You couldn't tell I'm an addict if you looked at me and didn't know symptoms of an opioid high and opioid W/D.

It's known that addicts at MMT/BMT could live normally at much lower doses. I suppose it's completely unimportant for most of users on this board. But in my country decreasing methadone ultra-high doses of over 200mg/day (it was first here and it's much more commonly used than buprenorphine even in cases where buprenorphine would fit just perfectly).

When people are taken for MMT/BMT, they have their dose adjusted, right? I don't know if there are separate hospital wards for people entering MMT/BMT and for people who are detoxified. Here there is only one ward called "detox" and very often patients at 0mg methadone are in the same room with people who have their dose pumped up into space. For people who have been just zeroed it's hard mentally to look at literally f*cked up roommates, it's sick.

Got a question i want to ask rather than making a new thread
As some of you here know i went through some withdrawals at the end of last week from my methadone but done a CWE of codydromol and used some tramadol
Now i know when you start you methadone script you have 3 days for it to settle in properly
Well i finally got my script yesterday and took 70ml instead of my regular 40ml and today i have taken my usual 40ml
but im still feeling a bit shaky and spaced out
is this cos it will take 3 days again to stabalize due to me not having my proper dose almost all of last week then none on the last few days ?

You mean Co-dydramol with aspirin and codeine? Nevetheless, if you have been on methadone for a longer period of time (i.e. you built up stable levels of the drug), you shouldn't really be in some serious withdrawal on day 3 or 4 after stopping methadone. Isn't it some mental thing by any chance? I was in situation similar to yours. I ran out of methadone and I didn't have it for 4 days, when I drank my regular dose on day 5, W/D symptoms fully disappeared after ~1 hour.

 

[smackcraft]

nah co dydramol with paracetamol and DHC

i hadnt had my regular does for a number of days .. 3 or 4 days

i should of been taking 40ml daily but for days prior to running out i had only been taking half that , then went another 2 days with no methadone at all so it would of been a huge loss over a period of 5 days total

Today i seem to be feeling a bit better tho

 

[Pegasus]

I hear kratom is pretty good for keeping you well, although it might prolong your withdrawls a bit. Someone might have already mentioned this, haven't read through the whole thread yet.

It sure is! Not just for opiates withdrawal either, it really enhances my mood through all kinds of things... It is particularly well suited for opiate w/d though.

 

[gelfling79c]

Restless leg syndrome

I was browsing and found a thread on your site regarding restless leg syndrome and opiate withdrawal, but could not find the exact site I was looking at after I registered. I have taken OxyContin, oxycodone/vicodin for about 20 years now for fibromyalgia and back/leg pain. I came to a point where I decided not to live like that anymore and I wanted to find out if I was addicted or dependent. I turned out to be dependent. Along about the time that I was coming to the end of my titration schedule, the dreaded restless leg syndrome symptoms raised its ugly head. It has been worse than the withdrawal symptoms! However, I also am dealing with the hip pain and back pain that I had before the narcs and have been going to physical therapy and have had a steroid shot in my left hip, which have both been helpful, but the restless leg symptoms continue. I use a TENS unit on occasion, lidoderm patches to the L5-S1 area and I have a GORE-tex strap I use to wrap around my hips to distract my SI joint, which also helps on occasion. I take the generic of Requip as well, which I found out helped more than I thought it did when I forgot to take it for 2 nights, but I REALLY miss a good night's sleep and I am tired of my leg waking me up all the time. My question is, I have not had any narcs in 2 days.....if the restless leg symptoms are from narcs, how long can I expect them to last?

 

[mr. mudd]

^hard to say, but if you're only taking relatively short-acting narcotics you should be through the worse in 5-10 days. Taking dopamine agonists will relieve symptoms but will be hard to taper off once you're through the other withdrawal. I would recommend toughing it out without Requip if you can--use your TENS a couple of hours before bed, walk a lot if you can, and take a hot bath with epsom salts before bed.

 

[gelfling79c]

Restless leg

I tapered to Vicodin 5/325 mg once a day. The last day I had one was 2 days ago. You would think the effects would be worn off by now. I understand Vicodin has a half life of about 3 to 4 hours. Based on this and the amount taken, I should have been through the last of it by now. Also, everyone says Requip is hard to get off of. Why is that?

 

[mr. mudd]

^ http://psychcentral.com/news/2010/01/13/dopamine-withdrawal-is-difficult/10721.html

in general, any drug you take can change your body in some way. if you have restless legs and you suppress it with a drug then I'd say, speaking strictly from the armchair, that it's going to come back even worse when you stop suppressing it (for a while). Like my fortune cookie said, "eveything you've been running from / has been pacing itself". or: if you steal the fire you have to pay the price (xref: endorphins and opiate withdrawal).

I think, more scientifically speaking, that the body gets used to excess dopamine and reacts badly when said excess dopamine is taken away, causing withdrawal. if you give your body dopamine it is less inclined to produce it on its own [just as your lips will stop moisturizing themselves if you use lip moisturizers all the time - think of your body as a slackass]. hence the withdrawal--no more pharma dopamine and the body is producing less. the body will learn to produce it again with time. or you could stay on requip for the rest of your life, or taper off, etc.

of course, I stand to be corrected if any of my pseudoscience is wrong.

 

[foxytram]

This is what I did and so far so good, first of I do have chronic pain so no pain meds is not something I am willing to do right now. As my kids get older I plan to get completely rid of them. Anyways I take oxycodone 40-50mg Im allowed half so I always run out half way. Stupid I know but its just to easy to reach up and know then I can clean, do the dishes ect. Ive been on tramadol for 9 years and do not take it during the two weeks I have my oxy. Tramadol does help the pain but not alot I would half to take alot at a time and I am not willing to take more then 400mg a day. Anyways I had some T#3s 10 of them. Day 1 took 6tramadol 4 t3. Day two same Day 3 trams 6 1 hydrocodone 5mg. all opiates t3 or hydro were at night to aid in sleeping. I also took benadryl. Next day took two 10mg percocet I saved for mothers day. Did not want to be miserable that day. Took trams the rest of the day. Woke up day 5 feeling really yucky. Took tramadol and feel much better. I never got the shits it almost felt like it was wanting to kick in but as soon as I took a small dose of opiate I was good. I continue to do this or something similar every month. I hate it but thats the way it goes. Heres my thing when I get my script for my oxy it always works better and at smaller doses having took only a week or two break. It has kept my tolerance down too. Even at 15-20mg doses it still works good as long as I do the break. Anyways if your going to do them for fun take breaks often and your tolerance will stay low. Granted I do this only because its forced on me by my doctor not prescribing higher dose opiate meds. After about 5 days the tramadol works again in helping with mood and feeling like getting up and doing things. I stay on the tramadol as its much easier to obtain. Most of what others take for withdrawal I do not have acess too. If I did I would not take it anyways for fear of being allergic. I have alot of allergys to meds. Last time I got steven jhonson syndrome and all the skin on my hands, arms, feet and face peeled off like having burns. It was horrible.

 

[poppyplanet]

For me, when I don't have any other meds like benzos to help with the withdrawal, I lay in my bed with a heating blanket. Chills are the worst part of it for me. I've also found that Ambien helped with calming my body down and allowed me to feel a little warmer.

 

[misszee007]

I had been taking around 25-40 +/- mg of hydrocodone a day for months. I obtained some Bupropion 150mg and would pop three of them and I would not have ANY withdrawls.

I didnt have any bupropion this last time I ran out of my vic's and the withdrawals were HORRIBLE.

Also, when I took a few different bupropion/vic combos, and found that the bupropion seemed to overpower my vic feeling, not what I wanted.

Bupropion alone gave me a wired feeling and created sleeplessness, but it did not have a euphoric feeling. I will only take them when i go thru wd's.

 

[ILikeSub]

I have bein taking Suboxone/Subutex recreationally and as an aid to not use harder opiates except once in a blue moon.
I have bein successful except now I wish to quit suboxone and all opiates altogether to the point where I dont need them AT ALL aka don't experience ANY wd's w/o them.
When I don't have Buprenorphine,I don't feel super duper bad wd or anything.
Its nothing compared to full agonist withdrawl,I am just wondering how long its gonna last.
Ive bein IVing .5mlgs-2.0mlg doses[depends on how I feel that day] per dose for the last 2 months or so.Before that I was snorting the same doses per day.
If I was doing a .5mlg-1.omlg shot I or line would do another later and then sometimes a third,which would always be .5-.75mlg No More than that.
But if I am doing a 2.0mlg shot I won't redose anything more than .75-1.0mlg because there is no need and the benefit of the high starts dropping.
I would do no more than three doses a day never or rarely passing the 3mlg mark.
Tomorrow I get paid.Ive bein planning this for a week now but I decided to make my payday my last party day too so I am either going to grab my last bag of gear or some powder cola to bang.
on top of that I am also picking up 4 Solid SUboxones.
|I am going to switch back to snorting before I quit.
BTW ive bein IVing the strips not the pills and I use clean fresh new rigs everytime.
I do not micron filter becuz I have none but im an addict so hats no surprise.

I know I can do this!
It's just going to be hard especially when I start incorporating in days where I don't use anything opiod related.
Once I get down to one nasal dose of Bup a day I am going to start making days where I dont take any.

Does anyone have any idea how long it would take if I just cold turkeyd compeltely from Bup for my withdrawls to go away?

 

[Pegasus]

^A few weeks most likely, up to maybe a month. Bupe withdrawal lasts awhile! I recommend tapering at least, probably substituting with another (weaker) opiate to shorten the w/d length as well.

 

[ILikeSub]

^A few weeks most likely, up to maybe a month. Bupe withdrawal lasts awhile! I recommend tapering at least, probably substituting with another (weaker) opiate to shorten the w/d length as well.

Yeah its majorly long half life.
One of the reasons I love it.
I am going to taper jus dont know quite how i do not know.
I will take it as I go.I have my blueprints drawn out just need some gaps filled in which will get filled when I get to them.
I will use some benzos too but I can only usuall get clonazepam,alprazolam or flurazepam.
I like all three but my fav benzo by far is diazepam.
I will probably only use benzos when I am doing a day where I am not taking any Bup or opiod and am having trouble getting by and/or sleeping.

I Love opiates..This is going to be tough to overcome compeltely.
I fear I will not compeltely conquer my opiate addiction and stop using compeltely and forever for awhile still.

Also,what is "requip"?

 

[smutt butt]

Kratom powder worked miracles for my Oxy WD's and works for others as well.

It is cheap, legal and easy to take in capsules.

 

[smutt butt]

Kratom powder worked miracles for my Oxy WD's and works for others as well.

It is cheap, legal and easy to use with some empty capsules.

 

[tomhims5441]

i heard crystal meth was made to help ppl get off dope. idk tho never tried it...

wen i went thru detox, i got weened down with darvocets, firstday i got 2 every 4 hours, next day even 6hours, next every 8... then repeat back to every 4 hours but with only 1 darvo.

was sick for 10 days str8. didnt sleep a Wink for the first 4days. was actually tripping by day 4 lol, that atleast gave me somethin to watch while i crawled around in a bed, wishing death.

jus stock up on ALOT of weed and benzos. i also hear ibogaine helps? never tried it at all tho. and bluberries? and drink more water than u need. then drink more. and then drink alot more.

id try weening myself as low as possible before goin cold turkey.

ifi ever have to go thru detox again, im simply going to kill myself lol. str8up, never goin thru that again.

i was goin thru oxycontin, heroin and suboxn w/d. i hear ocs are horrrid and that dope is easier cause its water soluible?

idk, reguardless tho... even after all that and being sober for monnnthhs, i realized why i started doing drugs. life sucks. its a constant struggle. idk anyone thats happy.
its true wat they say, ignorance is bliss or w.e? it is.

once u indulge in the world of opiates (and drugs i gues), you experience such good feelings and so much pleasure that the regular world jus simply cannot offer.

its been a year and 3 months since detox and im alrdy addicted (...i know....) and have to take suboxon every day.
im suffering everyday and wish i was never born. the only reason i never killed myself was fear of waking up on the 'otherside' and still experiencing withdrawls, or worse.
(aparently by killing oneself it is looked upon as murder and you will goto hell with all the other murdererererers)

if ur thinkingabout cleaning up, really think about it.

it was fukn AMAZING for the first few months being sober. esp wen the paws FINALLY stopped. but almost at that very moment, i realized how much life sux and for the first time i turned my head to look back at those drugs i left behind.

being an addict sucks balls but if u can figure out a good life style where u dont have to rely on other ppl to get ur fix, then go for it and live it up.

being sober aint all its cracked up to b.

 

[YellowNikes]

quick question: been using opiates(oxymorphone mainly) daily for a week and on and off for months(maybe years). I have never gotten withdrawals until today(last monday i didnt use and did not get withdrawals) after the past week of constant use, how long will these withdrawals last?
thanks

 

[synchrojet]

Oxymorphone (Opana) has horrific withdrawals associated with high dose usage. Be careful with this one. Based on what you posted, which is very little, I would guess you will have one day of sickness, followed by one day of weakness and aggravated mood, followed by a day of restless leg and that's about it.

 

[YellowNikes]

thanks syncho for the response and yes I use very little (typically 5-10 mgs in a day) Honestly i rarely get fucked up anymore on it, let alone nod. really the only reason i do this i cause it kills my social anxiety even though i hardly feel it (placebo effect plus actual effects)
second question: is this a practical anti-anxiety treatment or am i playing with fire?