Withdrawing from SEVERAL different medications

Vench

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Jul 25, 2016
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Hi..my name is uh. Mark I guess, I am 22 aND have been on opiates since I was twelve, legally, I don't think I need to go further on why but it was a good reason.
The medications I'm on that I can remember
Methadone
Tramadol
Lorazepam
Guanfacine
Bupropion
Trazodone
And theres a muscle relaxer and an anti inflammatory
All of these come from my depression and my jealousy ever since I was young I could never feel happy, laugh or anything most of the time, I'm so anti social I just stay in my house all day, I'll do a quick run down
Whenow I was born I had to have an insention on my neck and heart, I can't remember exactly why but I still have the scars, there's some minor things ima skip like my parents divorcing an me living with my Mom and Grandma
Skip forward ahead, I had a kidney stone when I was twelve, and got some opiates prescribed, morphine I believe, when I took them. for the first time, I told my mother I didn't need these they made me feel "weird", now I know that weird was me being happy, I just wish I was as strong as I was. 16, had trama with my back, curvature of the spine, scoliosis and a bulging disc, an this is where the legal drugs started coming in, I had so many pain pills, but I still didn't abuse them, I took the bare minimum of one brand and didn't touch the others, I'll skip over some other things like them wanting to fuse my spine When I was 17, last year, my Granny that I've known all my life was diagnosed with the early stages of alzheimer, and then in 2014 I had a meltdown, in such a short time my Grandma started to get our names wrong an to the point she couldn't remember my name anymore an was put in an old folks home that helps them, with this happening, my father in jail, for ironically drugs, I didn't care anymore, I had to calm down and needed just something besides depression, and that's where my story gers closer to now, all those medications up there, I haven't gone a single day without them for two years, aND starting at about 7-8 hours ago since I've taken any of them, I'm not gonna get into what started this or into t h e details but I flushed all of them down the drain, i'm not even kidding, an I live in the middle of the forest aND let my brother borrow my car, he comes back in two days and the first thingame ima do is check myself into rehab, but now we come to the question I was wanting to ask so gave context for
I need to find a way to last these two days, and the only thing that ever helps is vodka, so is 8 hours enough from all that to start taking shots of vodka? Like drink alot, wake up, drink alot, wake up, it only needs to work for two days.
My fingers even hurt and now my legs and arms are pulling right now, but I'm done with pills
 
There's no way I'm gonna be able to sleep tonight without it so I'm gonna drink, also looking at the date my brothers gonna get here tomorrow at about 10 or 11 so I just need to make it through this night, the day, and one more night,
VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION
How will rehab effect me in the future? Like less help from doctors, insurance etc?
 
Vetch -

Wow, you are in a rough spot. Congratulations on making the decision to be done with pills.

Honestly, I worry this may have been a bit premature - only because on some of the meds you were taking. My limited knowledge tells me that Tramadol and Lorazapam can both be dangerous to cold turkey from. I hope someone jumps on that knows a lot about them. It's not my area of expertise.

Personally, I wouldn't go too hard with the alcohol - and for the love of god, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Alcohol will dehydrate you, as will withdrawals. Withdrawals+alcohol = a dangerous amount of dehydration if you are not very careful. Do you have a plan to co,bat all the dangers of going cold turkey from the amount of meds you are on?

i believe that alcohol has a cross tolerance to Lorazapam- so it might be good that you have that at least. It might prevent some of the more dangerous possibilities - like a seizure.

Please be careful and check in often over the next two days. And do not be afraid to call 911 if shit gets serious.

- VE
 
There's no way I'm gonna be able to sleep tonight without it so I'm gonna drink, also looking at the date my brothers gonna get here tomorrow at about 10 or 11 so I just need to make it through this night, the day, and one more night,
VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION
How will rehab effect me in the future? Like less help from doctors, insurance etc?


Go to the ER immediately and tell them what you did.

You are at risk of seizure if you cold turkey the Ativan (lorazepam) and possibly the muscle relaxer.

You can have significant issues from Trazodone withdrawal -- not to mention the hell you will feel not being on the multiple opiates.

Call an ambulance and go to the ER.
 
I don't know why my reply won't posting the last few times, I do have one thing as a precaution, a life alert thinget I bought for my Granny that works, any problems and I'll just click that, thank you for yalls concern, but I honestly feel the pros out way the cons for going colder turkey, at least for now until tomorrow morning
 
The above posters are correct, you need medical attention ASAP. I commend you for wanting to stop, but this is not the way to go about it. The best thing to do is to bring a medication lost with you and talk to your doctor about tapering off of these medications. You don't want to stop cold turkey - it's dangerous (possibly life threatening), and it will be miserable. I understand wanting to quit but there is no need to rush it. It is in your best interest to taper off of them, especially since you have been on them for years.

I don't recommend that you stop all of them at one time. I think you should work on getting off opiates first, then benzos, then the trazodone, in that order.

Can you call someone to get you to the hospital? Is there anybody staying with you or nearby?

As far as rehab, no, it's not going to affect you that much in the future - primarily due to hippa. I have been to rehab twice and have been offered scripts for benzos, opiates, Adderall from my doctors. I think rehab it a great idea - they will help you work through this. I would recommend a longer term program, like six months to a year because of the PAWS you will experience after withdrawal.

If it's absolutely impossible for you to get to the hospital, then the vodka may help stave off siezures and some of the withdrawal of worse comes to worse, but ideally you do need medical attention relatively soon. I would not start drinking heavily just to sleep - your body is getting ready to revolt against the lack of medication, and in your situation it would be best if you were somewhat lucid.

I do not say this frequently to people, but your biggest priority right now is to get to the hospital. Let me know if you need anything or have questions.
 
I don't know why my reply won't posting the last few times, I do have one thing as a precaution, a life alert thinget I bought for my Granny that works, any problems and I'll just click that, thank you for yalls concern, but I honestly feel the pros out way the cons for going colder turkey, at least for now until tomorrow morning

ok, just a couple things, and I mean all of them in the kindest way possible. When you say that the pros outweigh the cons, I'm not sure you are being honest with yourself about the cons - primarily the one involving loosing your life (I don't know what kind of pro for CT can make that con worth even chancing) I strongly prefer cold turkey myself to the drawn out aspect of withdrawals - but I'm afraid, based on the substances you are taking that isn't possible (I'm on opiates alone, which is a whole different ballgame). At least not safely.

Last thing, I promise, you can't use a life alert button if you are in the midst of a seizure. Please look up symptoms or warning signs and do some research while you still feel halfway ok...just don't rely too heavily on that button and not get there in time.

Im not the praying type, but I will send you every good vibe I have to spare!

- VE
 
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I keep accidentally deleting my post...my Dad also had problems, he would get his pain pills filled, take them all wayyyy under 30 days and then jus t wait until it was time to get a refill,he did this easily sixty times.
If I go to the ER I just think I'll regret it, I'm not ending up like my Dad, the people there will think im some kind of junkie even with the prescription, at least here I can not worry about that, with that being said I will call the ER first sign please of trouble, any over the counter or secret techniques to stop the RLS?Besides a hot bath
 
I was getting some of the symtoms of a seizure a week before I stopped taking them, the most
Noticeable was me reading a book an noticing a blue color on it and it moved and all that...Imy tired ima go to sleep, but I definitely will either go to hospital or figure something out tomorrow, is the seizure caused fatal?
 
I don't think you understand how siezures work. When one hits you, you will not have time to react. You may have a few warning signs, but you may not recognize those signs as meaning a siezure is coming because you are going to feel terrible. Siezures can be fatal or they can do permenant brain damage, but there is also a possibility that nothing bad happens - however, there is no way to know.

Seizures feel horrible and once you have had one you will do whatever is necessary not to have others. I had several seizures from seizures from quitting benzos cold turkey and they left me with PTSD for a year...so on top of crippling anxiety from benzo PAWS I had dibiltating PTSD regarding seizures thinking any odd sensation meant I was going to have a seizure, which meant I also didn't leave my house because benzo PAWS gives you some frightening physical sensations.

Benzo withdrawal initiate excitotoxicity which causes extreme neurological damage. I'll spare you the details (I would have provided a link but they're not written in layman' terms and are difficult to understand and paraphrase instead). Essentially you get an excess amount of glutamate which causes nerve damage throughout your body. This process is also responsible for the siezures. Once nerve damage has occurred the energy that passes through nerve cells no longer passes normally, this causes seizures and a host of other really unpleseant side effects. When I went through benzo withdrawal, and for two years after it felt like I had live electrical current running under my skin, and anything that touched me made it significantly worse (clothes, blankets, etc). Seizures were normal. I could tell I was getting ready to seize because I immediately felt extremely hot and would be drenched in sweat in a matter of seconds. I would also get strange electrical sensations going through out my body. I would get disassociated and frequently I would have a spasm in my core by which I would eject all contents in my stomach. I would the seize, it was usually a grand mal type seizure. As time went on the grand mal seizures were slowly replaced by partial seizures which felt similar however they were not preceded by sweats or vomitting. When the symptoms come on you do not have enough time to make a phone call or anything like that.

If you do the taper you will dramatically decrease the level of excitotoxicity you will suffer from.
 
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I have so much incredibly respect for those who experienced a multiple seizures from withdrawal of any kind. I had some kind of multiple seizures after doing way too much blow when I was far too young, and that scared the living shit out of me. I can't imagine of having to experiencing that again, let alone repeatedly. Quiver is the word. And impressed.

Opioid withdrawal is no joke, but CNS depressant withdrawal (ethanol, benzos, gaba-a/n agonists and muscle relaxants, whatever) HOLY COW. I mean SHIT. Fuck man, one is painful but I am so so, so glad I got out of that whole thing before it got on top of me. Just thinking about how it can devastate someone's life like that (thought this applies to opioids to in a way, just less imminent in terms of one's actual consciousness).

I would likewise suggest doing whatever is in your power to insist and ensure you get yourself a proper taper from whatever meds you're on. Don't fuck around. But these folks have more to say than I.
 
Woke up early, now trying vodka to get through 24 hours until rehab, feel like death, I can hardly move an I already had highost blood pressure

I'mean scared to go, they'll probably blood test me, see all the medications I was on, if even that an I don't want my family knowing about me going through this
I looked up of I went to the ER they would label me as a drug addict or something
The most annoying that currently is my face and skin feel like there on FIRE

Will update later today
 
Fuck man. Make sure you fucking tell the rehab you're going to at the very least. The rehab or really any competent MD or PA would happily give you valproic acid to help prevent any seizures. Really shitty situation man, I'm sorry you have to go through this. Try to stay safe. Don't worry about worry too much how other people are gonna label you. I mean, if you have good reason to than go on, no worries. But generally I tend to over think stuff like that. At least where I live, most people are far too wrapped up in themselves to really give a shit about who needs what kind of desperately needed medical help/advice.

As harsh as that sounds. At least you have some insurance or monies, I hope? What kinda place you going to? Feelings about said place? What was the impetus to go there (voluntary, family, friends, work, pet snake, whatever)?

No one can legally release info about you unless you give them a specific right to. At least that is how it works here. So don't worry about people finding out, not at this stage. At this stage you just need a helping hand. Take one, ASAP my friend.
 
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Vench - I have been to rehab twice - once in 2010 and then again in 2014. Most people don't know. It has not prevented me from getting good jobs. My doctors do know and they treat me with the same respect they treat everyone else. I have not had treatment or medications withheld because of rehab. Rehab has given me a chance a life again and I have no regrets. The only way people will find out about rehab is if you tell them, and most really won't care.
 
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