Opioids Once you become addicted to oxycodone, can you ever use it again without withdrawals?

[pocketsevens]

I was prescribed large amounts of Oxycodone which all throughout the day, every day for 3 months. Needless to say I got addicted and when I finally ran out I felt horrible for about a week. Then a week later I ended up getting a prescription for a different pain issue, and I took those ones carefully over two days, making sure not to do it 3 days in a row. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that the low dose didn't do much in terms of making me high, but I thought I would feel at least something after being off it for two weeks. But I did not get the warm fuzzies like I used to. Also, when I stopped the withdrawals started all over again! I couldn't believe it because I only took it for two days and it was nothing compared to the amount I was taking before.

I have another script that I will be able to fill in two days. Should I do it or just stay away? I thought that if I took it carefully, like making sure never to take more than 2 days in a row, I could avoid addictions. Is that even possible or since my body has been addicted once will it just jump back into being addicted? Will it ever make me feel good again like it used to at a reasonable dose, or will I have to keep upping the dose even after taking breaks?

Any advice or words of wisdom from long term users would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Ziiirp]

No.

 

[RDP89]

Yes you can. It just seems that the withdrawal happens with fewer uses the more times you are addicted/the longer you are addicted. Its different for everyone though. The above poster is wrong.^^

 

[pocketsevens]

Oh I see. So if I slip up and use too many days in a row, it won't take as long for me to get addicted?

Man I used to be able to take them every day for a month and feel fine when they ran out. The thing is I have chest pain that will probably occur for the rest of my life so I really need to get this under control because oxycodone is the only thing that really works.

How long of a break should I take before refilling the script to help the pills stay effective? It's been 4 days since I last took any, and then it was only 2 5mg pills. Should I wait a few weeks before refilling the script just to be safe?

Oh and what's the maximum amount of days I can take them in a row? I know everyone's different, but what's your experience in that sense?

 

[Ziiirp]

*condescending head-shaking

 

[pocketsevens]

Hey condescending head-shaking magoo, could you back up your opinions with an explanation please?

 

[pocketsevens]

As I said before, I have legitimate pain issues so if there's any way I can still use Oxycodone as a safe medication, I'm going to want to do that as opposed to suffering every day for the rest of my life.

 

[Ziiirp]

If you'd briefly explain your fracture/condition I could perhaps provide my opinion.

 

[pocketsevens]

My heart valve ruptured 2 years ago and I walked around for 3 months dying and thinking I just had the flu. Stupid doctors didn't check my heart and told me there was nothing they could do because it was a virus. Not getting the correct help led to secondary cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Eventually someone figured out what was going on and they fixed the valve. In the span of two years my heart slowly but surely recovered going from being 35% efficient to 91% efficient. This is probably the best it will ever do due to the all the damage caused by not treating it correctly.

I have frequent chest pain that is inexplicable. Once they diagnosed me with peracarditis but a different cardiologist totally disagrees. No one knows what's causing the chest pain but it's there almost every day and perhaps even worse than the pain is the emotional stress it causes me. And Oxycodone gets rid of all of that so I can work and live a normal life. I know I was an idiot for taking more of my dose than I was supposed to. It all got out of hand. But now I learned my lesson and I'm just wondering if there's any way I can go back to using it for its medical purposes only, or am I doomed to a life of addiction?

Now I'm not saying I disagree with you because honestly, it seems too good to be true that Oxy could ever work as good as it used to. But I just want to know what's your expertise or personal experience behind the opinion you hold. Thanks

 

[Ziiirp]

Sorry to hear that. As you did not explain your serious past in the OP, I did not take your issue with the required sincerity. I was assuming you were experiencing pain because of a standard bone fracture (like many forum users, that ask questions here do). I think you escaped death for a reason.

In order to get as much life quality back as possible I'd continue with a low dose of your prescribed medication and start with spiritual practice, that can facilitate the ability to control one's heart rate to an extend you would not believe. Of course it takes time but as I said, you survived with >90% of the average heart capacity and you should not throw it away by getting attached to a chemical, instead of using it as an aid to be able to indulge into practices, that can help you and your surroundings.

So my only suggestion would be. You should take it, but dosing lower than during your addiction periods. Write down dosages and optimize from there. Frequently post here with specific descriptions of your concern. Again, sorry to hear about your handicap but you can and will adjust to it just fine.

 

[Mad Dash]

The only way to do this is to have the fear of GOD in you about getting addicted. Make it such a chore to take these pills that you don't even enjoy them anymore. Because I hate to tell you brother even for legit pain problems oxy will RUIN your life. Ziiirp had a really good suggestion about writing down dosages, but I would take it a step further. You need to begin a pain management journal. Anything and everything that has to do with your pain including emotional, physical, and medication should be accounted for painstakingly in that journal. Never take more than RXd. Best of luck to you and I am sorry you have to deal with this. 90% of all people that have to use opiates for chronic pain end up addicted.

 

[P.o.T.u.S]

I really can't believe ppl Think they can stick to a strict using schedule with opiates if theyknow u are psychologically addicted.u see it all over the forum now..of course u should not get them refilled but that's easier said than done..your tolerance will raise quickly...it takes a few months months for your physical tolerance to return to normal but it seems to come back faster each time u come back to opiates

 

[Carl Landrover]

If you've already been addicted it takes a few days of using to get WDs back. It might take as low as 2 days of using to get WDs to return. If you use for a whole week, they'll definitely be back and your tolerance will have gone drastically back up. The first high or even the first few will get you fucked up on a small amount, just like when you were a beginner. That lasts about 2 days and then you're back at a higher tolerance and WDs are already a possibility.

Sucks that you can use for a mere 2 days and then you have 4 days of feeling crappy. No, it won't be like any intense WD after prolonged, heavy abuse, but WD sucks no matter what.

 

[Sleepwalker18]

Yes, you can indeed use it without having withdrawal symptoms. But dependant on how long you were addicted to it, can change that time gap quite a bit. It won't be very intense withdrawals, I'm sorry that you're in pain. But... if you're using it for a pain /issue/ and use it as prescribed. It should help with the pain, and have minimal to no withdrawals. Seeing as that /doesn't/ seem to be your motive. I would suggest not getting that other prescription. I've only been in this land of opioid addiction for 12 years (And some here, much longer than that), it's not a pretty road my friend.

 

[when I dream]

With enough time any tolerance can be brought back down to baseline and one would be able to use again without anymore fear of withdrawal as someone with no tolerance that has never been addicted. Depending on the severity and length of the addiction that amount of time could be years and years though.

In my case, I was addicted to high dose opioids for 2-3 years depending on where you believe the "addiction" actually started and then after quitting cold turkey abstained from opioids for about 4 years. I started using kratom then and my tolerance to opioids had been reduced to effectively nothing. It took several months of daily use of kratom before I started noticing any withdrawal symptoms which seems right on to how an opioid naive person would progress. Keep in mind of course that everyone's body is different, so what worked for me may not work for others.

In other words, it's all about time. The plasticity of the human brain is amazing, you just have to give it a chance to work.

 

[pillman1224]

im sorry but could you please site your source for the 90% of people who are using opiates for chronic pain get addicted. i just refuse to believe that.

 

[pocketsevens]

Well thanks everyone, the situation is now that I could fill my script it I wanted to today, but I'm trying to hold out. It's only been 4 days since the last *extremely low* dose, and I'm guessing I should probably at least wait a week if I want my tolerance to withdrawals to go down. Does anyone have any estimates of exactly how long I should wait?

 

[pocketsevens]

Addicted to Oxycodone once, how long do I wait to take it again to avoid withdrawals?

I was on Oxycodone for 3 months, taking about 50-80mg throughout the day. My script ran out early cause I started taking more than my recommended dose so I was forced to go into withdrawals. Two weeks later it's time for the next script again.

What happened is I ran out < 2 weeks ago, then got another script for some legitimate pain issues, but the doc only gave 8 5mg pills for that. It was 5 days after my last dose, and I had just barely gotten over the withdrawals. Stupidly I thought it would be okay to take them if I didn't do it more than two days in a row, so I took 4 each day for two days. On the third day I had full blown withdrawals again.

Soooo it's been 4 days since my last dose, and now I can finally refill my prescription. But I don't want to ever get addicted to where I couldn't go without them. I want to just use them for legitimate pain and *maybe* to feel good 1-3 times per month. So my question is, how long do I have to wait before I can take them again without causing the withdrawals to start over? I feel like I should at least go a week being completely clean so my neurotransmitters can even out, right?

 

[Mad Dash]

I really can't believe ppl Think they can stick to a strict using schedule with opiates if theyknow u are psychologically addicted.u see it all over the forum now..of course u should not get them refilled but that's easier said than done..your tolerance will raise quickly...it takes a few months months for your physical tolerance to return to normal but it seems to come back faster each time u come back to opiates

Did you read about his medical condition? he is going to HAVE to use it. Chronic pain. So the only way to take pain meds is by downing it very carefully and even then the odds of not getting addicted is pretty low.

 

[sekio]

You're not going to be able to magically reset your opioid receptors, unfortunately. If you take opioids for a period of time any longer than about a day, expect to get some sort of rebound effects or withdrawals. That's what happens with these drugs.

Every time you abuse them and increase your dose the rebound/withdrawal effects will just get worse. Keep that in mind.