Opioids The Opioid Withdrawal Megathread and FAQ

[Painful One]

I too have been a light user for about a month , a cap a day maybe and today is day one , I slept terrible and have no energy at all ....body aches and kinda nauseas but I have not thrown up . I really don’t know how you all do it like he said Hats off to you all who have kicked it and had a huge habit. I have no access to anything except addys and meth which I don’t want to do but I’m thinking the addys May help some ?

The addy’s would help some temporarily but then you have the double kick back and it makes things worse.
Use lightly. Stay away from Meth. That is no good.

It is very intense and eye opening isn’t it?
Yes, hat’s off to ALL who have managed to kick an opiate habit.
The withdrawal is freaking hell! And lasts for so long.

Tapering down is a much easier way to go. I think it honestly gives your brain a chance to adjust and might help one to avoid the post acute opiate withdrawal.

Are you planning on quitting for good or are you just out of medication right now?
Light user for a month= only 3 days of hell. Take that and run is my advise.

Good luck my friend.
God Bless.

 

[BrockDaBldr]

The addy’s would help some temporarily but then you have the double kick back and it makes things worse.
Use lightly. Stay away from Meth. That is no good.

It is very intense and eye opening isn’t it?
Yes, hat’s off to ALL who have managed to kick an opiate habit.
The withdrawal is freaking hell! And lasts for so long.

Tapering down is a much easier way to go. I think it honestly gives your brain a chance to adjust and might help one to avoid the post acute opiate withdrawal.

Are you planning on quitting for good or are you just out of medication right now?
Light user for a month= only 3 days of hell. Take that and run is my advise.

Good luck my friend.
God Bless.
❤

Thanks for the advice , honestly I had never really messed with it , meth was my drug of choice about 4 years ago and haven’t touched it since. I realized that I should stop now before it became a huge problem because I already have an addictive personality and I have seen first hand the horrors of withdrawal. I just got to comfortable and my buddy was loaning small amount of money from me and paying me back and throwing a cap or two in for interest so it was always free. Hopefully a few more days and I will be back to normal somewhat. Thanks again my friend

 

[Nymeria]

gabapentin/pregabalin works wonders for withdrawal. Stims are just gonna exacerbate your discomfort, anxiety and when ur coming down suicide thoughts can appear. so it's a no-no.

I agree 100% with you! I am a little over 3 weeks off oxy and any other opiate i could get my hands on, for over 5 years. I used gabapentin this time and that is the only reason I made it this far. I have tried and failed several times. This was the only time I could actually sleep. No restless legs. I did still have pain in my legs, but not as bad as usual. If you are going to quit i would go with gabapentin.
My only question is there anything that helps with p.a.w.s? Because now I have an issue with depression. Feeling like my brain is detached or something. And i read that can take anywhere from 2 months to a year. Does anyone have a solution for this part? I appreciate any help. Thank you.

 

[nznity]

I agree 100% with you! I am a little over 3 weeks off oxy and any other opiate i could get my hands on, for over 5 years. I used gabapentin this time and that is the only reason I made it this far. I have tried and failed several times. This was the only time I could actually sleep. No restless legs. I did still have pain in my legs, but not as bad as usual. If you are going to quit i would go with gabapentin.
My only question is there anything that helps with p.a.w.s? Because now I have an issue with depression. Feeling like my brain is detached or something. And i read that can take anywhere from 2 months to a year. Does anyone have a solution for this part? I appreciate any help. Thank you.

well, my only advice would be try to stay occupied. Do exercise, Cook, play video Games, go for a walk, listen to music. Try to stay doing stuff even if y dont feel like it. If u dont do anything ur gonna start with the irrational thought creeping in. Ur past the worst man keep it that way.

 

[supersonic89]

Fellas.

Sorry if this was asked before:

1. Does pregabalin / gabapentin really work during opioid wd? What dosage?
2. What do you think about starting to take an antidepressant from the second week of the wd?
3. About loperamide, is the dose you take dependent on the dose or type of the opioid you are quitting? 12 mg. a day will they be fine or is it very little?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BarkBarkDoggyDog]

Hello guys!

I've been a daily weed smoker for about 10 years now, but I met my girlfriend a couple years ago and she's bipolar. We went through a big manic episode together and I helped her get a right diagnosis and good treatment. Throughout this ordeal, her psychiatrist recommended quitting weed, at least daily use. So we made a pact and we gave up on weed at the start of the year. It wasn't all that bad for me.

Then in March we had a party and a friend of hers told us he had Oxycontin. I knew a lot about it and was really excited to try it. My gf didn't like it since even small doses made her puke. But I certainly loved it. I also tried heroin 4-5 years back and used for about a month with weekly breaks until my dealer went to jail and the source dried up. To complete my bio, I must also add that my father, a doctor, has basically been an IV opioid addict for most of my childhood & adolescence.

So at the present time, I've basically taken Oxy for three months with very few 2-3 day breaks. 80mgs - 120mgs per day average in the last month.

My cash flow has taken a big hit, and I've also hidden my use from my gf, because I've told her I've got an addictive personality and I didn't want her to worry.

I've decided to quit cold turkey. This is my 3rd day without using and I feel pretty shitty. Always cold/hot & sweaty, irritable and trouble sleeping (only got 4 hours of sleep last night, with 0.5 xanax in me).

After what I've read on this forum, this seems to be a mild withdrawal. I've bought some loperamide for the shits and multivitamins to keep my body right.

Do you think this is the worst of it? Should I expect worse insomnia in the following days?

Also, should I get back to smoking some weed casually? A completely sober life is hard to imagine and it seems like quitting weed was a mistake.

Thanks for the help.

 

[BarkBarkDoggyDog]

Quick update: No re-use. Almost all of my withdrawal symptoms are gone. Not bad for a 3-month escapade
Friend has some coke today, so my sick mind immediately thought "let's mix with oxy as well" and called the dealer.
I guess this is life now. Fighting with random irresistible cravings for the drug.

 

[endlessnameless]

Quick update: No re-use. Almost all of my withdrawal symptoms are gone. Not bad for a 3-month escapade
Friend has some coke today, so my sick mind immediately thought "let's mix with oxy as well" and called the dealer.
I guess this is life now. Fighting with random irresistible cravings for the drug.

Well done mate. So if I'm correct here, according to your posts your withdrawals lasted about a week yeah? Seems about right. At least in my experience mine last about 10 days, then they start to fade. I'm trying to get to 14 days now this time, which means I've 10 days ahead of me. Have some codeine and I'm about to go out shortly and pick up some valium. Been trying to get some methadone but thats like liquid gold around here at the moment - no ones willing to part with it. Will see if the valium connect will part with some for an extra 5 bucks. Doubtful. Only need 50mls. Cant wait to hit that 14 day mark myself...in fucking hell fight now. HELL.

Sorry man, didnt mean to make this about me; another bad habit of mine I need to get rid of.

Little confused by your last three lines though - did you end up slipping up with the oxy and coke? If so and it was only a one (or even a two time thing) do not let that ruin what you've just got over. What I've learned about slip ups is to not beat yourself up about them; its easy to just say 'I've fucked up, may as well just continue' but its wise to just dust yourself off and continue. Keep it up buddy.

You're an inspiration though man; keep going bro.

 

[BarkBarkDoggyDog]

Thank you for the kind words man. And you definitely don't have to worry about making it about you. We're all in this together and it's important that we share our struggles openly and honestly.

I slipped a couple of times, yes. I will tell you all about it.

I'll come back and edit this post later today when I get a little bit more time. Maybe it will give us some newfound strength.

Until then, I'm rooting for you to keep your motivation.

Thank you for the kind words.

I'll be right back.

 

[ValaisFendant]

I wanted to share a story in real time as it's surprising me, seems to good to be true.

I had been a heavy opiate user from 2016-2019... then switched onto suboxone, at fairly low dose (2mg), and tapered my way off in february of this year (2021). Suboxone withdrawal sucks. Just the flare up phantom pain and the lack of sleep, for over a month. But, anyway...

I am in Europe for the summer, we have a 2nd place here. I hadnt been here since 2019 (due to covid). I always kept a stash here just in case, during the years I was using, so of course that stash was waiting for me when I showed up. It was a mixture of the old favorites... hydromorphone IR, oxymorphone, oxy IR (real blues not fent), oxycontin, vikes...

Anyway, I burned through them. It took about 5 weeks, the dosing never got insane, I'd often spread out doses 24+ hours (though the windows narrowed as the weeks went by, no surprise). The good news is that I've now depleted everything I have, and have no supply line. And that's fine.

Anyway, today is like "hour 30" of withdrawal. And the thing that's amazing is my symptoms are ultra minor. Don't even have RLS (yet, anyway). In the past, SINGLE USE chipping led to 3-4 days of very low grade withdrawals. In the past, withdrawals would show up within 12 hours almost regardless of how little I used. And now, I use steadily for 5 weeks, expecting to go through hell for it, and I feel fine for 24+ hours and only have very very minor withdrawal symptoms well into day 2.

Brain chemistry is so complex. No idea why this rodeo is going so smoothly. Probably jinxing it by not waiting for the 48 hour mark to post.

Well, resetting the sober shot clock now Hope the dopamine receptors recover quicker than they did after quitting suboxone. Life is more sustainable sober.

Good luck to all.

 

[BarkBarkDoggyDog]

Well done mate. So if I'm correct here, according to your posts your withdrawals lasted about a week yeah? Seems about right. At least in my experience mine last about 10 days, then they start to fade. I'm trying to get to 14 days now this time, which means I've 10 days ahead of me. Have some codeine and I'm about to go out shortly and pick up some valium. Been trying to get some methadone but thats like liquid gold around here at the moment - no ones willing to part with it. Will see if the valium connect will part with some for an extra 5 bucks. Doubtful. Only need 50mls. Cant wait to hit that 14 day mark myself...in fucking hell fight now. HELL.

Sorry man, didnt mean to make this about me; another bad habit of mine I need to get rid of.

Little confused by your last three lines though - did you end up slipping up with the oxy and coke? If so and it was only a one (or even a two time thing) do not let that ruin what you've just got over. What I've learned about slip ups is to not beat yourself up about them; its easy to just say 'I've fucked up, may as well just continue' but its wise to just dust yourself off and continue. Keep it up buddy.

You're an inspiration though man; keep going bro.

So two months have passed and I didn't manage to stay away from Oxy. But it's not THAT bad.

I had a relapse a couple of weeks after my first post and I kept on doing it for a month on and off. Then I went to a 4-day festival without Oxy and managed to get through the mild withdrawal once again. It wasn't too hard, because I had a shitload of other drugs to distract me: coke, lsd, copious amounts of weed, alcohol.

Now, in the last month and a half, I've been doing it just enough so I don't get withdrawals. And it kinda works, which is the scary thing. I even did a 2-week-daily bender that I managed to taper with some morphine and codeine.

I think my biggest problem is that I don't want to stay sober. I love the feeling and I'm willing to sacrifice a big chunk of my paycheck for it. Psychologically I'm still hooked.

And there are 2 things that keep bringing me back to it.

Stress - I'm an anxious, low self-esteem guy that runs the creative department of a small ad agency - that I'm also a partner of. Fuck.
Sex - I was always anxious about my endurance (if I get really excited mentally, I can finish in a matter of minute(s), and Oxy keeps me horny and makes the quick orgasm a non-issue. I'm afraid I raised the bar too high in the bedroom, guys.

As of today, I haven't tasted any oxy for about 10 days. Had 2x60mg extended release mophine on Monday, but that sucked. Felt that heavy stomach feeling and some relaxation, but none of that happy, uplifting come-up that I've grown to love. It's oxycodone that I crave.

I'm probably gonna get some for the weekend.

 

[endlessnameless]

Fellas.

Sorry if this was asked before:

1. Does pregabalin / gabapentin really work during opioid wd? What dosage?
2. What do you think about starting to take an antidepressant from the second week of the wd?
3. About loperamide, is the dose you take dependent on the dose or type of the opioid you are quitting? 12 mg. a day will they be fine or is it very little?

Thanks in advance.

1. Without a doubt. My habit wasnt huge and rarely did it exceed a bag a day. I recently detoxed and used 300mgs p/d, though people often use more. I bought 15 x 300mgs and still have some left as I only needed to use them for the first 4 days and I experienced little to no withdrawals at all. You wouldn't want to have anything to do though as they give you feel very off balance and send the whites of your eyes red. I'd start with 300mgs and let that kick in, then if you need to top that up with another 300mgs then you can but I'd be prepared to stay in bed. I've heard of people taking up to 1000mgs but personally, I just didn't need to. This means if I do happen to have a slip, I have some left over to get me over that 3-5 day hump.

2. In my own experience, anti-depressants take anywhere from 6-10 weeks to begin working (if they ever do - which they never did for me, and I was on all sorts of tri-cylics, MAOI's, SNRIs, SNDRIs and eventually even Lithium coupled with regular blood tests). If your reasoning for taking an anti-depressant is because you have the (emotional) blues after the cessation of an opioid then I wouldnt bother because by the time its likely to begin having any kind of an effect (which is always going to be very minimal anyway even when it does - anti-depressants arent 'happy-pills') your natural dopamine levels would have evened out a long time ago anyway.

3. Dont take Loperamide expecting it to rid you of your withdrawals. You'd be better off hitting up your GP for Clonidine. Then again if you're going to do that then you may as well as them to prescribe you Lyrica off label, and if they absolutely won't prescribe either then get some Oxybutrynin (15-20mgs p/d) which will get rid of the hyper-hydrosis (the sweats). Martazapine/Myrap is great for sleep, especially for the first few days - but you'll have to get these prescribed as they arent available OTC.

 

[endlessnameless]

So two months have passed and I didn't manage to stay away from Oxy. But it's not THAT bad.

I had a relapse a couple of weeks after my first post and I kept on doing it for a month on and off. Then I went to a 4-day festival without Oxy and managed to get through the mild withdrawal once again. It wasn't too hard, because I had a shitload of other drugs to distract me: coke, lsd, copious amounts of weed, alcohol.

Now, in the last month and a half, I've been doing it just enough so I don't get withdrawals. And it kinda works, which is the scary thing. I even did a 2-week-daily bender that I managed to taper with some morphine and codeine.

I think my biggest problem is that I don't want to stay sober. I love the feeling and I'm willing to sacrifice a big chunk of my paycheck for it. Psychologically I'm still hooked.

And there are 2 things that keep bringing me back to it.

Stress - I'm an anxious, low self-esteem guy that runs the creative department of a small ad agency - that I'm also a partner of. Fuck.
Sex - I was always anxious about my endurance (if I get really excited mentally, I can finish in a matter of minute(s), and Oxy keeps me horny and makes the quick orgasm a non-issue. I'm afraid I raised the bar too high in the bedroom, guys.

As of today, I haven't tasted any oxy for about 10 days. Had 2x60mg extended release mophine on Monday, but that sucked. Felt that heavy stomach feeling and some relaxation, but none of that happy, uplifting come-up that I've grown to love. It's oxycodone that I crave.

I'm probably gonna get some for the weekend.

How on earth you were able to hold down a job with an Oxy habit is beyond me. I mean I suppose with a regular supply its possible but I know my H supply was so staggared that if I couldnt get my fix for the day then that day was written off, so while I was able to take on college courses I wasnt able to work full a full time job with the skills I have. I'm going to have a lot of catching up to do once my motivation returns...

I was able to taper with OTC codeine over Christmas/New Years 2019...worked surprisingly well. Having said that I did it in the blazing heat (blazing heat relative to Ireland) of Lanzarote so I think the sun helped.

I'll take it you're in the US/Canada - Oxy isnt as readily available in Europe or the UK as it is over there, at least not from your average street dealer unless they have a prescription (which they generally wouldn't).

 

[BarkBarkDoggyDog]

I can hold down a job because my habit is in its infancy. Hope to keep it that way forever. Grab a couple of pills every friday and that's the end of that. We all know it's been tried and failed, though.

Actually, I'm from Romania. My dealer is pretty much a once-in-a-lifetime thing ). Last week he was holding morphine, dhc & oxy. Took some friday and saturday. Clean afterwords.

And, well, since my withdrawals are done, I'm gonna stop posting in this thread.

Best of luck going forward, mate!

 

[NYCDOSE]

Well I couldnt take it anymore...to high of a jump...I gave in...day 4 and I gave in, I suck.

Hour 4 and i give in dude your a fuckin g

 

[tarman]

Well... I'm going thru it. Quitting a .3 a day heroin habit. About 14 hours since last snort. I feel awful. I've taken 900mg of gabapentin... I know it's helping but not enough.

I have kratom and subs. I guess I could take the kratom now, right? You can take it without precip withdrawals right?

Edit: Took 4 grams of Happy Heart. Spit some of it in the cranberry juice bottle. Damnit. Oh well. Doesn't seem to be causing precip withdrawals. Might be helping. We'll see.

 

[tarman]

Still doin it! Unfortunately, using subs to get off, but oh well, I have a script. I'm fine with the sub lifestyle for a while. I'm not proud. But it's just the aggressive dysphoria if I dont take it. Did 12mg yesterday, 8 so far today. It was rough... just felt really sad all day.

 

[Dextro .45]

Age 25 to age 39 daily opioid usage - all legally prescribed due to medical condition

Went through opioid withdrawal 2 times …..1st time was the most memorable

Started with:
Percocet / Endocet “ TEC” oxycodone 5mg/325 X 6 daily
OxyIR 5mg X 4 daily
OxyContin 10mg X 2 daily
Then…..
Dilaudid 2mg x 4 daily
Hydromorph Contin 9mg X 2 daily

Started I.v. Administration to maximize bioavailability of HM (bad idea) ….then Illicit i.v. H daily. Finally said this is a serious problem and stopped cold turkey

Day 1-3 were bad
Day 3-7 were SEVERE
Day 7-14 were bad, but gradually subsiding in intensity
Day 14-30 physical withdrawal nearly done, psychologically was HARD ….wanted a fat hit sooo bad
Day 30+ back to “normal” kinda….but due to medical condition needed an opioid analgesic

Went with Methadone ….very long half-life, once daily administration in morning, Very potent analgesic /full mu receptor agonist with excellent oral bioavailability (close to 80% depending on several factors /metabolism, etc


Clonidine 0.1mg tablets were the most valuable tool
Gabapentin 300mg / Pregablin 150mg capsules as needed
Cannabis THC/CBD 5mg oral jel caps
Super low dose benzodiazepine (early on withdrawal) Diazepam 5-10mg morning and hour after dinner
Magnesium Bisglycinate 200mg prior to bed
Melatonin 2.5mg prior to bed
Zopiclone 7.5mg (half tablet) Z-drug for severe insomnia (not taken with benzo)

A HOT bath is Absolutely Amazing for feeling normal and comfortable…..

take a Clonidine 0.1mg tablet & Diazepam 5/10mg and light cannabis Indica jel cap during peak opioid withdrawal…after its peaked a hot relaxing bath (preferable supervised by spouse/someone if required) and you will be in Heaven

Short acting opioids while intense during withdrawal, it’s over relatively quick…considering. A FULL week of living hell, followed by another week of uncomfortable symptoms & mental depression / low energy & spirits

Natural health supplements can help

ALCAR (increase acetylcholine) improved energy & vigilance
L-Tyrosine (increase dopamine) improved mood & dopamine
Magnesium Bisglycinate
L-Taurine

Light dose Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is very helpful as antidepressants & mood booster

 

[JTemperance]

Magnesium Bisglysinate 200mg prior to bed

In what ways did this one help you out? I'm curious about magnesium supplements in general. Is the bisglysinate the best kind? I remember getting the chelated a while back, IIRC...

Light dose Methylphenidate (Ritalin) is very helpful as antidepressants & mood booster

Agreed on this one. (And on your other suggested meds.)

 

[Dextro .45]

Magnesium Bisglycinate is very helpful before bed….calms the nerves and is great for sleep, I take it nightly with Taurine to calm everything down, cardiovascular wise and mentally calms you down (in addition to Taurine)

The other forms of magnesium may act as a mild laxative in the GI tract….Magnesium Bisglycinate doesn’t have any GI effects but more CNS effects (reduced tension/anxiety/BP/HR very mildly) has a calming effect

Bedtime:
Magnesium Bisglycinate 200mg
Taurine 1,000 mg
Melatonin 1-2.5mg (scored 5mg tablets) take half dissolved under tongue

Optional Bedtime:
Clonidine 0.1mg tablet (half of a scored tablet)
Passion Flower extract (GABA-A agonist)
Valerian extract (sedative)
Low-dose benzodiazepine