cleaninalabama

Today is day 2 of my recovery. I have been using opiates for about 5 years now. It started with hydrocodone and went up from there. in the past few months i have been taking around 4 30mg oxys a day. At any rate, it is something i need to do. I am getting married in two months and my fiance does not know about my problem. I am tired of sneaking around in order to buy and take drugs and tired of spending so much money on drugs. The last time i used was at 5:00 p.m. saturday so i am nearly 48 hours in. my legs are aching, i cannot concentrate and my stomach is in knots. I am told that the worst is between 48 and 72 hours and then things start to look up. i hope so.

Any help or advice is certainly appreciated. i look forward to the beginning of my new life without drugs.

istherehope999

Good for you for getting clean!! The worst days of opiate w/d for me was day 4. Everyone is different but that's when I got slammed.

Stopdropburn

Way to kick it dude! You are going to feel like crap, then you're going to work for it, and then you are going to feel great about yourself, your life and your new wife! I was on opiates for roughly 10 years. I know how bad it can be. For several of those years I stayed on Suboxone primarily, but I understand completely the heavy claws of Oxy's, Roxy's....all that crap. Days 2 and 3 aren't fun....but no days are really. All you can do is push through, within a week you will be feeling better if you're eating right and getting exercise and sweating all the toxins out of your body. I am at 2 weeks and 3 days today. I've started a vitamin regimen, eating healthier (with occasional treats - cuz deep down inside this scrawny thing lives a fat boy still), and working out EVERYDAY. And you have to make yourself mentally prepared to tackle this....make yourself happy you're doing this, think about how good you'll feel with your partner and your new life and not being sneaky and dependent - did that too. It won't feel good for a few days....sweats, chills (those were terrible for me), sleeplessness, aching legs and crawling skin, flu-like feelings....but you can handle it for a few days to beat it. I treated it just like a flu and used Benadryl and Nyquil and Immodium to abate some of the symptoms. And hot showers/baths...I haven't taken a bath in years....but I felt so much better submerging myself in a hot, hot bath when I was in the worst of it. You can beat this man, sounds like you have a great life waiting for you on the other side. Good luck and stick around!!

IvanKatz

Congrads on getting clean. Even more for doing this before it wrecks your new marriage!
I wont lie to you and say it's going to be easy! You're in for a rough time. But nothing in life worth having is easy huh?
One week from today you're going to feel better. 2 Weeks from now you're going to feel MUCH better! 2 months from now you're going to feel like a million dollars.
Don't forget that we're all here for you and PLEASE feel free to post. We WILL talk you through this! You're among friends here.
Most of us have already been through this so this board will be a great resource for you.
Now, with that said - we can ONLY provide you with the following medical advice... Go see your doctor and tell him or her what's going on and be 100% honest with them!!! I cannot stress enough just how much your doctor can help you through this!
Why? Well, you are going to go through anxiety, sleeplessness, and "stomach issues".
You're doctor can prescribe things that can deal with each of those things.
Also- I cannot emphasize how much GOOD sleep will help you get through this!!!!! And... You're most likely not going to get good sleep unless you see your doctor about that - HINT HINT!

OK, enough about the Doctor that you SHOULD SEE!

While you're "to be" doesn't know what your going through... Major Kudos for doing this. You may have just saved your marriage! GOOD for you!
While I don't take meds for recreational purposes, getting off of them did save my marriage!

cleaninalabama

Thanks. As far as exercise is concerned, i have been a runner for years but ran my last race, the Philadelphia Marathon, back in November. since then i have not been exercising with any frequency. i feel like crap but am thinking of forcing myself out the door for a short run this afternoon. i'm hoping that will help out.

I have already been experiencing the restless legs as well as the sweats and chills. i know it is going to get worse before it gets better. i really do appreciate yall taking the time to respond. i have kept this a secret from everyone so i do not have anyone to talk to here. thanks again and i look forward to getting through this.

IvanKatz

ClnAL,
I can tell you right now FROM EXPERIENCE that exercise will wipe that RLS away! Not only will it kill your RLS, it will force your brain to start making it's own chemicals again.
The sooner you start running, the faster you will get through this! You will have to force yourself to do this but trust me when I say it will shorten your recovery by half. I know! I've done it!

cleaninalabama

thanks ivan. looks like the running shoes are going to get a soggy workout this afternoon. As far as the doctor is concerned, i'm going to try and do it without that. fortunately for me, my doctor is a close friend and i talk to him regularly but because of that i do not feel comfortable bringing my situation up to him.

cleaninalabama

also, i have read several places on-line about an herbal treatment called kratom. has anyone ever tried to use that to come off oxy? i feel like by the time i ordered it and it arrived the worst would already be past but was just curious.

IvanKatz

My best advice to to skip the BS like that. The exception to that is a good multi-vitamin, and VERY healthy eating, and lots of fluids.
I've been through the ringer a few times and I've spent plenty of $$$ on BS fixes.
I say again, going to my doctor and explaining I wanted off was the best thing I ever did!
For the RLS you can eat bananas 1-2 of them in the AM and one in the PM. THe Phosphorus will help with the aches. Eggs are a super source of protien and will also help your brain start producing dopamine.

Stopdropburn

@clean I didn't do anything insane to start. Just light jogging in place to get my heart moving for a few minutes, jumping jacks....just something that will get your heart pumping and get endorphins moving and your natural chemicals in motion again. Slowly each day I added in weights and stretching (which helps the aches a lot), sit ups and a few other things - but all things that I can do inside, regardless of the weather outside, then when it's nice out you can really get out there and move and not be fatigued. I'm swearing by the vitamins and eating right though too, I used to not take vitamins and ate crap, and even without opiates I couldn't keep going long....world of difference now, even gaining muscle mass and strength in just a few days. Way to go and keep it up!

Stopdropburn

OH! And Kratom, I've used it on a number of occasions. It metabolizes similarly to opiates, and thus is the reason many people use it to abate w/d.....but YOU ARE ALREADY GETTING OFF OPIATES, why bother with it??? It's just more money down the tube again. You will feel slightly euphoric and probably crave real pills again. Don't do that to yourself! You are making progress, don't go back!

cleaninalabama

Well I went for about a mile and a half run. Seemed to really help for a little while. Was even able to get some dinner down. On the couch now and alternating between chills and sweating and my legs are aching pretty bad. I just keep telling myself that it won't last forever and what's on the other side is so much better. Thanks again for all the well wishes and advice. It means a lot.

IvanKatz

Good job on the running! I'll bet you $$$ that your legs don't go crazy on you tonight. Let us know how you are in the morning!

cleaninalabama

Well a rough night of little sleep. Trying to drag myself out of bed and to the office but just can't do it. Feeling really rough and zero energy.

Taking5

Welcome from another Alabamian. If you are down in the Mobile area let me know I can set you up with some good guys that are clean of drugs and alcohol. They are all in AA/NA meetings though.

Stopdropburn

@clean You'll have a week or so like that with little to no sleep and/or energy. At least you're trying a little exercise. It feels crappy at first, but the more you do the better you will feel. That and a good vitamin regimen will help pick your energy up again. You will make it through a couple days and then it will start noticeably passing. Take care and good luck!

cleaninalabama

well i got myself up and into work and feel much better. it's just finding the motivation to start is so hard to come by.

cleaninalabama

just a quick update, i've made it to day 4 and have to say i am feeling better by the minute. i even slept better last night. the leg pains and restless legs seem to be subsiding. thank you to everyone on here that provided encouragement.

KuanYin

Keep on, mr. clean, and keep us posted.

cleaninalabama

on to day 5. slept better last night than i have for days. stomach is still a little weak but other than that i am feeling much better. i'm sure i am boring everyone with these posts, but posting on here seems to make me feel better. i guess i like being able to tell someone. this is the longest i have gone without pills in quite some time. my previous efforts at quitting seemed to fall apart around day 3. i know i am not out of the woods yet but i am feeling good and think things are looking up.