hydrocodone addiction

[blueline]

Good morning everyone....day 30 for me. Still feel sluggish at times but all in all I am doing pretty good. Still having pain in my back but it's tolerable and I'm dealing with it....

Blue

[shanala3]

first of all, congrats blue!!!!!!!!!!! you are an inspiration, truly.....you're gonna do this man!!!!!!!
ineedhelp, yes you are right, i have to find some things to do that will take my mind off. i'm gonna try the walking thing, i used to walk for 1.5 hours every single day i started when i was pregnant with my 7 year old and i lost like 55 pounds, but it's harder now with a 9 yr.old, a 7yr. old and a 3yr. old, they all have to go. what i should do is get a good bike with a baby seat on the back so i can tow the baby and the other two could follow,mmmmmm, we'll see. i had a small relapse this weekend, but i'm trying not to let it get me down. i feel really bad about it, i told my hubby, he didn't get mad. i just told him if i was really gonna do this i need to be completely honest with him. i am soooo sick and tired of sneaking around and keeping things from him, it's all about this pills, or was. i'm just thinking of it as a minor setback, i'm back on track now though and still determined, i'm still gonna do this. the thing was, i really wasn't feeling bad when i done it, it's almost like an obsession or something, i just couldn't stop thinking about it. i asked a guy that got me some a couple of months ago, and he actually said "sorry, i'm trying to stay away from everything, i haven't had any in over a month". well, i thought, that was god telling me i didn't need them, but did i listen??? NO! i could not rest until i got a hold of one, so i just asked someone else!! stupid stupid stupid, then i hated myself for it. anyway, like i said, just a minor setback......good thing is, i'm still feeling ok for now. i mainly start craving when i get one of my bad headaches (which i know is just part of the wd's). so i'm living off ibuprofen, excedrin tension, and bayer all three. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO CONTROL THOSE HEADACHES WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED, the OTC meds just do not work for me. period.

[2CAREBEARS]

hi all. i am not a user, my hubby is. but i was wondering: my hubby said he was getting off hydro. and soma, so for 2-3 he went to the bathroom alot, sometimes to just sit. he threw up for 2-3 days and ate nothing. is this really detoxing?? he is tired all the time too. is this detox?? he seems ok now, except for the being tired and having no energy to do anything. on his days off, he does nothing but lay around. is he truly done???

thanks to all, and congrats on all your strength.

[caligirl770]

Yes that is detox, you basically feel like you have the flu. For me it lasted over a week. He will get better but it takes time, it took me 2 months to get my energy back. Exercise will really help with the sore muscles and the lack of energy. Good luck to him and you.

[WA_NA_Survivor]

Originally Posted by blueline

Good morning everyone....day 30 for me. Still feel sluggish at times but all in all I am doing pretty good. Still having pain in my back but it's tolerable and I'm dealing with it....

Blue

Congrat's on your 30 days Blueline, I know what a long haul that first 30 days is - I understand also the dilemma faced when pain seems to give a plausible reason to consider narcotic pain killers, I won't let my doctor prescribe anything like that now as I know where that will take me. I will have 9 months on Oct 13th.

[chloe06]

hi,

I am still hanging in there although I have been suffering with alot of pain, my back has been really bad and yesterday I finally went to the drs for x-rays and blood tests and x-rays have shown that I have loss of curvature of my spine, some loss of height in my discs and bone degeneration..I also suffer with painful joints and have a partial diagnosis of a form of arthritis. I have been sticking to neurofen, dr offered me stronger anti inflammatories and I said no but today has been so bad that I think I will maybe try that...hoping I get some answers tomorrow...the pain is bad but in a way it has helped because if I concentrate on physical pain then emotionally I am not so bad! Its gutting when you are faced with long term pain and you have shot yourself in the foot when it comes to not being able to take opiate pain killers but I guess I have paid the price and have no one to blame but myself!

Chloe

[windysan]

30 Days. A huge milestone !!!

[blueline]

Originally Posted by BABYPAYTON

hi all. i am not a user, my hubby is. but i was wondering: my hubby said he was getting off hydro. and soma, so for 2-3 he went to the bathroom alot, sometimes to just sit. he threw up for 2-3 days and ate nothing. is this really detoxing?? he is tired all the time too. is this detox?? he seems ok now, except for the being tired and having no energy to do anything. on his days off, he does nothing but lay around. is he truly done???

thanks to all, and congrats on all your strength.

Payton, what your husband is experiencing is normal withdrawals. I went through the same thing just a few weeks ago. It took a couple of weeks for me to get back to eating relatively normal. I had to force myself to eat something, and I would throw it up sometimes, but sometimes it would stay down. A bad case of the flu is what it is like. You don't feel like doing anything except lying around. No strength, muscle aches, head aches, insomnia, and he might as well plan on visiting the bathroom on a regular basis for the next few days...that's part of the wd's also. All of what your husband is going through is normal detoxing. I know from personal experience that he will need your support and strength. This is a very, very bad time that he is going through and he will need help getting through it. I recommend that he visit this forum. It helped me more than I can say. But, regardless, he needs support from somewhere and someone. Be patient with him for a few days. He will get better.

Blue

[blueline]

31 days today.....I think I am going to be ok now.......you all are absolutely wonderful.....

[ccgirl]

Hey everyone! Long time. I've actually been busy which is a good thing. I'm on day 11 and while I feel somewhat human, my stomach is a mess and I am getting killer headaches. This too, will pass.

[blueline]

you're doin' good, ccgirl.....you're almost there.....keep up the good work

[ineedhelp]

Day 11 for me too....feeling better...slept a lot today with wierd dreams. I'm just so tired from not sleeping much lately.

I probably won't sleep good tonight.

[northbelle]

Day two for me here. This is a really good thread. Alot of strength here. I am 2 days off heroin..still a opiate and the withdrawals are pretty much the same. I am having a hard time just making it throught the day..but one day at a time huh. That is all I can do right now and have faith that my needs will be taken care of. I called a friend in the program to take me to the grocery store. I have no car and ride the bus but I just could not do it tonight and we are out of food and i do mean OUT. Writing a check I will have to pay the bounc fee on but I get paid friday so its ok...god knows I would do it for dope. How sad to get this low again and how painful...I work all day and it is all I can do to just show up and try to have on clean clothes!! Well I will be chekcing in here with ya all and thank you for all your strength and letting me know I am not alone
love north

[Alan]

Hi Northernbelle! You sound like your ready to leave the heroin behind and thats great. Anchorage is a tough little city. I was a commercial fishermen in Dutch Harbor for 3 years. Mostly Kodiak Salmon and Longline cod in the winter.
The daylight times were hard to get adjusted to. I bid you well and will say a prayer for you that you will get thru this mess. Im 28 days, pretty much feel like
crap but Im slowely getting better every day and Im gonna overcome this addiction cause its a drag. Just a hello from the Garden State of NJ and dont give up. Just hang in there this time. Its gonna get much much better.



Alan

[blueline]

good job ineedhelp....you are doing wonderful, stay strong and keep thinking that the end is just around the corner for you.

northbelle, it's great having you in here. You have taken the first step and that is sometimes the hardest. Now you just have to keep taking steps, even if all you can take are baby steps. As long as you make progress, even a little at a time, you are doing great. Take one step at a time...live one minute, one hour, and one day without drugs. Before you know it you will be at one week, then two weeks, then one month without drugs. I am at 32 days now without hydrocodone. It has been a long, hard road, but I have made it this far and I am determined to keep going on the right road. You said it's sad to get as low as you are right now...you're right, but sometimes you have to hit bottom before you can start to climp back up again. When you are at the bottom, there's only one way you can go and that's up. I highly suggest that you say in this forum. You will find much needed support and strength in here, and you are very welcome in here. The wonderful people in here helped me more than I can say. Just keep taking one step at a time and you will make it.

Blue

[ventuhome]

Hi all, glad to see so much courage, sharing, and progress onthis thread still. What works for me for my joint pain is Glucosamine and Chondroitin. I take a tab wit 500mg Glucosamine/100 mg Chondroitin 3 times a day (when I can remember!) and it really helps, I can get by with only 1 or 2 Ibuprofens a day. The tablet also has Tumeric in it. Its called "Joint therapy", but there are many formulas out there like this. But they dont give instant relief, you have to take it for up to a week before you notice anything.

[northbelle]

well day 3. Wow I can do this. Shakin and bakin for sure though..made it through a day at the office..front desk ...not a place I would recommend to go throught detox but then I have to do everything the absolute hardest way possible! I think alot of it is the FEAR of withdrawal. I mean my MIND makes it a thousand times worse than the reality of it, I had anxiety like heck all day and was a real smart mouth at work...then I had to go shopping with my dad and felt like I may just nut out in the store..made it home and finally ate something and that calmed me down a little. I just feel really weird..discounnected..like I am in a cloud..but I went to the meeting on my lunch and it was all good . People really DO care there if I let them and ask for help. I have alot on my plate and it is really tough being a single parent and breadwinner. It scares the crap out of me most of the time but I press on...I always do that somehow..by the grace of god I guess...thanx for letting me come here!! love North

[WA_NA_Survivor]

Northbelle, you may not feel itbut every day you stay clean, you're winning and getting stronger - not only that but you're in a better position to make more winning decisions. No matter what shape you're in, getting and staying clean is a vast improvement. We all know what it is to be dominated by drugs and the powerlessness and lack of choices that brings us.

You're not alone, we all know how difficult it is to stay in the moment and handle the anxiety and stress of withdrawal - there's a paragraph in the 1st page of "We Do Recover" in the NA BT that I've drawn much encouragement from:

"When at the end of the road, we find that we can no longer function as a human being, either with or without the use of drugs, we all face the same dilemma. What is there left to do? There seems to be this alternative: either go on to the bitter ends - jails, institutions or death - or find a new way to live. In years gone by , very few addicts ever had this last choice. Those who are addicted today are more fortunate. For the first time in man's entire history, a simple way has been proving itself in the lives of many addicts. It is available to us all. This is a simple, spiritual - not religious - program, known as Narcotics Anonymous."

That part: "...we find that we can no longer function as a human being, either with or without the use of drugs..." is a very real dilemma faced in early recovery - that's the insanity both in active addiction and during withdrawal, but it can be remedied through a daily program whether it be accompanied by face to face meetings (preferable) or online meetings.

Take Care!

[northbelle]

Wow WA NA..thanx for taking the time to share that. It just really hit the nail on the head if you know what I mean,...Day 5 today..I am just grateful right now that I have been able to do this ONE MORE TIME..I feel ALOT better. I can cope with the withdrawal now...I slept for the first time last night mostly out of eshaustion but I'll take it!! Been to the meeting every day this seek. I would really like to hit some NA as I have been going to all aa..but its all good.
Have to go to work..feeling so overwhelmed right now with so many responsibilities...But one step at a time...god help me
love north

[ventuhome]

Hey all, you have all been so inspirational to me. I'm probably going to stop coming to SR, at least for a while, because I will be showing this site to my Recovering Addict Sis-in-law and she may want to post here. If she does, I want to give her privacy. She has 100+ days clean from hydro! Thanks for your support.

[blueline]

ventuhome...you are welcome back anytime. I hope your sister-in-law comes here and finds the help she needs.

[ccgirl]

Okay, day 15. I mostly feel good, no more aches, headaches easing off a bit, but my stomach is absolutely a mess. Any suggestions? I'm using immodium and a prescription IBS med for cramping, but it's still there along with the nauseau.

As soon as the symptoms end, I can start my oupatient program.

[northbelle]

There is this new yogurt called Activia that is a amiracle for the stomach I swear! A little spendy but well worth it. I cam home sick today at noon from work. Feels like the flu..adn a little depressed too I must say. Alone in my head..yuck..I will get to the meeting tommorow.
love north

[Buzz Kilowatt]

Originally Posted by ccgirl

Okay, day 15. I mostly feel good, no more aches, headaches easing off a bit, but my stomach is absolutely a mess. Any suggestions? I'm using immodium and a prescription IBS med for cramping, but it's still there along with the nauseau.

As soon as the symptoms end, I can start my oupatient program.

ccgirl:

I've been there too, and still suffer from IBS and other complaints to some degree.

The intestines go into "revolt" phase during withdrawal which may aggravate pre-existing conditions.

If the balance of flora has been upset by diarrhea you can buy OTC capsules that can replace the healthy bacteria. Other souces are yogurt and Korean kim chee - the latter might be a bit harsh or unpalatable to some. It is jokingly called "mouthwash antidote." Personally, I love it . . .

The best course is to follow a "smooth food" diet for a few weeks. Avoid excessive roughage, raw fruits and vegetables, and wheat until things settle down. A "holding" dose of Immodium - one pill instead of two - at times has provided me with some relief.

GI distress also has an emotional component. There are synapses & nerves in the large intestine that are similar to those in the brain (you've heard of "thinking with your gut?") Meditation helps, and I am getting back into the routine after a long hiatus.

I think acupunture may have some benefits, too. I went for my 1st session last week and really changed my energy pattern. I'll be able to speak more about it after a few sessions.

Because of the emotional component, phychotherapy may provide a means to change some of the thought and emotional patterns in a positive way. Exercise too. I'm going to go swimming in a few minutes, which always makes me feel better.

Hope you are feeling better too, and soon.

Buzz

[blueline]

day 37 for me.....I'm still doing ok, still have my ups and downs but not too bad.