Melly218.

[namommy]

I just wanted to get you started in a new thread to welcome you to SR.

There are a few of us on here who withdrew from opiates, and are more than willing to offer some suggestions.

Most importantly, hang in there, don't give up no matter how bad you feel. It will pass, and you will NOT feel that way forever. (I know)

Drink alot of water to help flush out your system and keep you hydrated. Imodium for diarrhea, eat light, small meals. Take tylenol during the day for aches and pains, and tylenol PM at night to help you get at least a little bit of sleep. Take alot of hot baths and showers. This helps with the aches and pains as well as the muscle cramps and twitching.

I was sick for about 3 days, day 2 was the worst. On day 4 I was feeling better, and got myself to a meeting that night. I have now been clean for 8 1/2 years, and you can do it too.

I am sure others will be along soon to welcome you and to add their experience here as well.

[LucyUK]

Welcome Melly218!

You've got some good advice above on dealing with withdrawals - alcohol is my problem so I can't add to namommy's advice, just hang on in there and you will get through the first few days.

Definitely try to get to an NA meeting, you will get a lot of support from people there (as well as here).

Keep coming back

[clancy!]

Imodium has something in it - loperamide- that eases the pains of withdrawals. I think it stiks to the mu reseptors in your brain, the same ones that opiates stik to. Its strukture is very similar to opiates....without the problems(I dont THINK...if anyone knoweth differently please speaketh!!) but if you eat too muh im afraid you may never poop again, so be warned. Eat plenty of dried aprikots and prunes for this.Eksersise helps, believe it or not, walking or bike riding are good.Aromatherapy baths with klary sage oil are kind of helpful,so are massages with klary sage oil in a karrier oil,like grapeseed or almond.

The best thing ive found though for withdrawals is to go and have akkupunkture and moksibustion.Im afraid it involves stiking needles into you...there arent very big, but they feel funny...like elektrik shoks (tiny ones!!)Find an oriental person- they just seem to do it better, you gotta be honest about whats up with you. Aktually one worth his salt will be able to tell by your pulse,eyes, tongue and stuff. This really works better than ANYTHING else ive tried and ive done more rattles than ive had hot dinners. Its pretty ekspensive, but really worth it.They will give you herbs to take too.Best of all you will sleep!! Refleksology helps you sleep too.(you know, foot prodding?)
Spend time thinking and talking to people about things other than your misery. In No way get into kreative deskriptions of your misery....there are no words to deskribe it, so dont waste your time trying too. If you spend any time doing this at all you will shortly go mad. See movies and diskuss them with your mates/partner, listen to musik, find your reskue tunes.They work wonders. Take your ipod (or whatever!) to bed with you, this is really helpful with the not going mad push.
Get your bestest fave foods and eat tiny beautiful good quality meals.Lots of green tea. Yoga is brilliant. Hot water bottles.

Think of the pain as kleansing. These are the Labor pains of your new life!!

[clancy!]

Oh Yeah and the rattle is the easy bit......sorry not what you wanted to hear huh? Its staying klean that is the ahem ....testing....shall we say bit.You will hear a lot of enkouragement to get on the 12 step bus here...and it does help alot of folk, but I dont like it and there are other ways. I think it depends on the kind of person you are, your politiks, your religion, the way you think. If you are on line, spend some time doing researh about ways forward without drugs. I really like the Eastern way of finding the power within yourself to beat drugs, via yoga, breath kontrol, meditation and that sort of thing. 12 step programs require you deklare yourself powerless against your enemy and dependant on a 'Higher Power' to make progress.Different personalities will find different ways, but I read that all methods of slaying the dragon have the same suksess rate, it just depends on what works for you.Try out stuff! You may go for the meeting thing.You may be like me and want to work on a different level than that.I know lots of folk who have gotten klean, some thru 12 step, some thru the path of meditation and yoga and finding the power within yourself.Some who simply stopped. There are several ways out of the jungle, and none of them are easy,none.Im still struggling with it all...kurrently 9 days sober! What ever way you go, good luk!! and sorry about my keyboard!

[Kathy Z]

Welcome Melly. I am new to these boards as well. They are great! Today is my 2nd day off opiates and while I'm not in the best mood (to say the least) I'm surviving. I honestly feel like sleeping all day but with my kids that's just not an option. So instead I'm trying to keep as busy as I can around the house here. I keep poping on here for encouragement. I even saw my friend earlier who I've been getting my pills from and I'm proud to say I didn't even ask for any! So far so good.