SeekingWellness

Hi Everyone,

I'm new here. I first want to thank everyone for their generosity. And for their courage.

I am being treated for late-stage lyme disease and/or fibromyalgia. (They are both controversial diagnoses which just makes it all harder.) I see a pain specialist who prescribes oxycontin and oxycodone. I take exactly what I am prescribed and don't abuse the medication yet I am obviously physiologically dependent. Does it makes such a difference that I don't abuse? To me it really doesn't. My body still freaks when I am coming to the end of a dosing period. In other words, four times per day.

I am feeling lately that the medication is making my pain WORSE and there is no way to know if that's true except to get off it. For sure, that would require going through withdrawal. I have read three or four books about oxycodone addiction, so I do have some sense of what it entails. My doc thinks I should do a five-day inpatient detox. The person on staff at my local detox thinks I should do it at home. The biggest issue is this: will I actually feel better, have less pain if I get off these meds or am I fantasizing because I am so scared about the condition I am in? I really do believe that the oxycodone is causing rebound pain. In fact, the idea of doing a gradual taper just doesn't even seem feasible....I can barely function on the dose I am taking. Sure, I'd feel better if I raised the dose but then there's no end in sight. I have been on antibiotics for lyme for over a year and think perhaps there is has been healing but it is masked by the painkillers.

I am wondering if anyone has come off oxycodone after legitimate treatment for pain--or after addiction and abuse (does it matter?).....and felt much better just being off it. I'm wondering is anyone is familiar with the rebound pain issue and if anyone has been pleasantly surprised to come off it and actually feel LESS pain as a result. A psoitive story of recovery after long-term treatment with oxycodone.

I am also wondering if folks like me, who don't abuse but are nonetheless dependent, are welcome in AA and NA. I live alone and have no family nearby and could use the support. I have heard wonderful things about AA...

Thanks in advance....

DoubleBarrel

Depending on how much you are taking and for how long, a medically supervised detox is probably a great idea.
You need to talk to a doctor about this. There's no shame in it.
There are so many people with legitimate pain who get caught up in addiction. As you probably know, opiates will make you addicted eventually, if you take them regularly. Doesn't really matter if you take them as prescribed or abuse them, your body will just need it after a point.
As for pain, I had a disc problem in my back, and I personally had more pain after taking opiates for a long time. Not sure why that is, but it was so much better after stopping.

Good luck, and keep coming back here. After quitting, you will know if you need more, or of you have had a regrettable physical issue.

SeekingWellness

Thanks so much, Double Barrel. That's exactly what I need to hear. I will continue the discussion with my doctor. Funny, the detox person answering the phone was very kind but did not encourage me to pursue that--she thought I should just detox at home. My insurance might pay but otherwise she said it was $25,000-$30,000 for five days. Is that for real?! I asked what you get for that and she said "yoga classes." Really?! Well, they do give you something like subuxone. But that's ridiculous. Could you tell me about your own detox experience, Double Barrel?

DoubleBarrel

I didn't exactly detox from opiates correctly. My experience is not the right way. It was not pleasant. But I had multiple substance issues going simultaneously.
I have a good friend with a traumatic brain injury, was able to rehab quite nicely. He's not really an addict, in the abuser sense.

And yes, sadly, the addiction treatment can cost that much.
I would question swapping one drug for another. Just trading problems, IMHO.
Opiates suck to kick, but withdrawals are not gonna go on for ever.

How much are you taking, and for how long?

Remember, we aren't doctors, I don't want to overstep my bounds.

artsoul

Welcome SeekingWellness!

My issue was with alcohol so I have no experience with opiates, but have you thought about talking to a doctor who is also an addiction specialist (or a reputable pain center)?

You're not alone and you'll find lots of support here - I think that's what helped me more than anything. Check out the section for substance abuse, too:
Substance Abuse - SoberRecovery : Alcoholism Drug Addiction Help and Information

SeekingWellness

Thanks so much for the replies. Incidently, the guy who prescroibes the pain meds (oxycontin AND oxycodone) is ALSO an addition specialist. I guess he is not used to long-term pain patients suddenly up and announcing they want to come off the pain meds. We WILL have another conversation.

In the meantime, I would so much appreciate hearing any details about detoxing from opiods at home. I take 20 mg oxcontin 2 or 3 X per day and 30 mg oxycodone 4 X day. The dose was recently raised. Climbing slowly but steadily to keep pace with develping tolerance. And it has been approx 3 years or so, perhaps a bit more. (I've lost track though medical records would clearly tell.) I am 52, reasonably fit for my age despite the chronic illness, no high blood pressure or diabetes or stuff like that. Just the chronic body-wide muscle pain and exhaustion of lyme disease/fibro. Which, I swear, I think going of oxy would perhaps partially resolve.

Just HOW BAD is it, really? I do have scrips for an anti-hypertensive drug and an anti-nausea drug that the pain specialist says I should take should I decide to attempt a home detox. On some other site, a fellow talked about feeling really horrid during his at-home detox, then said he'd been out driving around?! Is that normal? Would I be able to leave the house and drive myself down the road for a massage appt, say? Will I be able to feed cats and scoop litter? Will I be able to go out and walk up and down my street? Will I be able to eat? I know sleeping is near impossible those first nights and that kinda scares me in terms of really bad muscle cramping that comes from over-exhaustion and insomnia...

I have been making all kinds of alternative plans but dang, a part of me just wants to bite the bullet at the earliest opportunity. That'd be coming up in just about 2 weeks--a weeklong period when I could escape from the world. But I wouldn't have much in the way of help. Would it be possible? I hear you feel like you want to die but that it DOES NOT KILL YOU.

Some details and descriptions of at-home oxycodone detox--war stories, if you will--could be really helpful to me as I contemplate the options.

Thanks so much....

SeekingWellness

BTW, yeah, I'm concerned abouty the subuxone scenario too, which is what they do at the detox clinic--well, subutex, a shorter acting one--swapping one problem for another. Another reason doing a courageous home detox might be a good (if scary) idea, perhaps? My biggest worry is that the muscles in my upper back and neck might cramp really badly....this situation once led to two herniated disks in my neck and I NEVER want to repeat that. Now, some people say you should take a benzodiazapine, like Ativan throughout the process. I was prescribed that for chronic muscle cramping and successfully stopped taking it regularly last May (it was a really, really low dose that I had been stable on for several years).....any tips on home detox would be deeply appreciated.....

Wesley423

I've been out of a 30 day treatment for 45 days and a 5 day detox was part of that treatment. They use subutex and I found it to be very helpful. I detoxed at home 3 years ago and it was the worst time of my life. I actually felt like I was going to die. I had sweats, cramps, muscle aches and all other symptoms. During the inpatient detox with subutex the worst part was not sleeping but the other symptoms were much less. They gave me subutex for 2 1/2 days then stopped and it was no issue didn't miss it at all. So for me and I've been through both the inpatient was much much easier. Good luck and god bless. Your pal in recovery Wes!!!!

DoubleBarrel

That's quite a lot of opiates. You are going to have some rather unpleasant issues on your own, I would imagine.

Best thing is to talk to a doctor you trust, and come up with a plan.
There are too many variables in play, and you have other medical issues. You should have medical personnel available to you.
If your insurance will cover it, best not to play around.
Like I said, there's no shame in it.