Elisabeth888

I thought that if you were on opiates your eyes were half closed and you nodded out.

I think I have a close family member on them though and she does not act like that. She is just not herself, very slow at completing tasks and always running late. Kind of dingy. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it. She is ON SOMETHING though.

I don't know if I should confront her or just bee bop along pretending nothing is weird.

easiersaid

For opiates, "pinpoint pupils" can be a telltale sign. My boyfriend is an opiate addict and is very very hyper, talkative and loud spoken when high, then hours later he crashes and sleeps most of the day away. His complexion also changes and gets pale, and he sweats alot.

Taking5

A lot of times you can't really tell if someone is on opiates, but you can tell if they are in withdrawal or extremely high. The nodding out sounds like the latter to me.

Zube

I could hide being on pain pills everywhere, at work, church, family events, etc.

The nodding out is more a result of Herion, another opiate.

If anything, pain pills sped me up. It became noticable to others when I was NOT on the pain pills because I'd bee sleeping, irritable, axious, etc.

If your family member is on opiates, she will find a way to hide it, regardless of what you are looking for.

I am sooooo glad those days are over.

Good luck,
Zube

mstrust

My boyfriend is addicted to opiates and I also noticed hyperactive and talkative behavior outside the norm. He has a tendency to talk over me, interrupt, and he can border on obnoxious. His eyes aren't always pinned out, but sometimes they are, and sometimes he can get sweaty. His voice also changes pitch and he breathes louder. I think it is generally hard to tell when someone is just ON pills, but if you know a person well, you can tell the difference.

DoubleBarrel

I know this site is about addiction, but could it be something else? Perhaps she is ill, or depressed?
Ask her if she's ok, and see where it goes. Be honest with her.

Or you could do what my sister did to me one Thanksgiving at the dinner table, yell out, holy ****! Why are your pupils so dilated? Lol!

eveleivibe

You won't be able to tell if they are on pain pills. I been abusing codeine pain pills n no 1 around me can tell at all apart from saying i'm distant with them. They will just seem normal sorry unless on really high amounts.

eveleivibe

I'd feel sleepy one minute like as if i was falling off to sleep the next....i tend to get a load of energy do a load jumping jacks, run up n down the stairs laugh n feel all is ace n well with the world.

Hope that helps .

meadowsis

My brother abused pills for almost 2 years before I found out, but he never wanted to hang around the family so I didn't see him much. When I did, he was really hyper at times, fast talking, loud, antsy, and all over the place in conversations. I kept thinking he was having problems with manic depression (which runs in our family). When I would go to his house he would never sit down, he was always buzzing around, digging around here, doing this, it drove me crazy. He never accomplished anything, even simple tasks because he couldn't stay focused at all. So again, I kept thinking he was manic and kept trying to ask him to talk to a therapist (which was always met with major resistance).

When I would call him though, sometimes he would sound half asleep, super depressed, etc. He would blame it on his sleep issues, which again, I figured were mental issues and I made excuses.

I remember having conversations about pain pills a couple times back then, because we both suffer from chronic pain problems and digestive issues. I knew not to head down that slippery slope for myself, and when we would talk about his health he would say "I would never get into pain pills, I can't stomach them anyway and they are dangerous". Little did I know he was already abusing them and he was bypassing his stomach to take them (rectally at first and later IV).

Finally, when I suspected this wasn't a mental issue and more drugs, I pushed to be around him for say half a day (helped him move, and took him to run errands one day), and that gave me enough information to stop making excuses. I saw him through all stages, from being down and barely awake, to high and all over the place, to starting to hurt because he needed another hit, to running to the bathroom with his always present 'backpack' for 10 minutes.

You know, I never was able to see his 'eyes' like others have said, but it was hard to see them. He would never look at you, he was always moving, and he has dark brown eyes and always wears hats so unless the light was right I could never get a good look. I also look back now, and see that he spent only short periods of time around any of the family when he did come around. He would show up late to a function, stay for just an hour or two, and then make excuses and take off.

Justfor1

Addicts are not able to hide their pin point eyes when high. Usually, while under the influence of opietes people slow down. However, occasionally heroin will have the opposite effect & make people very energetic. This is what would happen with a family member of mine. He would also become fearless & take many dangerous chances while high.

MsPINKAcres

Most addicts think they are hiding their use of pills - but those that are close to them know they are not truly the same ~

Different pills made my exah react different ways - some times he was up, hyper, sweating, anxious and then sometimes he was passed out for days at a time. Sometimes it was just a little off - you knew he wasn't taking a lot, but he was over doing it some. To someone who didn't know him well, they probably never knew - but to those close to him - they knew. He thought we didn't. But we knew.

But the reality is ~ even if you know - what can you do about it? Protect yourself, protect any children involved and do your best to practice recovery principles to not enable unhealthy behaviors and allow that person the dignity and self-respect to find their own way is just my suggestion.

pink hugs,

Hopeyougood

Seven years of opiate addiction and a job working with every kind of addict under the sun. My suspicion would be benzo abuse. I have done every pain pill in the book generally the symptoms you are describing seems to be more on the heavy dose of benzo side. As others have said , on a opiate dose that heavy the pupils will barely be visible, BARELY, if indeed opiates are the culprit. Either way you know something is wrong.