seasalt

So, I am 3 days sober from 4, 10 mg lortabs a day for the last 2 1/2 years. I have detoxed twice before, and I lasted a whole month and a half without going back. So why is this time different? I don't know. I am just tired, and scared, and actually, I think I have used up all of my excuses and justifications to keep using. Ugh. Just the word. "Using". You see, a few years ago I was sober as a judge, and never thought that I could possibly be here. Two car accidents later, doctors that really didn't listen, and a million blue pills.... lol, I am here. The thing that made me relapse last time, was my lack of energy and the depression. I figured after a month that I would be back to normal. I was trying to rush everything. Gotta have that instant gratification. However, I would like to have some idea of how long it takes to get back to feeling okay. I mean after the initial detox. I want my brain back to normal. I want to enjoy the things I used to enjoy without the pills. Is there a timeframe? What has been your experience?

Impurrfect

Welcome to SR!

I don't know the answer to your questions, as crack was my demon. I do know there are several people here, who have been through the same thing you are going through. I think if you read through some posts, maybe even search "opiate withdrawal" you will find some answers, but a friend, here, told me it took about a month for her to get her energy back...she took way more lortabs, though.

I'm glad you're here, there are some terrific people here with a lot of support. The thing is, we have to learn to live life without picking back up...that's the hard part, and where the support comes in. A lot of people go to AA or NA (there are usually more AA meetings than NA), but there are other avenues of support, too.

Keep posting and reading. More people will be along to welcome you, and answer your questions.

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

lostbutterfly

I don't know how long it takes. I'm 3 weeks off codeine, but I still feel quite tired and down a lot of the time. I have moments of OKness, I try focus on those.

45 days you done before is brilliant. And you're on day 3 now, so you are on your way again.

ashlasl

hi , been there done that with the opiates and couldnt do it so had to get on suboxone, but will tell you i am now 7 days of xanax and i cant think about anything that just today, i know that i dtoxed one time cold turkey of 185 mgs of methadone one time in jail, and to be honest with you that was the easiest time because i couldnt talk myself into getting anything i just had to accept it, when your out here and doing it on your own a whole different ball game, like today for instance i am quitting xanax like i said and i drove by this womans house who i know had valium, and anxiety started why because i had a choice i could have done it, time line for opiate addiction is 3 to 7 days of the physical 7 being max , the rest is in your head and getting your body adjusted to seeing things in a normal frame of mind, to us being straight feels weird, i am so used to feeling a little bit high that when i quit the xanax life looked so damm big , i doubt i am making much sense, i just know that everynight when i do go to bed or wake up in the morning without using the xanax , it is one more day to being better, i am not a huge na or aa person but the one thing i know that is true is you never have to feel this way ever again, and it is true, like on day three of my withdrawal i couldnt even listen to music or talk to anyone, now it is getting better, if yyou cant get through one day just get through one hour, or one minute, if you dont use today , you win, sorry if i am not much help but i feel ya and i am right there with you good luck

lostbutterfly

That makes perfect sense!! That's exactly how it feels. Too big, even one day at a time.

karma35

hi
wanted to say ashsl am on day two off h - well done all - ct here
xxx
Karma

Evanna

Big welcome and congratulations on the 3 days.

baggervance

seasalt you are telling my story its almoost the exact same as yours

hopefully tryin

Welcomeand Congrats on 3 days! I can only tell you from my personal experience that it was weeks for me to get back to feeling somewhat 'normal' The lack of energy, depression and general crappy feeling started to subside for me right around the 2 week mark. After about 2-3 months the urge was still there, I still have it sometimes now and have accepted that it will probably always come & go. I had to find something to put my mind into. It was the only way for me to get out of my own stupid head and not think about the fatigue and depression as much. I found for me that if I was doing something then the cravings weren't as bad. When a craving would come or I started getting that 'feeling' I would distract myself and do anything! Even if it was just washing the dishes or reading a book. I would do anything to make me NOT think about using. Good luck, you are in the right place and keep posting!

ashlasl

hi sea salt hope you feel a little bit better today, one more day won! that is how i see it i woke up this morning with the usual pounding in my chest that says hey where is my drugs for the day, and i relaxed or tried to breathe more and said hey guess what day eight! i really cant beat addiction but with help we can, i thought of you also when i was saying that and thinking yeah he has fourdays now! lol i know i sound corny but so grateful that i made it through another twenty four hours,

this sucks alot of times and i know it sea salt i didnt have big enough of a xanax habit to have severe withdrawal but i havent seen reality in almost a year so this seems so weird to me, i went through the opiate dtox to many times to count cold turkey and sometimes it wasnt because i wanted to and sometimes i wanted to but i know it sucks, but you have to remember the physical part is over now,

i dont want this to sound like a i am a bigger drug user than you this is just for you to see what i went through, i got sent to jail two yrs ago on a two yr everyday habit of methadone 185 mgs and xanax , well the fear of the withdrawal alone scared the **** out of me telling the nurses i am gonna kill myself thinking they would put me in the hospital lol yeah right, they put me in this weird outfit and in a cell alone, i saw another girl walk by who was on the clinic with me and she was there for a few days before me, i banged on my door she whispered to me it is not so bad youll be ok, well that helped because like i said the fear of what i was gonna go through overwhelmed me, and then i stopped being scared and accepted it, i drank water constantly while sitting by the toilet, flushing my system out, walking back and forth , but you know what by three or four days physically i felt better , and i started sleeping at a week and this was on a two yr methadone habit,

sometimes the fear of withdrawal makes it harder to withdraw, if anyone ever asked me how to withdraw cold turkey i would tell them not to search on the computer because you will hear horror stories, lol i know that is why i felt worst,

good luck sea salt and day four !

seasalt

Thank you very much to all that replied. Your presence here alone makes me feel stronger. I am on day 6. I had a great Saturday, but a very difficult Sunday. I was hoping that every day I would see gradual improvement, however, it seems to just go up and down. Even the lack of sun today is making me sad. I am being very productive however and pushing myself. I have slight cravings, mostly in the morning (that is when I took the pill, to give myself pep- like a cup of coffee!) Funny how I can look at this more objectively. Although I do have pain, especially in the morning, after I shower and get moving I find a way to tolerate it without the narcotics. Honestly, I just want my mind to get back to normal. I want to feel normal, no depression. I hate this part. I am positive that I am done with this in my life because I never want to have to live through this again. I really want to be okay with reality again.