jasonL

Woke up this morning and I actually feel about 100%. Last night was the best so far, I actually slept for about 10 hours! The previous two nights I think I had gotten a total of about 6 hours. So just know in the next few days everything will be fine, and yea I think we have really similar situations, which is weird because even the way we went through our drug us is really similar. Starting, getting treatment, relapsing and then ending up with the spice. I can't tell you how helpful this thread has been, and it kind of helps to write my experience too because I feel like I might be helping someone else. Its a good feeling!

Epiphany1103

I'm so happy for you! Today was a BIG challenge for me. I had a Drs appointment, and I had to pass Lazy Dayz to get there. I looked at my money, thought about how far I've come this week, and I drove right past it! I literally put the pedal to the metal! Got me something to eat, came home and let out the biggest sigh of relief. I overcame the temptation! I really did it. The old me would have looked at my money knowing I needed it, but I still would have gone anyway. I'm so happy I could scream. You know what? We are so much stronger than we think. I enrolled myself in a group program that will take place once a week, and even though it will deal with every addiction not just spice, I think it will be good for me. Yes, our backgrounds are very much alike. The sad thing is that I thought that spice was the SAFE way to keep the fun going. Boy I was wrong. This thread has been helpful too, I know people are reading this, and I hope that this can show them that a little willpower and a lot of determination will go a long way. Rereading what I've posted has kept me going in the biggest way. I've seen both of our ups and downs, and it's inspired me to just not quit. To all of those reading, spice can KILL you! Your life is worth SO much more than that. Proud of you Jason, I'm glad you're finally getting your rest. It may be another long night for me... but I will make the best of it. I feel GREAT!

jasonL

That is wonderful to hear! And yes, that's also the reason I tried spice, I thought it would be a safe, legal way to have fun. But it turns out the chemicals in this change constantly and ARE NOT SAFE. Its causing crazy hallucinations which lead to actions causing death, this stuff is putting people in comas, causing multiple strokes, and causing severe long term effects. So glad I'm off this now along with other things in my past!

Epiphany1103

Good for you! I'm so glad to see that you're changing for the better. I'm having some body aches tonight. My shoulders are sore and my tummy hurts a little. I'm going to take some ibuprofen and try to see if I can sleep, though I feel wide awake. The withdrawals can be overwhelming at times, typing what I feel usually doesn't compare to how I'm actually feeling. I'm so sore... have you had any aching pains? I'm definitely blessed to have made it through the day, but physically I'm drained.

jasonL

I had some aches, usually they set in when I tried to lay down and sleep, or if I had been sitting around for a while. And yea, its hard to actually communicate how low those emotions make you feel and how crappy the physical symptoms are. Day 7 for me and I feel better and better every day, it seems like the old creepy voice in the back of my head is just getting trickier and smarter every day though, that's the hardest part for me right now. Telling myself that I actually don't want to drink and do drugs, thats just my addict voice talking. But, I do feel good and life is coming at me in a very new way!

Epiphany1103

Hey Jason, I went out of town for the weekend to see my mom, grandma and family. Sorry I didn't get to write you, but I left my laptop here and no one had one that worked! Well I'm glad to see that I'm not alone with the aches and pains, my body is STILL hurting. I'm also glad to see that I'm not the only one with those tricky thoughts that you speak of. That voice speaks even more loudly each day that we remain sober. It's the addict in us, and with time it's my hope that those thoughts just go away. When I travel I always take a bag... but not this time. Found myself a little jittery while I was there. But once again I'm just proud I've made it home safely without using. The hookah lounge is open until 2 am, giving me every opportunity to get it if I want it. But saying no and resisting temptation is getting easier. The thoughts keep coming though... the thoughts that keep trying to change my mind about staying clean. I just acknowledge them, inhale exhale and keep it moving. It's all I can do for now. It can be depressing at times, but we know the reward will be so much greater. Glad you're hanging in there! One step at a time!

SynthSober

Thought I'd join the discussion, Ending day 5 Synth Free.

Ive posted more details under the thread "Synthetic Pot, Life Destroyer". Basically gone from 50-100 cones per day (5-6 per hour, at LEAST 12 hours per day + mid-sleep smoking) to nothing.

It has been... Horrific. I was probably one of the worst cases around (if you've heard of a blink sleeper, waking up literally after 20 minutes of sleep for a hit) and I'm hoping to help others in the same position.

Just wanna thank you all for your honesty too - it's helped me these past few days.

I found that staying awake for 3 days BEFORE quitting gave me the ability to actually sleep a little (half hour naps) during day 1 & 2. I believe this was a MASSIVE help. My body was so tired I couldn't even wake up for the cravings (note, when I did wake up, boy was my body in bad shape lol).

How is everyone else travelling?

I hope people can take it from us that it's literally only a few days until the cravings stop. Just get through it! Then the stomach is easy to deal with, compared to the anxiety.

My advice, if you can get $300 together (If we can feed this addiction, we can spare $300, sorry), book yourself into a hotel with a spa - nowhere near a headshop, in the middle of nowhere and just literally live in the spa. It helps INSANE amounts. Even on day 2 I could jump in the spa and feel complete (and I mean complete) relief of all withdrawel symptoms temporarily. Weird, but works for most people on synth.

At the moment Im having around 5 hot tubs visits per day. I'm sure a hot bath would do the same.

Anyways, I hope you are all travelling well with what you are going through, and having experienced it first hand, I'm hella ****** proud of you guys

Now to start a witch hunt for the suppliers... (Seriously).

jasonL

Synth, me and epiphany are right there with you. The hot bath/shower thing was the only thing that helped with my symptoms and I read online that a lot of synthetic users have the same issues. Believe me, I live in Hampton, VA and I've already been on the prowl talking to law enforcement, local news agencies, and even other people around the country trying to get these chemicals banned for good and get this stuff out of gas stations/head shops. Glad to see I'm not the only one thats aware of just how powerful this stuff is.

Epiphany, glad to hear you had a sober trip, I've been pretty busy with stuff of my own. But as far as the withdrawals....I'd say I'm 100% clear of them. Still have that addict voice and I think I'm coming to realize that I always will. Only bad thing so far....I caved in and smoked a cigarette a few days ago, might have actually been a good thing though because after about 3 drags I realized that they tasted completely different having quit them for about 2 weeks, it really reinforced in my mind the fact that I don't need to smoke or drink anything to have a fulfilling life.

Epiphany1103

Hey Synth, glad you decided to join us! I'm glad to see that you've found ways to help with your withdrawal, the hot tub is a great way to detox. I never shower, I only take hot baths, so maybe that's helped and I didn't even know it!

Yep Jason, I think my withdrawals have passed as well. No more night sweats, and I have no problem sleeping anymore. You're right... it's wishful thinking to assume the thoughts will just go away. But sometimes I wish they would. The good part is that I've broken my routine, and now the first thing on my mind is NOT getting high. I've found ways to cope. Didn't know you quit cigarettes too, I still smoke them. I want to quit, but getting off the spice has been overwhelming enough. I'd like to toss those in the garbage too, but I will get there. Thinking about my life... my dreams. Besides photography I want to go to real estate school as well. Smoking spice stunted my growth, and kept me from pursuing things I know I'm smart enough to do. So now I'm planning out my future, looking forward to what's next. I feel really happy. I'm glad that I made the decision to quit.

SynthSober

I agree Epiphany, looking forward to my dreams and goals again is a MASSIVE drive.

You guys are doing great, and I hope a bit of luck kicks into your lives to lift your spirits! I did some "I'm grateful" work with the wife this morning, and it helped heaps.

Weirdly, having some real MJ only helped me (please dont take that as advice, im probably one in a million), as it literally did nothing for the cravings. I had always believed they were in some way related. I'm sure someone could find a way to show they are chemically, but the effects on the brain aren't the same as pot.

Realizing the fact that I wasn't getting "weed high", I was getting "meth high" (only discovered after comparing by having that MJ) was more then enough for me.

Keep strong guys - that little voice that's calling out now and then? Just remember, he wants to rape your mind, soul, spirit and wallet.

Epiphany1103

Thanks Synth! Yes my spirits have been low, but I've been reading and watching inspirational things that have kept me going. This thread has helped too, just seeing others going through the same things as myself. What is MJ? I keep seeing people talk about it but I don't know what it is. I'll stay strong... can't believe it's been over a week and I'm still clean. But I'm just thankful... change can be hard! But it's so worth it!

TKS

Abbreviation for 'Mary-Jane', which is slang for marijuana.

Congratulations to those getting off the synthetics, although it hasn't been addictive for me like alcohol, it's been a bad rollercoaster me me with JWH018 in combination with booze.

I can see some issues with seeking medical advice though, these doctors have no idea about the RC's on the market, where they be stoney cannabinoids, trippy psychedelics or speedy amphetamine/cocaine type powders

Regarding the synthetic weed, even if the doctor's did know how to treat for an OD on 'Spice', you wouldn't be able to tell them what the active compound actually was in Spice anyway - it changes often, as overseas labs keeps redeveloping when legislation changes around the world - or when mining companies develop detection tests for workers.

The lack of medical knowledge is going to become a big problem. For example some of the psychedelic RC's cause vascular constriction. If they aren't knowledgeable about that, and treat every case as generic ("bath salts" means nothing) then patients will be receiving the wrong treatment in a desperate situation.

Good luck to those putting down the pipe !

DangerousDave

These "incense" blends are no joke.

Very foolishly I tried a new one a while ago and was incapacitated for an hour. I only knew this when I looked back at my browsing history. I then went through a trip to hell and back. For hours I was a thought without a body. It was stronger than LSD.

And they are legal in most places!??

I have read before that withdrawal can be much like opiate withdrawal. The problem is, many of these chemicals have not been researched properly, so who knows what they can do to the body.

smudge2013

This is my first post...today is day #3 clean for me and hubby and it is hell!! We share similar stories with others up here. We have smoked spice for well over a year and we were smoking over 10 grams EVERY DAY!!! I am so mad and disappointed in myself. I cannot believe I let that stuff take over like it did. I have always have a lot of self control when it came to what I put into my body but this......well....It has controlled my life, drained my savings account and almost cost me my job!!! I had severe night sweats and would have to change the sheets and my clothes, nausea, and diarrhea. I would wake up every couple of hours during the night and have to hit a bowl or a couple hits on a blunt of the stuff...I would roll a blunt before bed so I could puff when I would wake up during the night (that is so crazy)!!! I was a lot worse than hubby and would even sneak extra bags to smoke when he wasn't around because I was embarrassed over how much I smoked but i needed it to feel like a person and not have a mental breakdown!! After some soul searching hubby and I realized the stuff was taking us over and we were both experiencing some of the same weird side effects. We are both on day 3 of spice free and the withdrawals are sucking bad. And the mental part is so hard, you tell yourself "it's ok, I'll get a small bag to help and cut back" but then the small bag is gone in just a few hours and we are right back where we started so this week when we finished the bag Sunday we said no more - and for financial reasons we didn't have much choice. I have not slept or eaten since like Sunday, I am so moody and all over the place, I have diarrhea and I cannot believe I got myself into this situation. I have always been a weed smoker but could always walk away from that with no problems but not this!! I have read evey post on this thread and it has mad me scared, happy, sad and hopeful. This stuff is bad news and it needs to be banned..(I went so far as to find a company that would sell me the jwh018 (only to a po box and payment first)...that's when I knew I had a problem. I did not purchase any of that chemical and I am so glad I did not take it that far.....I want me and hubby to feel normal again!! Hubby almost had a heat stroke this weekend and I am convinced it is because of all the spice in his system! There is nothing worth this....live needs to be lived not hiding at home smoking CRAP that will kill us!! Please pray for us that we get through this, we have each other for support but it is still hard and hubby travels a lot during the week so we text and talk on the phone a lot to try to support each other....but it sucks SO BAD......part of me would kill for a hit right about now but I CANNOT!! Hopefully day 4 will be better!!!!

smudge2013

Well this thread was a total waste of time for support.........thanks for nothing.......

fancyfee

Hi smudge, welcome to SR! I don't really have any experience with Spice (tried it once when it first hit the shelves and didn't care for it) but I wanted to let you know that I will pray for you and your husband. I think sometimes these kinds of threads go overlooked by people who aren't dealing with the addiction of that particular substance. It looks like there were a couple active posters on this thread. Sometimes when people get over the initial withdrawal they stop posting and go on with life. Or they might relapse and feel ashamed.

Anyway, wd's are a terrible reminder of what we have done to our bodies. Keep posting and reading for support!

Slammy1

Hey smudge, I hope you were able to beat this. I'm just starting.

The other day I was sick again. I took guaifenescein for congestion and had some issues. My mom thought gall stones, which is interesting. I've been pretty steady for a couple of years. I took a few hits when I got home, woke up to it again and realized my problem. I was never a heavy pot smoker, but I was fairly regular and took regular sobriety checks to make sure I didn't get emotionally dependent. Then they started doing random drug testing at work and I didn't think I could give up completely on the buzz (I don't drink).

The whole scene is scary. One guy at work, on probation for speed, died suddenly. We had our suspicions, especially when his wife died several months later. Gosh dang it, it's a strong drive and they need to stop the alcohol companies from maintaining a hold on us.

So I started, it was rough. I've tried some natural sleep remedies (diphenhydramine, melatonin) and they've allowed me to sleep for a bit. I'm going to try phenylbutt tonight, I'll report back on how it goes.

So I first thought, ween off it but reading this thread makes me feel otherwise. I tried doing just a couple of hits when I woke to get back to sleep but it had the exact opposite effect. I've been using cigs for the 1st part of the addiction, I'd been off them for a month and know I need to toss the rest of the pack. I'm dosing milk thistle and vitamin C and drinking lots of water to try and clear my system a little quicker, it actually seems like it's helping after 1 day (I've gone through withdrawals before, I should never have started again, this stuff seems pretty serious.

I didn't work out yesterday, I think my workout + guaifenescein is what did me so bad. In a way I'm kinda glad for the experience so far, it certainly is a strong motivation to try life sober.

EDIT: Still have the spice I just wrapped it up really good so if I want it I have to work on it. If that don't work I'll flush it before I take a hit (at least I tell myself this). I have today and tomorrow off from work (yesterday too, thank goodness) and plan to DT my way though the weekend.

Slammy1

Much better, but still haven't slept a lot. I wish I'd started on the antioxidants earlier, but I didn't research it until I had an event and then I was anxious to quit. Diarrhea, sweats, some nausea (the Ensure really helped, but I bought the other one as Ensure apparently tastes terrible according to my mom). I also started supplementing fiber for the diarrhea, but if I'm not eating much solid food and forcing fluids I think it may be expected. Maybe I'll be gtg on Saturday, I'm glad I have tomorrow off. I don't think I'm working out outside today as I'm rather tired. Just planning on reading and hoping I can sleep a bit, maybe the indoor bike and (if I'm feeling decent) weights.

EDIT: Sorry I did not mean to bump I thought I was editing the previous post. Since January I've lost 46 pounds, most of that occurred in a single month from what I thought was pneumonia. Looking back I can see now it was not.

cleaninLI

Slammy,

Sorry you are going through so much pain right now. I have never smoked spice. Jst by what i have read on this thread, it looks horrible stuff! To think it is legal blows my mind!

Wishing you the best!

Slammy1

I know, it's sex with "insert raunchy actress name", never know what you're going to get. Funny thing is, I think the diphenhydramine (benadryl) I take to try and sleep may have countered the worst of it. I've taken guaifenescein a lot, it's one of the safer OTCs, but I think it goes like this. The metabolic pathway to remove the spice from your system can be shared with other routes of breakdown. This can cause the drug to switch to other routes of excretion (an example would be alcohol which can be urinated, breathed, or sweated out) once the pathway becomes clogged. I think that's what happened.

Thank you for your kind words.