negative blues

Greetings,

I'm looking for a little help. I have been using the above mentioned drugs since August or so this year (pot on regular basis for about two years before). With the opiates it's been to varrying degrees: the most on any given day was maybe a couple 20 or 40 mgs oxy a couple 4mg dilauded and a handful of vicodin. I haven't done the oxy for about a month or so now but still using the dilauded and vicodin (yesterday I did 4 es vics and day before did a couple vics and 4 Ds - I've shot the Ds up but not extensively). I need to get off this stuff...I can't be using it to hide any longer...I also have depression and think it's screwing with that...
The guy who gives me the stuff (a medical student) says that I haven't been taking the amounts that would cause addiction (when I see someone coming off 3,200mgs of oxy a day I wonder if it's true...comparatively, as well, my "addiction" seems very small to many of yours). I need to know the best way to get off this stuff...I've weaned the oxy out of my life (the guy actually stopped selling it to me because he saw I was getting in trouble with it). The demons that are left are the oxy, addarall (sp?) and dilauded (sp?). Can I go cold turkey without too much suffering? Should I taper? My Psychiatrist upped my dose of Wellbutrin to help. My probelms (the dosages) seem small comparatively. Am I just a big baby? I did stop cold turkey a month or so ago and was hit with a major depression and a general tiredness and feelings of not being in control? can the dosages I'm at really do that or was it in my head? What's the best way for me to stop? I feel I've done it long enough and if I continue I will have nothing but troubles up ahead. If anyone can help that would be great! You can email if you like as well as post a response. Thanks.
-Chris

Roven_Rev

Hi Cris,

Welcome to our family.

In view of everything, I would start by telling your Dr. everything. Medical Detox in my opinion is needed. Strong after-care, and fellowshipping with other addicts, i.e., Narcotics Anonymous.

In case you are not familiar with NA, it is a fellowship of men and women who meet regularly to help each other stay clean.

Thats my take...

Thank God you are facing this now. Please don't jeprodize your future.

God Bless and keep posting. You will find many others who have traveled the path and have found a new way to live, drug free... Me included.

DenF

BABYBLUZ

Hey There,
Listen I can understand and feel your pain. I was really big into Heroine, which is an opiate as well. I would definatly think you need to get some profetional help. Maybe a detox or a rehab. Kicking cold turkey is no joke. I kicked a 3 bundle a day habit cold turkey and the only reason I stayed clean through it was because I was regularly attending NA meetings and had the right people to help me. I had also been to 2 detox's and jail before that. If you really have the willingness to stop ALL your drug use than I would sugest seeing an addiction councilor and go to a rehab. But remember you already made the first strp in asking for our help. Hang in there, you'll be ok.
danielle

joeyf1232002

Listen Negative Blues, I had a 5 year stunt on opium/oxycodone/hydromorphone as well. Mine as well call Dilaudid heroin, ya know? I also saw that you mentioned Adderall and pot. All of these drugs in which I used on a daily basis as well, selling opium to support these habits, my girl and her habits, and the place and ride etc. Opiate withdrawl will kick anyones ass but it is VERY MUCH worth it. How old are you? Might I suggest a drug called Buprenex in which come in ampules where you shoot up certain times in the day, depeneding on what your dose is, and most of the symptoms dissapear. It is an opiate antagonist therefor it makes it so there is an opiate still in your system so that you don't feel all the withdrawls but yet you don't get the high. It also is used as an anti-depressant. A much safer alternative to methadone. I myself used an assortment of clonodine, klonopin, soma, lomotil, and marijuana to quit. I am living naturally and feeling great. A little over a month clean. Those few weeks of hell will lead to to a lifetime of happiness, trust me. Better slow down on the roll before it is too late, good luck my friend and I hope to see you on the clean list soon.

p.s. just about anybody who uses drugs such as speed, cocaine, or heroin have a depression or anxiety problem. Why else would they use them in the first place? Maybe for a thrill? Well eventually after long term abuse depression is always followed. Those anti-depressants can be tricky, you'll eventually find one that works.

anonforme

Have you ever thought of Bupornex or methadone? I'm under the thought that as an addict we have done damage that can't be repaired but replaced,, just a thought.

Tinker

Hi Everyone...Hi anonforme
No you are no a big baby it just seems you are because it hurts and we do not want to hurt. The good thing if there is such a thing is it can be done and once done its over...My husband had to come of a 6 year benzo habit and it took him 8 months to withdrawl ,,,if you think that was not a total nightmare. Opiates looked like baby play to what I saw him go through. But there is not underplaying the pain, and there is no valor in pain. So do it as comfortably as you can. I do not know anything about this "Buopenex" mentioned above but you may want to check it out. I do know an watch out for this..that there are drugs like "Ultram" that claim to be narcotic analgestics and non addicting when in fact they are...so hopefully you do not switch one monster for another...Stadol was another.

I did mine with Valium, Librium, and Clonadine....and it was still not fun but it was better than cold turkey. The problem with most of us we still have lives to live and we keep putting it off. The problem with that is we may not have tomorrow. Good luck to all of you...my heart cries out to you.....

<small>[ May 26, 2002, 09:15 AM: Message edited by: Tinker ]</small>

Ogly

Hi Blues:

Iam actually a significant other of an addict... They call us the anoners here..... My addict was addicted to herion and all the opitates you menetioned as well as others that you did not....

He tried everything from cold turkey, to detoxes to rehab and half way houses.... cold turmey did not work for him because alll he did was try to isolate himself and he was using the drugs to run away from reality and his smotions and when the drugs disappeared he had no tools to deal with what he was triyng to run away from.... he always ultimately turned back to the drugs...

whatever you decided to do, however you decide to kick this hapbit -build yourslef a support system that have some significant recovery time under them.... The NA fellowship is an exceelnt way to go, but there are other groups and other methods out there as well... research them all and find which one you are most comfortable with.... My addict is clean supposedly from the opiates, but when I last talked to him he not practicing recovery....and i chose to break all contact with him because i did not want to be past of the chaos anymore....

you have taken a good first step - admitting that you have aporbelm... be honest with your doctor and see what help he can provide.... i would chose a medical detox if you could find one...

Welcome and keep posting.....

Ogly

Taji18

Chris,
I am a heroin addict that started up shooting oxys and dilauded. I wish I had been able to get help before I became fully strung out. I suggest detox, I know for me I could not kick it without it...I tried. And I have always been told that you dont come to theses rooms(websites) on accident, and if you have to question wether or not you have a problem, then you probably do. Good luck boo.....its not easy but it is worth it.
Shelly

Mark MJB

Hi, I really don't want to give much advise but I was where you are. I was hooked bad on some of the drugs you mentioned and have now been clean over 8 years. You've made the first step by admitting the problem. Now you need to continue and do it now while you're feeling ready for it. I remember when I came out and admitted I was addicted. I thought I'd get some advise and get clean. However, it's not that easy. I quickly went back to using and things had to get much worse before I got clean. You say it's not too bad, but believe me if you continue on this path you may be headed for misery that you won't believe possible. This is about life and death, not just pain from withdrawal. Also, if you are going to substitute one drug for another you may as well keep using. If you want to get on methadone good luck but it has it's own misery. You can get clean but need to get serious. I went to NA, got a sponsor, stayed away from people, places and things like the person you are getting the drugs from. Get phone numbers of other recovering addicts. Call them before you call the drug dealer. Good luck. But remember, you need to stay away from all drugs in order to recover, including pot and alcohol.

rock_river

I had to put actual distance between myself and the opiates. I live over on the mississippi river, so I bought what I needed to do a quick taper, put myself on a bus to salt lake city, and layed in a room in a motor lodge with the usual sickness for 5 days. Then I flew home, once I knew I wouldn't use when I got there. I still feel sickish, but every day is a little better. The worst part is being SOOOO tired but NOT being able to sleep. I have been down opiate alley before, so I knew what to expect. Sometimes getting out of town to kick an addiction to opiates is the best way to do it. If you are a thousand miles from your dealer in an exceptionally conservative town where you can't even buy real beer (only that 3.2 stuff).... then you WILL kick your habit. Good luck everyone. and take my advice. sometimes just putting distance between you and the drugs is all it takes to get the job done. And yes, of course it is a HELL of a job, kicking, but we all have to do it eventually, so get out there and get a move on!

maricamp

good job! interesting approach....but does make sense. and more importantly worked for you....keep it up. mari

shestruggles

Hi Chris,

You've gotten some great advice here.

Admitting the problem is the first step. It took me ten years to say the words out loud, which I did here for the first time

Hospital detox is an option, as is rehab, but it really depends on your financial situation. I've done countless home detoxes from varying amounts of oxys, diluidid(my first love) and heroin. I don't think it matters how much you're taking, getting it out of your system is gonna suck. You'll be sick for a few days, check around this forum,you'll get a good idea of what to expect (aches, inability to sleep, maybe vomitting, etc) and how to cope (hot baths, ibuprohin, lots of things to keep your mind busy, etc). It's always a good idea to talk to a medical professional, or, at the very least have someone to be around while you're sick...

Another good point here (and I am a great example of what happens when you don't take this seriously) is to make sure you get some sort of therpay, councelling, and NA meetings. You need to learn the tools to stay clean. It took me ten years of detoxing, using, detoxing to get it right.

True, most addicts suffer from depression and/or anxiety issues. They will probably get worse during the detox and for some time afterwards...but as your mind and body repair, it will go away. Not completely, but it sounds like you have a good idea of how to treat your depression now and (if necessary) in the long run.

I've been on anti-depressant, anti-anxiety meds my whole life. However, when I waqs using, I was basically preventing the medications from doing what they were supposed to. My guess is that if you get the poison out of your system, get a long term recovery plan, and stick with it, your meds will work much better.

All my best ~ keep us posted & look around this forum for more info on detoxing and recovering from opiates~

Much Love: SS

wsttxbber

My opinion seems to always differ from others here. I detoxed cold-turkey on a nubain/vikes/percocet habit(between 40-50 pills a day) and also using Nubain IM in between towards the end. It seems to me it makes people understand what there doing to thereselves if you go cold-turkey. I needed to feel every moment of that hell and was really, really bad but it scared me enough not to want another pill. Sorry if I sound harsh but you are going to withdrawl no matter what you take for comfort. I wouldnt take methadone because that will get you hooked too. Ive seen some people detox from methadone and it is way worse than hydros. Dont trade one habit for another. Hit some meetings-meet people in your similiar situation and go for it. Its a matter of just wanting a better life. Good luck.

shestruggles

wsttxbber - whew, that's tough to spell!

I just wanted to note that your opinion doesn't really differ from any of the advice given, I don't think anyone mentioned methadone, just ways to make cold turkey a little bearable....hey, let's face it...detox sucks bad no matter how u do it!

Good for all of you who have made the decision to get clean, regardless of how they did it. It CAN be done!!!!!

Cheers! SS