Pill withdrawl

[biggins]

Not really seeking advice, just need to relay my experience and make space for anyone else to do the same.

So I've been recently weening off a drug I've taken for seven years. Thus, withdrawl is an inevitability I knew I'd have to deal with. Until last week, a month and a half in, nothing had happened. Now of course, I'm a rat in a cage- skin crawling, head crackling, hyper as hell. All told its not that bad, just strange.

I have some perspective on this- four years ago I had to get weened off of oxycontin (240mg when I left the ho-pital). The subsequent ten days after my dose went to zero (three months out of the ho) were unreal- full blown flu symptoms, dizzy as hell, back aches, head spinning, and a crazy streak that would have freaked out Gary Busey. Best part, I was teaching HS kids the whole time- more than once they got the raging, rambling "this is what drugs looks like! You think I feel cool right now!" [/ironic, indeed] It was tantamount to hell. By contrast, this is just a little annoying.

Anyone else got a withdrawl tale? I think this psychosomaticly sick thing (feeling awful, nothing really wrong- just your brain telling you otherwise) is pretty wild. Thanks for indulging me.

[caddah]

biggins... its interesting to hear what u went through. I had a total knee dislocation 4 months ago. after having a morphine iv bag dripping into my viens for a week or so, they started changin my meds around after that no longer worked for my pain. I had some real painful fasciotomies ...(calf muscle hangin out of my leg, dressing changes etc.) I ended up on oxycontin. at first i was too druged to know what my dose was. after being in the hosptiol for a month, when i was released i was still on oxy. i was taking 3 40mg extended release a day, and 4, 5mg fast acting every 4 hrs. so i guess if u work that out its about 240mg a day.

I'm still on them now. my dose is down to two 20mg extended release a day, and 2 5mg fast acting when ever i get break through pain, or have a rough PT session. so I'm prolly still on about 50mgs a day. Most of my acute pain is gone. and i have experimented with not taking any drugs. I'm trying to figure out if i'm addicted or not?????I get the same feelings you described. If i dont take anything for a while.. i feel like i have the worst flu/cold ive ever had in my life. i get cold, achy, back pain, knee pain, everywhere pain. basically feel like absolute shit. I dont know whether this is withdrawals, or just pain after a hard day. basically what i end up doing, is take some fast acting, and i feel much better. Should i just cut off the meds? how long does it take to not feel crappy anymore?

any info would help me out alot....

[biggins]

Caddah-

First and foremost work with a Doc to schedule the weening. Never just go cold turkey.

Your flu symptoms sound just like my withdrawl syptoms, and if that's the case, then you're not really feeling sick, your chemical dependency is just nagging at your brain heavily. I'm no Doc though, so don't go on my advice- seek out a real hospitalist or pain expert (ortho or ER doc or your PCP).

As far as how long withdrawl lasts- again, after being weened on a once a week dose reduction schedule (240, then 160, then 80, then 60, etc. down to 10 every other day) it took me 9 or 10 days. Some people experience little to no withdrawl. It all depends on how much and for how long you took the stuff.

Again- my advice is to get a doc to monitor a patient, timely weening plan for you. You'll get through it in time for sure, but going cold turkey on your own is a risky proposition I don't recommed. Good luck.

Oh, and any morphine halucinations? Those were freaky- the only downside to the 'magic button' in my experience.

[caddah]

I have talked to my PCP and have a kinda weening schedule. but ive been on the same dose for a while now. and he has me weening off over about 2 months. does that seem right to you.

as for the morphine...yeah..hahaha

i remeber the nurse comming in to ask me why i had hit the "magic button" 156 times in the last hour....."Are you in pain or something?" It's a good thing that it only despenses once every 10 minutes.

I have no recolection of it now, but freinds who came to visit during the morfine phase have some very strange stories to tell about things i apparently said. something about only having three fingers and needing a special glove......it's pretty potent stuff

[biggins]

Ah painkillers. You smooth devils you.

If in your shoes, I'd just call my doc, ask for a clarification on your weening (ie. can you speed it up), and then just go by his/her timetable. Eventually you will withdraw, and everyone will give you the same advice to feel better:

Stay as active as possible, and exhaust yourself sufficiently all day so that you have to just pass out at night. Not too bad, and eventually the feelings are gone. Then like me you can bitterly lecture teenagers about how withdrawl sucks.

Rock.

[frozenwater]

I have nothing really of value to add here - but some random advice

NEVER call one of your important clients, just after surgery - with a morpine drip at full speed - to demand payment in full TONIGHT or you are going to burn his project.

Thankfully he is also a friend and has just blackmailed me for a little man on man love, which I'm cool with as long as one of the men is a midget, and asian - and preferably was at one time a women - but got bored and shit.

[biggins]

I have nothing really of value to add here - but some random advice

NEVER call one of your important clients, just after surgery - with a morpine drip at full speed - to demand payment in full TONIGHT or you are going to burn his project.

Thankfully he is also a friend and has just blackmailed me for a little man on man love, which I'm cool with as long as one of the men is a midget, and asian - and preferably was at one time a women - but got bored and shit.

Nothing like an opiate induced rage call.

When I have a minute I'll post about my ICU psychosis- really fun and adverse reaction to sedative related.

[Dromond]

This is interesting because right now I'm on opiate painkillers for the first time ever. I was on morphien for the first few days but that did work too well (bad side effects) so i've been on Hydromorphone (something similar?) for the last 12 days or so. The doc suggests that I will be a little dependent, but it's hard to tell. I didn't take any all yesterday and felt ok, and then woke up at 5am and felt awful. It's hard to tell if it's pain from the injury or pain mixed w/ mild withdrawal. I guess the plan is to just ween myself off the stuff by taking lots of tylenol during the day an sucking it up.