Opiate withdrawals and cannabis

[HomieDaGrower]

As I posted in this thread,
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=58908&page=2
I am weening myself off of doctor prescribed opiates, after a motorcycle wreck. After skipping my morning and afternoon dose, I took a 1/2 dosage before bed. It was not enough. I awoke a couple of hours, with the night sweats. I was shaking and almost feverish. I was alternating between being too hot and too cold. And felt pain in every joint in my body. It took a full dosage, on top of the 1/2 dose I took at bed time, to break the symptoms. This morning when I awoke, the nurse has given me a 1/2 dose, and has said that I will get a 1/2 dose at the afternoon dose, and we will try and stick with the 1/2 dosage tonight at bed time.
While the cannabis did a good job of dulling the pain, of my injuries, it does not replace the opiates, which my body has been addicted to over the last month and a half. My nurse said I called my doctor everything but a nice guy last night.:hairpull: I will continue the 1/2 dosage today, and try and not take the morning half dosage tomorrow. My nurse seems to think that my cold turkey on the morning and afternoon dosage yesterday was to blame for the severity of the withdrawals last night, and that tapering the dosage would work better. I hope she is right, as I never want a repeat of last nights performance. I am feeling better today, and just finished a bowl of Burmese Kush, that my neighbor brought over. All is better in my world today.
Have a great week

HomieHogleg

 

[Rosebud]

When i went off my one a day vicodin, i did half for a week, then 1/4 then 1/8 then crumbs for two days. You HAVE to go slow but you can do it. Hang in. Ps i tried cold turkey, it wasn't good even from only one a day if you can believe that.

 

[HomieDaGrower]

When i went off my one a day vicodin, i did half for a week, then 1/4 then 1/8 then crumbs for two days. You HAVE to go slow but you can do it. Hang in. Ps i tried cold turkey, it wasn't good even from only one a day if you can believe that.

I believe it. Last night was rough. I am lucky to have a great nurse, working with me, who also understands withdrawals. When she informed my doctor, that I was refusing the meds, he is also supportive. I just got back from the doctor, and he has set up a med regimen that he thinks will help. We are to continue,the 1/2 dosage 3 times a day, for this week, then we will go to 1/3 dosage 3 times a day next week. Then we will be removing the afternoon dosage the following week, if all goes well. He was impressed that I wanted off the pain meds, as usually the patients he deals with, want more, not less meds. Because of where I live, a non med MJ state, I can not tell him about the cannabis use. But since he knows me socially, we belong to the same riding club, he knows I smoke, and probably knows I am smoking to help relieve the pain. I am blessed to have such good medical care, in this backwards state.

Have a great week

HomieHogleg

 

[Rockster]

Hi HomieHogleg,

I was addicted to opiates (heroin and later methodone) for a full 25 years but am now 10 years clean and I came off through a very gradual tapering off and I really feel your doc is making you come off too sharply, you are flying in at too steep an angle for you not to crash, so to speak.

If you reduce by about 10% per week your body will be better able to cope, will have far less discomfort but going from a 1/2 to a 1/3 dosage is just too steep a reduction in my opinion.


I wish you all the best and I found cannabis helped me loads although be prepared for weed not seeming to be as potent when in withdrawal.

 

[Locked]

Stay strong Homie...you can do it. Rockster and Rose are right though....you will need to ween yourself off slowly.

 

[TheKlonedRanger]

Good info there Rockster. Battled some of the same demons you have. It's not a road I'd take more than once.

Hang in there homie. It's going to get better.

 

[the chef]

Had to do the same after back surgery. Was on the scripts and a morphine patch. Had to wean off the morph first then the pills! Wiffey almost left me but i made it so can you! The ganja helps a bunch but as it was said one small step at a time till your there! Have faith and when all else fails....the sweats and the jonesing,......smoke about 4 and a half bowls!

 

[maineharvest]

Stay strong Homie. I am now 10 years clean from opiates and heroin so I know how it feels to have severe withdrawals and having all those body aches and pains and diareah for a month, its not fun. I did it cold turkey and have never looked back.

Recently I had a relative come off of oxys and smoking bud was key to helping out when she was having cravings. As soon as she smoked that joint she would forget about the pills for a while I could see the change in her mood, it was like dr jekel and mr hyde.

Good luck

 

[Time4Plan-B]

My best mate is over 10 years clean from heroin and was on 40ml meth a day for past year and now hes had enough he says he is sick of the millstone around his neck so in 1 months will be off the meth too @ 5ml reduction a week he is now down to 20ml a day and he is feeling no ill effects.
He has told me the horrors of harsh withdrawal sleepness for 2 weeks yet wide awake staring at the ceiling horrific nighmares shivering then boiling hot the ***** then constipation.
I wish ya all the best with your withdrawal homie and like rockster says take it slow more chance of sticking to quitting once clean.
T4

 

[Xeblaro]

I went through benzo withdrawals about 10 months ago, and I'm still dealing with the problems associated with withdrawal. Drugs like this are nasty, and it takes a lot of willpower to make the push.

So, smoke a fatty, bite the bullet, and suffer through it. Keep up with a taper program.

Best of luck homie!

 

[HomieDaGrower]

Hi HomieHogleg,

I was addicted to opiates (heroin and later methodone) for a full 25 years but am now 10 years clean and I came off through a very gradual tapering off and I really feel your doc is making you come off too sharply, you are flying in at too steep an angle for you not to crash, so to speak.

If you reduce by about 10% per week your body will be better able to cope, will have far less discomfort but going from a 1/2 to a 1/3 dosage is just too steep a reduction in my opinion.


I wish you all the best and I found cannabis helped me loads although be prepared for weed not seeming to be as potent when in withdrawal.

I seem to be doing better. The abdominal cramps are the worst symptom, followed closely by the shakes, and sweats. My doctor is monitoring me on a daily basis. I am lucky that my doctor is also a riding buddy so he dropped by on his way home this afternoon. I have only been on the ***** for a little over 6 weeks, so we are trying a more aggressive weening than he would recommend otherwise. Also having a live in nurse, for the next month or so, was taken into consideration, when setting the med schedule. I am having some pretty strong symptoms during the drop from the whole dosage, to half dosage, though, so my doctor wanted to go back up a bit. I told him no. That I would let him know if I couldn't take it. I can only type, right after my meds right now, because of the shakes, but even so, I think I can handle this. I am smoking about double what I normally do for pain management, and it does help a bit. But it is still pretty rough. I am a stubborn MoFo, and when I set my mind to do something, it almost always gets done.

Thanks to all of you for your support, and well wishes. I can not tell you how much it helps to have good friends, even friends in cyberspace. To paraphrase one of my favorite authors. Shared pain is lessened, shared joy is multiplied.

Thanks again
HomieHogleg

 

[Rockster]

You'll make it no worries HomieHogleg, I can tell by your words as you are prepared to take some pain so big ups to you mate and make sure you have good support initially once completely off as there is a period of feeling rather listless, lethargic and depressed with yourself thinking " I'm completely off why don't I feel good" and is best dealt with by trying to do physical work or taking long walks whilst your body learns how to produce it's own endorphins again or even learning to recognise it's own again.

It's also really good you have professional care to administer your meds as so many folk end up in withdrawal pain and over medicate and end up yo yo-ing in dose and that gets you nowhere but back to square 1.

May you get over it soon and may your pain pass quickly.

 

[HomieDaGrower]

You'll make it no worries HomieHogleg, I can tell by your words as you are prepared to take some pain so big ups to you mate and make sure you have good support initially once completely off as there is a period of feeling rather listless, lethargic and depressed with yourself thinking " I'm completely off why don't I feel good" and is best dealt with by trying to do physical work or taking long walks whilst your body learns how to produce it's own endorphins again or even learning to recognise it's own again.

It's also really good you have professional care to administer your meds as so many folk end up in withdrawal pain and over medicate and end up yo yo-ing in dose and that gets you nowhere but back to square 1.

May you get over it soon and may your pain pass quickly.

Yes I am ready for to take some pain. I know I can make it. It really helps having the nurse around, though she is a pain in the arse sometimes. I did mention I am a stubborn bassturd. I am not sure how much physical exercise I will be able to do, with both legs and an arm still in a cast, but I should be getting the cast off of my arm in a couple of weeks. I think then I can at least start building my upper body. Right now I have to rely on others to wheel me around in my chair.
Time for a hogleg, my neighbor is rolling a cocktail, of Pineapple Kush, and grandaddy Purps. It should be interesting. Looks like I will be doing a lot of cooking, for him and his wife, once I get up and around, to pay them back for their kindness.
Have a great week.

HomieHogleg

 

[Locked]

I hve no doubt you will get through this with flying colors Homie....you hve your MP family with you.

 

[ston-loc]

After reading you're first post I was all amped to reply, then I read the responses and everyone is dead on. After an accident years ago, and two and a half months on 8 vicodin a day. Well first of all i lost 30 pounds in the first month of taking so much. Well getting off it SUCKED! I feel your pain man. Its all in the weening. You can do it. Going to take some time, but you'll get through it.

 

[Graywolf]

One of the patients that we supplied oil to, weaned himself off of 90mg morphine three times a day, using it. That was over a year ago, and he is still opiate free.

 

[SKAGITMAGIC]

Stay Strong Homie, We're hopeing for you, neat little utube thing about Lewis and Clarks Trippy Airgun, I'd never imagined!!

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI

 

[maineharvest]

How you feeling today Homie?

 

[HomieDaGrower]

Stay Strong Homie, We're hopeing for you, neat little utube thing about Lewis and Clarks Trippy Airgun, I'd never imagined!!

hxxp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pqFyKh-rUI

WOW!! Thanks bro, that is cool. Now I wonder what the chance of finding one of those to add to my collection.:hubba:

Well,
yesterday was HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
But today is much better. The half dose this morning, along with a couple of major hoglegs, kept my withdrawals, to a tolerable misery. I haven't wished to be dead today, and that is a major improvement over yesterday. I am still sick, with the shakes, and nausea, but it is no worse than a bad case of the flu. I will do this!!!!! I keep telling myself that, and the more I tell myself that, the more I believe it. I am almost chain smoking good nugs, but at least I have a pretty wide variety, thanks to my stash, and my neighbors.
Thanks for Ya'lls support.
Ya'll have a nice day.
Peace Out
HomieHogleg

 

[hero4u2b]

I celebrate 10 years clean from opiods..January 4th 2012. I was on a 100mg of methadone a day at our local methadone clinic for over 15 years. ( well on and off according to my court apparences) . I was sick for months.. even in Treatment and even after being " so called" detoxed with methadone and diazapam for 10 days.. Sometimes withdrawel from opiod drugs is almost like haveing the worst flu one can imagin and it has to run its course. If I was your doc I might suggest a few dose's of suboxon possibly. just to ease your pain and help you hold down food. I truely know the feeling and wish u all the best.. Hero