Author: tearj3rker
Posted: Wed Nov 09, 2011 6:05 pm
| UK-Lad wrote: |
|
comfort meds Dihydrodcodine Codeine Phosophate Ultram-Tramadol Benzodiaphines (valium, ativan, lorazepam, restoril, klonopin) Sleep aids (Zopiclone, stilnoct, trazadone, amitriptyline, dosusopin, prothiaden). Catapress aka Clonidine (only 30 tablets) and out of date Britlofex-Lofexdine (can this still suffice?) I also have non-opiate meds on hand such as Diclofenic, naprexen, baclofen Iburofean. I also have Nordict available which is Naltrexone.. I read one can make Low dose Naltrexone and use it post sub to raise Endorphins for these P.A.W.S I keep reading about. Anyone have any views and experience on this? What about the notion on switching to a shorter acting opiate for a month or 6 weeks just to wind down much of the sub as possible? |
NO NO NO!
I gotta chime in here, and I must warn you about this.
Do not and I say do not, take naltrexone at any stage of your taper, low dose or otherwise. Don’t even take it, at least until you are 100% certain you have gone through all of your withdrawals. It’s an incredibly potent antagonist, and has a higher affinity to mu receptors than buprenorphine. The moment you take any naltrexone, you will feel incredibly sick, like you’ve rolled all your withdrawals into 24 hours. I made this mistake on methadone once, and it is not pretty. Low dose or otherwise, I’d definitely put the Naltrexone away for now.
Naltrexone has been proven to have limited effectiveness in opioid addictions, and is only really reserved for medical professionals recovering from addiction.
Your "comfort" meds seem a bit of overkill as well. Seriously, there’s potential for you to be so "comfortable" through your taper that you may be high, that you will end up addicted on agonists again. Is this a list of medications your doctor recommended? Or is this self-medication?
Your taper will likely be uncomfortable at times. That is unavoidable. The best meds I’ve found for withdrawals?
– Ibuprofen, and plenty of it. Helps the aches considerably.
– Loperamide / Imodium – helps with the stomach cramps / runs
– Clonidine – helps with the chills, goosebumps, runny nose / eyes, but also lowers blood pressure.
– Valium (it’s the most prescribed benzo for muscle aches – use sparingly)
These meds will take the edge off withdrawals, and (possible exception of valium) will not land you back in addiction.
Are you sure you’re ready to taper? If the meds are self-medication, then that is not a good sign for long term recovery.
As for the lack of clarity with reduced dose thing. I’ll throw an idea out there. Could it be boiled frog syndrome? Sounds weird I know. But when you dropped down to 3mg from 8mg, that was an abrupt instant drop. Any difference you would have felt considerably. But when you taper gradually, that difference comes so gradually, that it’s often hard to notice.
I advise not to switch to shorter acting full-agonist opiates. It’s recommended, when someone wants to get off a drug, that they switch to longer acting similar medications. That’s why we got put on buprenorphine. Switching back to full agonists is just moving backwards.
Just my 2c , not a doctor.
And I can’t stress the naltrexone thing enough. If you take it while any buprenorphine is in your system, you’re in for a world of pain, regardless of comfort meds.
