Posted by Lindsay Rae on December 19, 2003, at 21:52:37
In reply to question on opiate holidays for bsj, posted by craig allen on December 19, 2003, at 16:33:33
Hi Craig--I know you weren't addressing me with this question, but I would like to take a stab at it since I have too much experience and knowledge concerning this topic. I did both: I took opiates consistently for three years with the antidepressant effects working well without upping my dose, and after the three years I met someone who introduced me to Oxycontin and Heroin, respectively. I had a child with this man and lost him within two years. He was 27, and he died four weeks ago today from an opiate/benzo combination (I think) just before entering rehab. That said, Ultram doesn't work like Vicodin, Percoset, and the like. I don't even think it's an opiate; it was just recently classified as a narcotic, and even that is questionable. I know a couple of people who like taking them because they've experienced weight loss, but that's about it. I had a bottle of it and traded it for Darvocet back in 2000. Perhaps it's all in the mind, but I distictly remember feeling "an exaggerated sense of wellbeing," which is an actual warning under "side effects." Now how can you beat that for depression? I wholeheartedly want to believe that people like you and I NEED a synthetic opiate to feel "normal," but unfortunately it's not at the top of the Medical Journals' lists to prove or even research this theory. And until they do, it remains just that--a theory. I would give anything to go back to '99, when I first discovered that taking one Darvocet was the hidden key to unlocking peace and comfort in my own head. I could take one before class and really enjoy discussing the various literature pieces I studied on the path to getting my English Lit BA degree. In one fell swoop, I became pregnant, was placed on Methadone, and lost my fiance to the drooling jaws of addiction. Sorry to get off topic, but I guess that's how I introduce myself now. Shoot me an email if you think I'm qualified to answer your questions about opiates.
Peace,
Lindsay
> i haven't taken opiates for several years. during that time, i've tried too many anti-depressants to list - mood stabilizers, anti psychotics and benzos too. nothing has been significantly helpful. recently, i tried to find a doctor who would prescribe buprenorphine for me (as an anti-depressant) but i was not successful. opiates are the only thing that have ever helped my mood, but, like many, i've never been able to beat the whole tolerance/withdrawal game. when i use opiates, things ultimately get worse. recently i ordered up some ultram and i'm expecting it to arrive any day now. assuming that the ultram works for me (i've never taken it), i want to be able to get the anti-depressant benefits from it consistently. i think your method of "opiate holidays" is the only way i'm going to be able to do this. please let me know how often you take these holidays and how long you abstain for. any other tips would be greatly appreciated. thanks.
poster:Lindsay Rae
thread:287428
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20031208/msgs/291778.html