Posted by bupe_fan on May 3, 2004, at 2:11:44
In reply to Re: Home Opiate Detox? GHB/benzos, posted by arrie on April 20, 2004, at 23:19:21
I began using opioids for depression 2 years ago, and after 18 months of taking whatever I could obtain and going through several withdrawals upon running out or from just trying to keep my tolerance down, I called up a doctor to try buprenorphine maintenance. The doctor said no way would he let me continue on buprenorphine for any longer than 10 days, but I just pretty constantly told him that whenever I lower my dose of bupe I get horrible cravings to do opioids because my ability to concentrate and feel at all sane or normal is ruined (all true). This has resulted in me remaining on buprenorphine for 6 months and it has definately improved my quality of life. If the doctor ever tries to taper me I will raise hell about how much better I am doing now than before when I was on street opioids and poppy tea, which was better than when I was on nothing at all.
Opioids in general have improved my ADD and bipolar/depression dramatically. Finally for once in my life I am able to concentrate and live without pain, psychological or physical. Thank god for the little loophole in the law which lets me admit/pretend that I am a junkie and need to stay on opioids to function. I even know someone who is on methadone because he is too depressed to live without opioids.
I'm not saying that opioid replacement therapy (maintenance) is the right answer for you, but its definately something to consider.
If you are interested in doing a home detox (although it has been 30 days since you quit - so I guess this advice is for whomever stumbles upon this thread), loperamide (immodium) alleviates almost all of the physical symtoms, which helps with the psychological ones. Benzos do help with the overstimulated feeling, and for opiate users with a heavy tolerance (methadone or heroin users), withdrawals carry a risk of seizure which benzos alleviate.
GHB = Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate - A wonderful, safe sedative/euphoriant drug, with no hangover symptoms and no toxic long term effects, when used CORRECTLY. Unfortunately, for those who do not measure their dose accurately (measuring syringe), those who use in excess (dosing 12 times a day 24 hours a day for months), or those who combine with other drugs (alcohol or heroin), the drug is very unforgiving. Unfortunately due to media demonization of this drug (they declared it "the date rape drug" based upon rumours, which gave many rapists a great idea), and the large percentage of stupid people within this country, GHB is now the only chemical which exists BOTH as a Schedule 1 substance (no potential for medical use and a high potential for abuse) AND as a Schedule 3 substance (a medically used substance with a moderate potential for abuse). This is a testament to the power of MONEY in the pharmaceutical industry, as the drug is currently licensed by Orphan pharmaceuticals under the tradename Xyrem, for helping narcoleptic patients with sleep. You have ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE IN HELL of getting this substance. Thanks to the DEA in one of their rare "successes", it is no longer available, even at street level to the best connected druggies.
I do know from personal experience that it works wonderfully in preventing many painful opiate withdrawal symptoms.
I think you put the Doc which you saw into a situation where he only had one thing to reccommend. By going there and telling him you have a "drug problem", you made him feel that by letting you do ANYTHING by yourself, in the MINUTE chance that anything went wrong, the liability would be placed upon him, thus he reccomended you for inpatient treatment, and likely got a nice little referral fee for doing so.
In general if you are already using a long-lasting opioid (poppy tea qualifies) there is no real benefit in switching to a different one (methadone) to taper. This same advice applies to benzos and many other drugs. If you had been on a short acting opioid such as fentanyl or hydromorphone, then it would have been in your best interest to find a longer lasting one, to prevent "rebound cravings" every couple hours.
Also beware of ANYTHING related to detox which is "Too good to be true", because IT IS. The most notorious "addiction treatment" is UROD (Ultra Rapid Opiate Detox), also known as precipitated withdrawal with anesthesia. This procedure is where the patient is placed under anesthesia and then an opioid antagonist is administered intreveinously. This instantly propells the victim into the most severe withdrawal of their life, but the patient barely notices it due to a wide variety of other drugs they are on, and the diaper they are wearing. Every doctor who performs this procedure is acting highly unethically, as many deaths have resulted (the doctor thinks "They're just junkies anyways"), and is usually only in this business for the high prices that a junky may be willing to pay for a "miracle cure". $10000 is not unheard of. The saddest part is that this usually does not help the addict (or opiate dependant person), and many victims of this surgery commit suicide during the month-long period where withdrawal symptoms and other side effects of the implanted naltrexone pellet.
Don't believe me? see: http://www.atwatchdog.org/opinion_amysurod.html (there are dozens of other true horror-stories on their messageboard, which is unfortunately down right now)
poster:bupe_fan
thread:333744
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/subs/20040409/msgs/342667.html