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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by oxymoron on December 28, 2007, at 19:42:21
I quit oxy and hydorcodone cold turkey 4 mos. ago. This is my first experience with this. The withdrawals were harrowing. On the 3rd day, I was able to procure clonidine and ativan, which helped tremendously. After the acute w/d period and a period of depression (the deep, dark, scary sh*t), I have settled into a weird state of neutrality: I seem to have lost all capacity for joy. I get no pleasure from all the little pastimes and hobbies I used to enjoy. I have no hope or optimism for the future. I seem to have obliterated the pleasure centers and reward centers of my brain. I'm sure I have downregulated the hell out of my receptors, and my DA and seratonin are still MIA. I am taking supplements as well as anything ever purported to increase feelings of well-being, ie, 5-HTP, omega 3 fish oils,etc. In desperation, after 3 mos I started on Welbutrin. It's been 5 weeks and if it's working I can't feel it. Anyone else been through this (post acute withdrawal syndrome,or, PAWS?) If so, when did you start to FEEL again? I am over-sensitive to sadness, but happiness is becoming a foreign concept to me....
Posted by Sigismund on December 30, 2007, at 16:39:31
In reply to post acute withdrawal, posted by oxymoron on December 28, 2007, at 19:42:21
Hey! I've been meaning to respond to your post but have been too uninspired and apathetic to do so, as a consequence of being in the same situation as yourself.
Feelings of wellbeing? What might help with that? (Things you can take, I mean.) It's hard enough to remember wellbeing, let alone stuff to make it happen, like alternative stuff.....
The big question might be....how do you sleep?
The better your sleep the more options you have. Withania (Ashwaganda) is worth a look at on a number of grounds (help with withdrawal, lack of stimulation, prosexual).
Posted by oxymoron on December 30, 2007, at 22:38:36
In reply to Re: post acute withdrawal » oxymoron, posted by Sigismund on December 30, 2007, at 16:39:31
Uninspired-- that word sums it up for me! I feel I'm just going through the motions. My dad (who was a brilliant composer and jazz pianist) had a saying when it came to waiting for inspiration: when there is no wind- row! Well, I've been rowing like a son-of-a-gun for 4 months now (and boy are my arms tired...) and I'm still waiting for the inspiration to kick in. They say the great thing about recovery is that you "get your life back", but I'm still waiting for that. What was your drug of choice, and how long have you been clean, if you don't mind my asking??
Posted by oxymoron on December 30, 2007, at 22:40:40
In reply to Re: post acute withdrawal » oxymoron, posted by Sigismund on December 30, 2007, at 16:39:31
oh btw, I sleep well --- too well. 8-10 hrs a night, and a nap if I can get it. Your basic sluggish-type depression...
Posted by Sigismund on December 30, 2007, at 23:16:03
In reply to Re: post acute withdrawal, posted by oxymoron on December 30, 2007, at 22:40:40
Well, you're in luck if you sleep well.
Things you might pay attention to are deprenyl, Hydergine and rhodiola.I used narcotics.
And I've not used them (at all) for (this is the bad news) way more than 4 months.
A year certainly. Several really.But I might be older than you.
And you may have the means to bounce back.
I'd be thinking of neuroprotection, herbalism and nutritional medicine.A lot of the time I feel really spacey, and I've not found a way to deal with it.
Posted by Kath on January 5, 2008, at 21:15:30
In reply to post acute withdrawal, posted by oxymoron on December 28, 2007, at 19:42:21
I notice you're doing some supplements, etc.
I don't know if you're interested in other methods also.
Here are 2 sites in case:
emofree.com
tatlife.com
I've used both methods to heal various traumas & feelings. Please feel free to ask me if you want any info regarding either of these things.
I respect your positive steps immensely. Congratulation and the VERY best of luck & support in the future.
sincerely, Kath
Posted by Kath on January 5, 2008, at 21:19:46
In reply to Re: post acute withdrawal » oxymoron, posted by Sigismund on December 30, 2007, at 23:16:03
Hi Siggie,
As to your feeling spacey, you might be able to get some help from the methods I just mentioned to oxy.
I get the newsletter for both sites & one of the EFT topics one time was a person who had psychosis & heard voices & had for I think it was 3 years. They did EFT & stopped hearing the voices!!
(Now I have to see if at any point my son might be interested....I think he's getting closer to it!)
I send you wonderful hugs D. luv, Kath
Posted by oxymoron on January 5, 2008, at 23:12:28
In reply to Re: post acute withdrawal » Sigismund, posted by Kath on January 5, 2008, at 21:19:46
thanks for the responses. I ordered rhodiola and piracetam (sp?). We'll see.....
Posted by rgb on January 13, 2008, at 15:08:33
In reply to Re: post acute withdrawal, posted by oxymoron on January 5, 2008, at 23:12:28
I used to keep my use of the "weak" opioids to about a week, then I mostly stopped and took very little for several years.
But now there's somewhat of a scary novelty in that I've been taking tramadol for 2 weeks (I know many people don't like it, but I do). Stopped 2 days ago.
Luckily there is no physical wd, but my mind... lethargic, trapped, nothing's interesting, everything I read casts the world in this bleak light -- this mental state is the opposite of the warm, bright energy and sociability on tram'.
I suspect that this two-week-use might have been enabled partly by SSRI-induced apathy (note: SSRI+tramadol can be dangerous due to serotonin toxicity; I got lucky). To be fair, this is only partly a mental "withdrawal" and partly just a return to baseline :/ I really want to believe that baseline will get better.
Took a bit of ambien now and it helps. But I sure as hell don't need a (pseudo-)benzodiazepine dependency next.
If I already get all this gloom from a bit of tramadol, I can only imagine what you are going through, oxymoron -- *hugs*
Please don't start thinking that you have irreversibly damaged your brain; chances are that growing unhappiness made you take the oxy in the first place and that it was intensified by the withdrawal and has some momentum now, dunno
Posted by oxymoron on January 13, 2008, at 22:05:54
In reply to Re: post acute withdrawal » oxymoron, posted by rgb on January 13, 2008, at 15:08:33
yes, rgb, I really do think that I am experiencing the re-emergence of my existing mild depression, coupled with the oxycontin-induced reduction of endogenous seratonin. I am getting better in small increments, I must admit. PLEASE be careful with the tramadol; despite what the medical community says, it IS very addicting, very tough to get off of, and dangerous to quit cold turkey if you do get a little habit going. be well.
This is the end of the thread.
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