How hard is it to go cold turkey from opioids?

[Miramonti]

The NY Times had an article on how Purdue Pharma (makers of oxycontin) fueled addictions by [falsely] claiming it was a 12-hour dosing pain reliever, in order to separate itself from it's shorter dosing competitors. Problem was it wasn't a reliable 12-hour dosing drug. That lead to more extreme (painful) lows when people's pain relief stopped between pills, and then when the next dose was taken, more extreme highs resulted.

Trials often showed it wasn't a reliable 12-hour dosing pain relief, but problem was that the trials would either get cancelled when they were failing, or the people who couldn't handle the 12-hour dosing had to quit them.

At the same time, insurance companies would only accept prescriptions at the 12-hour dosing, so many patients who were prescribed it for pain were screwed. Also, Purdue would send their sales hawks to doctors that would prescribe it for more frequent intervals than 12 hours to b!tch slap them, in order to try and preserve the 12-hour distinction from it's competitors.

A year or two after the drug was approved in the mid-90's (1995?), the chairman (?) of the fda, responsible for it's approval, went to work for Purdue.

Purdue was later fined $634 million for deceiving the public about it's addiction risk, a drop in the bucket to the billions they've made on it.

 

[gorcorps]

I never understood this. If I don't want to do something, I don't do it.

That's the problem... when you're addicted your brain never wants to stop doing it

You may have never experienced such a feeling, and should be very happy you don't have a predisposition for addiction.

 

[Miramonti]

Addiction is not only about the highs that people feel when on something, but the very uncomfortable lows they experience when off it. It is also believed that long term use of opiods can cause physical changes to the nervous system, which can aid addiction.

 

[IEC]

For hardcore addicts, impossible without tapering their dosage of narcotics.

 

[Eli]

Just from taking misc opioids before, the vicodin level stuff that they hand out like candy, I knew that I liked them. But I've never felt the need to seek them out. Recently, I was prescribed some for about 2 months due to back pain, which is the longest consecutive I ever had taken anything like that. I must admit, I got quite used to having it around.

Quitting that shit sucked. It's hard to explain, but it's just bad - so bad that you would instantly and without question take some more, if you were presented with it, just to feel better.

That lasted a few days, and I felt totally normal again within a week.

I can't imagine doing it for years and years and then being presented with having to quit. Yikes.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

I can't figure out why the drug companies haven't been held liable. I remember when the opioid based pain killers were being looked at for more prescriptions the drug makers insisted that they are non habit forming and its nothing to worry about. I remember seeing this on the news. Why do we let that just slip by with the problems they have caused?

 

[adamantine.me]

Extremely hard according to Homeland.

 

[amicold]

The oxy and heroin abuse problem. Like, why is it so hard for people to quit?

It is a test of will that is made to appear nightmarish by these types of articles and fellow addicts. Which likely leads to people being reluctant to try in the first place. Reality is that it is an uncomfortable week or so, and is certainly doable, you feel normal more or less in a few days and shit liquid for three months.

 

[shortylickens]

the chemical addiction is harsh. Am pretty sure this had been documented since at least the 19th century.

Does OP not have access to Google?

 

[Imp]

Hardest thing I've been addicted to was Coke Zero... Pretty hard man.

 

[shortylickens]

Hardest thing I've been addicted to was Coke Zero... Pretty hard man.

Giving up soda was very painful for me.

 

[Imp]

^I didn't give up... I went back to real sugar. It's really not as satisfying. And I be getting fat.

 

[zerocool84]

It is a test of will that is made to appear nightmarish by these types of articles and fellow addicts. Which likely leads to people being reluctant to try in the first place. Reality is that it is an uncomfortable week or so, and is certainly doable, you feel normal more or less in a few days and shit liquid for three months.

It's so easy? You know this from personal experience? For people that experience it, it doesn't seem to be that easy.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

The oxy and heroin abuse problem. Like, why is it so hard for people to quit?

Dunno, ask my sister... She has been cycling heroin for at least the last 5 years or so.

Just another friendly reminder of why you don't do majors like Psychology ()

Only coincidental that a psychology major has psychological problems.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Also, I made this clear with my previous thread.... Everyone has an addiction of some sort. Most people just don't realize it or admit it - Caffeine, Alcohol, Sex, Fapping, etc...

 

[Imp]

Also, I made this clear with my previous thread.... Everyone has an addiction of some sort. Most people just don't realize it or admit it - Caffeine, Alcohol, Sex, Fapping, etc...

The hell you say... We're all normal, it's the addicts that are defective. I mean, I don't know what they do the other 22 hours I don't see them and I only know like 10 people but I was told what normal people do and normal is normal. Normal.

 

[Platypus]

it was hell for me (needed them for pain/management after being in a fire many years ago)... even stepping down off of them was horrible for me.

I can't even imagine cold turkey... I still recall vividly how it felt.

 

[DigDog]

I always wondered why people couldn't quit over a period of time. Eg, if you use a $10 bag at a time. drop it 10%, and save the rest for later. Do that awhile, and take another 10% off. Keep on going til you're at 0%. Not much fun, but it shouldn't be much pain either.

frankly, addicts are not the smartest people. and on top of that, addicts do not want to quit. addicts who have seen their infant baby die because they were smacked out and could not feed it, even then do not want to quit.

but really, it's the kind of brain you have which makes you into an addict in the first place. i've enjoyed drug use - cocaine, not opioids - and i have never had a problem with addiction; i always completed the comedown cycle and did not re-use until i was feeling normal again, which is actually an important aspect of drug use; heroin use in america, for example, is more common than you'd imagine, but not all users become addicts, even people who experience withdrawal symptoms.

Addiction is when the brain begins to think being smacked out as the normal condition of existence, and intelligence and education can delay or prevent this. Shame to say but essentially it's the dumber people who overdo it and who get dragged in deeper.

 

[slayer202]

What do you know about Türkiye?

 

[Guurn]

I've known a few addicts in my life and there seems to be a range of addictions. I'm a bit obsessive but I can quit anything anytime. Some drug users are like that, they aren't addicts. Some addicts can buy the higher power thing and work it out, some can't. All of them can only save themselves. No, they aren't stupid. I've seen people that graduated college at 18 become addicted. Near as I can tell it isn't a willpower thing but I don't have the problem so it's impossible to say. Oddly I know a guy who is an addict that is a healthy guy that doesn't drink, is very smart, but is fighting the battle with use hard. He will win.

Withdrawal seems to be sort of random. The only way to know is to do it. If you aren't on massive levels of opiates or benzos it'll be fine. What kills more is the relapse. I've seen people get out of a six month program, go out to dinner with their grandma, and be found dead the next morning. You are better off off them so just do it.

 

[skull]

It's so easy? You know this from personal experience? For people that experience it, it doesn't seem to be that easy.

Yeah its certainly not easy but its not that hard. The ones that kill and such for a fix are fucked up to begin with. All addicts act like they will die or kill without it as a scam to get a fix. Most carry it over so they don't seem so weak in sobriety. Its not that bad, don't get me wrong it grabbed ahold of me for 6 years but I had a lot of fun and interesting experiences, don't regret it, regret a few of the things I did in the process, like begging my grandma for $30 after she had heart surgery didn't kill her but its still fucked up, the burglaries and such whatever its done, sure as hell don't wanna go back.

 

[Eli]

Also, I made this clear with my previous thread.... Everyone has an addiction of some sort. Most people just don't realize it or admit it - Caffeine, Alcohol, Sex, Fapping, etc...

This man speaks the truth.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I got hooked on Darvons while in the hospital. The doctor cut me off one week after I was released after taking 65 mg every four hours around the clock for seven weeks straight. I spent three days in bed with the worst hangover I've ever had. I was finally able to eat some soup and get out of bed on day four. I can only imagine what heroin users go through.

 

[Miramonti]

With hard drug addictions like coke or meth, one doesn't seek to be high all the time, unless they are already addicts. However with opiods, typically used for pain relief, one seeks pain relief all the time, and that can lead to an addiction. The end might become the same, but the road getting there can be very different.

 

[RoflcopterDown]

Its easy to quit opiates if you want to and have something else to film your time and you don't need them for pain. Also if you take imodium diarrhea pills, they target all the opiate receptors in your gut so you finish mental WD in a few days then stop imodiums and go thru physical WD. Super easy. Hard part is finding a reason to be and stay clean. Though if you're not some ocd borderline twat who can't help themselves, then there's nothing wrong with taking opiates. Many or most rich and famous folk do

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