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7733408 tn?1393752530

How long does it take to detox from opioids?

How long does it take to detox from opioids?   I will be starting my detox on March 6, 2014 with a psychiatrist as I am someone who has suffered from depression my whole life.  The opioids were prescribed by a doctor to me over the last four years for chronic pain.  Well, they don't work anymore and are causing more harm than good.  So my new psychiatrist is going to help me detox from the opioids and help me with my depression.  I am absolutely terrified about what I am in for with the detox as like I said I already suffer terribly from depression.  Can anyone tell me what I am in for with the detox and how long it will take?  I really need someone to talk to badly!!!
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Avatar universal
I stopped taking Lortabs on Jan. 12th. I was taking 30mg per day for over four years. Not a lot compared to some but I was still addicted. I started taking them when I had surgery on my right arm and took them again when I had three surgeries on my left shoulder. All in 2008. Then I started taking them for lower back pain. I still need them for pain but decided living a "normal" life was more important.
I'll be truthful, the process wasn't pleasant. I could not sleep. Every joint in my body hurt. My head hurt. I spent a lot of time in the bathroom. My upper arms and upper chest had to be shaken (kinda like restless legs but in my upper arms and chest). Sweating was heavy. My hands shook. The worst was the anxiety. I couldn't eat. I lost 20 pounds in 14 days.
Most all of this disappeared after about 5-6 days. The anxiety, restless legs and sleeplessness hung on the longest. I think it has been 80 days today since I had a Lortab and I still have the restless legs and I still can't sleep.
The anxiety has been gone for about two weeks now.
I still have the urge occasionaly to take a Lortab. Number one to just relieve the 24 hour-a-day pain I live with and number two just to get the calm "everything is right with the world feeling". But I'm NOT going there.
I said all that to say this- You can do it. No one should be dependant on something artificial. Life is to good to live it with drugs. And being a slave to something is terrible.
What I would do if I were going thru withdrawels again-
1. Clear my calander. I'd make sure I had at least 7 days that I would not have to leave the house.
2. Stock up on reading meterial.
3. Stock up on DVD'S.
4. Stock up on bubble bath and bath salts. ( I took 3-4 hot hot hot baths per day)
5. Stock up on the foods you love the most. If you don't love it you won't eat it.
6. Plan plenty of projects. Staying busy is the best way.
7. Stock up on plenty of water. You will get dehydrated from all the time you are going to be running to the bathroom.
8. Find a few people to support you. You gotta have support. I didn't do this. I depended on the good folks on this site and they were wonderful. I'm convinced that I couldn't have done it without them. But a few "real" people could have helped also.
9. Talk to God. Doesn't matter if you believe or not. Talk to God. Tell Him how your feeling. The good and the bad. Ask Him to help you. Ask for wisdom. Ask for His presence. I am a believer and base my life on God's teachings. God only wants what is best for you. When you hurt He hurts. He will help you. Trust Him. Absolutly nothing in a person's live will be right until their relationship with God is right. That's just a fact.
  My story - Three days before Christmas my wife of thirty years left home for Starbucks like she did every other morning. At the end of the day she didn't come home. I spent all night looking for her. Never found her. She took my best car and our money. We had all these Christmas plans to carry out with our three kids. I had to figure all this out alone. It got really cold were I live. Single digits. All my cars broke down.(my kids are collage age and each has an old car to get to school in) My old truck broke down at work. I work 12 hour shifts in a chemical factory. We had no transportation. I would work on these cars in the cold and cry and cry until the tears would freeze on my face. Our Landlord ended our lease. We would have to move. I had to bring my youngest daughter home from collage cause we couldn't pay her bill (I cried). One day I was a happy 52 year old male with a middle class life and a week later I had lost my wife my home all my cars and all money. My kids had to stop school and on Christmas day I had to beg money from my friends on Facebook. And thru this and because of this I chose to stop taking the Lortab. I just thought that I needed a clear head to deal with all my problems. Looking back i'm not sure it was the greatest idea considering all I was dealing with. But I did it. I haven't cried since I was a baby. Thru all this I couln't stop. I cried all day long. This stuff happened to other people not me. I had no experience in how to deal with all this stuff. To survive we had our phones cut off, our cable turned off. We couldn'd by food. I started (and still am) selling stuff to raise money. $25 dollars here. $10 dollars there. It helped keep the electricity on. Looking for a place to move to with no money to move. Worrying about my wife and was she safe. Was she dead. Would she come back. And going thru Lortab withdrawel with all this ! Some folks would say "And you believe in God and that He will help you ?" I would have never made it without Him.
I'm no hero, just a plain guy with a lot of problems. Just saying this because I think most people can get thru the withdrawels with a little help and support if I done it with all my oppisition. I done it during the worst of times with a little planning you can to it in much better times. YOU CAN DO IT. I KNOW YOU CAN !
I have my old cars repaired. My daughter is still away from school. I still can't pay my bills. I have less than 30 days to move. But after three weeks my wife came back. My family is closer than ever. I meet with a Pastor once a week and I meet with a counselor once a week. I am closer to God than ever before. I cry at the slightest thing. Life has changed. I'm convinced it will be for the better.
I hope and pray that your life drug free will also change for the better.
Keep in touch if you need help. (Sorry,had no idea I would write all this)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Yes i agree, it definantly can be done but i took the long road with subs from heroin. I was myself after day 8 of detox but am only getting spurts of energy back now after 3 months. But h and subs take longer. When i c/t from heroin years ago i was in pain for 3 months and couldnt take it any longer and used again.
But lucky for you, i believe pills is one of the drugs that gets out of your system much much quicker and the recovery is much quicker, so ive read. You will be fine if you dont stress about your detox.
Stress and anxiety is worse than the detox itself.
You have to stay strong, you can do this, because i did : )
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
You know everyone is different. An average is 5-7 days feeling like crap. Then a another week or so till you feel good again.  Then depending you will depend on any depression sleepless no energy etc. the supplements in Thomas Recipe will help but I would steer clear of the vicodin or xanax etc.

Now you say you have depression. Make sure you stay on a depression medicine to help with that.

Think of it as having the stomach flu. It is going around right now so good excuse. Try to drink water and gatorade. I need Mountain Dew myself. Hot tea. Sip broth. It'll give you nutrition.

You can do this!!!
Helpful - 0
1801781 tn?1461629469
Everyone is so different.  It depends on how many a day, how long, etc.  Most say that if they go cold turkey..takes about a week for the opiate "flu" to get better.   Check out the Thomas recipe here for some help.  http://www.medhelp.org/health_pages/Addiction/Thomas-Recipe-Re-Posted/show/16?cid=66

It can be done...Medhelp gave me the courage to try and try again and with their help and my family I managed to do it.  There is no shame in failure only in never trying.  Your doctor may do a taper plan with you.  Follow their directions and come here for more support and ideas.  Check back here as much as you can and post as you need for help.  Glad you found us and the strength to stop.  
Helpful - 0
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