Nodding off- What does this mean?

[kris1845]

Im new here and I really hope someone can give me some advice. I come from a very close christian family so all of this that I am about to write was a big shocker to my family. One of my older brothers just recently admitted to being addicted to pains meds- such as oxy and roxycodine (sp?). He said hes now clean... but something is just not right. He is very thin, can't sleep ( hear him up at all hours of the night), he nods off while sitting with the family. I have a newborn and I am wayyy over tired but never nod off.. so that just sounds strange by it self. He has his ups and downs.. hell be really hyper one minute then the next very rude and to him self (doesn't want to be bothered). Finally, his teeth are all grinded down.. he used to have such nice teeth and now they're very bad. The biggest thing though is the falling asleep... we'll be eating dinner or having a conversation with the family and he'll just fall asleep. Does anyone know what these signs mean? Thanks!

[keepgoing89]

Hey Kris I don't know if you still need help with this issue since its been a couple years but I would like to state my opinion in hopes that somebody finds this on Google like I did and gains from reading it.

Let me paint a picture for you: a beautiful, attractive 24 year old college woman who has been addicted to opiates for a year and is still currently addicted and living the worst times in my life currently. Okay, that's me. I have never been one that people would look at as a risk taker or drug user and I'm smart and charming. Well I quickly became addicted to painkillers (tabs, percs) and since then my life is decaying. I have to do something about it, my house is absolutely disgusting as I really have no desire to do anything of responsibility, even keeping up my own personal hygiene. I always make up excuses in my head, "I'm not going to clean my house until I get at least three tabs, I will clean SO MUCH BETTER THAT WAY" then when I get them I'm just lazy and sad. I literally spend 20-$40 a day on pain pills. $20 for 4 percocets or lortabs, $38 for 3 Diludid sp? Or 3 roxicodones. Three seems to be the magic number. I am now relying heavily on my mother for money, I say that I have a lot of bills and don't make enough to pay them, but its really my addiction I can't afford. I feel so relieved when I take pills, but the the same time and the whole day I also feel so depressed and horrible due to my conscious. I know it is ruining my life, that I have lost my friends because I have alienated myself on purpose because I get too high and am afraid people will know, I am always on the defend, especially with my family. Anymore, I just think people are against me, that the whole world is against me. Which is why I stay away from people, and if for some reason I can't get any pills, then my whole day is spent inside on the couch with nothing on my mind except pills.

A lot of time and money is wasted because of my addiction. I feel like the only way I can converse with people anymore is if I take pills first. I've found that the times I've really alienated myself from people have been when A. I've been taking high quantities everyday  and ashamed to let people see my eyes so heavy and pupils so small, and my skin itching so much B. I couldn't score any pills and can't stand to be around anybody or let alone even move from chills and body aches C. I'm just plain depressed because of my lifestyle choice.

I haven't told ANY family member or friend about my addiction, pretty much only my dealer knows. I am scared more than ever for anybody to find out and I keep telling myself everyday that I don't have to tell them because I'm going to stop on my own. Well the next morning rolls around and I get more without giving a second thought. It isn't till after I take one when I start telling myself I'm going to stop again. I am aware that I am scared to tell anybody but also aware that the only way for me to get off of these IS to tell my family and get their help. But I am still in this cycle, I can feel it getting darker and I really am scared. It sounds like your son is going through this too. Depression is a common side affect of pain pill use, and some people lose weight when they are depressed, which could explain his weight loss. Also, it is extremely common to inject pain pills, especially if they have built up a huge tolerance eventually injection is the only method to feel the high (long sleeves). The anger he is displaying is a MAJOR side effect of pain pill abuse. I have never been so angry and defensive until my addiction, particularly towards the evening hours and morning. And his isolation is all to common with opiate abuse.

Don't gather the whole family to talk to him until u have talked to him one on one. He already knows everyone would want him to get help, he would be expecting it and it would make him feel very alienated. You could fake it and say you understand his addiction and will do everything to help him, or you could do a lot of research and truly understand and let him know. I am going to make an appointment with a Suboxone certified doctor. It's embarrassing, but I have to. Suboxone is a medication used to treat withdraws and cravings from opiates (pain killers). It's very effective so I've heard, I suggest doing some research on that as well. Good luck with everything. Lisa

[mitchthematt]

He might be clean from the pain pills. It sounds just like methodone to me. The first year or so methodone will make you fly around cleaning things, give you more energy. Then if you sit down and not moving it will make you nod, nod, nod but not really ever go to sleep. And at first you don't eat much. It could also be H. Now pain pills never did that to me like that. But both H and meth will do all of that and make you itch like crazy as well.

[sunflowerqueen]

When I first met my boyfriend he admitted that he was doing pain killers. He said he quit while I was away in Europe. He really downplayed the whole thing and I didn't have the impression that it was a major issue in his life. Now, after doing long distance for a year, we are living together and I noticed him doing the same "nodding off" thing which had always been my indicator that he was on them when I first met him. I've confronted him, asked about his eyes and if he's sleepy. He gets very defensive and angry that I brought it up. Once I video taped him nodding off and showed it to him. He seemed really concerned and unaware that he looked so ****** up. I told him it's been really hard for me because I feel like he has a problem and every time I bring it up he blows me off. Well he held me and kissed me and said, I'm so sorry. You shouldn't have to feel like that. I'm not on any pills now. Yatta yatta. But now he reacts the same way when I show concern for nodding off. Defensive, dismissive. I was reading some other symptoms and he does eat an absurd amount of sweets. Once he ate an entire bag of kit kat bars in one day. He also told me he stopped smoking cigarettes and wasn't addicted. That one he can't hide. I am going to look more closely at his pupils. He has very dark eyes and his pupils are hard to see.

[10356]

HI Bootlace although this is a addiction forum.. You may want to have your thyroid checked. my hubby was tired all the time Falling asleep when he sat down for any time, it turns out he has low thyroid. So it sounds like a physical and a blood work is in your future !! You work hard also but really you should be checked by your Dr, my hubby feels like he has more energy now that he is on meds for low thyroid. I wish you well, lesa

[bootlace]

i can honestly say i am not addicted to any street drugs or perscription drugs. and i find myself nodding off alot, and i dont know why. yes i work alot (construction/painting) and im on the rode driving at least 4 hrs out of each day.but lately i've found myself nodding off at least 5 times thru out the day??? I get at least 5-6 hrs of sleep every nite. unless theres a big job due then i may be up at least 48 hrs straight. so why do I nod off so much?  i thought maybe some1 was spike N my water but who knows. IF theres a doc. out there or anyone help me w/this issue, thank you

[debbie8562643]

i have a friend..that was addicted to oxycotin for 5 years and he has admitted to me that he takes methodone...i have been around him for 6 years and i have grown to notice his behaviors..he tells me hes not doing anything...but he can be out of money,,and lay on the couch for weeks and hardly move..and then he will leave for a day ..and come back full of energy..all excited..up all night and nodding off..like hes so tired but is fighting sleep..hes got like a mean look on his face..and acts like hes in so much pain...i know hes taking something..but he wont admit it...he swears hes just tired but if hes that tired..why cant he sleep?? does anyone have any suggestions on what painpills have this reaction and side effects? or is it what i think ...methodone?