Opiate withdrawal

[Draperman]

I was on Norco 10/325mg and lortab 7.5/325mg for over four years.I originally got put on the Norco 10s for a foot injury. I stand on my feet nearly all of my shift at work. So it was absolutely necessary for me to use the pain pills. I even had to cut a hole in my shoe due to the pain. Well..The foot got better...but by then I was hooked on the "warm and fuzzy" feeling that the pain pills gave me... It was only 2 norco 10s twice a day at first... By the end.... I was taking 10-12 daily and even more on the weekends... I finally had had enough... I was doing good... Work, gym, home, everything was still going strong. But my mental health was getting worse.I started having severe panic attacks,headaches,vertigo,dizziness,RLS, diahrea, upset stomach and just about every other symptom imaginable... especially insomnia!! Went to the emergency room 5 ... yes! 5 times!!! Had ekg,ecg,chest xrays,blood work and even a CT SCAN done on my brain....All negative and healthy.... I taperd off slowly... It's been a month today NO DRUGS AT ALL.... It's been rough... I'm over all the acute symptoms... Just a little RLS, insomnia, (I've had insomnia for 17 years) My biggest problem now is with my brain... It's hard to describe... When I'm at work and I'm busy... moving fast and I turn suddenly... it feels like my entire body wants to shut down... It starts in my head and goes all the way down to my feet... I feel like my blood pressure drops...I get palpitations.. real shaky... wobbly legs... That's when I went to the ER and they ran all the normal tests.. including the CT scan... All NORMAL.... does anyone know why this is happening????? I went to the neurologist... He found nothing seriously wrong with me... I know I've done some damage to my brain with all the synthetic drugs... But wouldn't a CT scan show damage?? I have gotten through the worst of this withdrawal... But I'm scared to do any kind of exercise... I just take my 1mg ativan and go to work and grind my way through it... I don't have any energy to play with my kids... just sit on the couch all weekend... (which causes more depression) scared if I do any physical activity... It'll cause me to have those scary symptoms.... somebody please give me some advise!!! Thanks

[Draperman]

After care?? I've done it all on my own... just grinding through it day by day... Only thing the doctor gave me was the ativan 1mg... I've just read all the home remedies and used some of them... I was pretty healthy before and during my addiction to opiates... I was working out 5x weekly... eating healthy... I'm 6' 200 lbs... I think that's why my withdrawals weren't as bad as alot I've read on here...

[Draperman]

Thanks for your responses.... True... Ativan is the one and only drug that I'm on... I know it's not good... but when the panic comes on.... And I work with about 50 employees mind you... It's the only thing that gets me through the shift without freaking out in front of them... The "fight or flight" kicks in...and I can't run away... I have a very demanding position at my job... I'm only taking 1mg ativan before work and 1mg ativan before bedtime... (for the RLS) I'm drinking a ton of water/fluids all day.... My acute symptoms weren't as bad as some I've read on here... But severe enough to take off one full week of work... I have absolutely no cravings for the demon that is opiates... I've detoxed from coke..alcohol...etc.  but this was the worst of them all.. I know PAWS is going to be the next stage of this horrible ride I'm on... But the battle is in the mind... All doctors have given me a healthy report... But all their tests don't see what's going on psychologically with me... I've made it through the worst part... just don't want to experience that last scary episode ever again... it felt like a stroke..Not that I've ever had one... I realize that my body..(especially my brain) needs more time to heal... I've always been a fighter/survivor... and I'll be damned if I let this be the end of me... Too much to live for... Just want to get back to the gym... That's my sanctuary... I will continue to let my body heal... and take it slow... I know it didn't take over night to get myself in this situation..and it won't be an over night resolution... I've set goals and I've achieved those goals so far... September I will be back in the gym... I will never get myself on opiates again... Tylenol 500mg will be it for me... Thanks again for responding... much appreciated... My frontal lobe is also where I feel it the most... It's crazy how the mind controls everything.... Time and patience....

[clean_in_ks]

First and foremost.....hello and welcome to the forum!

Congrats on 30 days TOTALLY DRUG FREE!!!!!  

All that you described happened to me, too.  I began taking hydrocodone for medical issues as well.  As addicts, we just need more and more until we are completely out of control.  It's so good you recognized this and decided to quit.  

The way you describe your head is also something I can relate to.  I had VERY LOW blood pressure for many days after my initial/acute w/drawal.  If I got up too fast or moved too fast I got dizzy and weak.

Our central nervous system, organs, and neurotransmitters/brains take a tremendous beating when we abuse narcotics....and it does take more than 30 days to heal and begin to re-regulate.  I went thru a period where I could feel the frontal lobe of my brain doing strange things...a super heaviness....hard to describe.  I figured I should give myself a fair amount of time to begin to heal before I panicked.....I did see my dr for routine blood work and a basic check up....I am healed up pretty good with the exception of my chronic pain issues.  

It's REALLY important to be drinking A LOT of fluids (are you?)...and to at least get some walking and sunshine in...even if you don't feel like working out or going to the gym.  It will all continue to get better.....keep posting and let us know how you are doing, ok?

[jifmoc]

Hi, welcome. Well, looks like it's been proven that there is nothing physically wrong w/ you, so it's gotta be mental. I do have to say you wrote you've been on no drugs for a month but then you said you take 1mg ativan to work. So, you are on a benzo daily. It's possible that weird feeling could be from the ativan. Do you take more than 1mg daily? That could have something to do w/ it. Benzos are strong. It definitely doesn't help your depression. As far as depression/no energy, you are still detoxing. You were on a good amount for 4 years and it takes time to re-adjust and honestly the ativan is not helping. Also, are you doing aftercare? That's the biggest tool for depression and staying off drugs. We don't make it w/o it.

Glad that you posted.