Bf going through Post Accute Withdrawal Syndrome

My bf did opiates (perks and vics) really bad for almost 4 years. He quit 9 weeks ago. At first he felt like he was in hell. He would have terrible aches and pains (probably not too far from how he normally feels, but he was so used to having massive amounts of painkillers in his system), and hot/cold flashes. Now he has horrible anxiety, mood swings, and just a general feeling like everything sucks. Because his brain is still trying to get chemically balanced again, he can't really feel emotions, particularly good ones. The rare moments of happiness he feels often give him a headache, and though he knows he loves me, it doesn't feel the same way it did. It's even affected our sex life... he had a panic attack during it once and like everything else, it's just not as enjoyable as it used to be. Ever since he started doing pills, weed makes him feel like shit and alcohol isn't much better. He's been told not to take benzos because it will just set him back, so stuff like Klonopin and Ativan is out of the question when he does have a panic attack. He had one so bad, he had to walk out of his job, and he's failed two college courses because he just couldn't handle it. I love him so much and want to help him, but I just don't know what to do. He says just being there is a huge help, but I feel so useless sometimes. I just tell him everything will be alright, and usually he says he knows that, but sometimes he's not so sure. Has anyone been through this before? If so, how long did it last and what did you do to deal? We've read that it can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. I reeeeally hope it doesn't last that long. Of course I'll stick around if it does, but I just hate seeing him so miserable.

 

Keep your head up. I've been through the depths of withdrawals and just the comfort of my family and support of my girlfriend got me through it. My PAWS lasted around 8-10 weeks. Just give it time. It will get better, has he tried working out? that seemed to be the most beneficial to me during that time period. To get my natural endorphins up and running again.

 

Hi, it sounds like a really difficult situation. He's lucky to have you in his life to support him through this. I think talking to a psychiatrist and trying to seek medical treatment would really help. Benzos are usually prescribed for very short duration and will help him through panic attacks. I wouldn't write off all drug treatment just because he had a drug problem in the past. What's important is the motive. As long as he's taking medications to improve his quality of life and functioning and not to get high it should be alright. A psychiatrist would be more well versed in what medication would be ideal but offhand I would say something like Gabapentin and Amitriptyline would probably help for pain,depression and anxiety. He won't necessarily have to be on these medications for the rest of his life, but they could help him transition into a sober life.

 

leave the man.

 

The longest I've ever gone completely sober was about 6 months, and while I don't exactly remember it clearly, I think it was around three months that I began to feel normal again. I wouldn't say happy, but I'm always deeply depressed, even when I might appear overjoyed to other people, it never actually goes away. So, somewhere around 3 months and things began to look good for me. 3 months later, I ran into a guy I grew up with as I was walking home from work on a Friday, and he got off his bike to stop and talk with me. Then he pulled out a prescription bottle he had just ridden his bike to the pharmacy to fill, and it was 120 Roxi 30's. He handed me something like 15 of them for free and that was the beginning of the end. A few months later, after filling many prescriptions for various opiates, he received a check for $32,000 from an injury (the one he was prescribed everything for) and we went through that in just under a month, lol. I regret running into him like nothing else, of course I don't blame him, because I am too weak to say no to something like that, but that was half a year of genuine and honest sobriety, gone in a flash.

 

$32k in under a month. Man, that's hard to picture. But I believe it. In some places people charge up to $1 per mg, so I can understand 2 people going through $8k a week.

 

No lie I wear through the same just tell him to man the fuck up and look through the bright side the pain is gone so now comes time to enjoy life... Tell him to work out and take walks and if he has a job that helps to get his mind of drugs cause I know for a fact no mattar how long your sober its still in the back of your mind

 

It does seem pretty unbelievable, I agree, but it is the truth and it was then when I began to fully grasp how horrifying addiction can get. Granted, he did drop a few thousand on getting an apartment paid off for a few months and of course he bought various items and food, so in reality he probably only spent about $25k on opiates. The reason I said "we" went through it like that was because I would go twice a week for him to my connect and get 50 30s, we would get them for $20 each but in bulk like that we were getting them for $15 so every three days he would withdrawl (haha) $800 and I would drive him down to the city. He would give me one right away for driving him, then another couple after dropping him off, and then throughout the week (for the next 2 -3 days) I could go to his house on my lunch breaks during work since he lived four blocks away and get one from him, then another after work on most days, and I would pay him back a certain amount once I received my paycheck.

This quickly escalated to taking a 30 every two hours or taking three or four of them at a time, and then on other days we would get whatever else we could find to keep things "fun", heroin, morphine, dilaudid etc. I remember after about 4 weeks when he had no money left and then he relied on me, it all turned around and the first week I ended up selling both of my analog synthesizers (my most prized possessions), one for $300 and the other for $800, and both times I was out of what I had bought the very next morning.

Thats when we ended up going from hospital to hospital, doctor to doctor etc, because he kept the x-rays from his injury and would go in and say he was between doctors or waiting to get into pain management and they would give him various drugs, one hospital gave him 5 75ug Fentanyl patches every time I took him, without fail. Both his mother and his sister had prescriptions (one to 90 Percocet 10s and the other to 60 Vicodin 10s) and when the hospitals would turn us down we'd go to all the CVS's and fake cougs to get Codeine syrup from the pharmacists.

Then, my cousin had a connect whose sister had a candy doctor and was getting something like 200 or 300 10mg Methadone pills a month and would sell them to us for $2 a piece, sometimes $1 a piece and a handful "just because" lol. Then the kid who had the money made a friend in a Methadone clinic who was on 130mg a day and worked her way up to I think 4 take home bottles per week, only had to go in a few days a week. She would sell us a 130mg bottle for $30 and for awhile we were knocking at her door every day. When that ended, I suffered through the worst withdrawl I'd ever known.

After this, my cousin and I started going to the block for bags, and thats when the party really started... lol. Anyway, I've been on suboxone for something like 1 1/2 years now and relapsed three times, before that I'd been using for nearly a decade and of course have seen some crazy shit in that time period.

 

I am sorry to hear that you two are going through a rough time. PAWS can be known to make some people relapse because of how bad it is. However there are some things you can do to help out the process along the way.

You can try boosting the deficient neurotransmitters that has been depleted from the long term use of the opiates he used to take. The biggest one being the endorphins.

- Chocolate - It has a mild effect on endorphins.
- Candy or anything sugary can give a boost to natural endorphin levels.
- Excercise - Even though he might not want to and might not feel like it, getting up and move, even if only for a few minutes, maybe only 5 minutes at a time, it can really help to boost endorphins. And can also help with the anxiety and also if he's been restless it can help with this.

-Accomplisments - Any kind. Small. Big. It doesn't matter the size. Just get him planning and executing something daily. Anything that causes you to feel self-accomplishment and pride will definitely give your brain a boost of Endorphins and Endogenous morphine. Also, it'll help take his mind off of the other feelings.

- Eating a hot chili pepper - This can help by activating the bodies protective response and cause a release of endorphins.

- Think positive thoughts - Even if it is Placebo... If the mind is happy, it releases endorphins.

- Watching a funny movie or tv show - Laughter is always said to be one of the best cures and one of the best medicines, it's true. Get him laughing at something. This will release endorphins as well as put a smile on his face.

- Vitamins and Minerals - This can also help get the system back in balance if one of the minerals or vitamins in his body is depleted.

- Valerian root, and Kava Kava can be great for anxiety and to help promote sleep, they are both herbs, or you could try Stress Tonic. Which is Homeopathic.

I wish you both the best of luck and hope he feels better soon.

 

This is one of the best posts concerning withdrawal I've seen on HP. Excellent advice Yenihime. Like you have heard from several on here, your support iis crucile at this point in time. Another thing you could do is get him imvolved in a thread like this, however, do not allow him into other discussions concerning Using. Ive been on Subs going on 11 months when I took my last dose of Opana/Oxycodone. While it certainly hasn't been easy, its head and shoulders better than Using Opiates. Im down right at 2mgs a day and when I reach less than a MG a day, ill jump and hope for the best but I dont put myself on any schedule. I did have a severe car accident where I was very luckly and jumped back to 7-8mgs a day, but I quickly shook it off. I have a 100 8MG tabs of Subutex, I will jump before thats gone, thats my only goal as far as its concerned. Even the reward system mentioned is another ecellent tool at your disposal. Just dont give up on him. I know its difficult to do all this and not think of yourself. You do need to protect yourself. Make a pact with him concerning your relationship. Make him understand that it is only human if he for some reason relaspes, but also make him understand that relapses have consequences such as rehab. and as long as he is honest and doing what hes suppose to do you will be there for him. The brutal truth is you do not want a lifetime of pain by being sympathetic to his every stumble. since were talking BF and GF I assume you two are relatively young. Leave yourself an out. You and only you know your limitations. Be there for him until such a time that you cant be there for him. By then, he will have had numerous opportunities to get himself straight!

 

Thank you, I guess it's just cause I've been through the withdrawal so many times you begin to pick up on things that help, and things that make it worse. I know how bad it can get, and experience with withdrawal is something I definitely have...Just to bad I don't have experience with staying clean.