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Cap'n Tightpants · Mar 27, 2015, 01:54 AM

Ever since I broke my ankle I've been on opiate pain killers, 10mg Percocets, and now it's time to get off of them and... **** me, this a bitch. First I cut back dosage in half, like my doctor instructed, and that was fine, but the problem is stopping completely. I have the shakes, sweats, cramps, muscle spasms, insomnia, just all 9 yards of nasty. Long ago I quit cigs without any problems, same goes for excessive drinking and pot, I stopped without issues. This however...

I understand how people get hooked on this stuff, including morphine and heroin, the physical aspects of dependence to opiates are a real bitch. I have a bottle of pills locked in my office drawer and I'm thinking, "You know, I could get one and it would be okay, it's not like the world would end. I've not had any all day, it would be fine."

Get off my damned back! I'm going to go kill people in BFH, maybe that'll help.

reader50 · Mar 27, 2015, 02:41 AM

I'm not a doctor, so take this with generous salt. Don't they slope the dosage downwards with multiple steps? I'd figure a week at 1/2 dosage, then a week at 1/4, then at 1/10 before going cold turkey. Jumping to half dosage, then to zero, sounds unpleasant.

Cap'n Tightpants · Mar 27, 2015, 03:10 AM

Yeah I did the 1/2 > 1/4 thing, and as long as I remained engaged in something I was fine, it's the complete absence of it in my system that's kicking me in the ass.

BadKosh · Mar 27, 2015, 07:30 AM

Try this. swap one addiction for another. I quit drinking by switching my drink to chocolate milk. Put another activity in place of the crave point you are experiencing.

The Final Dakar · Mar 27, 2015, 09:14 AM

They put me on percocet after my surgery. Interstingly, I didn't feel like they did anything other than constipate me, so I went off them as soon as I was discharged from the hospital.

subego · Mar 27, 2015, 10:30 AM

Unfortunately, the best advice I can give you is to smoke some pot.

osiris · Mar 27, 2015, 10:42 AM

Yes, smoke a fatty, take your mind off it. I never had an issue with percocets, didn't like them actually cause they didn't help me. everyone is different I guess.

The Final Dakar · Mar 27, 2015, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by osiris

Yes, smoke a fatty, take your mind off it. I never had an issue with percocets, didn't like them actually cause they didn't help me. everyone is different I guess.

We're not so different you and I...

osiris · Mar 27, 2015, 10:47 AM

I feel a song coming on...

The Final Dakar · Mar 27, 2015, 10:50 AM

It was more of a villain monologue.

osiris · Mar 27, 2015, 10:56 AM

maybe I need some percocet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GH0YPXb49q0

Cap'n Tightpants · Mar 27, 2015, 12:29 PM

Can't smoke a fatty, it's possible (though unlikely) I could be tested when I report back to the sheriff's office and that would be... awkward. As for chocolate milk, I'm not that much a fan of the stuff. Eh, once I get all of the oxycodone out of my system, and it adapts, I'll feel better. The interesting thing is, I didn't really notice any dependence at all until about 6 weeks into taking it, before that I believe I could have just dropped it without any issues. When it reached a point where I was having tremors before I had my first pill in the morning, I knew there was a problem.

The Final Dakar · Mar 27, 2015, 02:11 PM

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants

Can't smoke a fatty, it's possible (though unlikely) I could be tested when I report back to the sheriff's office and that would be... awkward.

Can't get a doctor's excuse? It's legal medicinally federaly now.

Edit: Scratch that, federal opposition to states with medical marijuana has ended...

mattyb · Mar 27, 2015, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar

They put me on percocet after my surgery. Interstingly, I didn't feel like they did anything other than constipate me, so I went off them as soon as I was discharged from the hospital.

There's a "full of shit" joke there somewhere, but I've had a bottle of wine in the last hour so can't be ****ed getting the syntax right.

mattyb · Mar 27, 2015, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants

Get off my damned back! I'm going to go kill people in BFH, maybe that'll help.

Playing an FPS to get your mind off an "addiction" is, IMHO, one of the worst things to do.

For those evenings when there's only shite on the TV : Reddit. I can waste hours there. Otherwise, keep busy, out of the house away from those pills.

Waragainstsleep · Mar 28, 2015, 12:08 PM

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants

Can't smoke a fatty, it's possible (though unlikely) I could be tested when I report back to the sheriff's office and that would be... awkward. As for chocolate milk, I'm not that much a fan of the stuff. Eh, once I get all of the oxycodone out of my system, and it adapts, I'll feel better. The interesting thing is, I didn't really notice any dependence at all until about 6 weeks into taking it, before that I believe I could have just dropped it without any issues. When it reached a point where I was having tremors before I had my first pill in the morning, I knew there was a problem.

How do these work-related drug tests stand now that weed is legal in some states? Even if you visit Colorado your state/employer forbids you from partaking?

turtle777 · Mar 28, 2015, 08:00 PM

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep

How do these work-related drug tests stand now that weed is legal in some states? Even if you visit Colorado your state/employer forbids you from partaking?

Private companies can have almost any requirements they want.

Just because it's legal doesn't mean they need to put up with it.

-t

OldManMac · Mar 28, 2015, 08:16 PM

Wow! I can sympathize to some degree! I was on Percocet from August last year until almost the end of January of this year, and I did have some minor withdrawal symptoms, but nothing like you're describing. I'm still taking Tramadol a couple of times a day, and I finally quit the Oxycodone, all of which I have a prescription for, so I'm doing better.

Cap'n Tightpants · Mar 29, 2015, 01:08 AM

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep

How do these work-related drug tests stand now that weed is legal in some states? Even if you visit Colorado your state/employer forbids you from partaking?

Oh yeah, you test in the red for illicit substances, even if they're legal elsewhere, you're history.

Waragainstsleep · Mar 29, 2015, 05:22 AM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Private companies can have almost any requirements they want.

Just because it's legal doesn't mean they need to put up with it.

-t

That feels like it should go against some part of your constitution. Are there companies which ban staff from drinking booze?

turtle777 · Mar 29, 2015, 10:02 AM

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep

That feels like it should go against some part of your constitution. Are there companies which ban staff from drinking booze?

Sure. "Religious" companies or churches, for instance.

If you are privately owned, the owner decides.
Employees are hired at-will.

Not sure what this has to do with the Constitution.
It protects the citizen from GOVERNMENTS overreach.

-t

Waragainstsleep · Mar 29, 2015, 09:48 PM

Just feels like the sort of thing that someone might have challenged in court.

Cap'n Tightpants · Mar 29, 2015, 10:08 PM

Should a person be a LEO if they fail a drug test while on the job? I don't think so.

mattyb · Mar 30, 2015, 05:21 AM

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants

Should a person be a LEO if they fail a drug test while on the job? I don't think so.

Should a person be a LEO if they failed a drug test even while not on the job?

Then there's the issue about becoming Pres.

Waragainstsleep · Mar 30, 2015, 07:00 AM

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants

Should a person be a LEO if they fail a drug test while on the job? I don't think so.

There is all sorts of sensible reasons to answer yes to this question. The only reason they shouldn't do drugs recreationally is because drugs are illegal. If they go where its legal, there is no hypocrisy, no foul. Also you could frame it as research. I think you'd make a better LEO if you had some perspective from the other side. You might also learn a few tricks and behaviours to watch out for.

Most other arguments against a LEO taking drugs during downtime would also apply to alcohol. A fairer rule might be that rather than fail a test = instant dismissal, if you can demonstrate you went where the drug was allowed, and submit to further tests then no problem as long as amounts diminish as expected.
Maybe if you nipped over the state line every day after work to smoke a blunt or ten you'd have the sort of problem an employer would be justified in taking issue with.

ghporter · Mar 30, 2015, 07:15 AM

Getting off opiates is never fun. Tapering more slowly is a better solution than tapering faster. And maybe, you'll just have to suck it up and deal with the withdrawal discomfort. It usually doesn't take very long to get past that - but that's from an external point of view...

Are you getting physical therapy? PT is a great way to not think about feeling weirded out. It'll make your ankle feel worse for a very short time, but it'll work.

In my experience working as a rehab therapist, some doctors don't cut the cord quickly enough. You should be OFF serious pain meds as soon as possible. My basic rule is if the baseline pain doesn't exceed a 4 out of 10 while you're not using the injured part, you don't need opiates. For reference, a 4 out of 10 is something that's "annoying, but you can get stuff done despite being quite uncomfortable." Replacing opiates with non-steroidal anti inflammatories is a major step; you may get to a 5/10 or 6/10 from time to time, but the NSAIDs will help manage that. The goal of pain meds is NOT "zero pain," but "manageable pain."

Good luck with this. I know it isn't easy.

Cap'n Tightpants · Mar 30, 2015, 09:57 AM

The main issue is my RA which is complicating my recovery, I'm healing but my flare-ups are making everything worse and I can't tell how much weight I can put on my ankle sometimes. Otherwise, I'm doing remarkably well, or so I'm told, I'm already getting around with a brace and a cane in public (I don't need them around the house most of the time). Yes, I'm receiving PT, my wife is a licensed PT and is handling it herself (and she isn't take it easy on me, either). At some point they're going to need to remove the screws and I'm not looking forward to that, but they'll have to if I want my full range of movement back.

Yeah, my problem is I was really enjoying the Perco, maybe a little too much.

I could take up to 5 /day (that's 50mg total), and often did. Having a bit of an addictive personality doesn't help, either, which is why I felt it was better to get off them sooner rather than later, despite pain still reaching what I consider to be a 5 or more, at times (and the amount of NSAIDs I can take is limited because I also take Mobic, for my previously mentioned RA).

subego · Mar 30, 2015, 10:08 AM

I got prescribed Valium for back pain... that was awesome.

Had to tell my doc "do you have something a little less awesome?" before it got too late.

subego · Mar 30, 2015, 10:12 AM

As an aside... I was given cyclobenzaprine. It's a muscle relaxant.

The one or two women reading this should hit their doctor up for a small monthly dose. You will have a much better relationship with cramps.

Or so I am told by the women I've offered it to.

The downside is it can knock you out kinda hard.

Waragainstsleep · Mar 30, 2015, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by subego

so I am told by the women I've offered it to.

This sounds a little wrong.

OldManMac · Mar 30, 2015, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by subego

As an aside... I was given cyclobenzaprine. It's a muscle relaxant.

The one or two women reading this should hit their doctor up for a small monthly dose. You will have a much better relationship with cramps.

Or so I am told by the women I've offered it to.

The downside is it can knock you out kinda hard.

I'm on that now, as well as Tramadol, Gabapentin, Oxycodone, and a few other drugs. The Cyclobenzaprene doesn't seem to do much for me.

subego · Mar 30, 2015, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep

This sounds a little wrong.

The alternative to a sentence like this was getting asked about my periods.

subego · Mar 30, 2015, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by OldManMac

I'm on that now, as well as Tramadol, Gabapentin, Oxycodone, and a few other drugs. The Cyclobenzaprene doesn't seem to do much for me.

It allows me to resume heavy lifting, but I just have a few fractures in my vertebrae which led to muscle spasms.

OTOH, it sounds like you tried to wrestle an elephant.

OldManMac · Mar 31, 2015, 03:36 AM

Originally Posted by subego

It allows me to resume heavy lifting, but I just have a few fractures in my vertebrae which led to muscle spasms.

OTOH, it sounds like you tried to wrestle an elephant.

It may as well have been an elephant. Last August 17, I was riding my motorcycle, when a pizza delivery driver, made a left turn in front of me. I hit him almost head on, at about 40mph, and when the bike stopped, I didn't. I flew about 40 feet through the air, blanking out in the process, and woke up between two cars, on my stomach! Somehow, my helmet had come off during my flight. I had abrasions on my head, but that was the minor part. I broke both arms, fractured both wrists, shattered my left elbow, tore my right shoulder rotator cuff, broke my pelvis in five places, fractured both my kneecaps, and tore some ligaments in my legs. I was in the hospital for six weeks, and spent another five months in a rehab facility! I had six surgeries in the first seven days and 9 in total, so far. I probably will need surgery to fix the rotator cuff, as I can't lift my right arm up and hold it very long. Because my left arm was in a cast for so long (three surgeries to finally get the elbow stabilized), there's some minor bone growth on the inside of my elbow, so I can't flex it as far as I should be able to, which may mean another surgery. My left wrist won't rotate, so it may require more surgery! I returned home on January 30th, and I still can't drive, work, or walk more than a couple of hundred feet, and the possibility that I may never work again is getting more real! I'm going to be 68 in June, so the probability that I may retire is also looking more likely! For Christmas, my daughters got me a T shirt and a sweat shirt that said, "The six million dollar man! We have the technology; we can rebuild him." Judging from some of the medical bills I've seen, I'm somewhere near the 2 Million dollar mark right now!

andi*pandi · Mar 31, 2015, 07:55 AM

Wow, old man, you went through the ringer. My brother had a similar motorcycle accident (someone cut him off). Makes me more cautious around motorcycles.

The Final Dakar · Mar 31, 2015, 08:37 AM

Originally Posted by subego

Or so I am told by the women I've offered it to.

The downside is it can knock you out kinda hard.

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep

This sounds a little wrong.

Bill, is that you?

Waragainstsleep · Mar 31, 2015, 09:28 AM

Motorcycles are a silly idea.

Cap'n Tightpants · Mar 31, 2015, 11:08 AM

I've been asked many times why I don't have a lot of bikes, aside from a couple Harleys, and that's why. In fact, about the only time I ever ride them anymore is for charity events.

ShortcutToMoncton · Mar 31, 2015, 11:24 AM

Originally Posted by subego

The alternative to a sentence like this was getting asked about my periods.

Dammit. I see you've already diffused my planned attack but here it goes anyway:

OldManMac · Mar 31, 2015, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep

Motorcycles are a silly idea.

Whatever you enjoy is a silly idea.

subego · Mar 31, 2015, 01:01 PM

I enjoy swiping at people on the Internet!

The Final Dakar · Mar 31, 2015, 01:04 PM

Originally Posted by OldManMac

Whatever you enjoy is a silly idea.

Well, kudos on not being one of those idiots that refuses to wear a helmet – even if the helmet refused to do its job.

Laminar · Mar 31, 2015, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by Cap'n Tightpants

I've been asked many times why I don't have a lot of bikes, aside from a couple Harleys, and that's why. In fact, about the only time I ever ride them anymore is for charity events.

Mine will disappear this spring. I might keep one, I might not. The allure is not there for me anymore, knowing what could happen. I did a trip to NC four years in a row. Year 3 was awesome and I tore shit up. By year 4 it wasn't fun. Didn't even go last year.

mattyb · Mar 31, 2015, 03:38 PM

I've got a 45 minute commute that would be 25 minutes with a little 125 scooter. Dad made me promise not to get one when my mum died. Loads of colleagues use scooters or bikes and none have had serious accidents but at least once a week I pass a bike on its side going either to or from work. They're not scared to go between the lanes on a 3 lane highway either (90kmph ~ 55mph).

OldManMac · Mar 31, 2015, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by The Final Dakar

Well, kudos on not being one of those idiots that refuses to wear a helmet – even if the helmet refused to do its job.

Apparently, I was mistaken about the helmet. I don't know where I got the info that it had come off, but my attorney was just over, to talk about starting the litigation, and he told me the EMS crew found me with my helmet on! He also told me that, from what they could piece together, the reason I had abrasions on my forehead is because of where I landed on the road; where there were small patches of protruding loose asphalt. He said if I hadn't worn a helmet, I almost certainly wouldn't be here typing this!

unicast reversepath · Apr 1, 2015, 12:05 AM

You can make a tea with powdered Maeng Da Kratom - it has been used successfully to treat symptoms of opiate addiction, including side effects from withdrawal symptoms.

Kratom Opiate Alternative Pain Relief & Addiction