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Suggest Ways To Manage Withdrawal Symptoms While Weaning Off Morphine

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Posted on Mon, 27 Jun 2016
Question: How long can I expect to feel like crap from oxy n morphine use as prescribed for over 3yrs. for back pain. Still have bad back and am disabled from it. Went to pain mgt. And they told me I had to detox. I've been without since Sat.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
There are several stages of crap.

Detailed Answer:
First, withdrawal is not addiction, and reasonable questions in the context of following doctor's advice in order to have a better life and less narcotics strongly implies NOT an addict.

Second, I'm assuming oxycodone and not long acting oxycontin, Estimates go up by 1-2 days if it is a long acting opiate instead of short acting ones.

Then, there are the acute withdrawal effects of shaking, chills, diarrhea, runny nose, elevated pulse, intestinal cramping. comes on about 1 day after stopping, peaks at day 3 to 5, and decreases. Not so much by day 9.

This is the best description BUT, it does NOT totally apply because the narcotic effects of heroin are stronger and the withdrawal is much worse than withdrawal from pills.
http://heroin.net/heroin-addiction/detox/the-heroin-detoxification-process/
Mostly, although the time frame is right, the severity is not this bad.

Here's the bad part though, people on oxycodone and morphine and following doctor's advice have real problems and real pain for which they were using the narcotics and not having them in the system not only will cause the pain to come back BUT, because they are used to having pain treated, it will feel even worse.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (36 hours later)
The pain is much worse!!! Very debilitating! I'm in the diarrhea stage now after almost a week. The pain mgt. people told me since I'm detoxing myself they can't help me. I don't know their plan when I go back next week. I was under the impression from the NP that spoke with me I had to. I had enough meds left to make it to the 25th with less use. So now I'm in a quandary. Are they going to refill and start me over on this coaster ride again. She mentioned a pump implant. Boy, I didn't know how much the meds took away till now. Went from a 5-6 on pain scale back to a 9 -10. Plus the pain in feet from the "neuropathy" has gotten much much worse. Feet feel like I've been standing in a snow bank barefoot for hours. I'm 64 yrs old and this all really sucks! What next?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (3 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
terribly sorry.

Detailed Answer:
Ok, several points.
Longer acting agents boot the time period out a bit (about 2 days; 5 to 7 would be the peak). Aging might make a short acting agent push the time period out a bit (and make the drug act like a higher dose).

If one has a regular doctor there are a large number of very helpful regular medications for symptoms. Let us begin with OVER THE COUNTER IMODIUM which is the best drug for opiate withdrawal diarrhea since, well, it IS a narcotic/opiate (just one that never gets out of the gut, so it works ONLY on the gut and has zero addictive possibility). Then, for the neuropathy, everything works some: amitryptiline, lidocaine patch, gabapentin, pregabalin---but it is a controlled substance and all the others are not. Then there are other non-narcotic medicines for pain, there is also low dose narcotics, there is suboxone as a taper (requires an addiction specialist).

Sadly, it sounds like you have none of these resources and only the pain management people who are not really set up for legitimate medical needs.

Pump implant has generally best pain effect and least meds and very high safety.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (30 minutes later)
Hope so. Problem with nsaids and all meds mentioned I get very bad hives! Tried all mentioned. Went to ask about suboxone, and they said no cuz I detoxed myself. New state new rules! Terrible. Thought obummer care was to consolidate but NOT. I guess I'll wait till next week!
doctor
Answered by Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman (2 hours later)
Brief Answer:
that just is not true

Detailed Answer:
on the self-detox it is more of a guideline than any rule. I can see their point; if someone is going to succeed being off of narcotics anyway, and there ARE strict federal limits on how many people can be in a suboxone program, you would hold out for very bad people to put into your program. Then there are many medicines that can lower the symptoms including
imodium
benadryl for sleep
vistaril or benadryl for agitation
muscle relaxants and/or buspirone for shakes
clonidine for shakes/nervous system agitation.
Note: For further guidance on mental health, Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
Answered by
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Dr. Dr. Matt Wachsman

Addiction Medicine Specialist

Practicing since :1985

Answered : 4214 Questions

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Suggest Ways To Manage Withdrawal Symptoms While Weaning Off Morphine

Brief Answer: There are several stages of crap. Detailed Answer: First, withdrawal is not addiction, and reasonable questions in the context of following doctor's advice in order to have a better life and less narcotics strongly implies NOT an addict. Second, I'm assuming oxycodone and not long acting oxycontin, Estimates go up by 1-2 days if it is a long acting opiate instead of short acting ones. Then, there are the acute withdrawal effects of shaking, chills, diarrhea, runny nose, elevated pulse, intestinal cramping. comes on about 1 day after stopping, peaks at day 3 to 5, and decreases. Not so much by day 9. This is the best description BUT, it does NOT totally apply because the narcotic effects of heroin are stronger and the withdrawal is much worse than withdrawal from pills. http://heroin.net/heroin-addiction/detox/the-heroin-detoxification-process/ Mostly, although the time frame is right, the severity is not this bad. Here's the bad part though, people on oxycodone and morphine and following doctor's advice have real problems and real pain for which they were using the narcotics and not having them in the system not only will cause the pain to come back BUT, because they are used to having pain treated, it will feel even worse.