13 Year Gravol Addiction(long Info Read)

[Lucycat]

That's odd, does anyone know what is in Night Nurse

Paracetamol ,Promethazine Hydrochloride, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide are in the UK version of Night Nurse.
Promethazine - on its own - is marketed under the trade name of Phenergan. An antihistamine that is well known for its drowsiness.

 

[HeraBane]

Not here.
Benadryl allergy liquid capsules - Cetirazine
Benadryl allergy relief - Acrivastine
Benadryl pl...

Benydryl and Gravol are different. I've actually never taken benydryl believe it or not lol

 

[Weemie]

It just goes to show that you need to know what drug is contained in what preparations in different countries.

Yeh, I was meaning in US/CA. :)

I actually did some research on this like a month ago & discovered Benadryl is actually acrivastine/cetirizine in the UK. Which is why I mentioned that here, diphenhydramine & dimenhydrinate are nearly the same drug, so you can use them interchangeably.

However, I believe that your Link Removed contains diphenhydramine, which is what our Benadryl contains. & as you can see this is specifically marketed as a sleep aid.

But, yeah. You are v. correct. Always be sure to confirm if a drug you're taking overseas is equivalent to the drug you're taking at home. Brand names =/= chemical equivalence.

 

[VisualDist]

I have a major problem with Gravol addiction. IF anyone could message me back on here, that would be great.

Okay before you go, "ya ok, you can't get addicted to Gravol," Read my story, you can. It is a night...

I have been using Gravol on and off since I was 16. I am now 34 and cannot stop using it without serious repercussions. Every time I have quit for a few months, I get so depressed and my brain shuts down, so that I cannot even function in everyday life, and then suicidal ideations come in. Once I start taking it again, I start to get better. I am in a real predicament because of this, and need some guidance as to what I can do. I have what seems like permanent hallucinations/visual distortions from the drug. My intention when I was young was stupid, it was basically to get a cheap high, but then I ended up getting addicted, when I obviously did not want to. Need some help on this if anyone has a doctor or a psychiatrist I can see regarding all this.

 

[joeylittle]

Need some help on this if anyone has a doctor or a psychiatrist I can see regarding all this.

You can start with your general practitioner (can't remember what they are called in Canada) - your basic health doctor. Also, a google search turns up that this is not an unknown problem in Canada - you may be able to find a rehab center in your province that specifies working with gravol addicts.

 

[Neverthesame]

@joeylittle
GP - General practitioner, physician. Pretty sure the titles are the same here as there.

You are also quite correct that gravol (dimenhydrinate) abuse is a real thing here. In fact, there are stricter regulations for purchasing gravol than for drugs containing pseudoephedrine.

They are under the same class of restriction as analgesic drugs containing codeine. Recorded sale, while available without Rx you need to provide ID to a pharmacy counter. The date of sale is recorded, if you attempt to purchase more before the minimum time has passed (Usually however long it would take to finish the bottle taking the max dosage as instructed on the packaging.) you will be refused sale until said date.

I am not sure if there is a rehab program specifically designed for abuse of anti-emetic drugs, honestly I doubt it. While certainly not unheard of, abuse of these drugs to the level of addiction is quite rare. Owing to the unpleasant nature of anti-cholinergic syndrome which these drugs cause at high dosages. It's really quite an miserable "high".

Having said that, @VisualDist there really should be no reason why a standard drug rehab program wouldn't work to aid with ceasing your abuse of these drugs.

Do keep in mind, that while not exactly the same, drowsy formula anti-histamine tablets (dipenhydramine) are a very close cousin to gravol. You will need to make note to avoid taking these as well. As was mentioned earlier in this thread, over the counter sleep aides, are usually dipenhydramine with a different label. For example, there is absolutely no difference between Nytol or Sleep-eze and Benadryl drowsy, other than price. It is the exact same drug in the exact same concentration.

 

[VisualDist]

@joeylittle
GP - General practitioner, physician. Pretty sure the titles are th...

Here is the problem though, is that nothing works to bring me back to functioning levels, other than doing them again. I feel completely suicidal, depressed, unable to function. I get the weirdest jumpiness from sounds that normally would not affect me. People talk to me, and I cannot comprehend most of the time what they are saying. I have the weirdest body aches, itchiness, chronic heartburn all the time. I have been on anti-depressants, plus I have also been to rehab for it, and obviously did not work. The amount I have taken in the last 18 years should have killed me. The depression is so mind-numbingly horrible, I cannot even describe it. I am terrified of that depression. It is the fourth time in my life I have had a major-depressive disorder come on, mostly caused by this drug. I used to smoke a lot of marijuana as well to cope, which relieved the depression temporarily. What I need to find out is if there is anyone else out there that has had the same problem. My moods are always down, I am extremely negative, and the only thing that keeps away my suicidal thoughts is doing more of them. I used to take up to 100 a day. Now I am down to about 10 or so a day, 5 taken twice a day. I need to find someone who I can relate to on this. The combination of marijuana and gravol was actually quite fun for a long time, and it took me out of reality enough to be able to cope. So please, if anyone can relate to this, let me know. I have also taken diphenhydramine here as well, the two are one and the same here in Canada. I just also want to know if anyone knows what kind of anti-depressant I can take to help with this. I am on Effexor and Seroquel, and take these on top of that. Thanks a lot in advance people.

 

[joeylittle]

What I need to find out is if there is anyone else out there that has had the same problem. My moods are always down, I am extremely negative, and the only thing that keeps away my suicidal thoughts is doing more of them. I used to take up to 100 a day. Now I am down to about 10 or so a day, 5 taken twice a day. I need to find someone who I can relate to on this.

I understand what you are saying. I can't directly relate - I can only offer that I believe self-medication is self-medication, whatever the substance. I was an alcoholic when my depression was heading into a major breaking point. I couldn't get through it without drinking every night. Ultimately, that was my addiction and getting off of it was part of the process of finding a different way to deal with my mental illness.

But: the situation I'm describing is no-where as pervasive and serious as yours is. Hopefully, someone Canadian can weigh in on some good addiction and recovery centers, because I suspect that's what you will need in order to go through a painful withdrawal.

 

[Neverthesame]

First off, good for you cutting back as much a you have, that's a huge improvement.

I want to make note here. I'm not a doctor. This is why anytime someone asks advice for anything physiological, the first responses are to go see one. Even if I were a doctor, it would be illegal and unethical for me to practice over the Internet. I'll try to help you as best I can, but what I don't know about medicine could fill a warehouse.

How long have you been able to go before starting them again? From what I have been able to research, it can take upwards of a month for the withdrawals to pass.

Have you always been on Effexor when trying to quit the Gravol?
Effexor can make you feel pretty shit as it is. It wouldn't surprise me if it would make something like that worse. (If course, I'm not saying you should quit your meds. No, no, no, no.)

Does your doctor know the extent of how much you were taking and for how long?
If not, then you absolutely need to inform them. You will not get in trouble, nor will you be forced into psychiatric care. Especially since you have lowered your dosage as much as you have. You simply don't qualify for sanction under the Canadian mental health act.

Also since you have baseline of stability to fall back on, your doctor can work with you to trial and error some methods of getting you the rest of the way off of the gravol.

Have you had bloodwork done?
Drugs like gravol block receptors in the brain from absorbing certain transmitters. This can result in deficiencies that need to be dealt with in order to help you feel better.

Also remember that this kind of addiction is somewhat unheard of, there isn't a lot alot of literature on how to treat this. If you find that the doctor you're seeing isn't giving you useful help, seek a second opinion.

Also look into a different rehab program, they are not all the same, if the one you went to already wasn't helpful, don't give up. There are tons of different programs, it's likely you will find one that is helpful for you.