Advice re pain med withdrawal?

[Ecdysis]

Withdrawal is making me even more selfish than usual...

 

[Friday]

Thanks @Friday - what's the 4th ventricle of the brain? I've never heard of that before...

It’s the area of the brain that creates endorphins (the body’s own pain killers)… a kind of channel (hence ventricle -ie- synonym for channel) that exists between the brain & brain stem… and as the brain runs on pure sugar (glucose) and glucose alone? You need sugar to feed your brain. (Certain fats, etc. build the brain, but it runs purely on sugar. Anyone in pain? Studying? Grieving? Sick? Will crave sugar, because the brain needs the extra processing power… and getting it via ketosis is like using cooking oil to fuel a car. It only kinda sorta works, with a lot of side effects.).

So yeah, once again, it's my own stupidity/ stubornness that is making this probably harder than it needs to be... But at the same time, I want these opiates out of my system quickly and having only taken them for 10 days it feels like a controlled risk to just go cold turkey...

Yep. That’s just stupid. Masochistic. And PROFOUNDLY stressful on your system, when tapering opiates? Stretching the time between full doses, and alternating full & half doses, there’s close to zero stress on your system. You really drank the kool-aid in “opiates are bad” pop-culture BS & just cold turkey and suffer the consequences. Sorry. But you’re dealing with the consequences of that decision, now.

10 days isn't too long, and luckily I don't have a tendency to substance addiction

Incorrect. You have serious bordering on profoundly addictive tendencies towards opiates, if after less than 2 weeks you’re experiencing withdrawal. I’ve been on round the clock opiates for MONTHS with zero withdrawl symptoms quitting cold turkey. And whilst that’s a personal quantifier? Some people suffer withdrawal after the FIRST dose (that’s profound), some people suffer withdrawal after a few months (that’s why you’re borderline, as you’re in weeks), almost everyone will after months/years (depending on dosing schedule, 24/7 months; regularly, years; intermittently, decades).

Other substances, you may have very little addictive tendencies towards, but you’re clearly very sensitive to opiates to have more than a couple hours of snarly irritation after only a couple weeks.

Which also means? You’ll need to be careful in your alcohol consumption… as they hit the same receptors in the brain.

Went angry-walking again... It seems it's a thing...

Exercise triggers endorphin release. That’s a good thing. Your body is re-regulating. Your emotions will come next. Emotions are fairly low in the body/brain priority system. The anger/rage is, however, a way to “force” you to do what’s necessary to reregulate. One better? Exercise while you feel fine. The endorphins will flow, and keep you stable. That’s also a BIG reason why exercise is so damn good for PTSD. As it burns off the fight/flight, in a healthy/natural way. Do NOT wait until you are angry, to move-move-move, but definitely do once you’re angry.

 

[Ecdysis]

Went for another angry-walk...

Got my 10,000 steps for the day...

My only aim was not to get so aggrevated that I punch someone...

And not to behave so aggressively-obnoxiously that someone else punched me...

Managed to get back to the hospital without any fights or scuffles...

Now I'm back in my room and my (stupid) roomate has about 12 people visiting her...

Well, not really, but it feels like 12 people...

I'd better extend my no-punching aim to these people... Grrr...

One hour at a time... Sigh...

 

[Ecdysis]

I think I'm doing better today. Seem to have the opiates and the withdrawal symptoms out of my system. Ugh, relieved. I'd rather have physical symptoms any day... mental health symptoms are the worst... Grateful to be getting back to Ketamine treatment on Friday.

 

[Freddyt]

Last time - cannabis. No joke. Not like betting blasted but just a little when the werewolf-with-a-cold wanted out. Both thc and cbd.

Easiest time I ever had withdrawing, worst I was addicted. Still had some symptoms but didn't have to tell anyone to get far away or get beaten.....