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View Full Version : Happy NYE, and my Sub story


littlemissbliss
12-31-2008, 06:37 PM
Since I am new here, (and since I've changed my mind and decided to stay in this NYE), I thought I'd take a minute to post how I wound up on Subs. (I'm currently on 8mg, but one my New Years resolutions is to taper waaaaay down. I should have never gotten up this high, but anyway....)

Starting around my mid 20's, (I'm late 30's now), I began to get excruciating migraines, although it was a while before I really even realized that's what they were. I don't have them much anymore, (thank God), but they always start the same - a weird stabbing, throbbing senstation at the place where my skull meets my neck, either on the left, or right side, never both at the same time. If it was a bad one, the pain would continue to travel up one side of my head, settling in behind one or the other eye socket. The worst ones involved lots of laying on the floor in a bad, puking, not being able to move for 10 hours, you know the drill....

Certain things trigger them, particularly alcohol and hormone swings. Because of this, I don't drink much. In college, I did lots of X in the rave scene, and some blow, but no smoking (of any kind) and like I said, moderate drinking.

I moved to the ATL at the end of 1999, and needed to find a cheap place to live, fast. My dad found this lady in her 50's, who needed to rent out a room in her nice condo. She'd been divorced several times, and was on disability from working as a flight attendant, many years. She had all kind of health issues, fibro, chronic fatige, CP in general, etc, as well as some pretty serious mental issues. When she wasn't on one of her crazy moodswings, we got along well. As we got to know each other, she saw that I had some pretty serious pain issues, (although I didn't take opies regularly at this point). Over time, she would occasionally share her meds. She was on Oxy. Remember, this was the early 00's, when doc were still prescribing it like candy for CP patients). I usually just took Tramadols.

I moved out eventually, but continued to be on Tramadols (by my MD's rx). As often happens, use turned to abuse, and I became addicted, and turned to OL spots for my meds. This eventually spiralled out of control of course. I stayed friends with the older lady, and she would supplement my meds with hydros, and a few Oxys, when she knew I was in bad shape. She had an elderly mother who had her own scripts too, for hip issues.

To try and wrap this up w/out going on and on, I had kicked Trams a few times, but after a particularly bad breakup, it just got out of control, and I had to look into what my options were. This was late 2005. I eventually found out about Bupe, and after changing docs once or twice, (I had trouble finding a doc that would do maintenance for a bit), I settled into being a Bupe patient. Unfortunately, the former roommate/landlord wound up passing away last year. Very sadly, she committed suicide by overdose. I don't in any blame her for my becoming an addict, if she hadn't supplied me, I'm sure I would have eventually found some other "options". Anyhow, like I said at the start, now I am just trying to get back down from having climbed up to 8mg., becasue of the lethargy and constipation, primarily. I'm tired of feeling groggy and bloated! If anyone else is trying to taper their dose too, please let me know and maybe we can support each other.

limitless_euphoria
12-31-2008, 08:07 PM
Hey littlemissbliss, nice to read your intro. You can call me LE (not to be confused with Law Enforcement). I've dealt with various pain issues over the years but I got started out when I had extra percs after having my wisdom teeth removed (the surgery was brutal so the oral surgeon prescribed liberally). My buddy told me that smoking some pot and poppin' a couple of them was like heaven. So, about ten years ago, we did it together and thereafter whenever they were around I'd have a pill here, a pill there. Then when I found a steady source it was all over; eventually when I couldn't get enough pills I turned to the smack. I've been on and off bupe maintenence for the past three years and now I've finally gotten it right (clean five months in a week or so).

I had some back problems as well as headaches. It just sucks when you start out as a recreational user and then when you actually *ARE* in pain docs are reluctant to help you manage it. I was dumb enough to fess up substance abuse to my PCP when I was really in a bad way in 2004. That made my life soooooo difficult thereafter because most of my complaints were written off as "drug seeking" or "the musings of a hypocondriac."

GL with the bupe, nice to meet ya and have a Happy New Year!!! :D

littlemissbliss
01-01-2009, 10:12 AM
Hi LE!

I hear you about the PCP thing. Up until a while ago, the primary care clinic had no idea I was an addict, or on Sub. My original Sub doc was very cool, and understood my need for privacy, and not putting my official diagnosis of addiction and being on Sub, in my records.

Unfortunately, he was in the reservs, and got called on to go to Iraq and help those poor guys over there with PTSD. I was kind of freaking out about finding another doc that would do maintenance, but he got one of his colleagues to take me on, although she was not a regular MD at our university.

I made the mistake of assuming that she knew that I wanted this kept confidential, and kept out of the system. One day I was seeing my neurologist, (I get botox injections in my neck, to help w/the spasms), and I see the big old "Opiate dependant" diagnosis on a page in my file. (He was flipping through it to find some old info. I was so pissed. I know a lot of people around the campus, and there's no telling who all knows I'm an addict now. Plus, like you said, what happens when there's an emergency and I need something strong? Argh.


I guess the answer to that is just "deal with it when it comes", but still. I recently got laid off too, so my insurance is cancelled, effective tomorrow. Fortunately, my current sub doc, (I changed MD's), gave me enough Sub to last me through the end of March, if I am careful.

lynzee
01-01-2009, 02:03 PM
Hello all. I feel your pain lilmissbliss, physically and emotionly. Our stories are similar, I was having pain issues in my early 20s and my now mother in law (who has major back issues) felt really sorry for me and started handing out oxy 40s like candy to my then opiate niave self. After about a year of physical therapy and MRIs and Xrays that show I've got DDD issues and arthritis (even at 23) I was able to get most any drug I wanted. Finally after 2 years of totally abusing my meds, and having to deal with WD every month and then ultimately having a full blown grand mal seizure after too many tramadols, I decided I'd had enough and got on subs. They were great at first, I felt like I had my life back. I even had a baby on them and had no issues with cravings for over a year. However, the past few months have been real difficult, with cravings, i mean. I'm trying to taper down my current sub dose of 12mg. So far it hasn't been that hard, some days are harder than others. I'm just bored as hell.:bricks:

littlemissbliss
01-01-2009, 04:01 PM
Hi Lynzee,

Yeah, it's tough. On the one hand, I'm glad as hell for subs, because I know that things couldn't go on the way they were, and that I would be in a serious mess if they weren't around. On the other hand, I probably took on a bigger monkey, and after the initial relief of being on maintenance, I'm now tired of being so groggy all the time, and of course, the constipation.

Not to mention of course what opiates do the libido. I just stopped caring at all, in that department, and while I don't really miss it, I know it's not healthy. I feel torn and unsure. The first step of course is tapering down, and that will help many of the other issues, I think...

ZodiacKiller
01-01-2009, 04:40 PM
Hey, thanks for posting your story. And just so you know, just about everything/every symptom you've described is something that most of us go through on Bupe. In a nutshell, I've been struggling with it for years: first I'd use to fight WD after using dope every weekend (causing tolerance to skyrocket), and now I just seem stuck hovering between 2-4mgs a day. It seems that a lot of folk get to this point and hit the brick wall---and I damn sure hoped to be off by now.

So just know that you're not alone; you'll find a lot of company for your misery here.

All the best,


ZK

littlemissbliss
01-01-2009, 05:57 PM
Hi ZK,

Thanks - an yes, that is the point most people hit that wall w/sub. When I was trying to do a taper a few times, that's where I would get stuck, too.

I know there are no easy answers to any of these issues we struggle with, for sure.

This year, I was so worried about about work/career issues, that I let the opiate/sub stuff take a backseat. Now that I am laid off, I am of course concerened with finding another job asap, but I'm trying to look at it also as an opportunity - maybe an opportunity to lower my sub dosage, w/out having to worry about w/d symptoms at work, and also a good chance to step up the exercise, and improve my diet.

I am volunteering at an animal shelter to keep me busy, too. I worry about money, holding onto my house, etc, but like all addicts, my number one priority is staying well, because as we all know, when you're sick, you're not capable of doing dick, (other than if it involves getting well again).