I was watching this show on TV and they were talking about the actor Corey Haim's death. His people were saying that he was clean for about the past year. One of the professionals mentioned that you can wear your body down during active addiction, get clean and your body can still give out from the problems of the addiction. I just wonder if this happens often. It makes me want to go get a complete physical done. I know that addiction can cause permanent damage to your liver and kidneys. Can your heart be damaged as well? This may sound like a stupid question but I just want to be very safe and keep myself healthy.
Shelly
Shelly
Sometimes drugs will cover up a real problem. Then when you clean up, you might start feeling the aches and pains. Best to get checked out and have a doc put you on a better diet and an exercise program.
Most of us, when we are using arent taking care of ourselves,and opiates can hide some medical issues. Highly unlikely they would cover up something that would kill ya though.-
But, sure, long term damage happens all the time to people who just keep using, or drinking. Like you mentioned kidneys and liver problems are common with long time drinkers and addicts- -they when they get clean these problems are more noticable and concerning- and many times too late to repair.
For the most part though, your body is pretty resilient and can bounce back if you didnt damage the sh8t outta it.
best regards,
jack
Sometimes drugs will cover up a real problem. Then when you clean up, you might start feeling the aches and pains. Best to get checked out and have a doc put you on a better diet and an exercise program.
Most of us, when we are using arent taking care of ourselves,and opiates can hide some medical issues. Highly unlikely they would cover up something that would kill ya though.-
But, sure, long term damage happens all the time to people who just keep using, or drinking. Like you mentioned kidneys and liver problems are common with long time drinkers and addicts- -they when they get clean these problems are more noticable and concerning- and many times too late to repair.
For the most part though, your body is pretty resilient and can bounce back if you didnt damage the sh8t outta it.
best regards,
jack
It stands to reason that we addicts not only abuse our bodies with drugs, but also allow ourselves to suffer bad health consequences in other areas. Many of us suffer from multiple addictive disorders, which contribute to the problem.
If you shoot heroin, the drugs will not beat up your body, but you could get aids from an infected needle. Also, dealers can be unscrupulous about how they cut drugs and those agents can do us harm. If we ingest some drugs, we are candidates for liver disease and I know many who suffer from Hepatitis. How about just having a lot of slovenly habits that contribute to health problems? Where do we draw the line?
When I used drugs, I smoked cigarettes (as well as other things). Should I be surprised when, years later, I got cancer? Should I be any less surprised if heart disease were to be the issue? Should I cry foul, and say that I have been a good boy for a long time and thus this is unfair? Of course not. Nobody held a gun to my head.
I know a lot of people with mid and long-term sobriety. Many of these seem to fall prey to cancer. Some to heart disease. The heart disease could be hereditary, but it is also likely that the personality that abuses drugs will abuse food and cigarettes and perhaps not exercise as much as he or she should.
Those who become addicted to exercise (that would include me) also are at risk for their addictive behavior. I nearly died three years sober from pushing the envelope in an extreme sport. After I recovered from my injuries, true to my addictive personality, I doubled and then redoubled my addictive efforts to excel at the sport that nearly killed me. I cannot count the times that I was a hairs breath away from death. They number in the hundreds and for a few years were a normal part of my weekend. I snap awake at night sometimes dreaming about what might have happened had my reflexes been off a tenth of a second. Can I suggest even for a moment that this high-risk activity is not the product of an addictive mind?
How about those who quit the drugs but take up excessive eating? Think of the risk of heart attack, diabetes, etc.
Obsessive working? Heart attack.
Gambling? Financial failure and collapse of family, which could lead to bad, bad health consequences.
How about sex? That one is way up there on the hit parade of addictive activities that many of us are in denial about. There is always the time-honored death by AIDs. I have seen several people get sober and then succumb to AIDs. But how about at gunpoint from a jealous spouse?
Lest the co dependents amongst us think they can get away scot-free, many carry such rage that they are often at risk for violent behavior (either acting out or being the victim of it) and some go to jail. Others of course get hurt or killed.
Our using is but a symptom of our disease. Take a drunken horse thief and get him sober and you have a sober horse thief. The disease lives on even if we are not actively using or are "controlling" our using. Those who think they can quit with will power would be well served to take a close look at those areas where they have simply moved to a different emotional playing field. 12 Steps or not, most of us play this game of addictive musical chairs for years after we get clean.
To answer the question, of course there are continuing problems. No question about it. Better to quit early and stay that way. The longer we use, the worse the consequences will be of our carelessness and our addictive acting out.
It would be nice to think that we can find redemption from drug abuse and suffer no consequences, but in my experience, each of us carries the cross of addiction for the rest of our lives. Most of us face consequences for many years following active addiction. This can and often will include health problems.
It is part of our journey of recovery to accept the consequences of our bad behavior as a natural fate that befalls those who behave as we have done. If we subscribe to a life of honesty and self examination, we might yet overcome these consequences. The alternative is to bury our heads in the sands of our addiction and continue as we always have.
If you shoot heroin, the drugs will not beat up your body, but you could get aids from an infected needle. Also, dealers can be unscrupulous about how they cut drugs and those agents can do us harm. If we ingest some drugs, we are candidates for liver disease and I know many who suffer from Hepatitis. How about just having a lot of slovenly habits that contribute to health problems? Where do we draw the line?
When I used drugs, I smoked cigarettes (as well as other things). Should I be surprised when, years later, I got cancer? Should I be any less surprised if heart disease were to be the issue? Should I cry foul, and say that I have been a good boy for a long time and thus this is unfair? Of course not. Nobody held a gun to my head.
I know a lot of people with mid and long-term sobriety. Many of these seem to fall prey to cancer. Some to heart disease. The heart disease could be hereditary, but it is also likely that the personality that abuses drugs will abuse food and cigarettes and perhaps not exercise as much as he or she should.
Those who become addicted to exercise (that would include me) also are at risk for their addictive behavior. I nearly died three years sober from pushing the envelope in an extreme sport. After I recovered from my injuries, true to my addictive personality, I doubled and then redoubled my addictive efforts to excel at the sport that nearly killed me. I cannot count the times that I was a hairs breath away from death. They number in the hundreds and for a few years were a normal part of my weekend. I snap awake at night sometimes dreaming about what might have happened had my reflexes been off a tenth of a second. Can I suggest even for a moment that this high-risk activity is not the product of an addictive mind?
How about those who quit the drugs but take up excessive eating? Think of the risk of heart attack, diabetes, etc.
Obsessive working? Heart attack.
Gambling? Financial failure and collapse of family, which could lead to bad, bad health consequences.
How about sex? That one is way up there on the hit parade of addictive activities that many of us are in denial about. There is always the time-honored death by AIDs. I have seen several people get sober and then succumb to AIDs. But how about at gunpoint from a jealous spouse?
Lest the co dependents amongst us think they can get away scot-free, many carry such rage that they are often at risk for violent behavior (either acting out or being the victim of it) and some go to jail. Others of course get hurt or killed.
Our using is but a symptom of our disease. Take a drunken horse thief and get him sober and you have a sober horse thief. The disease lives on even if we are not actively using or are "controlling" our using. Those who think they can quit with will power would be well served to take a close look at those areas where they have simply moved to a different emotional playing field. 12 Steps or not, most of us play this game of addictive musical chairs for years after we get clean.
To answer the question, of course there are continuing problems. No question about it. Better to quit early and stay that way. The longer we use, the worse the consequences will be of our carelessness and our addictive acting out.
It would be nice to think that we can find redemption from drug abuse and suffer no consequences, but in my experience, each of us carries the cross of addiction for the rest of our lives. Most of us face consequences for many years following active addiction. This can and often will include health problems.
It is part of our journey of recovery to accept the consequences of our bad behavior as a natural fate that befalls those who behave as we have done. If we subscribe to a life of honesty and self examination, we might yet overcome these consequences. The alternative is to bury our heads in the sands of our addiction and continue as we always have.
First of all, I'm feeling fine. It just never really occurred to me that I should probably have a complete physical since I did abuse drugs for nearly ten years. I just want to have everything checked out to be safe. If there turned out to be anything wrong with me, I know that I'm completely responsible. I'm glad I saw the show on TV because I think I'm overdue in taking physical care of myself. Just because I feel okay isn't enough. I want to know I'm okay so I can do everything possible to stay that way. Thanks.
Shelly
Shelly
Shelly, life is a terminal disease.
I quit smoking 20 years before the cancer showed up. Get your physical, but bear in mind that doing drugs in our youth is kind of like driving a new car too hard during its break in period. If you have ever done this, you know that the problems from not breaking in the car tend to show up after 80 or 100 thousand miles.
Perhaps part of getting clean means doing our best to take care of ourselves going forward.
Life is a marathon. Pace yourself.
I quit smoking 20 years before the cancer showed up. Get your physical, but bear in mind that doing drugs in our youth is kind of like driving a new car too hard during its break in period. If you have ever done this, you know that the problems from not breaking in the car tend to show up after 80 or 100 thousand miles.
Perhaps part of getting clean means doing our best to take care of ourselves going forward.
Life is a marathon. Pace yourself.
I love reading your posts August...just had to tell you this
ribbet ribbet :-)
ribbet ribbet :-)
What I love most about this site is that I learn so much about addiction and everything else! lol August....I didn't know that running a car too hard during its break in period can casue damage that may not show up til much much later!
Also, great question shelly...
Also, great question shelly...
Can one die after being clean? yes
Several dynamics could be at work.They want to commit suicide and not having a tolerance,it doesn't take as much.They accidently commit suicide by taking what they were use to,and that could be the factor.
Who is to really know? Michael Jackson,Keith Ledger,Anna Nicole Smith,Corey Haim's.They could have all been accidents or they could have been the results of depression of living a life taking drugs that they felt no hope in escaping.It's incredibly sad but I doubt each of these individuals had little trouble getting what they wanted.
If you've been clean awhile and are opiate naiive and decide you're going to snort a couple of 80 mg.Oxycontin and pop a few Xanax,that could kill you.Respitory depression would be the clinical term but the drugs did it.
I don't think Keith Ledger intententinally commited suicide but he had 6 or 7 drugs that all caused respitory failure and each drug exponentially added to the deadly consequences
I think Michael Jackson's death was an accident but I also believe he knew that he couldn't do 50 shows back to back so there could have been suicidal thoughts regardless if that quack of a doctor was not where he was supposed to be.He was getting $150,00 a month just to be on call and he lived in Houston?
These stars in Hollywood have a line of sycophants who are more than willing to supply these stars with anything they want.What competent doctor would be giving a woman like Anna Nicole who was obviously an addict,her show was all about her being so f***ed up and that was supposed to be humorous, Methadone,Xanax,Percocet,Valium,Oxycodone,Ativan and probably others not mentioned.They want to be close to the stars and even if they said no,believe me there would be others in line.
As far as taking care of yourself after being clean,yes you have to make some changes.One of the things I was told early on is the only thing you have to change is everything.
Getting a complete physical is the first start.
Quitting smoking,getting exercise,eating 3-4 balanced meals with nutritrional content,cutting back or eliminating caffeine,watching your sugar levels[this is really important for alcoholics].Alcohol turns to sugar when it metabloizes in the body.Join a gym where yoga and pilates are offered.I was probably a wierd addict.I still went to the gym and jogged.I just fell down a couple of times on the jogging path because snorting oxycodone doesn't lend itself to having good balance or grace.I was certainly no Dorthy Hamill.Not to mention I would have a Marlboro after my jog.It was just too much oxygen.
Our bodies have taken a beating and unfortunately some of it is irreversible.But not to cause panic,much of what we do now can repair the damage.Your liver has an amazing capacity to regenerate itself.
My first complete physical did show elevated live enzymes but a year later they were almost to normal levels.Age plays a huge component in this obviously.The longer you've assulted your body,the more permenant damage has been done.
Just start now and try to eliminate the bad habits.It won't happen overninght but starting will definitely improve your self esteem.
Several dynamics could be at work.They want to commit suicide and not having a tolerance,it doesn't take as much.They accidently commit suicide by taking what they were use to,and that could be the factor.
Who is to really know? Michael Jackson,Keith Ledger,Anna Nicole Smith,Corey Haim's.They could have all been accidents or they could have been the results of depression of living a life taking drugs that they felt no hope in escaping.It's incredibly sad but I doubt each of these individuals had little trouble getting what they wanted.
If you've been clean awhile and are opiate naiive and decide you're going to snort a couple of 80 mg.Oxycontin and pop a few Xanax,that could kill you.Respitory depression would be the clinical term but the drugs did it.
I don't think Keith Ledger intententinally commited suicide but he had 6 or 7 drugs that all caused respitory failure and each drug exponentially added to the deadly consequences
I think Michael Jackson's death was an accident but I also believe he knew that he couldn't do 50 shows back to back so there could have been suicidal thoughts regardless if that quack of a doctor was not where he was supposed to be.He was getting $150,00 a month just to be on call and he lived in Houston?
These stars in Hollywood have a line of sycophants who are more than willing to supply these stars with anything they want.What competent doctor would be giving a woman like Anna Nicole who was obviously an addict,her show was all about her being so f***ed up and that was supposed to be humorous, Methadone,Xanax,Percocet,Valium,Oxycodone,Ativan and probably others not mentioned.They want to be close to the stars and even if they said no,believe me there would be others in line.
As far as taking care of yourself after being clean,yes you have to make some changes.One of the things I was told early on is the only thing you have to change is everything.
Getting a complete physical is the first start.
Quitting smoking,getting exercise,eating 3-4 balanced meals with nutritrional content,cutting back or eliminating caffeine,watching your sugar levels[this is really important for alcoholics].Alcohol turns to sugar when it metabloizes in the body.Join a gym where yoga and pilates are offered.I was probably a wierd addict.I still went to the gym and jogged.I just fell down a couple of times on the jogging path because snorting oxycodone doesn't lend itself to having good balance or grace.I was certainly no Dorthy Hamill.Not to mention I would have a Marlboro after my jog.It was just too much oxygen.
Our bodies have taken a beating and unfortunately some of it is irreversible.But not to cause panic,much of what we do now can repair the damage.Your liver has an amazing capacity to regenerate itself.
My first complete physical did show elevated live enzymes but a year later they were almost to normal levels.Age plays a huge component in this obviously.The longer you've assulted your body,the more permenant damage has been done.
Just start now and try to eliminate the bad habits.It won't happen overninght but starting will definitely improve your self esteem.
From what I've read, whatever Corey Haim's people meant by "clean" when they made those statements was probably not what you would consider clean. He was big into benzos, as well as pain pills, and that's a potentially lethal combination for anyone, at any time. Even if one has developed a tolerance, it can still happen, and does, and I think that's probably what happened here.
Apparently he had his own mother on the prowl talking various people into procuring large quantities of drugs for him. She actually believed that he "needed" dozens of valium a day (for his back?!?), and that he was being responsible with them because they came from a doctor's prescription pad. What his people have been claiming about his recent long-term sobriety is either denial or spin, or both. JMO.
Apparently he had his own mother on the prowl talking various people into procuring large quantities of drugs for him. She actually believed that he "needed" dozens of valium a day (for his back?!?), and that he was being responsible with them because they came from a doctor's prescription pad. What his people have been claiming about his recent long-term sobriety is either denial or spin, or both. JMO.
Myself..I feel of course we have done some amount of damagr.Just think of all the extra work both our livers and kidneys need to do just to keep our blood cleaned up.
Of course I alsp think that its easier to die after quitting say for about 6mths or so...than trying to go back and do the same amount we were doing before we quit.
Like a major POW to our systems...Accidental ODs seem to go like that.Not realizing that the body has repaired itself somewhat...
hope that makes sense
Of course I alsp think that its easier to die after quitting say for about 6mths or so...than trying to go back and do the same amount we were doing before we quit.
Like a major POW to our systems...Accidental ODs seem to go like that.Not realizing that the body has repaired itself somewhat...
hope that makes sense
The tragedy with all these celebrities is the refusal for people close to them to confront them or say no.It's like Michael Jackson.Even though attempts were made by family members to do an intervention,he simply shut them out.If one doctor won't give them what they want,there is a line of willing doctors to take their place just to be "next to the star".
And who knows really who has been clean or not.The problem is that it only takes one time or one too many pills to do the trick regardless of your tolerance levels.Drugs like benzo's&opioids lower respitory functions and even if you're only taking a little methadone,a little alcohol,a few xanax,some vicodin or oxycodone you could have complete respitory failure.Add age and prolonged addiction to an already weakened immune system,it shouldn't seem like a shock at all that so many are dying.
If you've been clean for months or years it just takes less of it.
I'm always hearing stories of addicts going back out for maybe one more little fling with deadly consequences.
I could pretty much guarantee you if I went out and huffed a couple of hundred milligrams of oxycodone,I wouldn't be around.And to think back in the late 70's a 5mg.percodan would get me high as s***.That's what's scary about oxy's and other opiates that have no ceiling effect.It's not unheard of for people to have 500mg.oxy habits a day.That's a 100 percodan a day.
And who knows really who has been clean or not.The problem is that it only takes one time or one too many pills to do the trick regardless of your tolerance levels.Drugs like benzo's&opioids lower respitory functions and even if you're only taking a little methadone,a little alcohol,a few xanax,some vicodin or oxycodone you could have complete respitory failure.Add age and prolonged addiction to an already weakened immune system,it shouldn't seem like a shock at all that so many are dying.
If you've been clean for months or years it just takes less of it.
I'm always hearing stories of addicts going back out for maybe one more little fling with deadly consequences.
I could pretty much guarantee you if I went out and huffed a couple of hundred milligrams of oxycodone,I wouldn't be around.And to think back in the late 70's a 5mg.percodan would get me high as s***.That's what's scary about oxy's and other opiates that have no ceiling effect.It's not unheard of for people to have 500mg.oxy habits a day.That's a 100 percodan a day.
I am going to take a wild guess what happened to Corey. They said a few days before he died he was showing signs of the Flu. Now did Corey have the flu or was he detoxing, was he out of pain med's. You know how quickly your tolerance level can decrease if you cut back. I never ran out each month except twice in 5 years due to Dr. not being in and then it was no more than 5 days once but I was able to find some Lortab as I had been taking 2-Oxy 40 mg a day + 4 Oxy 5 mg IR so I was taking. 100mg at that time a day. The one time it was 5 days I was able to borrow about 10 Lortab 7.5 and survived the 5 days the other time it was 3 days and I had nothing. I remember how much more high I got my Oxy re-filled. My tolerance level grew over time but there were times I would take less and it would significantly decrease. This is why so many addicts OD when they relapse because their tolerance level goes way down. My wife has rarely ever taken pain med's. I gave her an OXY 40 ONCE and she was totally sick all day. So drug addicts when clean or detoxing and their drop their tolerance level . Anyway my bet is Corey either tried to quit or was simply out and scored and took a huge dose and it was to much. Funny he died in the morning. Maybe the autopsy will tell Us more , but there are already initial reports he had Oxycontin bottles in his room,
I was 3 years clean when I had a heart attack. Yes, you can die after getting clean. Like everyone else has said, drugs ravage our bodies. But there's also just life. People who have never had a drug problem die of all sorts of things at a young age. God's will, not ours. All we can is try to be healthy.
Corey had the flu? Probably more like withdrawals. Can you die from withdrawals? Depends on what you were taking, how much and for how long. That's why it's so important to be HONEST with a dr so that they can help you. You never know what underlying problem you may have.
Corey had the flu? Probably more like withdrawals. Can you die from withdrawals? Depends on what you were taking, how much and for how long. That's why it's so important to be HONEST with a dr so that they can help you. You never know what underlying problem you may have.
Unless u caught something like hep c (and not had it monitored) there is little or no chance that I know of of dying from past narcotics use.
But too much acetamenothan (tylenol) might cause liver damage.
Now if u have had years and years of heavy speed, coke, alcohal, pcp, etc etc use - that is all whole different ball game.
I don't think clean narcotic use is destructive in the sense you are describing. If you are seriously worried, give urself peace of mind by going to a knowledgable Dr. or even researching on the web the long term affects of opiate/narcotic use.
But too much acetamenothan (tylenol) might cause liver damage.
Now if u have had years and years of heavy speed, coke, alcohal, pcp, etc etc use - that is all whole different ball game.
I don't think clean narcotic use is destructive in the sense you are describing. If you are seriously worried, give urself peace of mind by going to a knowledgable Dr. or even researching on the web the long term affects of opiate/narcotic use.
