my poor hubby, he's been detoxing for the last 4 days. doing awesome too. the jitters are gone (finally) but, poor thing hasn't slept. i think he slept like 3 hrs in 3 nights. he's asking for advice on what he could do to sleep. i told him, for 8 yrs fallen asleep on perks was why he didnt have a problem. now his body doesn't have any of it in him and it forgot how to just sleep. lol poor thing. he looks like he's on speed, but it's just normal without sleep. can anyone give him some advice and i'll read it to him, he's over here on the couch tryin to sleep but no luck.
thank you
(((Wife)))
Insomnia is natural during withdrawal. It will pass. What is he going to do to stay off the pills after he detoxes? Tell him to drink chamomile tea with honey and take lots of hot baths.
love ya
Kat
Insomnia is natural during withdrawal. It will pass. What is he going to do to stay off the pills after he detoxes? Tell him to drink chamomile tea with honey and take lots of hot baths.
love ya
Kat
thanks, i told him. when he's done detoxing hopefully his body will be back to normal. whatever is the norm after being on them for almost 8 yrs. i'm gonna run and get him some tea. he has been taking alot of baths and showers and feels ok durning the day, but, when the night falls he can't sleep. he also said he feels very weak from not sleepin. the best part he loves out of all this is he say's everything looks so bright. his vision is more clear and he doesn't see that cloud around everything. AWESOME. very proud of him cause i know it's probley the hardest thing he's EVER HAD TO DO
thanks so much
thanks so much
Hello,
What a good decision he made, and insomnia is a part of the withdrawals, everyone has made wonderful suggestions, so the only thing I can recommend is that he may want to try to meditate, or like me I listen to music, it keeps my mind from going all night ;o). I did not sleep for at least a week, a few hours here and there, heard people talking lololol. The reality of it is, your body is fatigued but when you need sleep you will get it ;o). It just takes time, I found fighting it does not help, just let nature take it's course. The mind clearing is such a wonderful experience, that that beat out the sleep ;o). Don't worry he is still into this early, he will sleep. Try to have him start doing more and more each day, took me about 6 days to start getting out. At least you feel like you should sleep after running around ;o). A good place to go to is a NA or AA meeting, this is too difficult to do alone, or even with family, spouse or friend that has not done it before. I am so glad for him and you. Keep us posted. Take care and Best Wishes.
What a good decision he made, and insomnia is a part of the withdrawals, everyone has made wonderful suggestions, so the only thing I can recommend is that he may want to try to meditate, or like me I listen to music, it keeps my mind from going all night ;o). I did not sleep for at least a week, a few hours here and there, heard people talking lololol. The reality of it is, your body is fatigued but when you need sleep you will get it ;o). It just takes time, I found fighting it does not help, just let nature take it's course. The mind clearing is such a wonderful experience, that that beat out the sleep ;o). Don't worry he is still into this early, he will sleep. Try to have him start doing more and more each day, took me about 6 days to start getting out. At least you feel like you should sleep after running around ;o). A good place to go to is a NA or AA meeting, this is too difficult to do alone, or even with family, spouse or friend that has not done it before. I am so glad for him and you. Keep us posted. Take care and Best Wishes.
After stopping using for that long the neurotransmitters in his brain will be garbled for about 2 years.If he follows the advice in End Your Addiction Now (see left column of this site) and attends 12 step meetings faithfully his odds of success will be greatly increased.
Good luck to you both,
Lucia
Good luck to you both,
Lucia
i want to say thank you to all who responded to my message. it was a great help. i did get the sleepy tea and i find right after he drinks it he does fall asleep but, only for an hour, but, that's a start i guess. today is the 1st in 4 that he ate a full meal, so again thats a plus. he is doing awesome and i just wanted to let all that replyed how he is.
once again
THANK YOU ALL!
AND GOOD LUCK TO YOURSELF IN THIS LONG, HARD, BATTLE!
once again
THANK YOU ALL!
AND GOOD LUCK TO YOURSELF IN THIS LONG, HARD, BATTLE!
Hello
I have a few suggestions since I am going through this same thing myself (only I am eight days out and from a very HIGH dose of Oxycontin) please have him call his PCP (family doc) or whomever was prescribing for him and ask them for a patch called Clonidine (Catapress). It is actually a blood pressure patch but it does MIRACLES for withdrawl symptoms.
Another thing he can try is Benadryl. A lot of people believe in the old go cold turkey and don't sub one drug for another blah blah but I say if you are feeling crappy from lack of sleep you are much more likely to pick up the bad drug.
So tell him about the benadryl and the clonidine. Both will help.
Also, exercise. Exercising helps those natural endorphins come back. I think i read that here or somewhere else, I am not sure. Anyway, once the endorphins are back, the bodies systems start to normalize.
Tell him to hang in there and rest assured that he is just about done with the worst part.
And give him a (gentle) pat on the back for doing such a great job having four days of sobriety!
JAA
I have a few suggestions since I am going through this same thing myself (only I am eight days out and from a very HIGH dose of Oxycontin) please have him call his PCP (family doc) or whomever was prescribing for him and ask them for a patch called Clonidine (Catapress). It is actually a blood pressure patch but it does MIRACLES for withdrawl symptoms.
Another thing he can try is Benadryl. A lot of people believe in the old go cold turkey and don't sub one drug for another blah blah but I say if you are feeling crappy from lack of sleep you are much more likely to pick up the bad drug.
So tell him about the benadryl and the clonidine. Both will help.
Also, exercise. Exercising helps those natural endorphins come back. I think i read that here or somewhere else, I am not sure. Anyway, once the endorphins are back, the bodies systems start to normalize.
Tell him to hang in there and rest assured that he is just about done with the worst part.
And give him a (gentle) pat on the back for doing such a great job having four days of sobriety!
JAA
just another addict, thanks for the info. his worst part is at night. durning the day he's better. i tell him all the time how proud i am of him. he's doing AWESOME! the sweats, anxioty are going away little by little with every new day.
i do have to admit something, i to will be going through detox as soon as i know he's ok. i've been on perks since 1996 after a back injury and 2 spinal surgeries later. i'm up to 25 a day. i think i will go to the hospital to detox though cause i'm afraid to go through what he is. i'm to scared. i will call my doctor and see what he says to do. i want to thank all for the help and believe me this board is a big help. wish me luck.
thanks
i do have to admit something, i to will be going through detox as soon as i know he's ok. i've been on perks since 1996 after a back injury and 2 spinal surgeries later. i'm up to 25 a day. i think i will go to the hospital to detox though cause i'm afraid to go through what he is. i'm to scared. i will call my doctor and see what he says to do. i want to thank all for the help and believe me this board is a big help. wish me luck.
thanks
I've found that Benedryl does help some with the inability to sleep and such when trying to cut down on xanax, but that's a lot different than pain meds. So I don't know if it would help or not. I would caution, if he is going to use an OTC to help with the withdrawals, he should still have someone (you?) hold it for him so he isn't tempted to take more than the reccommended dose, or (not to scare you but it happens...) succumb to depression and try to kill himself with it.
As for the insomnia, some general tips that may help to alleviate the problem. Of course some of it is just something his body is going to have to adjust to, not having the drug. But hopefully this may help him to adjust a bit quicker.
1) Don't get in bed until you're ready to go to sleep
2) If you don't fall asleep in 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing, like read a book - in a different room.
3) Don't stay in the bedroom during the day
4) Avoid daytime naps
4) Remove clocks from the bedroom. If an alarm clock *must* be present keep it out of sight from the bed.
5) Take a warm bath 30 minutes before getting ready for bed. The drop in body temperature after the bath will help to signal the brain that it is time to sleep.
6) Avoid caffiene
7) Avoid any liquids for 1 hour before bedtime if needing to urinate is a cause for not falling or staying asleep.
8) Avoid exercise, television, and anything mentally stressful or stimulating for 1 hour before bedtime.
9) Do not eat within 2 hours of bedtime.
10) Dim the lights in the room while preparing for bed. Avoid bright lighting for at least 30 minutes before bedtime
11) Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Do not oversleep to compensate for not sleeping during the night.
12) Seek exposure to bright light (preferably natural sunlight) immediately after getting up in the morning.
13) Make sure the bedroom is maintained at a comfortable temperature. Many people find it more comfortable to sleep in a slightly chilly room, covered by a heavy blanket or quilt. Others find it more comfortable to sleep in a warm room, without being restricted by blankets.
There are also things such as chamomile tea, honey, warm milk, melatonin, valerian root, and homeopathic remedies to name just a few which can help some people to find the sleep they need. If sleeplessness persists for an unreasonable amount of time, he may need to be evaluated for depression or other chemical imbalances of the brain due to the years of drug use - which can either be treated with a non-addictive antidepressant or other non-drug therapies.
Of course some of these tips will work for some people, others will work for other people, and some may not work at all. Hopefully, at least *something* in this post will help your husband.
And, your support is bound to help him! :-)
As for the insomnia, some general tips that may help to alleviate the problem. Of course some of it is just something his body is going to have to adjust to, not having the drug. But hopefully this may help him to adjust a bit quicker.
1) Don't get in bed until you're ready to go to sleep
2) If you don't fall asleep in 15 minutes, get out of bed and do something relaxing, like read a book - in a different room.
3) Don't stay in the bedroom during the day
4) Avoid daytime naps
4) Remove clocks from the bedroom. If an alarm clock *must* be present keep it out of sight from the bed.
5) Take a warm bath 30 minutes before getting ready for bed. The drop in body temperature after the bath will help to signal the brain that it is time to sleep.
6) Avoid caffiene
7) Avoid any liquids for 1 hour before bedtime if needing to urinate is a cause for not falling or staying asleep.
8) Avoid exercise, television, and anything mentally stressful or stimulating for 1 hour before bedtime.
9) Do not eat within 2 hours of bedtime.
10) Dim the lights in the room while preparing for bed. Avoid bright lighting for at least 30 minutes before bedtime
11) Go to bed and get up at the same time each day. Do not oversleep to compensate for not sleeping during the night.
12) Seek exposure to bright light (preferably natural sunlight) immediately after getting up in the morning.
13) Make sure the bedroom is maintained at a comfortable temperature. Many people find it more comfortable to sleep in a slightly chilly room, covered by a heavy blanket or quilt. Others find it more comfortable to sleep in a warm room, without being restricted by blankets.
There are also things such as chamomile tea, honey, warm milk, melatonin, valerian root, and homeopathic remedies to name just a few which can help some people to find the sleep they need. If sleeplessness persists for an unreasonable amount of time, he may need to be evaluated for depression or other chemical imbalances of the brain due to the years of drug use - which can either be treated with a non-addictive antidepressant or other non-drug therapies.
Of course some of these tips will work for some people, others will work for other people, and some may not work at all. Hopefully, at least *something* in this post will help your husband.
And, your support is bound to help him! :-)
Wow, concerned wife, you were posting while I was. Is it possible for you and your husband to detox together? The mutual support you would be able to give one another, both during detox and after, would be so wonderful for you both. It would also leave less risk of one of you who is still using, leading (unintentionally of course) the other to slip and use again. I will pray for you and wish you both the best of luck. I know sometimes the "ideal" situation for detoxing just isn't possible.
well, today is the 1st day hubby back to work. he took all your advice on the get up and move thing. he woke up after 3 hrs of sleep and said, I FEEL AWESOME!
he does still feel a little weak but, say's he needs to do this. i am so proud of him.
i am NOT as strong, and am very scared. i know i have to do this but, i fear going through what he did. i have high blood pressure and take meds to control that, i'm afraid of having a heart attack or stroke while going through detox. i get chills just thinking about it. does anyone have advice for this wife?
thanks all
he does still feel a little weak but, say's he needs to do this. i am so proud of him.
i am NOT as strong, and am very scared. i know i have to do this but, i fear going through what he did. i have high blood pressure and take meds to control that, i'm afraid of having a heart attack or stroke while going through detox. i get chills just thinking about it. does anyone have advice for this wife?
thanks all
If you want to quit, but are afraid to do so, and have other medical issues to worry about as well, then probablly the best thing is to go to rehab. However, if that is not possible, can you at least be honest with your dr. about your problem and get his reccommendation and help in quitting? Maybe cold turkey from such as large amount isn't the way to go.... I would say, have your husband hold the pills for you and cut you down little by little until you are at a point you are comfortable stopping from, but with him having just detoxed that probably isn't the best idea in the world. Is there a trusted family friend that you can explain the situation to and get his/her help in that matter? Read everything you can about your drug of choice & detoxing, and I wish you the best of luck (and your hubby as well).
DEFINATELY CHECK OUT SUBOXONE IT CHANGED MY LIFE. IT ALLOWS YOU TO STOP TAKING NARCOTICS WITH LITTLE OR NO WITHDRAWALS. I WAS CHEWING 6- 80MG OXYCONTIN TABS DAILY PLUS ANYTHING I COULD GET MY HANDS ON. MY DOCTOR SWITCHED ME TO SUBOXONE WITH LITTLE SIDE EFFECTS. I HAVE TAPERED DOWN TO 4MG A DAY AND HAVE NO WITHDRAWALS. I STILL HAVE PAIN ISSUES FROM A HERNITATED DISC BUT AT LEAST I KNOW MY TRUE PAIN LEVEL AND IT'S NOWHERE NEAR WHAT I THOUGHT IT WAS.
GOOD LUCK
GOOD LUCK
thanks so much for your help. i did take your advice and called my dr. i'm waiting for his return call. my hubby is feeling and doing so good and i can't wait to be in the same way. you have been a lot of help to me and my husband, i just want to say thank you so much. he went to work today to set his mind on other things, he didn't make it the whole day due to lack of sleep and other things but still he went. it's a start, right. i hear a lot of bad things that go on in rehabs, like they throw you in a room with a bed and say "sweat it out" or they don't give you anything to help you detox, that crap scares me also. i have a feeling my dr. is going to suggest a rehab so i can also learn pain control to. we shall see. i've done the 1st step by calling him and now i'll wait for the next step, i know it's going to be ALL baby steps for a few days but after seeing my husband, where he is today from where he was last week, i'll just buy bigger baby shoes. :)
once again thanks so much
once again thanks so much