Cold Turkey or Opiate Replacement Therapy?

Introduction

Welcome back everyone and thanks again for checking out my blog about opiate addiction. I want to once again thank everyone who has taken a moment to check out my blog and note that I am quite pleased at the direction in which this blog is going (could still use some comments!). I'm going to make this post here about two common routes opiate addicts can on when deciding to quit opiates. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but at the end of the day, they are here to help us in battling our addiction to opiates. The two routes are Cold Turkey and Opiate Replacement Therapy. I have used each method in the past and am currently going the Opiate Replacement Therapy route as I have been on Subxone (and clean off Oxycodone) for almost 5 months now. It certainly isn't easy but I can honestly say I'm happy with the choice I have made. Quite honestly, I don't think I would be where I'm at right now if I went the cold turkey route but as I always say, everyone is different.

I've touched upon both methods before in previous posts so I won't bore you guys with repeating myself about either. The cold turkey route is basically stopping all use of opiates without the aid of any opiate medications such as Suboxone or Methadone. In my opinion, I believe one can still go cold turkey with the help of comfort medications such as Clonidine, Imodium, and some  benzodiazepines (be aware that these can be addicting and deadly if abused/mixed with other drugs so please be careful my friends). When one goes cold turkey, they will most likely experience the dreaded withdrawals that occur when we abruptly stop using opiates. One can also slowly taper themselves down to a lower dose and than go cold turkey in hope of lessening the withdrawals.

 

Meanwhile, Opiate Replacement Therapy is a route one can chose to go on by using drugs such as Suboxone or Methadone. I'm not including the Vivitrol shot in this post as it's almost like a combination of both due to the fact that one must first detox themselves of any opiates (any where from 7-28 days depending upon the drug) before they can get the Vivitrol shot which will help with cravings and by not letting the person get high. I did write a post about the Vivitrol shot if you guys are interested. Drugs like Methadone and Suboxone must be obtained by meeting with an addiction specialist/doctor. These drugs will help greatly with the withdrawals/cravings you would normally experience if you were to go the cold turkey route. Like I've said numerous times, it isn't a miracle drug and you may still experience some withdrawals/cravings. The problem with Opiate Replacement Therapy is that one day you will eventually have to come off these drugs and will probably feel some withdrawals and cravings. I disagree that these medications are just switching one drug for another as there not really there for getting high off and can help patients get their lives back together before making the jump off opiates altogether. Lets take a further look with a comparison of these two routes.

Time

 

When one stops opiates cold turkey, they will experience withdrawals for period of time. Depending upon the drug, amount used, length of time used, and other factors, withdrawals can last any where from a few days to weeks. I only have experience with Oxycodone and the basic rule of thumb is that you feel like absolute shit for about 3-5 days, then feel "crappy" for about 2 more weeks before things start to feel "normal." However, while the physical withdrawals will eventually leave, the mental cravings and mind games last quite longer. Another rule of thumb is that it takes about a year before your mind starts to feel "normal" again but that we will all most likely have an addicts train of thought for quite some time, perhaps the rest of our lives. The one thing I'm always told is that "with time, it does get better." Based on my 5 months of being on the Suboxone, I would have to agree with that statement.

 

The withdrawals from opiates can be quite painful, annoying, and uncomfortable so one may have to do a few things before they decide to go cold turkey. If possible, it is advised that you take some time off from school or work to really focus on yourself as going on with your every day life can be an absolute nightmare while going through withdrawals. Imagine trying to work or go to school while having the chills, restless legs, body aches, runny nose, diarrhea, and the sweats. Not to mention the anxiety and depression many of us get when going through opiate withdrawals. It's a tough thing to do so if you're lucky enough to get some time off and to yourselves, I highly suggest you do so if you do decide to go cold turkey. The good thing about going cold turkey is that once you get a year of sobriety under your belt, things do start to get better and if you don't mess up, you'll never have to face these awful withdrawals again.

 

 

The most common way with going about Opiate Replacement Therapy is that the patient will be put on a medication like Suboxone or Methadone for a certain period of time (months, or in some cases, years) before they eventually begin to taper off the drug. Patience is key for this route of getting clean off of opiates. Because the user is still getting an opiate with Suboxone or Methadone, they will experience little to no withdrawal. The day will eventually come when the patient, after tapering, must come off of all opiates. Unfortunately, this will usually result in withdrawals. There is really no easy way of getting off opiates and avoiding withdrawals. However, you can to a certain extent control how good or bad your withdrawals will be. If you taper slowly and patiently, eventually getting down to a small enough dose, you might be able to lessen the withdrawals. For some people this works great while for others, they feel like tapering had little to no effect in lessening withdrawals. Once again, everyone is different.

 

Basically, the cold turkey route is a quicker way (through often quite difficult) than going the route of Opiate Replacement Therapy. I won't sugar coat it for you guys, you'll most likely face some form of withdrawals either way. It sucks, I know but I guess this is the price we pay for getting into this situation in the first place. If you ask me which route I think is better, I don't really have a clear-cut answer for you guys. I think most people (myself included) lack the willpower to go cold turkey and remain clean. Some people can do it, while others fail. I think Opiate Replacement Therapy is great for someone who is really struggling to get clean and needs to get their lives in order. It allows you to get a job, go to school, take care of your kids/family, or to continue doing these things whereas doing these kinds of things while going cold turkey can be an absolute nightmare. On the other hand, if you go cold turkey you're basically stuck with about 1-2 weeks of hell and than another few weeks of feeling pretty crappy and kind of "off". Either route you choose to go, getting and staying clean is a lifelong job. Believe me, this stuff can really screw around with your head if you have been abusing opiates long enough. I want to stress this as it isn't as easy as just stopping, feeling out of it for a month, then going to back normal. You'll most likely feel "off" for quite some time after the initial physical withdrawals. This is where forming a good, solid support network, doing the right things, hanging with the right people, going to AA/NA meetings, seeing addiction specialists, and really focusing on taking care of yourselves is critical. Despite all the shitty stuff that comes with getting clean, there is a whole another life you can live, one that once you weather the storm is certainly worth living, and most importantly, enjoying.

 

Costs

 

I'm going to be brief here on this section as you can probably get what I'm saying after a few words. When you attempt to get clean by going the cold turkey route, the only money you're probably going to spend is on comfort medications (see above) and the money you may lose if you take time off from work to detox yourselves. Meanwhile, going on Suboxone or Methadone can be quite costly for some. It really all depends on your insurance and the treatment center you are going through. It is not uncommon for people to have to pay hundreds to even thousands of dollars for Suboxone or Methadone treatment. However, some insurances are pretty good at covering these costs and some treatment centers are cheaper than others. It really all depends on your situation.

 

Risks

 

Like anything in life, both these routes come with their own risks. Going cold turkey can sometimes be dangerous, even deadly for some. Once again, it all depends upon the person and their situation so this is why it is important that before you do anything drastic to talk with your support network, family, close friends, and your doctors about your decision to go cold turkey. Some people can have seizures from going cold turkey, and there have been a few cases of people actually dieing. I don't want to scare you guys, I just want to warn everyone of the risks of going cold turkey and also want to note that cases such as these are usually very rare. However, please, please, please be safe and don't do anything drastic on your own.

 

 

The risks that come with the Opiate Replacement Therapy route is that some people may have bad reactions to drugs such as Suboxone and Methadone, so once again, it is important that you are honest and talk frequently with your doctor and support network. These medications can also be addicting, habit forming, and abused so be cautious. I have been using Suboxone for almost 5 months now and I haven't had any negative experiences with the drug but everyone is different. It is also important that you have given yourself enough time from your last dose of any opiates before you start Suboxone or Methadone. If you don't, you risk the possibility of going into precipitated withdrawals which can be pretty ugly. Be smart my friends.

 

 

Concluesion

 

Unfortunately there is no easy way out there currently to get off of opiates. It can often be a lifelong task of getting and staying clean and is not by any means something easy to do. Like I said before though, it is possible. It takes a lot of work, willpower, and self determination to get and stay clean but anyone can do it if they set their mind straight and give an honest effort. You might be able to achieve sobriety your first time. Or, like many others, you may relapse. However, if you do relapse, remember that you always have the option to get clean. That is something nobody can take from you. Please remember that. Some people get it their first time, others their 100th time. It is often said relapse is part of recovery. It is important to understand that this is not an excuse to relapse and use through. Rather it means that if you do mess up and relapse, learn from your mistakes and get back on the wagon. There is a great quote out there that I really love that concerns addiction. I do not know who came up with this quote but would like to share it with you guys as I think it sums up opiate addiction perfectly. It's "Why give up everything for one thing when you can give up one thing for everything".

I have no experience with either of these organizations but know that they are pretty well praised and known. They are drug addiction organizations who provide information online and also offer a 24 hour hot line to help anyone who is suffering from drug addiction or problems related to drug addiction. I put the following links below this paragraph if anyone needs any help, has questions, or just wants someone to talk about their problem with. Here they are:

http://drugabusehelpline.net/

http://www.24houraddictionhelp.org/
 

I would really like to get every one's input on this topic so please don't be shy and feel free to comment anything you may wish to add in the comment section below. Also, anyone is welcomed to ask any questions they have in the comment section and I (maybe even some other readers) will try to the best of my ability to give you an answer. I'm also open to any feedback or criticism regarding this post or my blog, so feel free to shoot. Don't forget to vote in my poll below as there are only a few days left to vote before it closes. I'll end this post like all my other previous ones by wishing everyone nothing but good fortune, luck, and happiness (I'm starting to sound more and more like a fortune cookie!). Take care my friends and keep seeing the light!

 

-Seeingthelight

 

 

*The two charts in this post were obtained online through the website U.S. Pharmacist. This website has some great information, check it out. The link to the website is below: 

http://www.uspharmacist.com/content/d/feature/i/874/c/16525/