Opiate induced constipation

Hi Ginny, and thanks for your thoughtful reply.

I'm so happy you got sober, and that's an accomplishment given what you went through. I take 1 and 1/2 of the smallest pills each morning. I think that's 6mg bupe to 2 mg naloxone. It's very small but quitting still scares me.

My Dr has said that no matter how low the dose, stopping Subx will result in w/d symptoms.

Your experience was like mine - ok for 48 hours, then whammo. That half-life of bupe is long and this is the cause for the delay.

Sometimes my inability to get relief from opiates usually used to treat pain can be, well painful. I had my right hip replaced in March, limited pain and recovered quickly. Too quickly, because one month later, doing a stretch I was now advised not to do, I dislocated the new hip. I was at the gym and in horrible, horrible pain. The EMTs arrived and gave me two, 100mcg shots of fenatnyl. The Subx blocked it completely. In the ER they gave me another 100mcg of fentanyl, Again, nothing. I had to wait four long hours until an ER Dr could help me (heart attacks and gunshot wounds come first in an ER, as they should.

After about an hour, the Dr ordered ketamine for me. I had never been given ketamine before. It definitely helped, but the experience was borderline hallucinogenic. I certainly forgot about all the pain. Sadly, ketamine only works for 30-45 minutes. It was one day where I wish I hadn't been on Subx and could have been treated with opiates. But that was the only time I've experienced that much pain.

I'm assuming you're completely off Subx now - is that right ginny? Good for you and well done.

(Ginny was my Mom's name - Virginia, but her brother always called her Ginny. It's a very sweet name!)

Joe

@heyjoe415 My real name is Virginia and my mom and everyone called me Ginny. Yes, I am completely off of Bup since 11/5/17. Struggled with addiction since the age of 14 years old. I am 55 now. I was on Bup for about 6+ years. I was still drinking though it seemed to help me control that a little (a pint instead of a 1/5th which is ridiculous if I think about saying it). So, I have had a couple of times when I have had to use a narcotic. I was given Tramadol a couple of times and I could feel it instantly. I know that feeling well. That is the down and up side to Buprenorphine. 72 hour half life and if you have pain, well, nothing works. Maybe more Buprenorphine. I know that it got rid of my migraines when I was taking it. I have never had Ketamine, although I did think about having it for therapy, but I did so many psychedelics when I was younger, I feared I might snap and never come back.

If there is no reason to get off it and it helps, I know that people stay on it. I am an impulsive person and as a drunk, I just decided I was tired of taking it. I did not take into account that it would make me so sick...but that led to my now being sober. Life is hard and crazy. I am essentially a 55 year old with the mind of a person in their late twenties, if you ascribe to emotional maturity stopping at the time of first use of drugs and alcohol. I have had periods of being sober. I was in treatment at 14, then 19, then 30 but never have I been completely sober. It will be 8 years 12/16! AA and a lot of help from other places as well as just a day at a time has worked for me so far. I appreciate your kind words, Joe. So cool your mom was a Virginia "Ginny" also.

Ginny

Thank you Nifty. Never heard of"Smooth Move" tea so thanks for the suggestion!

I've only been dealing with constipation, CIC really, for the last 5 years - I'm 71 now. It's incredibly frustrating to have to rely on stimulant laxatives, and not a good thing to do. But I've tried almost everything else. The Rx Motegrity seems to help and acts like a mild stimulant, but there is no generic and it's cost prohibitive for most people.

Thanks again. I'll definitely try the tea!

Joe

@heyjoe415 The tea has also always worked for me and if it doesn't I double the bags in the cup. I use the Smooth Move by Yogi when needed.