Chilling Point

Dump out the 3 bags, ready to get lost, ready to feel good again, numb,  but still moving,  spinning but still grounded,   lost but so in tune,  got the Coke, Hero(in) (Me)thamphetamine.

Here’s what hours of reading harm reduction material for injecting methamphetamine DIDNT teach me:

When it burns or hurts that means you probably aren’t in the vein anymore. Pull back on the plunger to see if you draw blood into the barrel. Adjust until you get blood again then finish.

Elevate the place where you miss a shot above your heart quickly, massage it to help prevent it swelling. Put a warm compress on ASAP then switch between cold and warm compresses 15 minutes every few hours. If you need to see a doctor then go. It’s not worth losing your arm or something nuts.

The safest areas are your arms, hands, legs or feet as a last resort. No no zones are your neck, genitals and groin and wrists.

The veins in a female’s breasts are frail and I wouldn’t use them but if you must then use extreme caution and inject slowly. Maybe use two veins if you’re doing a big shot.

If you’re using a small, damaged, or frail vein water it down and inject slowly!!!! Be more gentle with delicate veins, they need it. This is for hands, feet or any thin vein you use.

It’s always a good idea to do a double register (pull the plunger back to make sure you still get blood) about halfway through your shots.

Honey holes are the places you can count on to hit 9/10 times. Save at least one for medical purposes but two is better so that you have one for yourself when you’re rushed.

If you’re shaking you’re gonna fuck it up and it’s time for self care. Eat a snack, drink some water, take some deep breaths or whatever relaxes you, check your hands and try again when they’re steady.

Invest in full coverage makeup that’s powerful enough to cover tattoos. Match it to your arms not your face and use it to cover bruises and track marks if you need to. Trust me that it’s worth the money and you will wanna have it eventually.

You’re still going to get dry mouth so don’t let your dental hygeine be neglected.

You aren’t imagining that weird smell. It’s you because you put a bunch of weird shit in your arm. Go take a shower. Do so daily.

You’re one of the big boys now and the rules to the game don’t apply anymore. Look out for yourself first and be prepared to take your l’s. You’re gonna get your heartbroken a few times that’s just part of the game. Learn to give your trust only when it’s earned.

Lock boxes are cheaper than having your shit jacked. People lose themselves when drugs take over.

Thick shots aren’t for beginners unless you’re into wasting your shit and having a shitty ass high. Water them down when you’re learning to hit a vein and worry about rolling with the big dogs once you know wtf you’re doing.

When your shot is thick like syrup put that in a juicy vein that can handle the acidity and consistency. I recommend elbow crooks, the fat bois that go down your forearm. In your legs you can use the big ones on the inside and outside of your knees.

Eventually you’re going to overamp yourself, it happens to everyone. The first time it happens remember that it’s not impossible but it’s really difficult to fatally OD on meth. You might think you’re dying but you aren’t. Lay down where you are, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and try to relax and let it pass. Panicking will only make it worse. You aren’t having a heart attack, it’s just chest pain. It will pass.

If you have any kind of heart condition I think you should do pretty much anything else besides injecting stimulants.

Don’t let just anyone doctor you (hit you with the needle). Watch them do themselves or someone else first. Make them stop if you don’t feel safe or it hurts. There’s nothing wrong with giving someone directions when they have a needle in your arm.

Mark your rigs when using with other people so that you know which ones you’re responsible for getting rid of.

Slamming meth isn’t like doing an opiate in your IV. Site rotation HAS to happen because of the extra damage done to your veins.

Don’t slap your veins, that makes them move away from the skin bc that’s how your body works, it avoids pain. Instead of that, press gently on the vein rapidly and that will help it bulge.

You can stop veins from rolling by pinning them but I haven’t found a way to do that alone. To pin a vein you just have to press down on the vein a couple inches below where the shot will go in. Once there is register you’re good to let it go.

Tying your arm off isn’t as easy as it seems and will take practice. Everyone does it different and don’t worry about what someone else uses as tourniquet. We’ve all used some weird shit, it just be like that.

Dont muscle a meth shot. It hurts, you don’t really get the high you want, and it’s just not worth it. Booty bumping is better when you do it the right way.

Don’t put it in your vein if the blood clotted in the barrel. You could give yourself a stroke or embolism I believe. Big yikes. Booty bump that one too.

If you don’t know something, there are people on tumblr you can ask. Most of us won’t tell you wrong answers on purpose but if you feel like it’s wrong ask someone else. A lot of the drug and harm reduction community has diminished but it’s still here and is a resource. Not everyone will want to help but a lot of us do.

Do your own research on proper and safe injecting. There is a lot out there and google searches give you whole pdf phamphlets complete with pictures.

Use your common sense. Wash your hands before you make a shot and before you inject it if you can. Sterilize with the highest % of rubbing alcohol you can get. And don’t fucking share needles. I know everyone knows but I had to say it.

Don’t cook a meth shot unless you’re trying to just burn off the dope. It dissolves completely in water. You don’t need to cook most drugs unless you’re extracting from a patch or have real deal tar heroin.

Know your limits and respect your body. Self care is more important than ever. Eat food, hydrate a lot, lay the fuck down and let your body rest even if you’re not sleeping, shower, brush your teeth, and take breaks so you can recover.

Meth is the holy grail of tweakers, a great drug, a great time, but it comes with a lot of other aspects that any user, especially a newbie, should be well aware of before getting into this world.  I am writing this post to spread and encourage the safe and proper use of meth, because the right way is fantastic and the wrong way sucks. 

ROA: there are 4 actual ways to ingest meth, some people prefer certain ways, but i intend for my readers to at least try three of the four ways.

1.SMOKING: A sack of meth usually comes in the form of many very small crystals (almost powder), with bigger crystals among them. When it comes to smoking, you want the bigger crystals, because they don’t burn as quick, therefore you waste less. Put a crystal in your pookie, make sure its at the bottom, and slowly (but with rhythm) twist it with your fingers back and forth, (not even that much) while keeping the flame under, but barely or not touching the glass. Just put the flame close while to get a crystal burning (if it’s powdery, don’t let the flame touch at all that would burn the shit.) Then slowly suck in the smoke. People who lack tolerance should exhale immediately after their done hitting.  Basically, you never want to end up with soot on your pipe, that means you went too close.  Now, one fat hit is a pretty recreational dose, a newbie would be just fine with one, maybe two spread out hits.  IMPORTANT: the thing about smoking is that it takes about 10 minutes to realize how high you are, so it’s very easy to overdo it.   Take ten-fifteen minutes between hits if your doing a lot.   

TIP–NEVER LET THE FLAME TOUCH THE HOLE AT THE TOP OF THE POOK!  METH AND FIRE DO NOT MIX!!

2. SNORTING: This is personally my favorite way.  You can use the powdery shit for this. I usually will snort half a dimebag at once, but a newbie can simply pull out a mid sized crystal out of their 20 sack and snort that, or do a keybump.    You must crush it completely into powder to snort it, or it’s gonna fuck your nose up.   Take a credit card and crush the desired amount into powder.  I find that meth gets stuck in most surfaces, so i usually just crush it between two cards.  After. put it on the table and make a line.  If your doing a fat line, you can split it in two and suck up one right after the other to minimize burn.    Remember to wait at least five minutes to redose, so you don’t overdo it. Snorting gives a great head change, and yeah, it burns, but it’s a great burn.

TIP–WATER IS YOUR SECOND FUEL. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS HAVE WATER WITH YOU WHILE TWEAKING!

3.INJECTING: This form of ingesting is the most intense, however, you come down faster and harder! Not to mention it is the only sure fire way to feel withdrawals quickly. It’s something i recommend doing once a week max, it can get risky if you surpass that.  I’m going to leave preparation out of this atm, but if you decide to shoot up, make sure you got someone who knows what they are doing, and make sure you’ve seen them successfully shoot (not missing, no cotton fever, good confidence, and still hands) before having them do it to you.   Anyway, injecting usually (depending on the quality) will give you an intense rush involving the “bell”, a distinct buzzing, a unique type of nausea and intense euphoria. Every 10 mills. is a benchmark.  A newbie would be fine with a “dime” (10 mills.), then after shooting two or three times (CLOSE TOGETHER, WITHIN THE SAME WEEK), the newbie can graduate to a “dub” (20 mills.)   I highly discourage going past 30 mills. as more would just raise your tolerance and cause addiction. Personally, i do not enjoy injecting by itself, it’s too short lived.  However, if you smoke 20-30 minutes after the shot, you won’t come down so fast, and your high will be amazing!!  Always be careful though, it is very easy to OD on meth while shooting up, so don’t try to overdo it. If you OD, you will get awful withdrawal like side effects, or you’ll just pass out, or die. 

4. PILLS/PARACHUTING: The most medical method to use meth, you can either get vitamin capsules from a store (just dump the vitamin out and put the shit in) or just wrap a dose in tissue or toilet paper (make sure its completely covered, or it could burn your stomach, which isn;t bad, but hurts) and just swallow it.  I’d suggest a newbie go with a five sack at once. It will take around 30 minutes to kick in, but will last much longer.   

                 SAFETY: Meth is a very unpredictable drug, which means that anyone who is new to it needs to do it right to not risk disaster. Here are some simple steps to guide anyone the right way.

ENVIRONMENT: If you are new to this drug, you will want to do it around good, trustworthy friends, preferably in a house where no one would care. Remember to not overdo it if your by yourself. Don’t be in a position where you would have to get emotionally involved in anything. BE HAPPY!  that is very important, being optimistic can turn the comedown into something decent and keep you from looking like a tweaker. Also, GUM, you will want gum for two reasons: because tweaking makes your jaw shake, (a telltale tweaker sign) and tweaking makes you chew the fuck out of your tongue. Gum will resolve both these issues.  Most people don’t seem to get dialated eyes on speed for very long, but if that makes you sketch, sunglasses will do the trick. If you cannot find friends to tweak around, just make sure you have something to do, that will keep you well busy.  I’m talking like, making music or working on a computer, nothing extra physical. 

TIP–NEVER EVER EVER MIX ANY STIMULANT WITH ANY PSYCADELIC!!!!  THEY DON’T MIX, THEY CAUSE A VERY INTENSE AND PAINFUL REACTION IN YOUR BODY THAT CAN PERMENANTLY FUCK UP YOUR RESPIRATORY AND CADIOVASCULAR SYSTEMS! TRUST ME, THIS IS FIRST HAND!

BINGING: Here’s where it’s very important to be careful.  The decent (euphoria, confidence, ect.) effects of meth only last two consecutive days.  Going past that is very unhealthy and basically pointless, but, i’ve done it, so i have advice to all the all week tweakers as well.  First off, WATER!  if you are binging (or just doing meth at all) you NEED water.  Since Meth dehydrates you by using water as energy, water is your second fuel, especially if your binging!  Keep a water bottle at all times while tweaking, and sip it at least every ten-fifteen minutes.  You will feel much better. Secondly, is SLEEP.  People have a tendency to neglect sleep while tweaking.  Thats fine on a normal day or a 1-2 day binge, but if your regularly using Shit, you NEED to teach your body to sleep while high.  You can do it, it’s not hard.  Sleeping during a binge is far healthier for your heart and it prevents psychosis.  Thirdly, FOOD!  You may not know it, but going a day spun out, not hungry, not eating is hard on your body.  Just like sleeping, on a binge, or with regular use, you NEED to teach yourself to eat while on Meth.  I know, it’s hard, you don’t feel like it, but your body needs it, and it will make your trip a world better than what it could be.      IMPORTANT!!: DO NOT BINGE MORE THAN FIVE-SIX DAYS!,  you are risking serious damage to your body (heart) and even death if you go that far.  1-2 days, perfect. Also, KEEP BINGING TO ONCE A MONTH AT MOST!   Lastly, moderate your Shit use.   Don’t use more than a half gram total when binging.   If your binge is longer than 2 days, the same rule applies, half gram.   DON’T SHOOT UP after the first day of your binge, if at all.   It’s risky, and either way, you’ll pay for it after. On a binge, you want to spread out your hits as much as you can.  Binging is not about getting as spun as you can in a matter of minutes, it’s about staying up for a lengthy period of time, the better you understand that, the funner time you’ll have and healthier you will be.                       

TIP–METH WILL MAKE YOU EXTREMELY HORNY, WHETHER YOU ARE BINGING, COMING DOWN, OR TAKING YOUR FIRST HIT.   WHILE BINGING, MAKE SURE THOSE HORNY THOUGHTS AND PORNOS DON’T KEEP YOU UP ALL NIGHT.  THAT CAN HAPPEN VERY EASILY.

COMEDOWN: Now, the comedown is a very integral part of tweaking. How bad it is depends on your use. It is when your brain is coping with the loss dopamine and regeneration. Symptoms are depression, anger, irritability, anxiety, and insomnia. The good and bad parts come in waves, however, so you will feel bad, then euphoric, until you are sober. Meth, in my opinion, has a very light and controllable comedown IF you’ve only done a normal dose.   Propylhexedrine (Benzedrex) is farrr worse, the worst amphetamine comedown.  Anyway, theres no real need to worry if you only snorted a line or took a couple hits. However, if        you’ve been doing it all day, shot up, or are binging, you will want a  benzo for the comedown. Xanax, ativan, ambien, valium or klonopin will do.  I suggest taking a Xanny bar as soon as you decide the comedown sucks.   Weed and alcohol work amazing for the comedown as well if you don’t have benzos.   IMPORTANT!!: Remember to not give in to the temptation of using more when you feel the comedown.   Just remember that it really isn’t bad, and focus on getting downers. A comedown off a binge will be much worse than a day sesh, obviously, but as long as you don’t shoot up, the comedown should be mellow.

CRASH: The crash is the intense part of any binge.  Not as bad as comedown or withdrawal, you just feel extremely tired and burnt. This is when all the loss of energy, sleep, ect. catches up.   You can use benzos if you want, alcohol would work too, but weed is by far the best substance to use on a crash, it provides a unique high that isn’t bad at all. You can take melatonin pills and camamille tea to help with your crash. Just make sure you sleep as soon as you feel that super tired, dead feeling hits, staying up or doing shit during the crash is a very bad idea.   

TIP–One sure fire thing that has worked for my crashes is my friend’s psych meds, Clozapine.  YOU ONLY NEED 1/8 OF THE PILL!!!  That will knock you the fuck out fast, that shit is strong.   Don’t go past that, Clozapine is extremely easy to OD on.

WITHDRAWAL: Once you get past the crash of a binge (or go cold turkey off heavy use), you will feel withdrawal. Your body has gotten very used to having Meth in it’s system and it wants more.  This is the real test of will for most tweakers.  Withdrawals are no big deal if you just went hard the day before, but if you have been binging, that is quite a different story. They are non lethal, but symptoms include anxiety, despair, depression, sleeplessness, hypertension, compulsive twitching, HEAVY heartbeat and heavy breathing.  A benzo is your best bet.  Weed works too, BUT make sure it is SATIVA, not indica. Indica will fuck with your hypertension, sativa is prime for withdrawals though. They will last 1 to 3 days depending on how hard you were going.   IMPORTANT!! NEVER LET YOUR BODY GO INTO WITHDRAWALS AND THEN HIT METH!!   THIS WILL BRING THE WITHDRAWALS BACK WAYYYY WORSE!!  Opiates, hands down are the best for curing meth withdrawal. If you get dope, opi pills or some flip, you’ll be just fine.     

TIP–NEVER SMOKE CIGARETTES DURING WITHDRAWAL!!  They will fuck with your hypertension BIG TIME!  

AFTERMATH: After coming off a binge, you’ll have to decide if your going to stop doing shit for awhile, or keep going.  That is up to you if you came off a one or two day binge, but any longer than that, TAKE A BREAK.   The issues i’m addressing in this paragraph are the long term and stereotypical values people hold to meth. 

LONG TERM USE: Meth can be used on a regular basis healthily if certain rules are followed. I don’t recommend any sort of consistancy with meth use, but it can be used medicinally, therupedicly, and as a work tool, so it’s not a big deal.  If using regularly (or if in the middle of a binge) watch your hygiene.  It’s easy to forget to shower or change your clothes when spun out. Also, BRUSH YOUR TEETH if you smoke it.  Meth is a chemical, it will wear at your teeth if used too much, but good oral hygiene will offset that.                 Another important rule is CHANGE UP THE ROA. Smoke it one day, snort it the next, parachute the next, shoot the next, for example.  Meth is a chemical, whatever orefice you use it a lot on, it will wear at, (teeth, nose, veins, ect.) but if you change it up, your body will thank you.  Below are examples of healthy ways to use regularly.         And for the record, the below recommendations are far healthier with no shooting at all, but some people gotta shoot, so i’m putting in my healthiest recommendation.

LIGHT USE(20 sack a week or less NO SHOOTING) This would be for newbies, or people who stick to the drug medicinally (i am not counting recreational users as regular users)  Smoking a bowl or two every day is perfect for those who lack tolerance.  Veteran users may not realize this, but a single decent hit of meth will get a person spun out for hours. A light user should spread thier dime bag or dub every other day through the week, unless they have scheduled work or something, but a couple days off a week are important.  After a MONTH of use, there should be a two week to month session of sobriety before coming back.

MODERATE USE(20-40 sack a week OCCASIONAL SHOT, once a week AT MOST) People who buy this much are more into it, usually have jobs they want to get through, or are just plain habitual users. This amount should not be used to binge AT ALL, but used every other day, BEFORE the evening, so you can sleep every night.  After a month or two of use, there should be AT LEAST 2 weeks off, preferrably a month or two off, but a short break is just fine.

RECOMMENDED HEAVY USE(60 sack or more a week, SHOT LIMIT TWICE IN A WEEK, WITH SOME WEEKS OFF)  As far as my opinion goes, this is way to much to fuck with on a regular basis, so it’s not too healthy, but there’s no reason you can’t be a heavy user and get the most out of it.  DON’T use every day.   Take at least one day off a week, two days every other week.  With use this heavy, a given user should keep benzos around just in case they have an off day and need to chill or sleep.   Try never to use in the evening unless you can sleep through your high. After two months, take as much time off as possible, it is a good idea to find another drug to fuck with while your body recovers, minimum 2 weeks. Keep in mind, i am assuming that a “heavy” user can handle his shit (life, emotions, ect.) while high. If yout going past light use and at the same time you notice people being hostile or different,   and things just aren’t going right, that is a sign to cut back or quit.  Keep an eye on how the drug affects you.

STIGMA: Meth has a fat stigma attatched to it, and while it is an exaggerated stigma, part of it is very much legit. Just follow the basics of this guide and there is nothing to worry about, but in any case, time to address these issues.    Yes, people can and do lead normal lives being meth users. It’s all moderation, additionally, contrary to popular belief, meth itself doesn’t do SHIT to your brain cells, not directly.  People lose brain cells from not sleeping, not using meth, so make sure to get some z’s on an overnight tweak sesh. Other than that, make sure you have decent hygiene and aren’t an asshole to your friends while tweaking.  And that’s that, it really isn’t some super drug, its simply a dopamine releaser, a marvel of science

MEDICINAL USE: More so than ritalin or adderall, a conveniant side effect of meth is that is destroys adhd, and makes people focus. It can be used at school or work at low doses (non-recreational).  Smoking and snorting while at a public place can be a pain, so parachute that shit, that is the most medicinal form, as it takes 30 to kick in and the high is light but long lasting. Meth is also a great replacement for coffee if your reallyyy tired, or not even!

TIP–DON’T MIX COFFEE WITH METH OR ANY OTHER STIMULANT!  AWFUL HIGH, FEELS LIKE DEATH

TWEAKERS: Meth users are a whole community of people who have one thing in common; Meth! Tweakers i know are usually very chill, and anyone who really digs Shit will have to amass a group of tweaker homies eventually. While they can be moochers, you will recieve good things when you least expect them if you are cool or shoot them an occasional bowl or shot. Just mind the ones who are having thier comedown or crash days and be a pal, they could always use some handouts or someone just to chill with.

Hey friends! As an addict myself, I’ve had to face physical withdrawals from opiates many times over. It’s very common for users to continue abusing their drug of choice just to avoid getting “dopesick” - a term for the awful side affects of abruptly stopping opiate use. And since about 9% of the population is believed to misuse opiates in their lifetime, I’d like to share all of my tips for getting through the week after your last dose relatively scathe-free! Let’s get started, shall we?

Common Side Effects

Symptoms and their severity are dependent on age, the amount a person has been using, and the length in which they’ve been using them. Those that are younger, have been abusing smaller amounts, and have not used for a long time will have shorter and less difficult withdrawals.

Opiate Withdrawal Symptoms include:

- Agitation - Anxiety - Muscle aches - Insomnia - Runny nose - Sweating - Chills - Fatigue/weakness - Tummy cramps - Diarrhea - Goose bumps - Nausea - Vomiting - Appetite Increase/Decrease - Restless Leg Syndrome (Can commonly appear in other parts of the body besides the legs, such as arms/shoulders/etc.) - Rapid/irregular heartbeat - Light sensitivity

Duration of Symptoms

Depending on how long a person has been abusing opiates, withdrawal can begin to set in anywhere from a few hours after the last dose to 24 hours after the last dose. Those who have been abusing opiates much longer will find symptoms arise much more quickly. The severity of your symptoms will usually peak around the 2-3 day and most symptoms are usually gone by 8 days after your last dose. In my experience, all of my symptoms are typically present until the 5th-6th day, in which symptoms then start to drop off.

Combating Agitation, Anxiety, and Emotional Distress

For some, the awful emotions that arise from stopping opiates is the most difficult symptom to cope with. Agitation, anxiety, stress, and suicidal thoughts/actions are very, very common. Because the body adapts to opiates by increasing adrenaline levels, when one stops opiates they suddenly have an excess of adrenaline, which translates to them panicking. As time goes on, adrenaline levels will slowly return to normal, but it’s a very slow process. It’s been said that it takes a full year for your brain chemistry to return to that of a non-addict. By continuing opiate abuse you’re simply delaying this process and making it harder for the brain to recover. Here are some of the tactics I use to combat my anxiety, agitation, and suicidal thoughts.

1. Have people to support you - It’s very important for your sanity to have people around you that love you and can help you out of a pickle if you start to become very distressed. Explain to those around you that you are not feeling like yourself lately, which means you may snap at them or become agitated at them very easily. Explain to them that it’s just the opiate withdrawal talking, it’s not you actually disliking them or wanting to hurt them. If you don’t have people around you to support you through your journey, or you’d like to speak to someone who has gone through the situation themselves, feel free to contact me through tumblr at any time, or visit an NA meeting. Narcotics Anonymous is an incredible group of empathetic people who can get you through your time of need. It’s not necessary to align yourself with the program, you can go there for support any time you need, provided you’re not causing some type of disturbance. Use this website to see meetings in your area. If you’re too shy/skittish about visiting a meeting in person, NA has online meetings every single night at 10 pm open to public, along with a chatroom that’s open 24/7 that does not require signing up. Here is the current link to the NA chatroom.

2. Remember that what you’re feeling is only temporary - Whenever I’m going through withdrawal, I like to keep focus on the fact that the way I’m feeling will only last for a week. Take things day by day or hour by hour if you need to. Things seem way more manageable when I realize that they will only last for a very, very small fraction of my life. Also remember that what you’re feeling is withdrawal, it is not a part of who you are as a person.

3. Keep yourself busy - The best way to combat anxiety and the like is to not give yourself an opportunity to think about it! Netflix and TV have proven invaluable to so many people who are going through this. I like to watch Youtubers play exciting actions games a lot, because of my anxiety I end up getting really excited and into the game instead of feeling icky and down! Other activities that are low energy and suitable include coloring, reading a book, tidying up your room, board/video games, sudoku/word search, doodling, etc.

4. Focus on your breathing - If you find yourself having a panic attack, focusing on your breath and slowing it down can really help mellow you out. Make sure to breathe in for a shorter amount of time than you breathe out. Many people like to employ the 7/11 tactic, in which you breathe in for 7 counts and exhale for 11. Mediation/light yoga can become invaluable in a time like this, feel free to try it out!

5. Avoid caffeine like the plague - I cannot stress enough that caffeine in a time like this is an awful idea. Avoid drinking coffee, energy drinks, and soda like your life depends on it. Anxiety, rapid heartbeat, restlessness, and agitation will increase if you consume caffeine. I made the mistake of drinking vanilla coke during one withdrawal and my symptoms became nearly unmanageable.

6. Exercise very lightly - Exercise has always been a tool of mine to combat anxiety, but considering how fatigued/weak you’ll likely be feeling, it’s important to not take things too far. Light yoga and walking are excellent exercises to be doing. During the first couple of days, even moving around and taking a shower can be considered exercise along with cleaning your room. Move around as much as you can handle, the more you exercise, the more quickly the opiates will get out of your system!

Tumblr has a plethora of guides to combat anxiety under the tag #anxiety tips, check it out if these tools are not enough!

Combating Muscle Aches, Sweating, and Chills

It’s not uncommon for someone who’s going through withdrawal to be dripping with sweat in one moment and then shivering cold the next. On top of that, due to your body getting used to having opiate receptors bind to nerve endings, it no longer recognizes normal, everyday sensations. This leaves a user feeling very achy and tender the next day. Here are some tips to get through aching, sweating, and chills.

1. Leave the window open/crank up the AC - To best regulate your temperature while it’s bouncing from freezing to sweating, start with an ice cold environment. You can always add more layers/blankets to keep you warmer, but you can only take off so many clothes before you’re stuck being naked and still too hot.

2. Make your base layer of clothing cotton - Make the clothing layer that’s closest to your skin cotton. Cotton soaks up all of your sweat and allows your skin to breathe best. Considering you’re going to get pretty wet with sweat, you’re going to want something to soak it all up. (Sorry, it’s gross and unavoidable, folks).

3. Keep plenty of blankets/layerable clothing at hand - When you start shivering, now’s the time to break out all your warm blankets and stuff yourself into a cocoon. Make sure any clothing/blankets you have on are easy to remove. You want items that are easy to add or remove because your body temperature fluctuates so frequently. Add or take away clothing/blankets to keep yourself at a temperature that makes you most comfortable.

4. Use over-the-counter pain medications around the clock - Now don’t go do something silly like using a different addictive pain medication in order to combat withdrawal, that’s not going to help you. Use non-addictive pain medications such as Advil, Tylenol, or Aleve to lessen your muscle aches. Take as many as is safe to take according to the directions and make sure you take them in time once their effectiveness has worn off. Not every OTC pain medication works best for everyone, see which ones relieve your pain the best.

5. If you can stand it, heat can provide pain relief - If you’re already sweating and too warm, don’t use heat to relax your sore muscles. However, if you can stand it, heat can be very effective in taking away muscle pain. Hot showers, hot water bottles (the rubber kind), electric blankets, and heating pads can all be used to keep you toasty and comfortable.

Combating Diarrhea, Nausea, Vomiting, and Appetite Change

In my personal experience, I haven’t experienced any vomiting while going through withdrawal, but I have had diarrhea so severe I literally cried with relief when it stopped. (Yeah, that bad). It’s also much more common to have appetite decline rather than appetite increase; I find myself having to force myself to eat during withdrawal. Here are my tips to cope with diarrhea, nausea, and minimal appetite.

1. Gatorate/Pedialyte is your best friend - When someone is having diarrhea, sweating, or vomiting, their body quickly loses electrolytes. Electrolytes are important to replace, as they keep the body from seizures and becoming dehydrated amongst many other things. I found that while drinking Gatorade during my withdrawals, my diarrhea was greatly reduced. I literally was on the toilet about ¼ of the time I was before, I cannot recommend it enough.

2. Drink as much water as you can - Again, diarrhea, sweating, and vomiting will get you dehydrated very, very quickly. On top of that, the more water you drink, the quicker you can flush the opiates out of your system.

3. Force yourself to eat - You need the fuel and the energy food gives you in order to recover and get better. It’s going to be hard to get yourself to eat because you’ll have no appetite, but it’s in your best interest to get some food inside of you. If you’re having a hard time getting yourself to eat, now’s the time to break out with your favorite foods that you just can’t resist.

4. Eat foods that are more bland - Blander foods are much easier to keep down if you’re vomiting. Crackers, toast, rice, and bananas are good foods to choose not only because they’re less likely to come up, but also because those foods keep you from having more diarrhea. Foods/drinks with ginger, such as ginger ale, can also help settle your stomach so you do not vomit. Avoid spicy foods and alcohol, that’s you begging for diarrhea and vomiting.

Combating Restlessness and Insomnia

Anyone who has abused opiates knows that they make you very sleepy. This means that when you stop using them, it ends up catching up to you, leaving you restless and unable to sleep. Here are ways I’ve managed to stop my RLS and sleeplessness.

1. Take over the counter sleep aids - Things such as Benadryl and Melatonin can help get you to fall asleep if you can’t naturally. Be careful, these things are not as effective when you’re going through withdrawal, which might tempt you to take a higher dose. Don’t take so many that you end up in danger, alright? Melatonin is naturally produced by your body, so it’s likely the safer OTC bet.

2. Get some exercise not too close to bed - What better way to tire yourself out than exercise, right? Be careful so as to not exercise too close to bed, you’ll end up giving yourself an energy boost and you’ll have a harder time getting to sleep than before. Exercise can also alleviate any restless leg syndrome that you may be having (that’s a tingling sensation in your limbs, not necessarily your legs).

3. Experiment with massages and hot/cold treatments - Some people report relief from their tingling muscles through massaging the affected area, or by alternating hot and cold treatments. See what works best for you! Rubbing an ice pack on your legs may help, or running hot water over them, or both!

4. Have an orgasm (or a few)! -  Orgasms have proven to be an incredibly effective way to stop any tingling you may have in your limbs. Not only that, but orgasming right before bed time helps many people fall asleep. Orgasms are what I’ve found to be most effective in getting my RLS to stop.

Final Tips:

1. Consider quitting opiates permanently - If you stop using opiates for good, you’ll never have to go through physical withdrawal again and trust me, that’s quite a big incentive. Look around for local rehab centers or NA meetings in order to get the support you need to stay clean.

2. Don’t be too hard on yourself - We all make mistakes, and I know if you’re trying to get clean you’re likely regretting even starting abusing opiates in the first place. Focus on the fact that you’re trying your best to get better, that’s what counts. Don’t strain yourself too hard during your physical withdrawals, your body is going through enough!

3. Remember what opiates took away from you - If you start reminiscing about the fun times you had on opiates, you’re dooming yourself to relapse, meaning you’ll just have to suffer through physical withdrawals again and again. Remember all the bad things your addiction has forced you to deal with. Has it ruined your relationships? Has it cost you a lot of money? Has it made you suffer emotionally? Don’t lose sight of the reasons you want to quit using.

4. Keep a positive mindset - The more optimistic you are, the easier it is to beat this thing. If you believe in yourself and try your best to stay as happy as possible, this week might just be a walk in the park! Keep your head up, I believe in you!

Sources:

“Opiate Withdrawal: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.” U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 5 Apr. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/ medlineplus/ency/article/000949.htm>.

“Opiate Withdrawal Timeline - The Opiate Epidemic.” The Opiate Epidemic. 19 Dec. 2014. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. <http://opiateepidemic.com/opiate-withdrawal-timeline/>.

1. We are not stupid, we’re well aware of the damage. We know that what we are doing is killing us. We know that we are hurting people. We are aware of how society sees us. We know.

2. ADDICTION IS NOT ENJOYABLE. We are not “partying” or having a good time. The party ended a long time ago. We’re fucking miserable. Many of these drugs were never party drugs to begin with. It might seem fun and exciting the first week or month, but it quickly becomes a chore.

3. We don’t keep using just because we want to get high all the time. We use to not get sick and just to function normally in our daily lives. After awhile, we’re not thinking “how am I going to get high today?” We’re thinking “how will I be able to get to work today?” And then the reason we relapse is because we can’t remember surviving without it.

4. We have massive amounts of guilt, shame, and low self-esteem. We don’t need to be called “pieces of shit” and “scum junkies” because we already feel that way about ourselves every day!! The disease tells us not to care when we lie to and steal from friends and family. The disease makes us selfish. But we are human and we feel terrible about it. We aren’t psychopaths and are more than capable of feeling remorse. The more selfish acts we engage in, the worse we feel about ourselves. But we compulsively keep dragging ourselves through dirt.

5. It has absolutely nothing to do with you or anyone else. You didn’t cause it, you can’t control it, and you can’t cure it. It is no one’s fault and you did not fail as a sister/brother/mother/father/aunt/grandpa/best friend. When we lie to or steal from you or choose drugs over you, it is nothing personal. It does not mean we don’t still love you. When the disease takes over, it doesn’t necessarily want to hurt you. It just assigns everyone the same value so they are neutral/irrelevant. Someone in active addiction is stuck in a completely internal thought process that completely blocks out the existence of other people.

6. The drug is stronger than love and values like family and friendship and that’s why we’ve chosen it over you. That is the unfortunate truth. That’s why we find a higher power in recovery, because no human power or emotion can fight off the drug on its own.