What is the best advice you can give someone who is planning to detox cold turkey from Heroin/fet? What were your experiences during your cold turkey detox, and would want someone to know before they start their own detox off opiates?
What all would you need to have close by for easy access ? Also, how long did it take before you felt back to your “normal” self again? I know everyone is different and it takes more time for some than others, I’m just curious as to have an idea. Thank you in advance…
5 Likes
Make friends with the suck. There’s no easy way through it. Prepare to not sleep for 3-7 days. Cold sweats, RLS, upset bowels, muscle spasms, back pain and anxiety. I’ve never had any luck using OTCs. I usually did supervised detox in a rehab, but had some bouts of withdrawal when I ran out of money
11 Likes
No advice here but best of luck and safe travels, Chloe!
2 Likes
Yes i have no advice either I am sorry. I would say though to make sure you have someone trusted either with you or near, as medically it can be a bit dangerous to be alone (i am not sayinf it will be, just in case). I have not experienced rhis myself, but know someone who struggled here and that just comes to mind.
Power to You. Xo.
1 Like
I have not done it personally but I have sat with and taken care of a few people while they detoxed off of fentanyl. Try to have someone you can trust be there with you please don’t do it alone. Try to stay close to the bathroom, take as many baths as you feel like. It might be hard to keep anything down but stay hydrated. Try to sleep as much as you can. Maybe even take some Benadryl or a sleep aid. Watch your temperature and have some ibuprofen to help with the muscle aches. It’s not going to be any fun and if at all possible it would be better to do it in a facility but I understand that’s not always an option. You’re going to be stinky and miserable but it’s going to be worth it. You can do this. Sending you lots of love 
4 Likes
I would highly suggest supervised detox so they can be given suboxtone or methadone. I don’t know where you’re from but there might be free ones
4 Likes
See your doctor or a doctor and get some meds kicking heroin can be a hard getting off it and can be dangerous the doc can help you do it safely il wish you the best and you can do it cause your worth it
1 Like
I wish you the best. I have no advice other than maybe do it as a willing inpatient… stay safe and hydrated. And please remember once you kick it don’t pick up again. My friend sadly did just that… she’s been my guardian angel for 18 years now.
1 Like
Long one but…
6319 days clean from all opiates and I remember that week like it was yesterday. I think that is what keeps me from ever using again. I found something called the Thomas Recipe (you can google that I’m sure) It was a long list of herbal and medicinal things to get and a plan on when and how often to do/ take them. I do remember lavender baths, as many as you can. I took that piece of paper to my family doctor and asked him if I could get clean using the plan and if detoxing at home could kill me. He looked straight into my eyes, laughed gently and said it wouldn’t kill me, but over the next week, I was probably going to wish it had. He was a kind and lovely man who also said that if I couldn’t do it at home to come back, and he would help me get to rehab.
I got home from the doctor with my bag of prescription items and my bag of goodies from the health food store, vitamins, potassium, L-Tyrosine and whatever else was on the list. I phoned in to work sick with the flu and flushed my stash down the toilet.
Days 1 - 4 were a blur of diazepam and the very harshest withdrawal symptoms. I had to keep a bucket next to the toilet for when the violence was erupting at both ends simultaneously.
Day 5 - the angry symptoms start to subside, and I’m left with uncomfortable but bearable itchy skin, crawly skin feeling, headache, aching joints, and fatigue. Man, the fatigue was insane.
Day 6 -7 - The L-Tyrosine is helping, and energy is returning gently. My sweats are slowing down, and I am having moments of feeling completely normal.
The next week was a bit of self-discovery and a rude awakening as I came clean and realised what I had become. A bloated obese 30-something woman. It was like I could suddenly see myself properly in the mirror for the first time in years. The withdrawal symptoms carried on for a few months afterwards, not all the time, but here and there, and then one day, I didn’t know when, but I realised they had all stopped and gone away.
Was it as hard as I imagined? No, but it was still the hardest thing to go through, but you have the reassurance that it ends, and you quite literally have to survive a week to get through the worst of it.
My experience was pretty typical of the folks in the community I was in at the time going through similar withdrawal using that method. Some said it was like the flu - others spent 2 days on the bathroom floor. All said they felt much better by the end of the week, though, so I did have hope in that.
Still to this day one of the things I am proudest of achieving. Please do feel free to PM if you have any specific questions, I am happy to share from my exprience.
7 Likes
A lot has changed in the last 6000 days. The Thomas method has been widely rejected as it’s not safe or effective. Additionally, this method recommends using benzodiazepines without a doctor’s prescription. This is terrible advice. In the current atmosphere there are many fake pills pressed with fentanyl which could potentially kill someone. I know you are new here but please review the rules around encouraging people to seek out prescription medication
6 Likes
I am sure it has @Englishd. Apologies, I should have been more clear about that part. It was completely with my GP’s knowledge, advice and prescription. He oversaw the tapering of the medication over 4 days as well. It was my experience and it did work for me but my advice would always be to see your GP before trying anything.
3 Likes
Thank you so very much for sharing your experience and offer words of advice and wisdom. I’m willing to try just about anything before having to go to some kind of inpatient program- just because life of responsibility doesn’t just go away because I chose to make bad choices in my life, and now have to suffer the consequences of them- I will however, make sure I take a week though at first, and have all the tools and necessities I need and close by for myself to make this experience as possibly comfortable as I can… and I am definitely going to be looking into that recipe of items- as I’ve already started taking down notes for certain herbal supplements and other things etc. that may help me through this. I’m going to take one last week starting today, to finish prepping the best I can although I know that nobody can ever be prepared for what’s ahead, no matter how many notes are taken, and what list of things I have on hand. And then I’m setting my start day for all of this the Sunday/Monday after !! As scared as I am… I already have experienced the first few days of what it’s like so I can imagine it only starts to get worse then starts to get better from there…I am also excited because I’m keeping my main focus on the end of it all, and how much I’m going to love life and myself again. To be the best version of ME again… thank you so much!
4 Likes
Never used heroin or fentanyl, but getting off oxy was eased somewhat by Clonidine (it’s a blood pressure medication), which my doctor prescribed. It helped some with the itching and insomnia. I’ve detoxed without it as well and so I could see how it helped, though it’s not something that will massively ease the process. Not sure if this is something you’re willing/able to talk with your doctor about, but if so and if they think it’s right for you, it could help that first week a little bit.
I quit pills cold turkey. Definitely not fun and many have stated the initial “fun”. Thing is it changes the chemicals in your brain and for me, personally, more chemicals that doctors wanted to prescribe did not help. I had heard it takes 2 years for your brain to go back to normal after quitting. That’s pretty accurate. It’s a long hard road but so worth it. Feels great waking up knowing I don’t need anything to be happy and live my life. Don’t have to worry about getting sick, wasting my money, letting the people that love me down, and best of all loving myself again. Do it for You
2 Likes
I honestly have no idea or recommendations other than what I know from detoxing from alcohol weed and meth. Which would be clear your schedule completely. Have a place for your kids to go stay away from you, if you have children. Have someone there with you. Cut all contact with anyone who uses. Remind yourself that you are sick and it’s going to be rough but remember you’re worth it. Make a commitment to yourself that you are no longer a user that you’re going to live a sober life from now on and you will find peace and happiness there. You’re in my thoughts and prayers as my son is struggling with the same things that you are. I pray for a better life for you both. 
I hope that doesn’t offend you. We’re all here for you rooting for you every step of the way!
1 Like