DOSE:	repeated	IM	Heroin
			Pharms - Buprenorphine
			Loperamide
			Kratom

BODY WEIGHT:

175 lb

I wish I had only a single experience to report. Over the years, I have had those experiences, but the memories fade, as everything does. At this time, I'd like to share the story of a two year struggle with heroin and the effectiveness of suboxone and kratom in withdrawal and recovery.

It wasn't my first episode with heroin, and using the drug always lands me in jail. In my late teens-early twenties, jail was the only deterrent that worked, and managed to keep me off the junk for ten years or so. Though I spent most of these years drinking, I stayed out of trouble, and that, for me, was something. But alcohol and pot gradually turned into pills and occasional bags of coke, and the dragon just sort of snuck back up on me. Before I knew it I was a daily user again, then on probation, and reduced to banging IM hits because I'd ruined every vein in my body.

This combination of factors led to me attempting to quit numerous times. I never saw a doctor for the bupes, always got them on the street. I have no interest in being on them for months, or years. I believe the best way to utilize the subs is simply to deaden the initial withdrawals from heroin, i.e. 1-2 weeks. I tried quitting without them, several times, as the taste of the sublingual films makes me nauseated and I have trouble sleeping on them, but then, who sleeps during heroin withdrawal anyway? If given a choice of one substance to help with withdrawals, it would be Imodium, followed by benzos and subs. I tried the kratom, and it seemed to provide a short period of relief.

I would make it to the fourth day or the fifth, and then once I started to regain strength, I was off to see the dope man. And this cycle continued for 2-3 months. Perhaps that made it easier when I really decided to kick for good. Here is the formula that worked for me:

Go into withdrawal. Let the first couple BM's come until they begin to loosen, then take Imodium (not too much, about twice a standard dose). Once the yawns, runny eyes, and restlessness become very apparent, take 4 mg suboxone orally. Tylenol and ibuprofen are useful as well. I was lucky enough to have a benzo handy as well, and sleep was not a big issue during this withdrawal. I took the 4mg suboxone once every two days. Sometimes I could stretch it to three days. All I needed was 24mg to make it through.

I have the Kratom on hand to deal with cravings, but as of yet, have experienced little to no effects. As of now, I am just saving it, hoping that as my tolerance goes away, the Kratom will begin to have the desired effect, though I doubt it will quell the craving for heroin, which I am still struggling with. I can't say that I'll never do it again, but I am in a lot better shape than I was three months ago. I do not think Kratom is a very good tool to fight serious withdrawals alone, though it may be utilized as part of a regimen of some kind. Suboxone was a little more useful, but nothing replaces the real desire to quit- if you have that, nothing can stand in your way.

Exp Year: 2012	ExpID: 98822
Gender: Male
Age at time of experience: 30
Published: Mar 13, 2018	Views: 2,249
[ View PDF (to print) ] [ View LaTeX (for geeks) ] [ Swap Dark/Light ]
Pharms - Buprenorphine (265), Kratom (203), Heroin (27) : Addiction & Habituation (10), Not Applicable (38)