Opium withdrawal and treatment

Project by Sara Burbidge, Ashley Rogers & Eric Walker

Contents

Home remedies

There are quite a few websites that offer advice and the stories of people who have been able to successfully detox using natural remedies or at home self-detox methods. The information that follows is not professional medical advice.

Most of the remedies listed here are for Post Accute Withdrawl Symptoms or PAWS

Managing Withdrawals
This well-organized website provides advice on natural, inexpensive home remedies to reduce the symptoms of opiate withdrawal. It is a good resource for understanding and managing the PAWS (Post Acute Withdrawal Symptoms) Symptoms. The information on supplements is the most helpful part of this website.

Drugs.com
This is a forum site that provides a wealth of addict to addict information. The Thomas Recipe for withdrawal (listed below) is one of the most common methods used for at home detox.

THOMAS RECIPE

It is always wise to make sure none of the recipe ingredients or procedures conflict with medications you may be taking. Likewise, if you have any medical condition, disease, allergy or any other health issue, consult your doctor before using the recipe.

If you can't take time off to detox, I recommend you follow a taper regimen using your drug of choice or suitable alternate -- the slower the taper, the better.

For the recipe, you'll need:

1. Valium (or another benzodiazepine such as Klonopin, Librium, Ativan or Xanax). Of these, Valium and Klonopin are best suited for tapering since they come in tablet form. Librium is also an excellent detox benzo, but comes in capsules, making it hard to taper the dose. Ativan or Xanax should only be used if you can't get one of the others.
  • Imodium (over the counter, any drug or grocery store).
  • L-Tyrosine (500 mg caps) from the health food store.
  • Strong wide-spectrum mineral supplement with at least 100% RDA of Zinc, Phosphorus, Copper, Magnesium and Potassium (you may not find the potassium in the same supplement).
  • Vitamin B6 caps.
  • Access to hot baths or a Jacuzzi (or hot showers if that's all that's available).


How to use the recipe:

Start the vitamin/mineral supplement right away (or the first day you can keep it down), preferably with food. Potassium early in the detox is important to help relieve RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome). Bananas are a good source of potassium if you can't find a supplement for it.

Begin your detox with regular doses of Valium (or alternate benzo). Start with a dose high enough to produce sleep. Before you use any benzo, make sure you're aware of how often it can be safely taken. Different benzos have different dosing schedules. Taper your Valium dosage down after each day. The goal is to get through day 4, after which the worst WD symptoms will subside. You shouldn't need the Valium after day 4 or 5.

During detox, hit the hot bath or Jacuzzi as often as you need to for muscle aches. Don't underestimate the effectiveness of hot soaks. Spend the entire time, if necessary, in a hot bath. This simple method will alleviate what is for many the worst opiate WD symptom.

Use the Imodium aggressively to stop the runs. Take as much as you need, as often as you need it. Don't take it, however, if you don't need it.

At the end of the fourth day, you should be waking up from the Valium and experiencing the beginnings of the opiate WD malaise. Upon rising (empty stomach), take the L-Tyrosine. Try 2000 mgs, and scale up or down, depending on how you feel. You can take up to 4,000 mgs. Take the L-Tyrosine with B6 to help absorption. Wait about one hour before eating breakfast. The L-Tyrosine will give you a surge of physical and mental energy that will help counteract the malaise. You may continue to take it each morning for as long as it helps. If you find it gives you the "coffee jitters," consider lowering the dosage or discontinuing it altogether. Occasionally, L-Tyrosine can cause the runs. Unlike the runs from opiate WD, however, this effect of L-Tyrosine is mild and normally does not return after the first hour. Lowering the dosage may help.

Continue to take the vitamin/mineral supplement with breakfast.

As soon as you can force yourself to, get some mild exercise such as walking, cycling, swimming, etc. This will be hard at first, but will make you feel considerably better.

The information above was copied from the following website: http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-conditions/thomas-recipe-opiate-withdrawal-35169.html