Quitting Heroin, Please only answer if you have personal experiance?

Question

I have a friend who has been "shooting" heroin for about 7 years, She says she really ready to quit, (but of course have heard that before). My specific question is has anyone really quit cold turkey. I called a therapist to get her into counseling and they told us it would only be wasting her time, there is no way to stop without an inpatient or daily outpatient program. -- The addiction is $100-$200/day. The therapist was really nice but said she had 20 years experience and it's impossible for her to quit without ALOT of rehabilitation. I would appreciate personal experiences greatly. Thanks.

Answer 1

Well man, I am going to be totally honest with you.  She is a h**l of a lot better getting off Heroin than real pain pills. Pain pills go completely through the blood barrier as heroin doesn't have to, nor go through the liver. Snorting it or shooting it by-passes that.Pain pill withdrawal is far worse, heroin hits you hard but the worse is over in 5 days, and a heroin addict I am sure she jumps to methadone, so she is looking at 21 days cold turkey.SHe can do it, I did Methadone completely on my own and 200mg's a day, heroin is no where as bad.

It can be done, but it must take a h**l of a lot of determination and she must genuinely realize she does not want to do this anymore. ANd rehab and support from who? People that never took heroin or a pain pill in their life's, why make them rich?First; she will not be able to work or function, she will not be able to do a thing but lay in bed and wish she was dead. Whoever is putting her up must realize she is going to be totally useless.There are supplements she can take and I can advise her on this. I weaned off of 200mg's of methadone as prescribed for pain and had them in my hand.

The worse should be over in 7 days with heroin and it can take her up to 9 months to be totally normal. She is not going to be able to sleep and she can buy melatonin for this and take whatever it takes to put her down, for the plumbing issue's immodium and a lot of vitamin b-12 and a h**l of a lot of support, she will be going threw h**l and I really wonder if cancer feels better. I seen people dying of cancer that look and appear to feel better than someone withdrawing off of opiates. this is the real thing.Conatct me if you wish. I do know my stuff man, trust me. I been on this for 10 years.

and there is no such thing as a physical craving, (Do you physically crave food when you are starving?)she genuinley physically needs this stuff, receptors are not filled, histamines are released and she has running nose, cramps like you would and could NEVER imagine, this is a genuine sickness, PURE h**l and your whole body physically shuts down, you do not crave anything! YOU need it, a diabetic does not physically crave insulin, they need it and a opiate dependant person needs these opiates!!!!!!!!!!!

Your body naturally makes this stuff, you cannot crave blood? ANd the mental thing is totally real, you need this stuff to keep serotonin and dopamine levels in check, you are having real mood swings, not wanting a d**n cigarette!

Answer 2

Well, she will most likely not succeed if she tries to quit on her own.  The withdrawal will be h**l and virtually impossible to go through on her own. She will not only be physically ill,  but she will be mentally unstable as well and unable to control the cravings.  She needs medical detox and supervision so she doesn't get dehydrated and such.  It will take about 3-4 days to get through the heavy part and an additional week to get through the rest of the physical cravings.  The mental cravings will never completely go away, but will get less and less with time.  

She also has to change her lifestyle if she wants to have any hope of staying clean.  She needs to find new friends that don't use, go to support group meetings religiously, and find something to fill the void and time that she used to spend using and seeking drugs.  She needs to get a job and/or hobby, surround herself with positive people and things and she should get through this.  

Answer 3

I have friends in recovery and we have discussed withdrawal.  Your friend can't go cold turkey at the level of her use and length of time of her addiction.  She really does need to be at an inpatient facility that can supervise her gradual withdrawal.  Cold turkey can kill- the body can't take all the strain.  The she will need intensive rehab.

My best friend is 19 years clean and sober, has helped my son get clean and sober.

Answer 4

I'll just say that...it isn't going to happen without rehabilitation. Plain and simple. Call me a cynic, but it just doesn't seem possible. She's going to get REALLY sick. Smack is some pretty nasty stuff.

Answer 5

Methadone Maintenance has the highest rate of success. It brings the dopamine level of the brain to it's normal level so the craving has gone. It's has a half-life so it requires a taper when the patient is stable and wants to stop the drug. It saved my life.

Plus rehabs and therapy to understand the nature of the beast and how to deal with triggers and other problems.