Posted by SteveB on June 2, 2003, at 18:16:38
In reply to Re: opiate/opioid therapy , posted by jay beck on June 2, 2003, at 14:45:10
Hi,
From my experience opiates should really be used as the very last line of defense. I've been depressed & anxious for as long as I can remember (my teens at least), and have in the past self-medicated using a long list of recreational drugs - from pot, to amphetamines, morphine and finally heroin.
And yes, morphine and smack were the only drugs that ever made me feel... happy. I tried to only take the good from my life as a junkie, keeping my relationship with family and friends intact, holding a job, etc, but smack does take its physical and emotional toll. So once buprenorphine came on the market here in France (first as Temgesic then as Subutex), I switched over and took it for almost 2 years.
Buprenorphine is a relatively clean opioid, in that it's only a partial agonist, so it has the analgesic properties of a traditional opiate without much of the narcotic effect of heroin or morphine. It does however retain some of the opiates' AD qualities (feeling of mental well-being & relaxation, etc). I was pretty happy and productive on Subutex, and having to pop just one pill a day was no inconvenience. Then again skipping my daily dose was NOT AN OPTION, because dependence meant I'd be sick as a dog without my morning pill. Also note that buprenorphine comes with all the classic inconveniences of the other opiates - constipation, pin-prick pupils, itchy skin, etc.
I quit Subutex three years ago to remind myself what I was like without medication. Withdrawal was an absolute nightmare, even for someone who knows all about opiate withdrawal. I was sick for a month, followed by several months of severe depression.
Anyway, to cut a long story short, buprenorphine is an opiate and as such will end up doing you more harm than good if you take it for a long period of time. All opiates de-regulate your natural production of endorphine, so they don't "augment" your body's ability to make you happy, they replace it. Take the drug away and you'll come crashing down big time.
Oh yes, I was happy on Subutex so I can't knock it completely. In fact, besides the other opiates I've tried, buprenorphine is the only drug that ever gave me a true sense of well-being. But don't try it unless you're chronically depressed and have exhausted absolutely all other avenues. Opiates/opioids ALL will result in tolerance, dependance and withdrawal - not fun!
poster:SteveB
thread:99196
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030530/msgs/230899.html