I’m fking FREE! Day 9 of quitting.
My story and advice if anyone cares:
I had a habit of 400-500mg 7oh a day. I was scared to quit because of what I heard online. I finally got fed up enough with my financial situation and talked to a doctor on quick md to get prescribed subs (off brand version of it) to do a quick taper, and honestly I’m so glad I did get subs. It truly saved me. The first night I was just waiting as long as possible before taking subs and near the end I was in complete hell. I was pacing my room because being still at all felt miserable. But I’m glad I did suffer because it made me appreciate that I had access to a tool like subs, and it made me stay strong knowing that any slight discomfort I was having was miles better than what it would have been without. I’m now day 4 with no subs (I tapered subs from 24mg, 16mg, 8mg, 4mg, 2.5mg, 1mg). One thing that I didn’t realize was how much subs was helping me sleep, I actually slept a good amount considering what I had just quit. Even 1mg of subs was enough to let me sleep. Getting off subs completely was the second hardest part but tbh it was easy to do it compared to what it could have been coming off 7oh with no aid. I felt fine at first off Subs but I realized really quickly that I wasn’t going to be getting any sleep for a little while. And not having sleep (maybe 4 hrs total the past 3 days) is the only thing messing with me now. I had to avoid the slight temptation to use subs again to sleep but I knew it’d be pointless because it would just reset my progress and delay the inevitable of fixing my sleep. Overall I’d feel fine all things considered if I wasn’t so sleep deprived. it’s getting slightly better every day though.
I didn’t know what to do with myself so I’ve just been cruising in my car around town everyday because I hate being cooped up in my room during this time. (may not be the best idea sleep deprived but I was able to handle it just fine. I would stop if I felt like I couldn’t handle it).
But anyway, I’m feeling so grateful. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance. Not trying to scare anyone from quitting cold turkey with no aid but i honestly don’t know if I would have made it those first few days without subs. The worst was how slow time felt, and all I could imagine was how long 3 days was gonna feel like this.
I may be a rare case but I really haven’t been craving 7oh at all. To my brain there isn’t a direct correlation of the discomfort I’m feeling and taking 7oh it’s more like an after thought. And having experienced 7oh withdrawal before, I know that taking it doesn’t immediately make the discomfort go away, Ex. Like taking NyQuil to sleep one night (non withdrawal related), you’re not craving NyQuil but it sure would help. I’m comparing it to nicotine which has me really craving it if I don’t have it.
The things that have been helping me:
Taking lots of magnesium and a multivitamin
magnesium sleep bath salt
Lots of water, Gatorade electrolyte drinks.
Finding something to do even if you don’t want to. It can be really low effort. Just don’t suffer counting the minutes because each minute will feel like 20.
I threw away $500+ worth of 7oh to make the stakes higher.
I told the people closest around me to help keep me accountable.
Tylenol actually helped a good amount for the first day withdrawals.
Anyone, if you’re looking to quit DO IT. It feels so good to be in control again despite all the pain. I’d personally recommend doing a short taper of subs if you’re anything like me (weak minded, not very healthy lifestyle) it made the process infinitely easier I was even able to sleep the first several nights on and off (I might have taken a little more than I needed, but I don’t regret it). Just make sure you don’t go into precipitated withdrawals by taking subs too early and make sure you get off subs at the end of your taper because otherwise it’s pointless because you’re just getting yourself dependent to something that has even longer withdrawals imo. It’s good to suffer a little so you know what you just dodged.
FCK 7oh I’m done for life.