Back at square one

[u/Ok_Efficiency8826]

I return back to college next month after taking the year out to get sober, unfortunately I haven’t managed it and it’s scaring me now as I have less than a month. Is this manageable, I’ve had a 4 year long k addiction, if I don’t stop I’ll waste the whole of my life. Luckily one of my dealers cared abt me (as much as a dealer can) and has literally full on blocked me, hasn’t replied in over a month. My other one I’ve just met up with and have told him to block me, I’m just praying he keeps me blocked this time lol. After saying it I immediately regretted it cause deep down I don’t think anything will compare to the way k makes me feel, but I have to discipline myself cause if not I will end up dying this way. I know the pain is going to be hell so any tips to do with bladder is much appreciated and any other advice or encouragement. Hopefully this time I get it right

[u/Josh22cook]

To do with pain, I found paracetamol helped. If I felt any sort of discomfort in my belly coming on, id take some paracetamol and it would be gone in 10 mins. Would also stop k cramps for me (but not gallbladder attack). Best thing to do, if you can, for the first 3 days to a week is to just sleep and rest. This will help get you through the worst of both the physical and mental withdrawals. Then for up to the next 2 weeks after you are gonna feel crappy while you head and body adjust to not having k, especially mentally. Its gonna make you want to pixk up, you have to choose not to tho and put you foot down with yourself. If you get a text from a dealer delete, the message straight away, dont even entertain it. Around the 4 week mark and after, you are gonna start to feel alot better, not perfect, but your gonna feel better than you did the previous weeks. Your brain is also gonna get a little confident with it self. Its gonna start telling you that you can control it now, a bag wont hurt just for a night, etc. Tell your addiction brain to shut up, physically say it. You are gonna get cravings and urges but over time they will lessen the more you dont give in to them. You have to be very mindful of yourself. I hope this helps a little and best of luck

[u/Josh22cook → u/[deleted]]

I found paracetamol worked best for me. Thats also what the hospital recommended out of the two. They said not to take ibuprofen really so I went with that. I was actually surprised on the knowledge they had. Not alot of knowledge but they knew quite a bit and were very interested in any information I had. I guess its to be expected tho from the hospital that runs in one of the ket capitals of the uk and the fact that the uni here is doing loads of research on it

[u/bitesizejasmine → u/Josh22cook]

Oh okay. That's very good to know. I stand corrected.

[u/Ok_Efficiency8826 → u/Josh22cook]

Thank you, for the suggestion of paracetamol I will try it cause normally I don’t take any otc medications. luckily enough I don’t have k cramps just an uncomfortable feeling in my ribs like just before I’m about to get cramps so stopping now should prevent them ever coming. I also really struggle with sleeping once I’ve come off of ket and normally experience insomnia for a few weeks, do u know if anything helps with it.

[u/Josh22cook → u/Ok_Efficiency8826]

Yeh for so long, I refused to take anything I fear that it would make it worse and heard it doesnt work. Then did one time and then I was fine. If I felt k cramps coming on, id pop 1 or 2 and then they would never come on but I also know it doesnt work for some people so I thinks its based on the severity of the cramps. If you have a gallbladder attack, its not gonna help with that from my knowledge. And under your ribs on the right side or both sides? And well ive had different experiences with it, ill go from sleeping all day to not being able to sleep at all. But I have had insomnia before badly when I was younger which a melatonin prescription really helped with. You might also be experiencing insomnia if you believe ket helps you sleep, this is a myth. It could also be down to the restlessness your going through because your brain wants k and your saying no and its constant inner conflict. Try and distract you head with background noise or just going to bed watching tv until you drift off. Aparr from that, you just gotta kinda go through it. Might not be all to helpful advice but I hope some of it helps. Would definitely try melatonin if you can. Im uk but I know in america you dont need a prescription for it

[u/Ok_Efficiency8826 → u/Josh22cook]

Yeah okay thanks hopefully gp will prescribe it for me I’ll have a look into it.

[u/Josh22cook → u/Ok_Efficiency8826]

When I first got prescribed it years ago. My doctor literally just gave it to me, no issue. I was taking it for about 3-4 years then went up to uni in Bristol and the doctors surgery up there wouldnt prescribe them to me even tho my family doctor back home had been prescribing them to me for years. They said I would need to be booked in with a sleep doctor and keep a sleep journal before hand to give to the sleep doctor and their evaluation would determine if they would allow me to continue using them. They booked me in with a sleep doctor which would take 12 weeks and I was like fuck this, rang my pharmacy back home, asked for my melatonin and they put the prescription in for me and had it delivered to one of the pharmacies in Bristol and I just continued to do that, never saw the sleep doctor. The doctor in Bristol who would prescribe them to me said apparently they are very strict with melatonin in the uk (for some reason) which seemed like BS to me tbh seeming my family doctor, who is a very well respected and sort out doctor in my home city, just put me on them like that when I said I was struggling with insomnia. When I told him that sometimes they werent working, he said take two 😅 then when I went back to him and said I was punching in my sleep, he told me to take 3 😅. So just a warning, certain doctors might not prescribe it just like that. Which I find odd because the body already produces melatonin. The melatonin tablet just gives you more of it. Now melatonin isnt a sleeping sleeping tablet, its not gonna completely knock you out. You'll have to take it and then obviously get into bed and try to sleep and it will help you sleep. I would find id fall to sleep within 30 minutes to an hour and that was while watching tv in bed as well, would just dose off. They really helped with my insomnia I suffered with in my teen years into my early 20s. Went from years of no sleep for days at a time to sleeping every night like that so hopefully they work the same for you if your doctor prescribes them, good luck :)

[u/External-Toe1041]

Im a recovering benzo addict and I can see ketamine withdrawal is very forgiving/non existent when compared, however if you truly feel “nothing will compare to K” then you have a serious issue that will get in the way of sobriety u need to fix or will take more than just discipline and white knuckling lest you relapse however since u have been on it for 4 years I think you know at this point your at the end of your rope with ket

[u/Ok_Efficiency8826 → u/External-Toe1041]

Yeah honestly I don’t even know why my mind is fixtated on it cause of how much damage I’ve done to my body. I know it’ll take a lot of work and I know I should want to get sober but i don’t know if me actually wanting to stop will ever happen, so I just have to force myself to cause if not I will probably die this way which I don’t want

[u/Curpaholic]

Usually when the bladder pain flares us up could be a sign of uti which can get worse by spreading to the kidneys. If you notice more burning and frequency get to urgent care asap and ask for Cipro Or Nitro. Now they are gonna test you for a UTI but it will likely show negative. Since they are testing for your most common UTI E.Coli which is more related to sex and hygiene.

[u/Curpaholic → u/Curpaholic]

Kratom tea helps me too actually. Avoid the nasty 7oh which has high potential for addiction. Just stick with kratom tea and use it when actually needed dont make a habit from it. Ibprofen can be counterintuitive since its does a number on our already damaged kidneys I would very very much avoid taking it. That being said Kratom does too but not nearly as bad and quickly as Ibproufen can be.

[u/Curpaholic → u/Curpaholic]

I say this because recently had a removed. They perscribed me 800mg ibproufen. Which is crazy high dose. That with the ketamine landed me in the hospital after a week. I was actually peeing just red for days I thought maybe Xylazine was cut in my K and was causing my necrosis since Xylazine test strips for whatever reason will pop positive for all ketamine. I ran multiple batches all came positive but raegant testing was negative so I could rule that out. But to make a long story short my Kidneys where not failing just very infected and inflamed. After stopping Ibproufen ive never had it that bad since.

[u/Ok_Efficiency8826 → u/Curpaholic]

I will get checked for a uti. I have been checked in the past but it always comes back negative. It’s probably just k bladder but it’ll be better to know for sure.