cw91774
Newbie
Reged: 07/25/03
Posts: 25
Loc: South
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looked through old posts yesterday b/c i was beginning my second hydro holiday-----------my first was a disaster, and i never wanted to go through that again. i said i would ditch the hydro, but pain persited. so, my second holiday was creeping up on me. as the day wore on i felt worse and worse so, in a vain attempt i got online. i found a suggestion about using immodium. well, i just wanted to let everyone know that i feel absolutely fine today. i am a little tired, but that is about it. i took 10 2mg immodium, and in an hour i felt better. i even slept! this morning, i woke feeling extremely fatigued, so i downed 10 more immodium, and presto! an hour later, i was feeling better again. i just wanted to post my experience, so that maybe i could help some others through their awful holidays.
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howie
Member
Reged: 09/23/02
Posts: 143
Loc: T-Town
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Good luck with your "holiday". How long do the holidays last?
Is the Holiday so you will feel the Norco better when you start taking them again?
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tansun
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/28/02
Posts: 1152
Loc: southern USA
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Intersting post . I am not sure i understand what immodium does to make the holiday better. I guess i am asking why "IMMODIUM"???? Good info if it works though. ( i am a gal that likes to know the facts i guess- lol )
Tansun
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"Madam Meanness"
---------where theres a will, theres a way ----------
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rfred2003
Newbie
Reged: 08/05/03
Posts: 35
Loc: Mid USA
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one quick question, did it help the pain any? I asked because there is no way I could do that with all the pain I would have with out my med's, but I do need to take a break, since I've been doing this for 2 year's straight.
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He lived, He died, but he rose again, believe in Him.
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Flavia
Journeyman
Reged: 01/29/03
Posts: 65
Loc: Baja Oklahoma
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Maybe I am a newbie at this, but stopping hydro has very little consequence for me. No big deal. Of course I try to wait until the pain is less, but all that happens is that my stomach gurgles around, attempting to flush. I take a Tums and within 4 hours, I am totally fine. From my personal experience, I don't find hydro addictive at all.
Flavia 
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In this day and age, you need a crutch to get through life. If you don't, you are dead, in a
coma or seriously mentally impaired.
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rfred2003
Newbie
Reged: 08/05/03
Posts: 35
Loc: Mid USA
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""Maybe I am a newbie at this, but stopping hydro has very little consequence for me. No big deal. ""
hehehe......Yea, maybe so, cause it gets a lot worse. Feeling's that I can't begin to describe, an emptiness that can't be filled, muscle spasm, and more. If you can handle your pain, do it, you'll be much better off, cause once your hooked, "for real", life gets a bit more complicated, in fact, it just plain s****
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He lived, He died, but he rose again, believe in Him.
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Thomasx26
Journeyman
Reged: 03/23/03
Posts: 78
Loc: Lake Tahoe CA ,USA
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Don't see the connection with a holiday and an anti-diarrhetic. Could someone explain this one to me? The only thing that helps me are lots of nsaids (very bad for liver and hypertension) and benzos. I do get mild diarrhea that lasts about a day but whats the big deal. The worst for me is pain (even my skin hurts),insomnia and restless leg syndrom. This is after taking hydro almost constantly for 4 years (30-80 mg a day.)
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cw91774
Newbie
Reged: 07/25/03
Posts: 25
Loc: South
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the suggestion of the anti-diarrheal was made on a post by a pharmacology graduate student, and he/she said that the "loperamide hydrochloride" that was the main ingredient of the immodium would counteract withdrawal symptoms.
i don't know the logistics, but i do know that it made my symptoms go away, and for that, i'll take it.
i think the worse thing for me is the restless leg deal, and i didn't have that AT ALL! plus with a half a xanax, i slept like a baby! i'm telling you, i don't recommend taking more than what the directions say to take, but this worked for me!!!!!
i'll try to find the post and copy/paste it in a reply.....
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cw91774
Newbie
Reged: 07/25/03
Posts: 25
Loc: South
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i found a post from a few months ago that was going over the same thing..........here it is and may explain the reason immodium works....
"The active ingredient in Immodium-AD is Loperamide, which is either a mild opiate or chemically related/analogous to the opiates. Plus it is anti-diahrreal (sorry) - which will help during w/d's - because hydro/codeine are very constapating so you are in for a treat (not) when you stop taking them suddenly. So taking immodium helps with this bowel problem and also even puts a mild opioid-type med into your system. They use Loperamide in Immodium *because* it is related to the opiates, which are some of the best anti-Diahhreal chemicals out there"
i'll keep looking for the graduate student's response.
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oldnavy170
Board Addict
Reged: 05/12/03
Posts: 357
Loc: New York
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I don't know if its the Hydro Holiday that I have been on for 3 weeks but I have been feeling very weak and lack of energy. I have made a doctors appointment for Friday because I can't take the way I feel. I feel very sick lately and I am afraid that I hurt myself taking Hydro everyday. I just hope that its not from that and I am just perinoid. I guess that I am not the one to give Advice on Hydro Holidays until I find out what is causing me to feel so sick.
Sorry for talking just about myself here but I am alittle scared because I have never felt this way before.
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cw91774
Newbie
Reged: 07/25/03
Posts: 25
Loc: South
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how long have you been taking the hydro? if it has been for a while, then you probably are going through withdrawals. it doesn't last for 3 weeks, though....depending on severity, 4-7 days.
hope you feel better
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swilly2002
Member
Reged: 01/07/02
Posts: 116
Loc: New York, USA
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I started tapering off a few days ago and so far so good. anyone try this method with hydro?
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Thomasx26
Journeyman
Reged: 03/23/03
Posts: 78
Loc: Lake Tahoe CA ,USA
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Well I'll be damned. I tried the Imodium thing at it worked. I only to 24mg and was already into the second day of my 7 day holiday but I slept well, no leg cramps, no fever or chills, no restless leg movements. Now if I could only stop the feeling of the ice pick stuck in my hip I'd be OK. 
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Corrie
Board Addict
Reged: 07/16/02
Posts: 362
Loc: Southeast US
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I also don't take hydro all of the time (maybe half), and the Immodium never worked for me, except for the stomach problems, in which it did help.
Since the pain is still present from the condition that warranted taking the pain medication in the first place, the cessation of hydro, etc. is just magnified when quitting. I noticed that my pain was at least tenfold what it normally would be without taking pain meds and not in withdrawal.
The only thing that works for me is to taper down to a smaller amount of hydro, switch to bupe and taper from that and then institute a Clonidine and Sinemet (this is a medicine for Restless Leg Syndrome -- mine is Restless Body syndrome and is the WORST symptom I seem to have, I HATE it!) regimen for 3-4 days.
I feel for all of you going through this, having to deal with the pre-existing pain and everything else, but talk with your doctor (if you can) about some meds to alleviate the symptoms. I wish just the Immodium helped, but I found out that I needed other meds just to function (work, family and all that other stuff). I'd probably forgo it if I could and do it cold turkey so as not to prolong the symptoms, but I just can't take a week or more off from life.
Also, the longer you've taken opiates and the more often you've gone through w/d's, I think the harder and longer the withdrawal experience seems to take (Just my experience).
Corrie
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yawkaw3
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/22/03
Posts: 1193
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Immodium is structurally similar to fentantly, a powerful, powerful opiate. But, because of its chemical structure, it does not pass the blood brain barrier like fentantly can. This makes it an excellent drug for diarrhea because there is no possible way you can get high on it, yet it still has the effects fentantly would have on diarrhea.
There is no chemical way to change immodium to make it cross the BBB, but if you could, you'd have a powerful opiate OTC.
Just wanted to add that.
-yawkaw
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johng
Board Addict
Reged: 02/13/03
Posts: 351
Loc: great lakes
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Quote:
FYI the PDR 2002 states that magnesium sitrate (sp) Is added to reduce the binding of imodium in the pill form to the nureo opiate receptors. thus liquad form will be more potent unforantly it is more expensive.
FYI antidote for IModium OD is narcan proving it has a narcotic likeness( narcan reverses life threating opiate based OD)
Day-by-Day Diary of Hydro w/d wanted
I took this from another thread alot of good info
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Ask and it will be given to you Matthew 7:7
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swilly2002
Member
Reged: 01/07/02
Posts: 116
Loc: New York, USA
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quick update on tapering. i have been taking the medication for about a year and i stopped CT for the first time 4 months ago. it was the most miserable experience i've ever had. all the symptoms everyone describes. this time i decided to taper off. in about 6 days i have cut 60% of dosage (down to 2 pills per day) and should be done in a day or two. i can honestly say that this has been virtually side effect free. i haven't had to use any benzos and very little lomodil. one or two nights i took a unisom to get to sleep but i feel 100% better and am very happy i did this.
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