Hi Everyone,
We all know what it is like to be addicted to pain pills, as we all know that so well loved feeling of euphoria and energy that they once gave to us. I know why we become addicted and how our tolerance goes up, but what i wanted to know is why after time does that euphoric feeling go away and why do we feel miserable? It's so funny how we become mentally and physically addicted to the pills, but it is more strange that over time even when the warm fuzzy feeling is gone and the total miserable mood swings set in and we are completely miserable, we still want those darn things. WHY???

Wendy

Nobody knows the answer to that one I'm afraid.

It is, literally, a brain chemistry issue. I found this explaination:
Definition Of Drug Tolerance
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"When drugs such as heroin are used repeatedly over time, tolerance may develop. Tolerance occurs when the person no longer responds to the drug in the way that person initially responded. Stated another way, it takes a higher dose of the drug to achieve the same level of response achieved initially.

So for example, in the case of heroin or morphine, tolerance develops rapidly to the analgesic effects of the drug. The development of tolerance is not addiction, although many drugs that produce tolerance also have addictive potential.

Tolerance to drugs can be produced by several different mechanisms, but in the case of morphine or heroin, tolerance develops at the level of the cellular targets.

For example, when morphine binds to opiate receptors, it triggers the inhibition of an enzyme (adenylate cyclase) that orchestrates several chemicals in the cell to maintain the firing of impulses.

After repeated activation of the opiate receptor by morphine, the enzyme adapts so that the morphine can no longer cause changes in cell firing. Thus, the effect of a given dose of morphine or heroin is diminished."
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Soooo, the cell firing is greatly influenced, and changed, by continued use of the chosen narcotic. Although a person "feels good" when they take the narcotic, our body changes in response to it. AND, when the long-term use is suddenly discontinued, (i.e. cold turkey), those firing impulses are saying, "we're responding to this quantity of drug."

I went through rapid detox on December 10th. The doctor told me that the procedure "reset" my receptors "back to day one". If I woke up after the procedure and took my usual dose of pills I would have overdosed. During the procedure (asleep under anesthesia), the patient experiences 80% of the worst withdrawls. And it still took me 3-4 weeks to feel better. I'm not exaggerating for drama; it's the real truth. Taking drugs may not kill you; but you'll feel so horrid that you realize you know what hell must be like.

Still, my motivations (pain, "made me feel more centered") when I began taking Oxycontin were strong. I never would have believed that four years later I'd be an addict and have to go through drug withdrawl. "This will never happen to me; I'm not one of those people." :rolleyes:

My heartfelt prayer is that all of us make the brave choice to be free of the lie of addiction.
C.